The Moral Compass

Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901), defines the historical and literary period of the Victorian Age. The historical Industrial Revolution and the literary Romance period preceded the Victorian age, each laying the groundwork for the advances and growth experienced in England. The Romantic Period was a response to the Industrial Revolution that catapulted Europe forward economically. The Romantics sensed a loss of humanity due to the separation from the simplicity of life and connection to nature. It was a plea to return to the Golden Age. Poems and prose expressed the feelings of many writers who felt that England’s leadership in “commerce and industry exacted a terrible price in human happiness.” And that “progress had been gained by abandoning traditional rhythms of life and traditional patterns of human relationships.” The rapid and unregulated growth of industrialization came with many social and economic issues. The Victorian Era appeared to address more of the social order of things. What is acceptable. Right and wrong were clearly defined. Women were expected to conduct themselves in a way that represented high moral standards and conduct befitting a lady. The sexual appetites of the sexes were not considered appropriate topics of conversation. A young woman would be ruined if found in a compromising situation. Repeated themes of the Victorian era include the roles of women, morality, and principles of good versus evil.

It wasn’t until the middle of the Victorian Age that England became a leader in industry; reaping the rewards of enormous wealth. If it had not been for the Industrial Revolution, England would not have gained the wealth that was evident during the Victorian Age. This wealth helped or moved society to focus on culture and refinement - eventually leading to the defined social order of the day. I believe this focus on refinement was an answer to the general sentiment of the people that they had lost much for the pursuit of progress and wealth. In addition to the focus on refinement, there was a strong influence of religion - a buoy to keep the fallen spirit of man afloat during the troubled emotions of this period. Queen Victoria and her husband Albert, examples of devotion and domestic propriety, set the moral compass of the Victorian age. By today’s standards, this period in history would be considered prudish or old-fashioned. As a mother of nine children, I am certain that Victoria was earnest in teaching them principles that included the admonition of Paul when he said:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. - Philippians 4:8

Where poetry was the primary expression during the Romantic period, the novel or novella dominated the Victorian period. Charles Dickens was the main producer of novels during the first part of the Victorian Era, beginning with the novel, The Pickwick Papers (1836). Dickens wrote about the shortcomings and failings of the Victorian social scene, even during a time of great prosperity. Thomas Hardy closed the Victorian Age with his novel, Jude the Obscure (1895). In many of his novels, he depicts women of great strength who do not fill the traditional roles of womanhood. The Victorian Moral Compass with pointers set upon moral responsibility, earnestness, devotion to duty, and domestic propriety, and the roles of women were challenged and redefined by the writers of this day. In Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem, “The Princess”, the doctrine of “separate spheres” is born when the king advocates the traditional roles of male and female:

Man for the field and woman for the hearth;

Man for the sword and for the needle she;

Man with the head and woman with the heart;

Man to command and woman to obey.

Pre-Victorian Age, through her essay The Vindication of Women, Mary Wollstonecraft challenged the roles set for women, imploring women to be more than a beautiful face, to be educated, and to be contributors to society. These challenges to long-established assumptions about women’s roles in society continued through the creative works of the Victorian Age. Changes to laws concerning property, education, and career choices for women would not happen for some time. However, the possibilities were voiced in novels and poetry. Like Tennyson’s “The Princess”, there were many writers who advocated the traditional roles of women and there were others who expressed other aspects of the female nature.

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) is an example of a woman who, during her lifetime, fit into the pre-established roles of women and at other times she challenged those roles. Rossetti was exposed to the theater, opera, and the arts and loved them. These pleasures were abandoned for strict religious principles that governed her life. She experienced love and was engaged more than once to be married. Both engagements ended due to religious convictions. She had a great sense of duty and compassion and found herself volunteering at a penitentiary for fallen women. This same compassion is expressed in her moral fable, “Goblin Market”. This poem is ripe with the religious themes of temptation and sin with redemption brought about by the vicarious suffering of another. Virginia Woolf described this piece when writing to Rossetti:

Your poems are full of gold dust and “sweet geraniums’ varied brightness”; your eye noted incessantly how rushes are “velvet headed,” and lizards have a “strange metallic mail” - your eye, indeed, observed with a sensual pre-Raphaelite intensity that must have surprised Christina the Anglo-Catholic. But to her you owed perhaps the fixity and sadness of your muse….No sooner have you feasted on beauty with your eyes than your mind tells you that beauty is vain and beauty passes. Death, oblivion, and rest lap around your songs with their dark wave.

As Virginia Woolf pointed out that there is a sensualness to this piece there are other perspectives that have focused on the “transactional” marketplace as a way of looking at capitalism in the Victorian era. Others have focused on illnesses born from undesirable behaviors. In Anthony H. Harrison’s article, "Christina Rossetti: Illness and Ideology" he suggests that this poem represents

“Victorian sensual repression: it reflects a profound fear of female sexuality and its potential consequences.”

He also suggests that Jennie is a prostitute and that she falls sick due to her profession. I do not agree with him, yet understand his reasoning. When I read this poem, I could only reflect on my own experience with unrequited love and the physical ill effect it had on my person. I remember exquisitely the feelings and the terrible condition I found myself in. Knowing that Rossetti was treated for hysteria for much of her life and specifically during her teenage years, I could not help but wonder if she had felt an attraction towards any of the doctors that cared for her. If that is the case, then she experienced unrequited love. Expecting love or desiring love from an unavailable person could be the fruit sold by the goblins. It may be delicious and desirable, but dangerous whether given or not. I felt that the sister helped Laura because she understood the pain of lost love. She did not partake, yet she confronted it. This act helped her to soothe and heal her sister. As a woman and a sister these sentiments ring more profoundly with me. Rossetti expresses the feelings and emotions of women in a profound and insightful way. Women desire as much as men, but they are governed by the heart.

In contrast to Rossetti’s poem, Thomas Hardy explores the character of womanhood in his novel Far from the Madding Crowd. Bathsheba is the heroine in her own tragedy. She grew and matured through every trial put before her. Circumstances led to her becoming the mistress of the manor and the farm. The conventions of the Victorian Age and laws that prohibited women from owning property or handling their own property, would expect her to find a male counterpart to resume the duties of running the estate. Yet she takes the responsibility to be her own. She exemplifies this strength when she states:

I shall be up before you are awake; I shall be a field before you are up; and I shall have breakfast before you are a field.

This appears to be a woman who wishes to lead by example and not by privilege. The Literary Criticism: “Bathsheba’s Tale of Resistance to Appropriation” discusses the role of Bathsheba, a woman who objects to marriage and womanly traits expected of the patriarchal order of the Victorian Age. The men of Far from the Madding Crowd attempt to place Bathsheba into preset molds of womanhood which Bathsheba rejects. While reading this criticism I felt that Shazia Mohammad and Abdus Khalis reflected Bathsheba’s status and struggle with society very well and I agree with their perspective and conclusion about her nature.

Mohammad and Khalis indicate that Bathsheba is opposed to the perceived bondage or captivity as a result of matrimony and state that:

her views on love, marriage and husband come as no surprise to the reader who is familiar with Hardy’s conception of exceptional, arrogant, desirable, self-willed and strong women seeking self-realization (441).

What I find fascinating about Bathsheba’s character is that she is desirable, even when her responses toward the men in her life cause them grief and pain. The most honorable of the three is Mr. Oak, who respects her rejection and does not broach the question of marriage until she permits it at the end of the novel. Even though Mahammad and Khalis feel that the men try to fit Bathsheba into the preset molds of womanhood, I feel that Mr. Oak accepts Bathsheba with all her faults and failings and only tries to correct them when he sees that she has been cruel, unkind or mistaken.

Mohammad and Khalis state that Bathsheba has been defeated during her marriage to Troy and that she only comes to this realization upon the death of Fanny Robins:

It is Fanny Robin’s death which brings a realization of her own inadequacies as a female” (443).

I don’t entirely agree with this statement; however, I do agree with their next statement:

Fanny Robins wins Troy’s loyalty and turns out to be the usurper of Bathsheba’s status” (444).

The realization of this loyalty is reflected when she responds to Troy’s confession of love and feelings of true marriage with Fanny Robin:

The scene of the corpse, through Troy’s intervention, become one of misrecognition of femininity. If she’s - that, what - am I? Cries Bathsheba with despair and indignation. Not seeing her femaleness in his view of her femaleness, she does not know who she is. Yet she will find out.

I appreciate that Mohammad and Khalis did not make Bathsheba out to be a villain or a wicked woman. The Victorian Era was conservative and expected certain behavior and certain careers for women. Bathsheba does not employ any of the expected conventions. She is young, beautiful, strong, and independent. She had the desire to prove herself and had the drive to not fail. She felt remorse for the sorrows of others. She was a good person who, like most Greek Heroes, has some character traits that bring sorrow and tragedy. Yet, she does find love and contentment, retaining her strength. She is a woman who has found herself to be more than a pretty face. She is the woman that Wollstonecraft had hoped for all women.

As with many things, we cannot understand fully the nature of man without exploring the female counterpart of man; the male characters of the Victorian age. Like Christina Rossetti, Robert Louis Stevenson was born to a stern Presbyterian father and a deeply devout and affectionate mother; growing up in a highly oppressive religious society. In his epic horror story, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stevenson addresses the darker side of human nature and mankind’s duality. This chilling story distressed other writers, including J.A. Symonds, who wrote to Stevenson stating that the story

has left such a deeply painful impression on my heart that I do not know how I am ever to turn to it again.

Where can one turn to when faced with the possibility of our own duality? This story told by Robert Louis Stevenson explores the dual nature of mankind and the possibilities of separating those aspects we find less desirable within our nature. It has been the subject of many pieces of literature to show the opposition in all things, especially the nature of mankind.

There is good in each of us as well as evil. The refined society of the Victorian age accompanied by the puritan views practiced by society curbed the more sensual appetites of man. In an effort to isolate and extract evil from man, Dr. Jekyll experiments upon himself tearing down the barriers of restraint and releasing Mr. Hyde into the world. Dr. Jekyll struggles to restrain the urges to release Mr. Hyde until he can no longer keep hold of him and Mr. Hyde is in complete control. The Victorian Era, much like Dr. Jekyll, worked hard to suppress appetites; valuing restraint, moral fortitude, and conservative behaviors. Because man is multi-dimensional, he cannot be wholly good or wholly evil. Mr. Stevenson reflects the dual nature of man many times throughout this story. The most obvious is the noble Dr. Jekyll and the a-moral Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll is good and Mr. Hyde is evil. The stature of each mirrors their individual nature. Dr. Jekyll is physically strong and upright whereas Mr. Hyde is bent over and smaller in size. Dr. Jekyll is patient and Mr. Hyde is impulsive. The good Dr. Jekyll is portrayed as a strong and intelligent man whose stature could be intimidating, except that his kindness and caring overshadow that physical attribute. Mr. Hyde’s appearance is in direct contrast to Dr. Jekyll and his evil nature is the darkness to Dr. Jekyll’s light. Exploring history, we discover that the name Edward Hyde is attributed to Edward Hyde the Earl of Clarendon, a man who is despised by his fellow countrymen. In his senior years, he is unable to stand upright, folding upon himself, needing the assistance of others to carry him into Parliament upon a couch.

Mr. Stevenson continues to reflect duality in his writing style in describing the setting, interactions between characters, and comparisons between characters. The characters, Mr. Utterson and Mr. Enfield are cousins and they spend time together, usually walking. Mr. Utterson is a sober, quiet man and Mr. Enfield is a more social creature and welcoming. Introducing comparisons between characters, Mr. Enfield shares with Mr. Utterson an event involving Mr. Hyde. Mr. Hyde, an adult male tramples a young girl - another contrast between individual characters. Describing a scene, Stevenson provides a visual contrast of a busy street:

...the street shone out in contrast to its dingy neighbourhood, like a fire in a forest…

Stevenson continues these contrasts throughout the story.

Dr. Jekyll is the archetype of benevolence whereas Mr. Hyde is the archetype of evil. These types reside within our physical body. The good desires to control evil and evil wishes to roam unrestrained. The Victorian age, in its idealistic view, sought to curb the undesirable attributes of man. A society focused on refinement and living a pure life. Restraint was paramount. Stevenson explores this aspect by showing that continued restraint paired with obvious disdain may actually result in the vicious rebellion as exemplified by Mr. Hyde. Every man has good and evil commingled within. It is our nature. The burden of control or discipline is personal and our own. Society may determine what is acceptable, yet it is our own conscience that allows us to proceed through life as a creature of good versus evil. We set the moral compass for ourselves.

Joining the landscape of duality and the divided self is Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891). Oscar Wilde challenges the Victorian Moral Compass when he writes

there is no such thing as moral or immoral books.

He was a follower of the aesthetics theories and an advocate for the school of “art for art’s sake.” I agree with Oscar Wilde, in that a book or any other art form is neither moral nor immoral. However, morality can be depicted in the art and be the basis for the action of a character in a novel. The Picture of Dorian Gray is neither moral nor immoral, however, Dorian Gray could be considered an immoral character who begins with small actions, such as a lie or minor deceit. The small indiscretion eventually turns into something larger. Dorian was a vain individual who cared about what others thought of him. Since the portrait revealed his true self, he hid it away. Dorian continues on the path of deceit which eventually leads to murder. Murder is then covered up with more deceit. The novel is neither moral nor immoral, however, the character is immoral.

Oscar Wilde is an amazing storyteller who has often written with a “moral to the story”. This is more evident in his Fairy Tales like “The Selfish Giant.” His feelings and sensitivity to the nature of man and how man reacts to man are great parallels to humankind. The Victorian Age is best known for its novels and the nature of man. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, we see the effects of choices and the issues of morality. Seemingly, Dorian Gray is benevolent and without guile at the beginning of this tale. Over time, we witness the gradual change and effect of the choices made by Dorian Gray. This suggests that man is moral or good until he succumbs to the temptations that surround him. At the end, when it is too late, Dorian wishes the evil shown in his portrait to be destroyed and ends up destroying himself.

In both stories, Dorian Gray and Dr. Jekyll, represent the dual nature of man. Dorian’s duality is internal, whereas Dr. Jekyll’s duality is physical and seen by others. The nature of man is such that each of us could manifest our personal duality or conceal it. In either case, we will eventually be found out. Beneath this duality, both of these characters attempt to control or restrain. Dr. Jekyll experiments to isolate and destroy the evil within man. Dorian Gray wishes to remain Angelic in appearance while hiding his true nature within a portrait hidden from public view.

The roles of women, the nature of man, earnestness, and devotion, and the pointers on the Moral Compass of the Victorian age have endured. We still see these attributes in this century as depicted in literature, art, and cinematography. We also see the opposite to be true. So, we set our personal moral compass and find our true north. I have often asked myself what my true north is and I find myself reflecting back on my childhood and the traditions established by my parents. One of those is the reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens the week before Christmas. Through our journey through life, we may find ourselves on paths we blindly stumbled upon as a consequence of our shortcomings and failings. Miraculously we discover hope and a desire to step back onto the path that matters most. For Scrooge, it was the welfare of mankind. Should we find ourselves short or lacking we could ask ourselves if we have made mankind our business. Then all that is benevolent and pure will come naturally; leaving the moral compass intact and unchanged.

Resources:

Coodin, David. “The Differences Between Romanticism & Victorianism.” Pen and the Pad, 10 Jan. 2019, penandthepad.com/differences-between-romanticism-victorianism-8657956.html. Accessed 16 May 2019.

Greenblatt, Stephen. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, The Major Authors. Volume 2. 9th ed., vol. 2, Norton, 2013.

Hardy, Thomas, and Jonathan A. Cook. Far from the Madding Crowd. Barnes and Noble, 2005.

Harrison, Antony H. “Christina Rossetti: Illness and Ideology.” VICTORIAN POETRY, vol. 45, no. 4, 2007, pp. 415–428., Accessed 16 May 2019.

Harrison, Antony H. "Christina Rossetti: Illness and Ideology." Victorian Poetry, vol. 45 no. 4, 2007, pp. 415-428. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/vp.2008.0000

Mohammad, Shazia Ghulam, and Abdus Salam Khalis. “Far from the Madding Crowd: Bathsheba’s Tale of Resistance to Appropriation.” The Dialogue, Qurtuba University, Pakistan. Accessed 16 May 2019.

Rossetti, Christina. “Goblin Market.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, 1862, poetryfoundation.org/. Accessed 16 May 2019.

“The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories, by Robert Louis. Stevenson, Barnes & Noble Classics, New York, NY, 2004, pp. 5–78.

Wilde, Oscar, and Camille Cauti. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Barnes & Noble Classics, 2004.