Context 1: Pamela written by Samuel Richardson
Samuel Richardson wrote Pamela in 1740. This story is about a 15-year-old maidservant named Pamela Andrews. Mr. B her ‘master’ makes sexual advances towards her after the death of his mother. After these advances are ignored he decides to marry Pamela, which for this time is seen as a reward for the young woman remaining virtuous. This novel and some of his other novels are well known for their emergence of the epistolary novel genre. Sheridan was very influenced by this novel and its use of this new form. Reading Richardson’s novels was not Sheridan’s only influence; Richardson, whom became a close friend, directly critiqued her first two romance novels.
Context 2: Touch-stone, Basanite.
A touch-stone, often basanite, formerly used in Europe,
tested the authenticity of metals such as gold.
One would only need to draw the metal across the stone and a colored
mark would remain on the stone. The
marks were then compared as proof of the genuine article. This practice appears to originate in ancient
Greece and India. (Abhay 2012). The likelihood of this
practice in 18th century Britain speaks to the vast colonization of
the empire and the proclivity towards travel of upper class British society.
In literature, the touch-stone often refers to the
genuineness of character. In Frances Sheridan’s The Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph, Sidney concerns herself with
the character of the individuals that cross her path. She not only surmises the value of their
worth based on their immediate presence, but amends this opinion based on their
actions. She even applies this concept
to her own behavior, hoping Lady V will recognize her “motive” as “that will be
a sort of touch-stone, whereby I (Sidney) shall discover, from her behavior,
whether my doubts are well grounded or not (Sheridan 362-363). While the novel itself appears concerned with
moral expectancies and the overall conduct of individuals, particularly women,
the authenticity of one’s character seems to be the ruling thumb.
Context 3: The Female Spectator, Haywood, Eliza Fowler (1744-1746)
The
Female Spectator was the first monthly periodical
written intentionally for women by a woman: Eliza Haywood. Previous periodicals written “for women”
originated from men, emphasizing the patriarchal control over women’s
literature in the 18th century.
This collection of essays, however, is reputed to stem form a myriad of
letters, thus offering variable perspectives from the female view in an epistolary
form. This successful magazine was
originally printed in four volumes with newer editions printed late into the
middle of the century. The content dealt
with “female” social issues such as female conduct, marriage, children,
education and literacy. Haywood’s
sometimes satirical and political voice engendered to educate women on the social,
philosophical, and scientific issues addressed in The Spectator, a popular daily magazine written by Joseph
Addison (Wolf 78). She believed “education will
give women the aptitudes… to…correct the inbalance of power present in a traditional
marriage” (Thomason 144). Interestingly
enough, Haywood’s name did not appear as author of The Female Spectator until the 7th edition. Instead, Haywood utilized authorial personas,
Mira, Euphrosine, the Widow of Quality, and the Female Spectator, to “confirm
the moral authority” present in the periodical (Thomason 133).
Frances Sheridan would quite possibly have access to
this magazine due to her social class and level of literacy. The topics of female conduct, marriage, and
literacy in Haywood’s periodical are widespread throughout Sheridan’s novel, The Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph. The character, Sidney Bidulph Arnold,
repeatedly expresses the importance of proper female conduct both in and
outside of marriage. In addition, the
importance of literacy and education stressed in the magazine also permeates
through the literary references in Sidney
Bidulph. Even the sympathetic tone
of the two female narratives is similar; like when Sidney is “caught” reading
the Roman poet Horace by Mr.Arnold, Sheridan’s narrative reveals the indignation that a women
could feel when one questions her education (Sheridan 112).
Context 4: The Wife, “by Mira, One of the Authors of
The Female Spectator and Epistles for Ladies” (1756)
The Wife was another
literature book for women in the 18th century written by Eliza Haywood
in 1756. Though this novel appeared to
be a companion novel to Haywood’s The
Husband, it was actually a conduct book for married women. Similar to other conduct books, it advised
women on the best behavior conducive to a successful marriage including such
topics as: “The danger of living in the same house with any relation of the
husband’s,” how to manage and pay the servants, harboring suspicions of a “husband’s
falsehood,” gambling and “being over-fond of animals” (the latter of which may
have been directed toward “base” men). All
these topics could are touched upon in The
Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph by Frances Sheridan. “The Wife,” though instructive
as per other conduct books, carried an underlying tone sympathetic to the “limitations
that create [a wife’s] struggles” (Thomason 144). This underlying tone appears synonymous to
the tone of Sheridan’s Sidney Bidulph,
maybe not as an anti-conduct book, but in a satirical appraisal of the
constraints and expectations of 18th century wives.
Context 5: “The Polite Lady: Or a Course of Female Education in a Series of Letters from a Mother to her Daughter” by Charles Allen
Not only is The
Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph concerned with matters of female education
in matters such as conduct, manners, and virtuousness, but most of this
information is passed on to Sidney through her mother. Daughters were not sent
to school, so their educations were left to their mothers or governesses and
nannies. Sidney values her mother’s advice more than her own intuition and
desires. She spends her life molding her thoughts and behaviors to her mother’s
desires. Many of the decisions Sidney makes throughout the novel are not really
her own decisions but merely her mother’s desires superimposed upon her.“The
Polite Lady: Or a Course of Female Education In a Series of Letters from a
Mother to her Daughter” follows the Eighteenth Century standard of a mother
taking responsibility for the education of her daughter. Written as letters,
the instructions follow the form of Sidney writing her diary entries as letters
to send to Cecelia.
Context 6: "A Letter of Genteel and Moral Advice to a Young Lady" by Wetenhall Wilkes
Wetenhall Wilkes’ letter to his sixteen year old niece titled,
“A Letter of Genteel and Moral Advice” follows
the genre of the conduct book. It is located in Appendix A of The Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph. 19th
century conduct books provided a list of etiquette and rules for one to better
themselves, by the standards of the patriarchal society. They were usually
direction toward women, especially those yet to marry. Wilkes’ letter focuses
on the virtues of pride and chastity. He also gives his niece advice for her
future marriage along with how to be fully dutiful to her husband. He states, “…never
let Pride or Vanity be your Sin”(Sheridan 477). Sidney, and girls raised in the
19th century, would have had full access to conduct books and their
direction. Sidney seems to be the only character in The Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph to follow this advice and these
patriarchal standards fully. Wilkes also says in his letter, “When the Heads of
married People are filled with the vain Ideas of Equipage and Grandeur, Pomp
and Magnificence, it is not wonder that both sexes are deceiv’d and bring Reflections
and Dishonour on their Condidtion: Whereas, they would but correct that deprav’d
Taste, Moderate their Imbibition and place their Happiness upon proper Objects,
Marriage would become the most happy and honourable State of Life” (Sheridan
482). Sidney follows this direction explicitly. After being reunited with Mr.
Arnold, she expresses to Cecilia, “Your Sidney and her Arnold are as happy as a
king and queen! Mr. Arnold’s recovered heart I prize infinitely more than I did
when he first made me an offer for it” (Sheridan 282-3). In that letter to
Cecilia, and how Sidney acts in the circumstances of her husband’s affair and
return to her, she exemplifies Wilkes’ advice that “A Wife owes to her Husband’
Person the Debt of undivided Love; to
his Reputation all her assistance in
defending it…” (Sheridan 482). Sidney is wholeheartedly devoted to Mr. Arnold.
In our culture, and in class, we have stated this to be one of her faults.
However, she abides by all social expectation of a woman, all of the rules
Wilkes relates to his niece and expects her to abide by.
Context 7: The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments & Other Rites & Ceremonies of the Church According to the Use of the Church of England: Together with the Psalter Or Psalms of David, Pointed as They are to be Sung Or Said in the Churches, and the Form and Manner of Making, Ordaining, and Consecrating of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons
A
book of prayers widely used in England and issued by the Church. The
book originates in 1549 and the last true incarnation was printed up to
1927. The most used edition of the book, considered the official prayer
book, was the 1662 revision, which saw a number of updates but
consequently divided Anglicans and nonconformist religions. Criticisms included kneeling during communion,
the use of the 1540 Great Bible translation instead of King James, and
the congregation participating in the prayers. There were attempts to
create similar books up to at least the year 2000. The Book of Common
Prayers contained Morning and Evening prayers, prayers for the sick, the
communion, and a number of services such as marriage and funerals. A
number of phrases from the Book appear in modern vernacular, such as
"speak now or forever hold your peace" and "till death do us part" from
the marriage rites, as well as "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" from the
funeral rites. As Mr. Arnold lay on his deathbed, Sidney watches as the
apothecary reads a prayer to him, "A Prayer for a Sick Person when there
appeareth but small hope of Recovery" (Sheridan 302).
Metamorphosis by Ovid, Odyssey by Homer
When Sidney first meets Mr. Faulkland in The Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph, she
tries to give an account of him to Cecilia. She does so using characters from
Greek mythology. She also does so in a way the reader does not expect. She
states that he is not like the Greek mythological characters of Adonis and
Apollo. Sidney writes, “But I’ll disappoint you- and tell you he is neither
like an Adonis or an Apollo- that he has no hyacinthine curls flowing down his
back; no eyes like suns” (Sheridan 56). Sidney does not describe Faulkland to
be very handsome, rather, he has no relation to the Greek mythological character
Adonis whose very name means “male beauty” (Sheridan 54). Shawn O’Bryhim
describes the festival of ancient Greek culture put on by woman to honor
Adonis, “…women lamented his death one day and celebrates his resurrection the
next. Women also mourned for Adonis in Isreal, where they planted gardens sown
with seeds that germinated on the day after they were planted” (O’Bryhim 304).
Sidney and Cecilia are both well-read and learned ladies. Sidney making this
connection, or lack thereof between Greek deities and Faulkland, shows she
would have been familiar with authors such as Homer and Ovid. That general
observation is significant to the text because Sidney is unique to her times in
the fact that she was educated in Latin. Continuing with Sidney’s description
of Mr. Faulkland, she says, “I will not say that…Minerva presides over his lips,
and every feature has its attendant Cupid” (Sheridan 57). Cupid is the god of
love, but here, Sidney tells Cecilia that Faulkland does not arouse in her any
feelings of romantic love. This is interesting in light that at the end of the
novel, Sidney states Mr. Faulkland to be “The chosen of my heart, my first
love!” (Sheridan 450). This section of the novel depicts Sidney to be well read
and educated. By mentioning Greek mythological deities, it also brings to the
readers attention how the mythological archetypes were kept alive in literature
throughout the centuries. The love triangles and tangled plot of Sidney Bidulph contain much correlation
and sameness to the “soap opera” plots that were ancient Greek myths. There
would be much to research in regards to the specific archetypes that have been
kept alive through the history of literature which stem back to mythology.
Also, it is worth noting that both Greek myth and Sidney Bidulph were constructed in the middle of patriarchal
society and culture.
Context 9: Eugenia and Adelaide, a Novel by Frances Sheridan
When Frances Sheridan was fifteen, she wrote a romance
novel, separated into two volumes. Eugenia
and Adelaide was originally turned down for publication in 1758, just three
years before The Memoirs of Miss Sidney
Bidulph was published. Although Eugenia
and Adelaide was rejected for publication, Sheridan continued writing,
unfazed. The result of her continued writing was Sidney Bidulph. It was not until 1791, more than twenty years after
Sheridan’s death, that Eugenia and
Adelaide was actually published. Although much of Sheridan’s fuel for
writing was the necessity of earning money and providing for her family, being
a successful female writer in the mid 1700s was rare, and it is remarkable that
Sheridan was able to continue writing and attempting to publish her works after
already having been turned down.
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