The Ideal Lady Chiltern

In the play “An Ideal Husband” by Oscar Wilde, Lady Chiltern is wife of the successful politician Sir Robert Chiltern who built his envied wealth and success on a sin committed in his youth. When Lady Chiltern finds out about her husband’s secret she’s in hysterics yelling, “It is not true! Robert! It is not true!” While portraying this part she should look around the room frantically as if looking for an escape out of her shocked misery while avoiding eye contact with Sir Robert, because she doesn’t want to face the truth that is about to face and ruin her. As she is looking around she should pace the room with her hands in the air to dramatize the scene. She’s in panic because her husband’s secret has ruined the ideal marriage that she has so convincingly led. Her ideal husband, whom she has prided herself in, has a flaw.  The image he depicted is ruined just like the ideal life she lived in. Once Mrs. Cheveley leaves the room, Sir Robert confirms the secret with his laconicism. Furry then runs over her and she finally approaches him and continues to condemn him for his past mistake. She grabs him by the shoulders shaking him as her face reddens in despair screaming: “Lie to me! Lie to me! Tell me it is not true!” Because she knows what this will do to her public image, she rather be left in ignorance as if hoping it will change the reality of his sin. She is not accustomed to any scandals because her character has never had to deal with them. In her opinion of her self she was always proper and has never committed any errors in her past or present. She puts herself in a pedestal and does the same with her husband always having high expectations of him. As he let her down she wasn’t prepared for the worst. Never had she the necessity to question his ideal character, but now the sin he built his success on baffles her as she is confused what this will do to their future and public image.   

A Sentimental Journey and Persuasion

A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne uses a first-person narrator through its protagonist Yorick who is critical of his opinion of others and often voices them ruthfully. While in Jane Austen’s Persuasion the main character Anne Elliot does not voice her opinions as highly and usually keeps her thoughts to herself all the while letting others create an opinion for her and choose for her since she is easily persuaded into things. Free indirect discourse is third-person narration that can also be deciphered as first-person narration as it is difficult at times to comprehend which characters thoughts are being voiced because it never uses she said or he said, instead a characters thoughts are dominant in the passage and it is up to the reader to decide which character it is who’s doing the narrating. First-person narration is used through a character and it is clear for the reader on what that certain character feels towards others and situations throughout a novel because “I” is voiced straight from the character. First-person narration doesn't create critical distance between the reader and Yorick in A Sentimental Journey because we know exactly what his thoughts are whereas with free indirect discourse it is harder upon the reader to decide whose thoughts are dominant in the passage and whether or not it is a character narrating the passage or the narrator itself whose gender is never revealed in Persuasion, thus why it creates critical distance for the readers and its characters especially its main character Anne Elliot.

Free Indirect Discourse vs. First Person Narration

Persuasion by Jane Austen and A Sentimental Journey by Lawrence Sterne differ when they question their motives for interacting with another character in the novel. Anne questions her motives for wanting to check if the rain has stopped when in reality she really wants to be seen by Wentworth. Yorick in a sentimental journey questions his motives as to why he should or should not invite Madame de L on his journey. This confusion leads to a difference in the way they are presented. Anne Elliot uses free indirect discourse while Yorick is in first person narration. 

In Persuasion Anne Elliot puts herself in a situation where she is forced to find asylum inside a store because of the rain, knowing that Wentworth is outside, while he doesn't know of her close presence. Her concerns for the rain try to overshadow her real reason as to why she wants to go out and check if the rain has stopped when in reality she wants to be seen by Wentworth. For instance, “She now felt a great inclination to go to the outer door; she wanted to see if it rained. Why was she to suspect herself another motive(165)?” Anne takes herself through complex excuses because she subconsciously wants to be noticed so that he will approach her. She uses persuasion to her advantage this time then when it was used against her when she did not marry him eight years ago. 

Unlike Anne, Yorick in A Sentimental Journey doesn’t hide his feeling towards wanting to invite Madame de L with him to Paris. He doesn’t try to overshadow his motives like Anne attempts to do. Because first person narration is used, the reader can easily identify how mush he trusts his instincts and doesn't doubts his feeling towards others whereas in Persuasion free indirect discourse makes that harder to do because the reader has to interpret through analyzation if Anne's thoughts are being voiced or if it is just the narrator's. Yorick faces his dilemma by consulting imaginary people: Avarice, Caution, Cowardice, Discretion, Hypocrisy, Madness and Pride. He comes up with the pros and cons of inviting her on his journey but trust his instinct and comes to terms with his true motives and decides to inviter her, “–and as I generally act from first impulse and therefore seldom listen to these cabals, which serve no purpose, that I know of, but to encompass the heart with adamant– i turn’d instantly about to the lady– (19).” First person narration makes a character's true motives clear, while free indirect discourse makes it harder upon the reader to decipher a character's true feelings. 

Counter argument to Weissman's essay

In Cheryl Anne Weissman’s essay she basis her entire argument on a passage found in page 160 where she proclaims that a conflict between renewing the past violates the present when regarding Anne Elliot and Captain Frederick Wentworth’s relationship. I, however, beg to differ. Not only is Weissman’s lack of analyzing the poem contribute to the misrepresentation she is sending to her audience, but never does she mention the narrator while analyzing the certain passage she focuses on. The narrator is the key part in the novel because it’s through the narrator’s eyes that the story is being told and through that paragraph no free indirect discourse is used so it is evident that the narrator is the one actually telling the story.        

The passage with all the attention goes as follows: “ They returned into the past, more exquisitely happy perhaps, in their re-union, than when it had been first projected; more tender, more tried, more fixed in a knowledge of each other’s character...(160).”  The past versus the present does create conflict in the story but it does not ultimately ruin the ending, nor does it disrupt it either. The narrator in Persuasion takes the reader into the past as a reminisce of what Anne and Wentworth’s future will ultimately behold. Doing so, brings nostalgia for the past as Anne and Wentworth yearn for the years they spent apart to be given back, thus why they reminisce on it throughout the passage. Regretting all of those years that they spent in estrangement from one another will be made up in the preceding years as they are now set to marry. With that thought in mind the ending in not disrupted nor does it disappoint like Weissman claims it does. Instead the reader is taken into the felicity of Anne and Wentworth’s love for one another and the same is to say when they marry. As the narrator bring the audience into the past, never does it violate the present of Anne and Wentworth’s relationship and feeling that they hold for one another and the audience is left satisfied not disappointed as Weissman falsely claims in her essay. 

Free Indirect Discourse

In Jane Austen’s Persuasion, free indirect discourse is used throughout the entire novel. Doing so, the reader is left to decipher who’s thoughts it is that are being narrated. There is a certain passage, like many others, where Austen uses free indirect discourse. It can be found on page 7 the second paragraph. In this particular passage free indirect discourse can be found through the narrator and Sir Walter.  

The beginning of the passage starts off with the explanation of Sir Walter’s current circumstances and his overall impression of his favorite daughter, the eldest, and the feelings he holds towards others. For instance, “–Be it known then, that Sir Walter, like a good father, (having met with one or two private disappointments in very unreasonable applications) prided himself on remaining single for his dear daughter’s sake.” This sentence starts off with the narrator explaining his reason behind never remarrying but shifts point of view to Sir Walter when it is said because of his, “dear daughter’s sake.” Daughter’s is singular even though he has two more whom he never pays attention to. Also considering that the narrator is more sympathetic towards Anne, one of the other daughters, he/she wouldn’t refer to the eldest daughter as, “dear.” It is evident that the narrator begins the sentence because he/she associates Sir Walter as a prideful man. Sir Walter himself would never admit to his own pride in such a straightforward way. The narrator forms this opinion based on it’s point of view. 

The narration is continued to be focalized through Sir Walter when he states, “ For one daughter, his eldest, he would really have given up anything, which, he had not been very much tempted to do.” This sentence is through the emotions of Sir Walter himself . Being that Elizabeth is his favorite, he is willing to sacrifice anything for her, and being that she is just like him-perfect in her every respect- he has not had the necessity to do so. He believes her wise, just like himself; therefore, her decision-making skills are satisfactory. He continues his praise for her with, “ Elizabeth had succeeded, at sixteen, to all that was possible, of her mother’s rights and consequence; and being handsome, and very like himself, her influence had always been great, and they had gone on together most happily.” It is apparent the narrator would never make a comment this great about Elizabeth because of the similarities she shares with her father. The narrator is always mocking Sir Walter and when speaking about Elizabeth, which is not often done, an opinion of her would not be said in such a positive tone. In addition, Sir Walter is constantly concerned with looks and his opinion of others is always based upon them. Likewise, he is always giving himself compliments on his features that have stayed consistent throughout the years, so comparing his daughter's beauty to his, it’s distinct that he has narrated the part. The similarities they share allow them to get along really well, thus why she has always been his favorite.

However, ending the paragraph the original narrator is present in opinion again. Anne is admired with, “....but Anne, with an elegance of mind and sweetness of character, which must have placed her high with any people of real understanding, was nobody with either father or sister: her word had no weight; her convenience was always to give way; ––she was only Anne.” It is clearly seen how present the narrator’s thoughts are. Anne is the narrator’s favorite with, “her sweetness of character,” which is admired by the narrator and  which consequently, “placed her high with any people of real understanding.” Anne is highly esteemed by the narrator, who’s annoyed that her father doesn’t value her as much as she should because of his arrogance toward beauty which is what he always bases value of worth on. 

How my previous blog supports my thesis

Last week I wrote about William Wordsworth’s, ‘Nuns fret not at their Convent’s narrow room.’ My thesis for this poem evolved around the motifs behind his poem, which I proclaimed were freedom and confinement.  In my first paragraph I discussed confinement that was clearly depicted in lines 1 through 4. The evidence I used were those particular lines where confinement was a room, cell, or citadel. Then I backed up my evidence with well reasoned explanations. The analogies the poet used were each related to one another. Afterwards I made an observation where a being was confined to his/her  job, not a room as was clearly explained in the  first few lines.  That, I felt, was a significant change in comparisons. Next I linked how Wordsworth described confinement with images that he depicted in the poem. The beauty of Fox Gloved Bells, which I explained was the confined space for bees, was seen as a symbol for all of solitary confinement. Which like the poem’s title suggest, nuns do not fret about what they are imprisoned too. Imprisonment may be beautiful so why is everyone else so opposed to it and why is it seen as a negative thing.

In my second paragraph I brought out my second motif for the poem which is freedom. I believe that Wordsworth was relating confinement with freedom. That being, restriction was by choice of freedom. I presented evidence by quoting lines 12 through 14 of the poem. My conclusion of it was that he offers a solution which is what the couplet usually does  at the end of the poem. That was the explanation I used to support my idea and I believe it served it justice. Another explanation I used was that Wordsworth wanted to put a stop to these poets who did not follow structured sonnets. In addition Wordsworth’s solution to this problem ultimately ended the poem.

William Wordsworth's 'Nun's fret not at their Convent's narrow room'

Confinement and freedom are the motifs behind William Wordsworth’s poem, ‘Nuns fret not at their Convent’s narrow room.’  During the first few verses of the poem, Wordsworth compares human beings to their choice of confinement. Nuns to their convent, students to their citadels, and hermits to their cells. However, in line 4 the motif between comparisons change. Instead of a person being in confinement within a room, it is now an object having to do with one’s occupation. Wordsworth uses confinement with, “Maids at the Wheel, the Weaver at his Loom.” What can be thought of in this verse is that it’s a Maids and Weavers job to be at the wheel and Loom; an obligation for compensation. Whereas in the previous lines solitary confinement was by choice. Also in the fifth and sixth line the poet refers to confinement as a sense of freedom. He uses, “Bees that soar for bloom, high as the highest Peak of Furness Fells.” To me a bee soaring in the sky symbolizes freedom yet, all bees return to their hives, their home ,which like a nun’s, is a room. Imagery changes too in the seventh line. Foxglove bells can be vividly depicted by the reader. This particular image of a flower changes the way confinement looks, the poet suggest that it is beautiful. 

Throughout the last verses of the poem Wordsworth gives a solution to the negativities of freedom; restriction. He compares his restricted area to a structured sonnet. He then goes on to question other poets whom he refers to as, “Souls,” claiming that there must be some in existence. He suggests that they follow a structured sonnet, like himself, because it’s sure to get rid of writers block, an ordeal many poets and writers often face. The main motif behind Wordsworth’s poem is restriction and everyone should write structured sonnets because freedom only halts a poets capabilities.