Jane Austen's "Emma:" Echoes of Pygmalion

In the Greek myth Pygmalion the sculptor despises living Greek women and creates instead a marble statue imbued with the characteristics he finds desirable in a female. He falls hopelessly in love with the unresponsive marble statue that he has adoringly shaped to his own ideals of perfection. The goddess Aphrodite favors Pygmalion and transforms his statue into a living being who fulfills his imagination and desires. The myth embodies Greek appreciation of beauty, a bias for male sense of righteous place above women, a sense that honoring the gods may gain their indulgence (granting favor to a human), and it supports the idea of men using their skills and fulfilling their dreams. There is no development of Galatea except in Pygmalion’s shadow.

The argument here is that Jane Austen’s 19th century novel Emma echoes some of the Pygmalion myth while key aspects change: Austen’s Emma, unlike Galatea, has agency, and there is a change in the male/female dynamic between the lovers. In this 19th century novel, Emma, unlike Galatea, is an active central figure in the story. Emma sees herself as shaping lives around her, though she errs in her youthful enthusiasm and pride. Knightley, unlike Pygmalion, sees women positively, and views Emma as a maturing young woman, imperfect yet desirable. Knightley comments to Emma about events and her view of them and urges her to develop a perspective that is less focused on her own desires and more on others feelings and needs (less stylized and more content). He sees her missteps as a matter of guidance and education of her fanciful, youthful view.

Occasionally he chastises her when she errs seriously and causes harm (e.g., her comment about Miss Bates at Box Hill). Emma listens because of her growing self awareness, her good regard for him and the familial feeling of the bond with him. Knightley, like Pygmalion with Galatea, chips away at the rough edges of the female, but Knightley does not take over responsibility for Emma’s growth and development; she remains responsible for her final choices and development. Whereas Pygmalion seems narcissistic (Galatea is a reflection of his ideas), Knightley supports Emma’s development as an individual (separate from him). Emma moves from largely self-focused to include others as she matures. Though Knightley recognizes his love for Emma before she does, it is a matter of maturation and not, as with Pygmalion, a matter of male control or a god’s favor.

These differences between the Greek myth Pygmalion and Jane Austen’s Emma suggest a change in 19th century thinking and portrays a dynamic man/woman relationship, one based on evolving a relationship between two imperfect but wise adults. In the myth Galatea is formed physically and in personality exactly to fit the male sculptor’s ideas of perfect female beauty; she arrives as a fully formed adult who has had no role in her own formation. In Austen’s novel, Emma is in the midst of maturing; she is not fully formed. She errs, assesses situations and herself, and learns. In this 19th century novel there is no requirement for perfection but rather a preference for self aware adult relationships. Whereas the Greek myth was based in male control and development of a subservient woman, the 19th century Austen heroine is involved in her own growth and evolution – she shows independent spirit. The statue Galatea is not presented as independent of her maker (or the goddess who enlivens her/it). Emma’s flaws do not cause Knightley to despise her as Pygmalion despised Greek women.

In the Greek Pygmalion, references to the male/female interaction may include these telling descriptions which feature male leadership and control, no human female agency, and the hand of the capricious gods deciding whether the statue becomes a living woman or not.

• Pygmalion despises all women because of his dislike of those who became prostitutes and determines never to have anything to do with any female.




• He can only love an idyllic woman and in his mind he heaps adoration on a marble statue he imbues with his idea of female perfection.




• Galatea is never portrayed as having personal agency but rather is only seen in the shadow of the powerful human male or under the power of the goddess Aphrodite (goddess of love).

A few examples of Mr. Knightley’s influence on Emma illustrate the shaping of character and personality without disavowing his relationship when she erred:

• Mr. Knightley chides Emma for acting on ill-considered ideas that suit her youthful, self-interested view of her role but do not wisely consider their individual selves, personalities, or character. (Emma deflects Ms. Smith, who has very little social standing, from the prosperous farmer, Mr. Martin, and pointing her toward Mr. Elton, who is preoccupied with social status.) (292)




• Knightley’s chastisement to Emma for her insult to Miss Bates during the picnic. (322, 325)




• Emma’s determination to “be the penitent” and willingness to have Knightley know of it when she does accept responsibility (for her ill behavior toward Miss Bates). (327)

Another difference from Pygmalion in Emma is indication of more egalitarian male/female relationships and a recognition of flaws even among the knowledgeable and wise as in this instance (imperfection as part of the human experience):

• Mr. Knightley, though wise, is shown to have flaws as when he does not seem aware that his attentions to Ms. Smith, meant as kindliness, might be understood by Harriet as interest in a relationship with her. (366) (Knightley shows his humanity here and the complexity of British societal mores.)




• Emma’s development can be seen in the way she responds to Knightley when he is ready to express his love. She demonstrates sensitivity to his needs (over her own) and though self-aware, Emma’s earlier self-centered focus is not in evidence. (366-7)

Emma echoes some of the ancient Pygmalion myth but represents 19th century evolving values being worked out socially and personally about the roles and relationships of men and women. So, while these two stories of love share aspects of plot; and the endings are similar they differ because Emma is a full character while Galatea does not show any personal agency. The relationship between Knightley and Emma is one in which an older man offers guidance but does not control the young woman, and provides a range of male and female relationships with a concomitant message to men and women about choosing a marriage partner and being in a dynamic relationship. Pygmalion literally creates the woman he wants to be with, he forces her shape out of marble, and she is given life by a goddess and the female statue/Galatea has no part in the process. Austen presents Emma as an independent person who matures during the story, and who, while influenced by the wiser and knowledgeable older male, remains a person in her own right. In 19th century Britain, relationships are changing from male control to influence through guidance, education, and confidence in the human woman. In Emma the woman is a central figure in the story and Knightley and Emma represent the changes coming to female/male relationships.



References
Austen, Jane, Emma, Broadview Press, Toronto, Canada, 2004.

Martin, Jane Roland, Educational metamorphoses : philosophical reflections on identity and culture, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, 2007.

"Pygmaglion," www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/myth-of-pygmalion-and-galatea [Accessed 18 March 2012].

"Pygmalion." Encyclopedia Mythica from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.http://www.pantheon.org/articles/p/pygmalion.html. [Accessed March 30, 2012].

Social class, /hierarchy: http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2008/01/20/social-classes-in-england-1814. [Accessed 21 March 2012].

Goblin Market: Teaching Women the Dangers of Sexual Predators Since 1862

Goblin Market: Teaching Women the Dangers of Sexual Predators Since 1862

When reading the poem “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti, you are immediately transported into a whimsical world where little goblin men tempt young girls with the delicious fruits they sell. Naturally the goblins and their fruit aren’t as innocent and lovely as they seem. When one eats the fruit, they become dreadfully sick and yearn nothing but to taste what has brought them to such a terrible position. The end of this poem ends just as any good fairy tale should, with the characters learning a lesson with a moral included, so any other girl who finds themselves being tempted to eat fruit from goblin men knows well, to walk away and never seek them out. As much as this poem looks to be just a story for children, there are some very major clues within the poem that push the reader to discover what meanings are underlying the fairytale theme.

The beginning of the poem begins with the goblin men crying for someone to buy their fruits. The main characters Laura and Lizzie hear them, Laura appears to be curious, she knows the dangers of the goblins but wishes to pursue. Lizzie, Laura’s sister, is less obliged, knowing better not to show the goblins interest.

Laura bowed her head to hear,

Lizzie veiled her blushes:

Crouching close together

In the cooling weather,

With clasping arms and cautioning lips

With tingling cheeks and finger tips.

                                                (34-39)

These lines were my first initial clue to seeing that this poem is trying to show the dangers of women being tempted by men without courtship or marriage in mind. I imagined the goblins as men, attempting to pick up women and calling for them. The 35^th line shows that Lizzie is in a way flattered or embarrassed by what the goblins are saying. Perhaps she is attempting to hide her desire being tempted by them, unlike Laura who has openly invited the goblins to call to her. At this moment both are being cautious “clasping hands” and “crouching close together” one can only feel how very vulnerable they are at this moment.

Laura then recites what she already has known well, they “must not look at goblin men” (42) or eat their fruits. In lines (44, 45) she says something interesting, “Who knows upon what soil they fed/their hungry thirsty roots?” It appears that these goblin men are being viewed as men who will satisfy their desires with any women who they can tempt into their grasps. These lines give me the idea that this poem was written with the mindset of a mother or a family member warning daughters or sisters of not falling for “goblin men” who are evil and inhuman, and want nothing but to satisfy themselves. The 44^th line could suggest that not only will these men ruin a woman’s life by making her a “fallen” woman, if she gives in, but could possibly bring her diseases and sickness. In line (48) Lizzie warns her sister that she “Should not peep at goblin men”. The word “peep” further implies Laura’s desire to give into them.

“No,” said Lizzie: “No, no, no;

Their offers should not charm us,

Their evil gifts would harm us.”

                                    (64-66)

            These lines indicate what a woman of the Victorian era should desire. The goblin men offer nothing but temptation and sex; women should not be charmed by a night of sexual desire. This satisfaction is the evil gift these men are offering, which inevitably would ruin a woman for she would be unable to be wed after this. A fallen woman would be forced to work strenuous labor or revert to prostitution, another underlying warning that this poem evokes. The title of the poem itself even foreshadows all of these warnings. “Goblin Market” it could refer to the place where the “goblins”, men, seek out women for a night of satisfaction, or the marketplace that the goblins themselves have created by turning women into "fallen women": the marketplace of prostitution.

“Buy from us with a golden curl”

She clipped a precious golden lock

She dropped a tear more rare than pearl,

Then sucked their fruit globes fair or red.

                                                                                    (125-128)

            Laura has now given into the goblin men. She has given them her innocence or her virginity as represented as her golden curl, and has taken the fruit. It is something she has never experienced or tasted ever before. The last line of this stanza foreshadows the fate she will have because of this choice, a life alone.

As she turned home alone.

                                    (140)

           

            Laura begins to deteriorate, she wants nothing but the goblins fruit, and is unable to live her life as she had before eating the fruit. Seeing the agony that her sister is in Lizzie sets out to find the goblins and purchase fruit from them. When she finally seeks them out she offers a silver penny for fruit. This symbolizes Lizzie’s control. She refuses to fall under temptation and puts the situation into her own hands. This shows the readers that a woman has the power to make her own decisions and can refuse the powers of men. A woman is not always helpless in hopeless situations. But the goblins do not take her control lightly. At first they tempted her as they tempted Laura, but when she refused they became angry and forced themselves upon her, another situation that this poem so boldly warns women of.

One may lead a horse to water,

Twenty cannot make him drink.

Though the goblins cuffed and caught her,

Coaxed and fought her,

Bullied and besought her,

Scratched her, pinched her black as ink,

Kicked and knocked her,

Mauled and mocked her,

Lizzie uttered not a word;

Would not open lip from lip

Lest they should cram a mouthful in:

But laughed in heart to feel the drip

Of juice that syruped all her face,

                                                (422-434)

            Lizzie laughing at the goblin men, as they attempted to force their fruits in her mouth is a pinnacle moment, signifying her strength to refuse them, even when she was being tortured by them. This shows that men and women are equal in strength when it comes down to what they believe in. The first two lines of this stanza give a perfect image of Lizzie’s power and control in this scene. The goblins eventually give up on her and move along. Lizzie returns to her sister offering the juices on her face. Laura greedily sucks away the juices only to find them vile in taste. The juices became the cure to Laura’s desire. They symbolize Lizzie’s refusal to sexual desire and the want to do what’s right in terms with herself and societal views. Laura turns back to who she used to be. This part of the poem shows a glimmer of hope for fallen women, that if the proper steps are ensured, they can have a happy ending after all.

Days, weeks, months,years
Afterwards, when both were wives
With children of their own;
Their mother-hearts beset with fears,
Their lives bound up in tender lives;
Laura would call the little ones
And tell them of her early prime,
Those pleasant days long gone
Of not-returning time:
Would talk about the haunted glen,
The wicked, quaint fruit-merchant men,
Their fruits like honey to the throat,
But poison in the blood;
(Men sell not such in any town;)
Would tell them how her sister stood
In deadly peril to do her good,
And win the fiery antidote:
Then joining hands to little hands
Would bid them cling together,
"For there is no friend like a sister,
In calm or stormy weather,
To cheer one on the tedious way,
To fetch one if one goes astray,
To lift one if one totters down,
To strengthen whilst one stands."

                                                                        (543-567)

            Both Lizzie and Laura become mothers and wives, which was what every woman would want in the Victorian era. Laura had fallen and yet she was able to have a good life, this is hope for all women who have fallen that they still have a chance to have the desired life. Not only do I find that the moral of this story is to help your friends and family when they are in a dark place, and to not give into temptation, but to also learn from mistakes made and to not allow those mistakes to define you as who you really are. I feel that this poem can easily transfer to women of every era, because regardless of what the desired life style is it is true for every one of every age of time to never forget those who really love you, and to be in ontrol of your own life and not fall into temptation that could ruin it.

"Not of the Stains of Her": Redeeming Fallen Women in Victorian Poetry

 

 

During the Victorian Era, a prostitute was considered a “fallen woman” and could be satisfying several men over a period of time. These women were judged harshly by their employment and were often looked down upon. After reading the poem, “The Bridge of Sighs” by Thomas Hood, I wondered how society reacted to the way he redeemed the dead prostitute he found by the bridge. 

Fortunately for Hood, society would not look at his poem as a way of forgiving the prostitute for her sins due to his last two stanzas. Hood wrote:

Perishing gloomily,

Spurr'd by contumely,

Cold inhumanity,

Burning insanity,

Into her rest.—

Cross her hands humbly

As if praying dumbly,

Over her breast!

Owning her weakness,

Her evil behavior,

And leaving, with meekness,

Her sins to her Savior!

Significantly, Hood used God and religion as a way to make this prostitute pay for her sins. Throughout the beginning of the poem, Hood seemed sorrowful for the death of the prostitute (which could have made him look bad in society), but made the speaker cross the prostitutes hands as he left her. This was the speaker’s way of explaining that this prostitute lived a sinful life, and praying to God may make her redeemable.

In the last stanza, Hood’s speaker also stated that by making the prostitute appear to be praying, she will be “owning her weakness and her evil behavior”. Clearly, he ends the poem by explaining that she should not be completely forgiven for the sins she committed in her life.

Society would have also taken Thomas Hood’s poem well because he displays the prostitute as dead. Victorian society felt that these “fallen women” should be expelled from society, so the people would enjoy the fact that Hood has made the prostitute dead.

For more information on “fallen women” during the Victorian Era visit:

http://cai.ucdavis.edu/waters-sites/prostitution/FallenWomen.htm

For all of "The Bridge of Sighs" by Thomas Hood visit:

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-bridge-of-sighs/