Approaching the Unseen Extract

1. Approaching the Unseen Extract REVISION

2. HOW to start? Take 5 mins to read both options once through for general understanding and pick the one you understand more. Spend the next 5 mins re-reading the question you have selected and note down the following as you read: • Identify the main concern(s) or thematic issue(s) in the poem • Jot down a clear general statement; ‘this poem/passage is about’ • Note the tone/attitude towards the topic • Note down a few major features that interest you or you feel are worthy of comment (eg narrative voice/style, particular images, particular sentences or lines that provide opportunity for analysis). • List them in order of importance ie which is the strongest point you can make?

3. THE VICTORIAN CONTEXT • Your knowledge and understanding of the Victorian context should inform your analysis not form the content of your essay ie you should be able to use your background knowledge to discern not just what the main concern or topic of the extract is, but also the writers’ attitude towards this topic and how this attitude is evident in the use of language and images. • There should never be a situation in which you write entire paragraphs on imperialism or the married woman’s property act. This is not a history essay and doing this will get you no marks and will thus be a major waste of time as it detracts from your analysis and takes attention away from the passage. • Moreover, the objective of the unseen question and close reading is to test your analytical skills and not your memory. The information you have studied is thus meant to be applied, not regurgitated. • Sentences that begin with ‘This is typical…’ should be used carefully and sparingly. Not everything is typical eg if you write that Anne Bronte’s portrayal of the Huntingdon’s marriage is typical of the Victorian era, you would be wrong because abusive marriages are not typical.

4. Key Concepts of the Era • Change and Conflict • Nature and the Natural World • Doubt • Religion • Gender • Love, Relationships and Marriage • The Family, Children and the Domestic World • Empire and Adventure • Industrialisation and the literary presentations of the City and Countryside

5. Key Events This information is not meant to be memorised but used as a starting point for your understanding of the issues and thus possibly the extract: • The Reform Act of 1832 and the rise of the “Condition of England Novel”. • The publication of Charles Darwin’s “The Origin of Species” (1859) and doubt in Victorian Literature. • The “Woman Question” and the changing roles of women in the writing of the period. • The Industrial Revolution and its influence on the literary presentation of the city. • British Imperialism and the rise of colonial writing.

6. General points • The Victorians were usually associated with a conservative attitude that was evident in their Christian orthodoxy and a sensible, hardworking, ‘Protestant work ethic’ view of life. This conservative attitude was evident in the often nostalgic and contradictory or divisive attitude to change in all areas (religion, women, technology, class structures, values etc) • The Victorian age, especially the first half of it, was often viewed as the age of optimism, prosperity, progress for the English.Thiswas due to the long century of peace between the Napoleonic Wars (1803 – 1815) and World War 1 (1914-919). • The supreme confidence of the English during this period was due to several factors such as national pride and global expansion (the sun never sets on the British Empire). • After more than a decade of peace, England redirected her focus inward and from the 1830s onwards, the focus turned to social, political and economic reform. • Focus also shifted from agriculture to trade and innovations and technological advancements became the hallmark of the 19th century, impacting the lives of millions.

7. The woman question • Victorian society was anchored by a focus on the family and valued the ‘home’. This also shaped the role of women, with its focus on motherhood and domesticity – giving rise to the idea of women as the ‘Angel in the House’. • At the same time, the changing realities of Victorian society subtly changed and influenced the general perception of these roles. The new industrial society created a demand for female workers outside the protection of the home. • These roles outside the home were also defined by class. Middle- and upper-class women left the domestic sphere only to go for charitable work, extending the conceptions of femininity to social responsibility and influence while working class women turned to the factories and worse. • But towards the end of the Victorian era female philanthropists began to realise that, as women, they had little power to change things and by 1900 women's moral mission had also become a political mission. The aim of first-wave feminists was to gain better education and employment opportunities for middle-class women, better working conditions and wages for working-class women, and eventually the vote - so that women might have some influence over their fate. • The changing role and focus of women also led to the rise of the ‘New Woman’ who was associated with independence. (also consider Queen Victoria’s embodiment of various roles – devoted wife and widow, Empress of India etc)

8. Industrialisation and the railway • Industrialisation was evident firstly in the changing landscape of England which began to be dominated by factories and mills (cotton, iron, coal, steel) • Most towns were linked by the increasingly efficient rail network, with every town of any importance boasting its own station; • No one was left untouched by the railway – goods were transported efficiently leading to booming trade and industry, produce from farms sped daily on the trains to feed the urban populations and for the average person, there was a drastic reduction in travel times and increased mobility for business and pleasure. • While society as a whole reaped the benefits of technology and the railway, the mood was less exultant in the writing of the period. Some writers recognised the conveniences of technology with references to the telegram and the trains. But the dominant impression was one of noise, dirt, smog and intolerable bustle, with some writers almost demonising the railway, presenting it as an intrusion into the sanctity of the countryside and reminiscing nostalgically about what England had lost.

9. The rise in factories and manufacturing towns also contributed to the rise in the social problem novel (Disraeli’s Sybil or the Two Nations, Charlotte Bronte’s Shirley, Eliot’s Felix Holt, Gaskell’s Mary Barton and North and South, Dickens’ Hard Times etc. • While the age meant prosperity and plenty for many, the mechanisation of the processes of manufacture and transport also meant that the traditional smallholders and skilled workers were left behind. “You see, Tom, ... the world goes on at a smarter pace now than it did when I was young fellow ...Everything was on a lower scale … it’s this steam, you see, that has made the difference; it drives on every wheel double pace …” George Eliot • Much of the working classes led lives of grinding brutality and hard labour which were expressed in images of bestiality, dehumanisation and mechanisation (spinning insect).

10. Poetry and prose dealt not only with the plight of working class adults (Song of the Shirt), but also the lost innocence of children whose size and agility enabled them to crawl under machines and mend thread as they broke. Most importantly, they were cheap to hire, and afraid to complain. (Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s ‘The Cry of the Children.’) • The suffering of the destitute extended beyond the workplace to their homes as well where writers wrote about overcrowding, disease, lack of ventilation and hygiene, shortage of food and money. • The issue of class and social stratification also became a prevalent theme in many of these novels. As Benjamin Disraeli points out in Sybil or the Two Nations: Victoria reigns over two nations, between whom there is no discourse and no sympathy … as if they were dwellers in different zones or inhabitants of different planets … • Social problem novels aimed to permeate class boundaries in England’s rigidly stratified society, and helped contribute to the awakening of the social conscience.

11. While novels may allow for confrontations between the rich and poor, there was no real discourse between the different classes in reality. • The English class system that organised Victorian society was a structure that divided the aristocratic ‘upper class’ from the emerging professional ‘middle class’ and the menial ‘working class’. • The values of the emerging middle class reflected the capitalist ethos of the age, with success measured by their accomplishments in the market place. • This also meant that the social hierarchy became more fluid and mobile even though movement across class lines was still regarded with suspicion. The nouveaux riche could send their children to reputable schools, buy property and climb the social ladder with their money while the aristocracy clung to their social prestige in the midst of their declining power.

12. Look out for portrayals of both the appalling reality and the sentimental versions of the destitute and the orphaned, the fallen women and prostitutes, the workhouses and urban slums. • When dealing with extracts about industrialisation or the rural/urban divide, do not just comment on the pastoral or the nature images. Look out also for the following: - nostalgia for a lost way of life - preservation of an increasingly rare innocence and simplicity - resignation at the inevitable loss of an older / traditional way of life - the ugliness / loss of physical beauty in the urban landscape - the inescapable / cruel realities of urban living

13. Religion • The 19th century is commonly regarded as one of strict morality and deeply religious sensibilities. For many, the church was the centre of their lives. Church groups were active in attempting to relieve the suffering of the working classes and urban poor by creating a more nurturing society, based on Christian virtues such as charity and duty to one’s fellow man. At the same time, Christian morality could also be very prescriptive and even judgmental, with an element of sanctimonious self-congratulations in ‘doing good’ or even not ‘going to the bad’. • Criticism against institutionalised Christianity and hypocrisy was common and there was a movement towards secularism and the belief in the ‘religion of humanity’. While the church was traditionally expected to take the lead in the care of the poor, many were simply unable to keep up. Even worse, as church attendance became a badge of middle-class virtue, exclusionary practices, such as pew-rents, sprang up, depriving the poor of comfort and worship. The church, tasked with upholding moral standards in this changing world, often piously condemned those who were most in need of some charity. • The proliferation of Christian denominations also meant that the Church was often portrayed as embroiled in ecclesiastical infighting (egBarchester Towers) as the central Catholic/Protestant division evolved over the centuries into Victorian high church/low church wrangling over interior decoration and methods of worship.

14. Evangelical non-conformist sects also flourished, and there was a wide range of Christian expression: the Oxford movement, evangelical fervour, missionary activity, and so on. • On the other hand, old stabilities and beliefs had been eroded by the secular and scientific communities. Darwin’s publication, ‘On the Origin of Species’ shook the public’s faith in fundamental tenets of Christianity due to revolutionary ideas that were shocking enough in themselves, but even more shocking when applied to humankind, suggesting that God’s hand was no more present in the lives of His own creatures than it was in Creation itself. This marked the beginning of a long decline in religious certainties that culminated in Nietzsche’s infamous 1882 declaration that ‘God is dead’. • There was a social as well as a scientific impulse for the rejection of the comforts of religion. In 1843 Karl Marx famously derided religion as the opiate of the masses, pointing out that the idea of a divinely ordained place in society was a convenient myth that served the ruling classes, by persuading the suffering poor that their material condition was essentially unchangeable.

15. imperialism • In the 19th century, the European powers were aggressively expanding internationally, establishing colonies across the known world. • This movement was essentially mercantile and capitalist in intent, and no doubt there were many merchant Englishmen whose only concern was their profit. • At the same time, the English were reawakened to a sense of the clear superiority of their ways, and their expansion overseas also carried the flavour of a civilising mission, the impulse to replicate the wonders of England and the English system.

16. Style • Sentimentalism: idealized portraits of difficult lives in which hard work, perseverance, love and luck win out in the end; Focus was placed on a central moral lesson where virtue would be rewarded and wrongdoers suitably punished. Towards the later part of the century, sentimentalism was heavily criticised as excessive by writers like Wilde who derided this stylefor its“indulgence in emotion for its own sake, pushing the reader to emotional peaks through exaggeration, manipulation of language and situation, and such mechanical tricks as dwelling on the suffering and purity of a dying child.” Dickens, however, defended his sentimentalist melodramatic elements as he viewed it as a direct and immediate appeal to the reader. • Satire “holds prevailing vices or follies up to ridicule: it employs irony, humour and wit to criticize human institutions or humanity itself. • Aestheticism is a movement privileging the aesthetic values of art over social or political themes. The artists and writers of the Aesthetic style tended to profess that art should provide refined sensuous pleasure, rather than convey moral or sentimental messages. Art did not have any didactic purpose; it need only be beautiful.

17. Realism: privileges a fidelity to everyday life and a valuing of ordinary people, events and experiences. It usually consists of a linear chronological narrative with a trustworthy omniscient narrator who directs the reader; characters whose motives can be explained; and a resolved ending, suggesting a world in which people are primarily understandable and reasonable. Realism also emphasises on accuracy and fidelity in setting and themes (marriage, family, work etc). In contrast to earlier, idealising forms of fiction, Realism “tends to reject the heroic and the aristocratic and embrace the pedestrian, the comic, and the middle class.” • Naturalismis considered as the inheritor of realism, suggesting that social conditions, heredity, and environment are inescapable forces in the shaping of human character. Naturalistic’ writers were frequently criticised for their unrelenting focus on human vice and misery, since they sought to portray the evils of contemporary society and the effect this had on the people. These writers set out to examine and expose the dark harshness of life, such as poverty, violence, racism, prejudice, disease, corruption, prostitution, and filth in all its forms. The naturalistic narrator is objective and detached from his characters (eg Gissing’s refusal to sentimentalise the poor and focus on the nobility of their suffering). His point of view is essentially pessimistic, and such narratives tend to suggest that one’s fate is predetermined by forces outside human control, and nature itself is fundamentally indifferent to human struggle.

18. A leave taking • Clearly this was the more difficult question and many of you were not even clear on the identification of the main issue. • Two lessons to learn from this: • Choose the right question • Do not force the Victorian issue in a contrived manner. Things like love and death are always concerns in any period. There is no need for the she to be God or England or the Empire for it to be considered a Victorian poem. • Some of you identified it as the death of a lover (no, she isn’t dead) and others identified it as the death of religion (pay attention to the context and the poem as a whole. The word love recurs many times in the poem suggesting that the poem is about – big surprise – love! Also, why would other men pity him if it’s about religion? Wouldn’t all men be in the same sorry state if the poem was about the decline of religion and God turning away from men?)

19. Some points to consider • The poem is an emotional one which depicts a man’s distress and resignation as he leaves his lover who appears indifferent and impassive to his efforts at preserving the relationship. • Repetition is evidentin the refrain at the start and end of each stanza. The male speaker repeatedly begins each stanza with ‘Let us…’ as if to prompt himself to go suggesting his own reluctance to end the relationship. This obvious desire to stay is countered by the refrain in the first and last line of each stanza which reinforces the fact that any effort to prolong the relationship on his part is futile as the woman refuses to reciprocate or participate in any way. • His efforts are also undermined by the woman’s silence and inaction. In every stanza, it is not her action but her lack of action that stands out and her negation of the relationship punctuates every stanza as seen by the concise and cutting finality of the last line.

20. The speaker’s despair and desolation is emphasised on several levels: • His resignation and hopelessness is evident from his question, ‘what help is here?’ which he himself answers with ‘There is no help, for all these things are so’. The statement is a conclusive and definite one which is evident not just from the absolute comment ‘There is no help’, but also the sense of inevitability that comes with his belief that ‘all these things are so’ and thus unchangeable. • The references to nature and the natural world which highlight his sense of loss and emptiness (eg images of unscented flowers, barren sea, drowning etc) • The prevalence of caesuras and end-stopped lines (punctuation at the end of the line) which reinforce not just the end of the relationship but also the futility and impossibility of continuing on.

21. The Tenant of wildfell hall • This was a much better option and mostly very well done as all were able to accurately identify the main issue and do solid analysis. But, what some people missed out on was the characterisation of Helen which is more complex than many of you thought. • Most viewed her as passive and submissive and powerless in light of her husband’s abuse and authority but while there are moments of passivity, there are also flashes of strength (how passive can she be if she plans to run away??). She is brave enough to stand up to her husband and more importantly, the fact that the extract is in her voice is certainly significant, and so is her painting and writing (diary). • Some errors to watch out for: Most realist novels tend to be omniscient but this does not mean that the first person is atypical. Also, do not assume that the first person is unreliable. Focus on the passage and the characters. Do not make statements like Arthur’s violence is reflective of men’s dominance over women in the era. Arthur stands for Arthur, not all men. • Again, deal with the crucial points and start with the most important (do not start with analysis of words like ‘my dear’, ‘love’ etc when there is so much more). I also think a paragraph on class and the servants is a waste of time when there is so much to say about the gender issue and Helen’s character.

22. Some points to consider Athur Huntingdon’s character: • The physical and psychological abuse that is evident in the violence and authority of his actions and his language (confiscation of property, seizing my closed hand, spied). • His choice of pronouns which reflects his power in the household and the marriage (my son rather than our son and use of the word ‘us’ and ‘we’ in ‘we must have a confiscation of property’, ‘let us peep into the studio’ – plural pronoun is ironic given that he is making a unilateral decision and also highlights that he sees them as one unit with him controlling her and speaking and deciding for her. The fact that she has no individual identity within the marriage is also suggested when he views her running away and painting as a ‘disgrace’ to him as if she is merely an extension of himself rather than an individual in her own right.) • His tone throughout the passage – condescending and patronising in his mocking use of terms of endearments, his generalisation of all women as gossiping and blabbing fish who lack the ‘sense and power’ of men ie women are associated with physical and well as intellectual weakness.

23. Helen’s character: • Appears passive and completely powerless as she wrings her hands in silent rage and anguish, ‘follows’ him without knowing quite what to do and merely stands by or sits by watching ‘speechless, tearless, and almost motionless’ as he takes away and destroys her possessions. At the end, Helen herself points out her humiliation and foolishness which leaves her in a vulnerable and undignified position. • However, there is more evidence of strength than weakness. Firstly, her husband’s bullying does not faze her and she tells him that she ‘I shall not give [the keys]up without a reason.’ Her husband’s bluster is also contrasted against her quiet authority which is interestingly what Benson submits to.

24. She also matches her husband’s mocking tone when she questions, ‘what great discovery have you made now, Mr Huntingdon?’ and is even sarcastic when she tells him that she would rather her son be a dirty Yankee tradesman or a low beggarly painter than ‘such a gentleman as his father.’ • The fact that she paints to earn a living and keeps a diary (which she elevates by referring to it as a manuscript) also sets her up as a character who subverts and challenges the domestic stereotype of the ‘angel in the house’ as it reveals independence and intellect. The choice of painting and writing also demonstrates a positive and powerful creative energy which is in contrast to her husband’s destructive tendencies. Most importantly, the fact that the extract is written from her point of view equips her with not just the power of voice but the power of representation. While Arthur merely controls the household, Helen controls the narrative and thus our impression of and response to Arthur who is depicted as abusive, controlling and insufferable on various levels.

25. Imagery: Fire and light • Arthur stands with his back to the fire, effectively blocking out the light and the warmth of the hearth which is usually viewed as a symbol of domestic happiness. Here, the fire is destructive and all-consuming since he throws her painting materials into it and thus destroys her efforts and aspirations. • Helen’s striking of the candle initially appears to be another instance of her weakness since her action seems almost ineffectual in light of his reaction and his ability to immediately replace it with another. Likewise, his reference to her as cat and devil is dehumanising and humiliating with the reference to cat, especially, reducing her to the position of a domesticated pet. • But interestingly, Arthur also comments that her eyes are somewhat special, ‘Did ever any mortal see such eyes? – they shine in the dark like a cat’s.’ While his intent is to insult, it can also perhaps be read as an indication of Helen’s inner power and light which is ultimately indestructible. While his is an external fire and source of light which she easily breaks as well as extinguishes (line 39-40), hers is an unquenchable inner fire that cannot be extinguished.

26. Final POINTERS • Consider what Victorian writers tended to write about: your knowledge about the period should tell you what to look out for and what is worthy of comment. You must ALWAYS BEGIN WITH THE TEXT. • Discuss what is presented in the passage or poem and do not generalise blindly by saying that this one character is typical or representative of an entire Victorian subculture or group. When you discuss the ideas in the passage, discuss the character or the social group portrayed in the text. Don’t extrapolate an entire Victorian subculture from one object or feature of the passage. • Do also note that the characters or themes in themselves are not typical – it is often the attitudes to these characters or the attitudes that the characters themselves hold that are typical ie the writers tend to represent what Victorian people typically felt about the Victorian world.

27. Final reminders • Pay attention to the invigilators and be on your best behaviour • Choose the right question • Underline titles (except for poem titles which should be in inverted commas) • Use the present tense. • Write your question number correctly and label the top of each sheet of paper so that you don’t attach the wrong sheets to the wrong question. • Bring your clean copies of texts. And use them! • Buy some new pens! And use them!!! • Write clearly and simply. Aim for clarity not theatricality, substance not style. • Have faith. Do not panic. Keep calm and write on.

28. Farewell good Salisbury and good luck go with thee! Fight valiantly… ...Upon your swordSit laurel victory! And smooth successBe strew'd before your feet! William Shakespeare,

29. We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. They do not exist.