The following essay explores how nineteenth-century British novels portrayed hidden desires through metaphors of illness and physical weakness. First, it will define these literary devices as well as their importance to narrative. Second, it will analyze three examples from Charles Dickens' novel David Copperfield, George Eliot's Middlemarch, and Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. Third, it will offer an interpretation of this trend in literature as a means of censoring female desire without explicitly violating Victorian standards of morality.
It will reflect upon how these works challenge conventional gender roles and explore new possibilities for women's expression within the domestic sphere.
The Importance of Sickness and Weakness Metaphors in Nineteenth-Century Novels
Sickness and physical weakness are two common allegories that authors used to depict hidden desires in nineteenth-century British fiction. These symbols allowed writers to represent sexual longings or intimate relationships in a more subtle way than outright descriptions would have permitted. By writing about characters who were physically frail or mentally unstable, authors could suggest subversive ideas without being censored by publishers or causing public scandal.
In David Copperfield, Dickens uses Mr. Murdstone's stomach pain to signal his repressed sexuality towards little Emily. Similarly, in Middlemarch, Eliot relies on Dorothea Brooke's mysterious illnesses to hint at her attraction to Mr. Casaubon. In Jane Eyre, Rochester's blindness symbolizes his passionate yearning for Jane before he is finally able to express his love openly.
Examples from 'David Copperfield' by Charles Dickens
In Chapter 12 of David Copperfield, young David meets Mr. Murdstone, who is described as having "a sort of languor" and an "odd feeling of sickness." When David asks him why he looks so ill, Murdstone replies cryptically: "I am not well, boy, I think," which suggests an underlying tension or unease. This language reveals Murdstone's desire for the prepubescent David, whose innocence he finds attractive but which society considers immoral. Later, when Murdstone marries David's aunt, Peggotty, she becomes increasingly aware of his hidden desires and urges him to seek medical help for his supposed stomach problem.
This merely provides a cover story for his true motivation - to have unimpeded access to David and his family home.
Examples from 'Middlemarch' by George Eliot
In Middlemarch, Dorothea Brooke struggles with a series of mysterious illnesses throughout the novel that seem to defy diagnosis. At first, her symptoms are attributed to overwork or anxiety about her upcoming marriage to Mr. Casaubon. But as time goes on, it becomes clear that these conditions may be psychosomatic expressions of her suppressed passionate feelings towards him. Indeed, when Dorothea finally confesses her love for Mr. Will Ladislaw, she suddenly experiences relief from her physical suffering. Eliot uses these allegories of illness to explore women's repressed sexuality within Victorian society while avoiding explicit descriptions of their intimacy. By doing so, she challenges social norms without directly breaking them.
Examples from 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Brontë
At the end of Jane Eyre, Rochester loses his eyesight in a fire at Thornfield Hall. This symbolizes his desire for Jane, who has been forced to leave him due to the revelation of his previous wife's secret life. Without being able to see her physically, he is left only with the memory of her beauty, which sustains him through his blindness. When he regains his sight, Rochester recovers from his sickness and declares his love for Jane openly. In this way, Brontë explores the power of desire as something that cannot be contained or denied - even if it must remain hidden under cover of metaphorical sickness or weakness.
Interpretation: Censorship and Challenging Gender Roles
The use of sickness and weakness metaphors allowed nineteenth-century authors to explore topics such as female desire without violating societal norms. It was a means of circumventing censorship and expressing ideas that would have been considered scandalous otherwise. But it also pushed back against conventional gender roles, suggesting that women were not just passive objects to be possessed by men but had complex inner lives and desires of their own. These works suggest that hidden longings can be powerful forces in human relationships, even when they are repressed or submerged beneath the surface. In doing so, they challenged the idea of women as inferior or subordinate to men and opened up new possibilities for expression within domestic settings.
The Usefulness of Literary Allegory
The literary allegories of sickness and physical weakness used by nineteenth-century British novelists served an important function in portraying hidden desires. By using these symbols, writers could challenge social norms and explore themes related to sexuality, intimacy, and gender roles without being censored or criticized. They created a space for new forms of expression that broke with traditional expectations of femininity while still adhering to strict codes of morality. Today, this tradition continues to influence literature, film, television, and other media genres where taboos must be navigated carefully.
How do nineteenth-century novels portray hidden desire through allegories of sickness and weakness?
During the 19th century, novelists used various literary devices to express hidden desires that were considered taboo at the time. One such device was to represent these desires as physical illnesses or weaknesses. This allowed them to explore themes like sexuality and mental health while avoiding censorship and public disapproval.