Sex and Sexuality - Essay Example

1. English Lit: How Sex and Sexuality are Portrayed and Explored in Porphyria's Lover, by Robert Browning, The French Lieutenant'sWoman, by John Fowles and Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning Before examining the way in which these issues are explored and presented in these two literary pieces, it is necessary to put them into the context of the time and place in which they are set - Victorian England. Think of a society in which even the table legs must be covered up by long, chenille tablecloths, for the sake of modesty and the avoidance of 'lustful' thoughts, then we have an idea of the powerfully repressive and hypocritical morality that existed. 'Good' women, and men, considered sexual activity, and those who displayed openly the aspects of sexuality, to be base or animalistic. Sex was unmentionable, secret, even dirty, but could be understood as Duty, when in the confines of marriage. Women in particular were categorized or stereotyped; pure and virginal, or the Madonna (pure again), or 'bad' girls, prostitutes who gave into their lustful desires. No 'good' woman should or would explore her sensuality or sexuality, nor ever imply a sexual need. Men too, were expected to conform to 'gentlemanly' ways, not giving in to lust, honoring the purity of their womenfolk. The hypocrisy lies in the fact that these same gentlemen considered it acceptable to use prostitutes, after all, such women were neither Madonna nor virgin, merely tools to ease their discomfort Both pieces of writing are powerful revelations as to how this repressive state affected both men and women. They go far in providing insight into the minds of both sexes as people try to deal with the universal and timeless truth of human sexuality. Fowles devotes a whole chapter to the matter (Chapter 35). In these pieces, it is almost as though a lid is taken off a shining box, clean and perfect on the outside (the facade of moral Victorian society); the truth exposed shows us 2. something more real and human, even if shocking and sordid. On reading Browning's powerful, dramatic monologue, the words "snuff movie" came to mind. I read and re-read, then examined it in the light of the Victorian era. Here is a lonely, miserable individual, on a rainy, windy night, no fire in him or his surroundings - then Porphyria comes: 'She shut out the cold and the storm And kneeled and made the cheerless grate Blaze up, and all the cottage warm.' (Browning, Lines 7-9) The actions of then removing her garments, showing him her bare skin, putting his arm around her, all contain elements of seduction; she is teasing him, behaving like a prostitute, not the lady she is. 'And spread over all, her yellow hair, Murmuring how she loved me.' (Browning, Lines 20-21) He thinks she is too proud or concerned with another to give herself to him, but she does. 'But passion sometimes would prevail.' (Browning, Line 25) I confess that in reading the following lines, I considered Porphyria to be behaving in an overtly sexual manner and the meaning translates to me that her love is sexually aroused, not just surprised but shocked and somewhat disgusted. 'So, she was come through wind and rain. Be sure I looked up at her eyes Happy and proud; at last I knew Porphyria worshipped me: surprise Made my heart swell, and still it grew While I debated what to do.' (Browning, Lines 29-34) I would contend that not only his heart swelled, seeing her happy and proud eyes and the physical effect on him, her wanton behavior, caused him to either respond in deep disgust at both of them, or 3. made him lose his sanity at the 'horror' of what they were doing. Put in the context of Victorian morality, these two are committing a grievous sin against society and God. She has become like a whore, a temptress, and the cause of his downfall, so he must punish her, remove the cause of his guilt. Porphyria has dared to express and act upon her sexuality; doing so has destroyed her lover's illusions, even as he takes his pleasure. Whatever his motives, his response, though extreme, would seem to contain the elements of sexual guilt, created by a repressive morality. His final comment: 'And yet God has said not a word.' (Browning, Line 60) may be taken either as belief that he has done a righteous thing and not incurred Divine wrath, or that their sin was so great as to silence even God. These were my thoughts on linking the poem to the views of Victorian England, though I am aware that several interpretations suggest otherwise. Breanna Byecroft, in a piece on the Victorian Web says: 'Browning depicts the pathetic fallacy of a male's notion of possessing a female as an object.' (Byecroft, B. 2003) Others contend that this lover was a dispossessed madman, cast out by his family, so he killed her because he was psychopathic or schizophrenic. That argument is supported by the fact that the poem was published as one of two 'Madhouse Cells.' J. I. Best puts yet another argument forward; the lover had found a way to save Porphyria from a dreadful death by the blood disease 'porphyria'. That premise ignores the whole Victorian context and I do not believe it to be very sound. In 'The French Lieutenant's Woman', John Fowles goes into even more graphic depth, both physical and psychological, in his expose of Victorian society on the brink of change, the edge of enlightenment. I saw a parallel in Porphyria's character and behavior, with that of Sarah Woodruff, and could also link her to Ernestina and Mary, in terms of sexuality and sexual activity. Charles may even reflect the lover, at first delighted by the display of sex on sale in London, then ultimately sickened. '...found it delicious, gay, animated, and above all unFreemanish.' (Fowles, Chap. 39, p292) 4. There is another parallel in Fowles' use of the fire, the desire Charles feels, the 'fleeting sense of peace' in the company of Sarah, the prostitute, and finally, almost replicates the thought of Porphyria's lover: 'But she spoke without much sign of shame or regret. Her fate was determined, and she lacked the imagination to see it.' (Fowles, Chap. 40, p. 301) Sarah Woodruff is an enigmatic temptress for Charles, attracted not just by her elusive quality and 'bad' reputation, but suspicion of her as a sensual and sexually experienced woman, compared to Ernestina's virginal 'goodness'. He takes a voyeuristic pleasure in imagining her in the arms of her French lover, despite some sympathy for her position. 'Sarah was to him both an innocent victim and a wild, abandoned woman.....he forgave her her unchastity; and glimpsed in the dark shadows where he might have enjoyed it himself.' (Fowles, Chap. 20, p. 172) So we see how men too must keep their lustful thoughts at bay, or suffer terrible guilt, that 'good' women must never show sensual or sexual longing and everything should be kept a dark secret in this area of life. Upper and middle class women, of course. Ernestina gives us an insight into female sexuality at its most repressed. She has her own method of denial, which illustrates for us the taboos of Victorian society. She would, when thoughts of a sexual kind, or female physical attributes entered her head, tell herself: 'I must not...' , though we know from this description that she does! '...if you had been watching, you would have seen something very curious. For (Ernestina) suddenly stopped turning and admiring herself in profile;...Her lips moved. And she hastily opened one of the wardrobes and drew on a peignoir.....was a sexual though, a kind of dimly glimpsed Laocoon embrace of naked limbs.' She considers all such matters bestial, violent, it frightens her, but she still has human desires and drives, however well hidden or repressed. Mary though, because she is of lower class, gives in to 5. her sexual urges with enjoyment and vigor. She happily follows her instincts and consummates them with Sam, without shame or repressive guilt. By witnessing this, Sarah and Charles seem to be made aware of their own sexual feelings for each other. Fowles uses Dr. Grogan to add another facet to how some women were perceived at the time. When Charles tells him of his activities with regard to Sarah, he issues a warning that there is proof of 'hysterical' manipulative women who enjoy melancholy and are mentally ill, but will destroy a man. He cites the Ronciere case, which did in fact destroy a young French officer, and Fowles provides the evidence in Chapter 28, (p.223-226). It does not deter Charles, this mysterious Sarah has him in thrall, and indeed, the added thrill of the forbidden 'bad' girl may contribute to his desire to flout convention. He cannot help but pursue her, and we find in the hotel in Exeter, where they finally have sexual relations, that she is a virgin. This fact may well suggest that Charles is being duped, she has lied to him; but such is the pressure of his beliefs, he feels robbed of his reputation and self-worth. There is a link here too, with Porphyria's lover, though one kills while the other visits a church to ponder his wickedness. Again God is involved in sexual behavior, a reflection of how the Church instilled morality and considered sexuality to be evil. I believe that Fowles is allowing Charles to take a step away from conventional rules and morality, with his failure to conform and marry Ernestina, though he feels 'defiled' by the breach of promise situation. When he cannot find Sarah, the question as to her integrity again arises, and whether he has been duped. Or is Sarah the first manifestation of an independent woman, willing to explore her sexual nature and deal with the consequences The alternative endings are not only a device to allow the reader to decide on an outcome for themselves, but a deliberate reflection of the stereotypical roles of both men and women. By moving between the 20th and 19th centuries, Fowles asks us to choose a modern or Victorian ending. We can then decide if Sarah is the lying, manipulative person Grogan warned against, the 'bad' woman who destroys 'good' men. Or is she a free spirit, independent, intelligent woman with 6. whom Charles can make a life She tells him when he eventually finds her in a happy life, with their child, as yet unknown to him: (This is the 'good' woman.) 'You may think what you will of me, but I cannot wish my life other that it is at the moment. And not even when I am besought by a man I esteem, who touches me more than I show, ...And whom I beg to comprehend me.' (Fowles, Chap. 60, p. 431) The earlier, somewhat ridiculous suggestion that Charles and Ernestina marry and have seven children, conforms entirely to Victorian family values and moral perfection. Charles the gentlemanly pater familia, and Ernestina, both a 'good' woman and prolific Madonna. Having looked back from the relative enlightenment of the 21st century, I would hope we are more open, informed and accepting of human sexuality in all its varied aspects. These two pieces of literature provide great examples of our past, great insight into bygone society, views of the human condition, and cause me to believe that we have indeed come a long way. But have we In Elizabeth Barrett Browning's long novel-poem, 'Aurora Leigh', we are presented with yet more facets of women, their lives and sexuality, behaving in a way to which we can definitely relate in this century. She gives us an independent woman who wantes toprovide for herself, who, despite the views of a male-dominated society which contend that a woman cannot and should not write poetry, persists in doing so and doing it well enough to make a living. With her orphaned status, unsympathetic maiden aunt, the circumstances of her life, Victorian convention would dictate that she was most fortunate to receive an offer of marriage from her cousin, Romney Leigh MAYA, PUT A QUOTE HERE ON WHAT SHE THINKS ABOUT THAT! Browning, while showing how the family structure reflected the paternalism of society and empire of the time, creates a picture of a different type of woman, one who is not afraid to stand up for herself and her sex, and who is not willing to become the sexual tool of a dominant male within the confines of marriage. Aurora, as a middle-class Victorian woman, would be expected to conform to the norm of sexual activity to suit her husband and to bear children. That she does not, 7. puts her outside the realms of 'polite society', yet she is strong and brave enough to make her own choices as to who and what controls her life and her body. The other fascinating character, whose life certainly makes her an outcast, is Marian Erle. A victim of rape, an unmarried mother, she has suffered dreadful degradation, having been forced into prostitution by her own mother, yet like Aurora, her integrity is intact and nor will she give up her freedom by marrying Romney. She too refuses to conform to society's demand, preferring to bring up her child alone, to provide for them alone, and worse, to openly speak about the rape. Here we have sexual violence and its consequences exposed, and here is a woman who cannot be categorized; she is neither virgin, madonna nor whore. Her experience cannot have been unique in a society where women were 'used' by men, regardless of their position. What is unusual is that Browning should actually write about it so openly, breaking many taboos. This portrayal of the suffering and violence that has been Marian's experience must have seemed shocking to her contemporaries, but reflects and honors the truth. 'True We wretches cannot tell out all our wrong, Without offence to decent happy folk. I know that we must scrupulously hint With half-words, delicate reserves, the thing Which no one scrupled we should feel in full. Let pass the rest, then; only leave my oath Upon this sleeping child, - man's violence, Not man's seduction, made me what I am,' (Browning, Bk.6 Lines 19-27) Has Browning exposed a fate of many women through the ages, for Marian and her circumstances are an almost prophetic picture of a trauma that we hear about almost daily in our century What she does leave, is a hope and faith in the integrity of women, their strength and ability to overcome. Works Cited blightedstar, copyright blightedstar, March 2004. Lit.org:Essays: Victorian Double Standards in 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Tess of the Durbervilles' http://www.lit.org/view/11529 Browning, Elizabeth Barrett. NNDB - Tracking the Whole World http://www.nndb.com/people/036/000031940/ 17 May 2006. Browning, E.B.,1856. Aurora Leigh MAYA Put your book details in here Browning, R., 1836-42. Porphyria's Lover - Text of Poem from the Victorian Web, modified 2 May 2006. http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/rb/best1.html. 14 May 2006 Byecroft, B., Autumn 2003. Representations of the Female Voice in Victorian Poetry http://www.victorianweb.org/aughors/ebb/byecroft14.html. 14 May 2006 Fowles, J., 1969. The French Lieutenant's Woman . Vintage Future Classics Random House, London 2005. Johnson, A., 1997. 20th Century American Bestsellers - The French Lieutenant's Woman http://ww3.isrl.uiuc.edu/unsworth/courses/bestsellers/search.cgititle=The+French+ Lieutenants+Woman. 13 May 2006. Smith, L., 2004 What do we Make of "Maid" Marian Gender and Nationalism in Aurora Leigh http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/ebb/smith8.html 17 May 2006 . Read More