The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles Background.

The French Lieutenant’s WoThe French Lieutenant’s Woman man

by John Fowlesby John Fowles

BackgroundBackground

Victorian Issues: EvolutionVictorian Issues: Evolution

1859 Charles Darwin’s Origin of 1859 Charles Darwin’s Origin of SpeciesSpecies

unsound; contradict a literal unsound; contradict a literal interpretation of the Bible.interpretation of the Bible.

Doubt in GodDoubt in God

e.g. Carlyle “Characteristics “e.g. Carlyle “Characteristics “

Victorian Issues: IndustrialismVictorian Issues: Industrialism

TextilesTextiles Railways and steelRailways and steel Electricity and chemicalsElectricity and chemicals Digital information technologies, Digital information technologies,

miniaturization miniaturization Great Exhibition of 1851Great Exhibition of 1851

Victorian Issues: WomenVictorian Issues: Women Purity and selflessness, protected and enshrinPurity and selflessness, protected and enshrin

ed within the home, create a place of peace wed within the home, create a place of peace where man could take refuge from the difficultiehere man could take refuge from the difficulties of modern life.s of modern life.

Boredom, feminine idleness as a status symboBoredom, feminine idleness as a status symbol for upper- and middle-class.l for upper- and middle-class.

““Woman Question”, concerned issues of sexWoman Question”, concerned issues of sexaul inequality in politics, economic life, educataul inequality in politics, economic life, education and social intercourse.ion and social intercourse.

suffrage, married women to own their own prosuffrage, married women to own their own property, enlarge educational opportunities, imprperty, enlarge educational opportunities, improved employment opportunitiesoved employment opportunities

Alfred, Lord Tennyson(1)Alfred, Lord Tennyson(1)

MaudMaud (1855) (1855) 6, 13, 16, 25, 43, 45, 49, 566, 13, 16, 25, 43, 45, 49, 56

--an experimental monologue--an experimental monologue

--portrayal of the speaker’s hope for --portrayal of the speaker’s hope for

a redeeming love and his despair a redeeming love and his despair

and bitterness over the social ills and bitterness over the social ills

surrounding him.surrounding him.

--reflects Tennyson’s preoccupation with the --reflects Tennyson’s preoccupation with the relationship of the role of women to relationship of the role of women to modern civilizationmodern civilization

Alfred, Lord Tennyson(2)Alfred, Lord Tennyson(2) MarianaMariana (1835) (1835) --the state of feeling was intensely drawn into --the state of feeling was intensely drawn into melancholy isolation.melancholy isolation. --portrayed through the consciousness of an --portrayed through the consciousness of an abandoned woman.abandoned woman. In MemoriamIn Memoriam (1850) (1850) 12, 15, 20, 36, 38, 41, 4812, 15, 20, 36, 38, 41, 48

--a long elegy written over a period of --a long elegy written over a period of seventeen years embodying the poet’s seventeen years embodying the poet’s reflections on our relation to God and to nature.reflections on our relation to God and to nature. --reflects the religious uncertainties he --reflects the religious uncertainties he experienced.experienced.

Matthew ArnoldMatthew Arnold His poetry bears testimony to the refusal to compromiHis poetry bears testimony to the refusal to compromi

se with the spirit of his era. se with the spirit of his era. Mycerinus, the Forsaken Merman, the Scholar-Gipsy, EMycerinus, the Forsaken Merman, the Scholar-Gipsy, E

mpedocles, display lonely and isolated protagonists, mpedocles, display lonely and isolated protagonists, alien to their environment, projection of their creatoalien to their environment, projection of their creator's own essential homelessness in the Victorian world. r's own essential homelessness in the Victorian world.

Meeting, Parting Meeting, Parting 21, 4021, 40, and A Farewell , and A Farewell 9, 229, 22, reveal the indi, reveal the individual has to postulate some mysterious and superhuvidual has to postulate some mysterious and superhuman power in order to account for the limitations of himan power in order to account for the limitations of his faculties, especially as a social being, but the relatios faculties, especially as a social being, but the relationship is predestined to failure. nship is predestined to failure.

Pre-Raphaelites Pre-Raphaelites

Christina Rossetti (1830-94)Christina Rossetti (1830-94) --unmarried--unmarried --battled against a solid idea that women --battled against a solid idea that women were not to interpret scripture.were not to interpret scripture. -- used women as subjects of her poems. -- used women as subjects of her poems. Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-82)Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-82) --beauty of women’s face--beauty of women’s face --dreamy stares, breathless from --dreamy stares, breathless from visions of heaven 1, 2, 3, 4, 5visions of heaven 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Pre-Raphaelite BrotherhoodPre-Raphaelite Brotherhood

Founded in 1848 by a small and Founded in 1848 by a small and influential group of people.influential group of people.

Hope to recapture the spiritual Hope to recapture the spiritual vividness they saw in the medieval vividness they saw in the medieval painting before Raphael (1483-1520).painting before Raphael (1483-1520).

Both painting and poetry are Both painting and poetry are different ways to express the same different ways to express the same idea.idea.

Ecce Ancilla Domini (The Annunciation) 1850 by Dante Gabriel Rossettiwww.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/ auth/rossetti/

Beatrice, a Portrait of Jane Morris by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882)http://www.victorianweb.org/painting/dgr/paintings/1.html

'The Blessed Damozel'by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

http://www.nouveaunet.com/prbpassion/various2.cfm

Beata Beatrix (186[3-4?]-70) Painted in memory of Rossetti's wife, Lizzie Siddal, who died from an overdose of laudanum inFebruary 1862 . The theme is taken from Dante's "La Vita Nuova", in which Rossetti's favourite poet describes his unrequited love and mourning for Beatrice Portinari. http://www.caroltipping.com/beatabeatrix.htm                                  

Siren