How is female sexuality portrayed in Hardy's 'Far From The Madding Crowd' and Lawrence's 'The Virgin And The Gypsy'?

University Degree Linguistics, Classics and related subjects

How is female sexuality portrayed in Hardy’s ‘Far From The Madding Crowd’ and Lawrence’s ‘The Virgin And The Gypsy’?

‘Is Lawrence really a liberator of sex? Does he grant more independence to the women in his novels than his predecessors or just a little more freedom within confines of established expectations.’ The same question could be asked of Thomas Hardy, who is believed by some critics such as Rosemarie Morgan, to use female sexuality in a way that is liberating and arguably revolutionary. ‘The Virgin And The Gypsy’ by D.H.Lawrence, and ‘Far From The Madding Crowd’ by Thomas Hardy, show a likeness in the fact that both men present sexuality through controversial female protagonists and question the moralities and social expectations of their time.

Whilst the two novels were written over thirty years apart, their female protagonists are comparatively alike. Lawrence’s protagonist, Yvette, faces a restrictive society that was only just beginning to accept the changing attitudes in female sexuality. Hardy shows a female repressed by society although, the nineteenth century was somewhat more constrained than the mellowing ‘roaring twenties.’ ‘The nineteenth century woman was defined by her adherence to submission and resistance to sexuality. By emphasizing the physical aspect of femininity in [Hardy’s] unorthodox representation of the female, Hardy threatens the Victorian model of women.’ Hardy’s female characters are sexual and passionate; this is especially evident in Bathsheba Everdene, when she and Troy become ‘lovers,’ her passion described as:

‘The blood beating into her face, [setting] her stinging as if aflame to the very hollows of her feet, and enlarged emotion to a compass which quite swamped thought.’

Clearly she feels aroused and excited by her passion for Troy, and is flustered by their ‘kiss.’ For the nineteenth century, this is truly innovative, possibly even more so than Lawrence’s explicit novella.

The early twentieth century female was only just beginning to really discover sexual liberation. The fashion of the day was more revealing and allowed the female form to be shown in a provocative way, ‘the feminine liberation movement had a strong effect on women’s fashions. Most importantly, the corset was discarded! For the first time in centuries women’s legs were seen. A more masculine look became popular, including flattened breasts and hips, and bobbed hair.’ Lawrence makes full use of the change in fashion in his novella, the sensual ‘silk’ fabric and the revealed ‘long, naked arms’ shows society’s changing attitudes towards sexuality. In Lawrence’s novella, the absence of the corset shows the lack of restraint and the growing freedom women possessed, while Hardy’s character Bathsheba still bares the symbolic restraint of the corset. Due to the alteration in society, Lawrence is able to freely make sexual references and suggest female sexual liberation, this would unquestionably have been too risqué for eighteen seventy-four, when ‘Far From The Madding Crowd’ was written.

Lawrence uses symbolism, figurative language and imagery to create a sense of tension within his text. In contrast to this, Hardy mainly uses lesser characters and his ‘classic plot' involving a love triangle, to reveal female sexuality in a subtler manner. The conflict the ‘love triangle’ offers with the ‘dangerous’ but sexually exciting Troy and the reliable, less attractive Gabriel, conveys Bathsheba’s potent sexuality. Conflict is present in both texts and it is this conflict in which most of the female liberation is seen. In ‘The Virgin The Gypsy’ the tension between religion and desire is the most apparent. Yvette has grown up in a world of ‘religious conventions and beliefs,’ it is these enforced beliefs that repress ‘all feelings of passion and desire.’ Therefore her father, the rector, and the gypsy begin to represent the conflict present in most women of that time. Her background of morality, contradicts her natural instinct, which is to be ‘confirmed sexually by the gypsy.’ While there is a distinct conflict between religion and desire within the character, Yvette, it seems to me that Lawrence himself worships female sexuality as if it was a religion:

‘The mysterious fruit of her virginity, her perfect tenderness in the body.’

Lawrence describes Yvette as ‘fruit’ something to be tasted and enjoyed. Obviously the noun ‘fruit’ has connotations with religion. Eve was tempted to eat the forbidden, ‘mysterious fruit’; she eventually gave in to her desires partly because of her own vanity. One could even interpret that Lawrence likens the gypsy to the serpent from genesis 3; the pagan man tempts Yvette with his ‘dark watchful eyes’, in an almost hypnotic way:

‘He had a power over her, his shadow was upon her.’

Like the serpent who tempted ...

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‘The mysterious fruit of her virginity, her perfect tenderness in the body.’

‘He had a power over her, his shadow was upon her.’

Like the serpent who tempted Eve, the gypsy has a power over Yvette that manages to overwhelm her fathers preaching’s and her love of God. This biblical reference links the character Yvette further with religion and add a deeper layer of meaning to the already complex language Lawrence uses. In Lawrence descriptions of sexuality he almost seems in awe of the concept of ‘virginity:’

‘The potent secret of her virginity.’

Yvette is repeatedly described as ‘virginal;’ Lawrence constantly reminding the reader of the importance of sexuality or lack of freedom to express sexuality.

Hardy’s approach to female sexuality is much more subtle than Lawrence’s candid approach. Hardy’s female characters always seem to struggle (this is certainly true of Bathsheba and Fanny,) however, ‘they are not tame objects to be manipulated. Their resistance emerges in their sexuality.’ Hardy is forced by society to disguise his blatant want to ‘restore [women to] the physical, sexual reality which [he] sees as their birthright,’ similar to how Bathsheba is forced to be married in order to justify her sexual desire for Troy.

Lawrence is fascinated with the notion of virginity, but ironically it is the eventual stripping away of ‘virginity’ that frees Yvette of society’s restraints. However, there is a feeling that he is saddened by women having to give up their innocence to be free, this is possibly because of his wife’s circumstances, Lawrence’s wife Frieda Von Lichtenstein, left her marriage and abandoned her children to be with Lawrence. Surely Hardy’s description of their marriage as a means of her becoming a ‘humbler half of an indifferent matrimonial whole’ relates to this, Bathsheba’s marriage and loss of virginity, lead to her being ‘driven to bitterness.’ Hardy shows that he is troubled by the way society forced marriage onto women, he possibly felt that it repressed them and led to them being a mere ‘wife,’ he obviously didn’t:

‘See why a maid should take a husband when she’s bold enough to fight her own battles and don’t want a home.’

Both Lawrence and Hardy admire female sexuality and seem to desire freedom of sexual expression. Lawrence in particular is very vocal in his opinions on sexuality. He admires the ‘gypsy woman’ and her ‘covert, unyielding sex.’ Despite the fact that the gypsy woman has different attitudes towards sex than Yvette, both are free because of their desire. Lawrence appears to respect the fact that ‘nothing would get [these women] under’. Bathsheba’s youth and virginity is also referred to but Hardy appears to use sex (within her marriage) as a negative force upon women, a great contrast to Lawrence’s overly positive view of intercourse.

All of the other female characters in ‘The Virgin And The Gypsy’, with the exception of Yvette and the gypsy woman represent the ‘civilised world’ where social norms are adhered to and sexual desire is repressed. Aunt Cissy in particular begins to represent ‘barrenness and the contradiction of this negative form of female power.’ She is a ‘destroyed woman’ because of the absence of desire and her lack of sexuality. In this novella, sex is a symbol of life and vitality, without which, women become powerless and ‘destroyed.’ Hardy’s lesser female characters seem to have the sole function of representing the social norms of ‘females’; this then acts as a great contrast to the ‘self-reliant’ Bathsheba.

What both Lawrence and Hardy seem preoccupied with is the ideal of feminine youth and beauty. This, and the male attention it draws seem to be why females have power and are indisputably superior to the male characters. Their physical appearance either implied or explicit, gives them power over men. Sex and female sexuality is a factor in these novels, and in both cases it appears to represent freedom and liberation. What is different however is that sexuality and attraction strengthens Bathsheba but actual intercourse represses her, while the opposite is true for Yvette; the loss of her virginity results in the freedom from society’s restraints, and her own prejudices.

Almost all of the female characters have sexuality, which creates status and power; ‘sexuality is at least representative of positively productive power, if not the source of it.’ However, the fact that they are ‘female’ leads them to be ridiculed and disregarded. Even though Bathsheba is ‘mistress’ and their ‘boss’, the farm workers talk about her as a sexual object:

‘Bless her pretty face-shouldn’t I like to do so-upon her pretty lips.’

She is disrespected by her work force because of her gender. In a similar way Yvette is disrespected because of her youthfulness. Yvette’s father ‘used money, even generosity, as a hold over her’; he shows no respect for his daughters and gets none in return. The way that he tries to control her shows his lack for respect for her, she is a sexual adult but is treated like a mere child.

One critic felt that ‘through age [the mater] transformed herself back into a virgin. She wields power in the family through her very vulnerability.’ While it is true that the mater is a form of female power, I feel that this power is less ‘potent’ than of other characters because of her loss of sexuality. Virginity is more than the lack of sexual experience, it is an innocence and purity, these are qualities, which the mater does not possess, and therefore it is her lack of honesty to instinctive sexual desire that causes her eventual demise. In contrast to this, Fanny from ‘Far From The Madding Crowd’ is punished despite being pregnant and therefore sexually aware. Personally, I think that Hardy does not support this and that he is merely highlighting what was wrong with society. Surely, the chapter aptly named, ‘fanny’s revenge,’ is evidence enough to believe that Hardy, like Lawrence was in favour of sexual liberation?

While Lawrence uses femininity as an absolute power, Hardy uses masculine attributes within his female protagonist to convey the similar level of power that Yvette wields. This ‘power’ is required in order for both Hardy and Lawrence to imply sexual liberation:

‘Hardy creates an unconventional woman antagonized by the desires of passionate love and the independence of a male.’

The term ‘Amazonian’ is used to describe Bathsheba; this term most definitely has connotations with being ‘mannish.’ Likewise, the fact that she is her ‘own manager’ associates her once again with this concept of masculinity adding power to her femininity. Lawrence describes his female protagonist in a completely different manner to Hardy; adjectives such as ‘soft’ and ‘flower-like’ are used which are ultra-feminine. Instead of the masculinity that depicts Bathsheba’s power, Yvette’s supremacy is in her femaleness. Lawrence carefully describes her as being, ‘full-out’ and ‘blossoming,’ every adjective is soft and delicate, reflecting her maturing female form. Lawrence often uses the imagery of a flower in this context, the blossoming relates to her ‘perfect virginity,’ this entity to be explored:

‘The waking sleep of her full-opened virginity, entranced like a snowdrop.’

Despite the fact that the two novelists use completely different approaches to describing their female characters, the result is the same: powerful, unconventional females who are free to experience desire.

Female authority, in both texts, is exerted through the usage of inferior males. Arguably all of the male characters are in some way inferior to the female protagonists. Hardy uses a whole number of men whom are employees of Bathsheba’s that are under her command:

‘I am mistress here.’

These men are obviously hired and paid by Bathsheba, therefore her dependants, even her husband Troy is dependant upon her wealth; ‘I have none but what my wife gives me.’ Most of the male characters surrounding Hardy’s heroine, Bathsheba are also inferior. Likewise Lawrence uses the ‘gypsy’ who is seen as being of a much lower status than the ‘queenly Yvette’ and is a disrespected by society, as an inferior figure:

‘This pagan pariah.’

Lawrence uses the fact that Yvette is a ‘fresh faced young Christian’ to emphasise the difference in status, referring to the gypsy as a ‘pagan,’ an inferior being. The ‘subtle suggestion of submission’ in his masculinity reveals a weakness in the gypsy much desired by both Yvette and Aunt Cissy.

Male incompetence is predominantly seen in ‘Far From The Madding Crowd’ but is also present in ‘The Virgin and The Gypsy.’ Bathsheba’s husband Troy, is unable to provide for his wife nor can he help her run her farm, instead he wastes his wife’s money gambling:

‘You have lost more than a hundred pounds in a month by this dreadful horse racing.’

Hardy’s other key male characters, Gabriel and Boldwood, also fit in with this; Boldwood encompassed in love with Bathsheba neglects himself and his farm therefore losing everything. Gabriel also loses his farm and becomes unemployed until Bathsheba hires him. It is their economic status as well as their weakness for her that determine them as inferior. In Lawrence’s novel, Yvette’s father is the greatest example of male incompetence. The rector is unable to accept his responsibility for the break-up of his marriage to ‘she-who-was-Cynthia.’ Constantly Lawrence uses derogatory language to describe Yvette’s mother, this is quite ironic as Lawrence married a women who left her husband and children, just like the ‘disreputable woman’ his ‘snow-flower’. The rector is completely in denial of his faults that are made all the worse due to the fact that he is a Rector.

Lawrence refers to the Rector using animalistic terms such as ‘doggish’ or ‘mongrel.’ This description has different implications, on one hand it refers to the tamed and owned aspect of the rector, while it also implies the ‘mixed nature of the rector.’ He is both a vicar, a supposed ‘believer’ as well as ‘frantically afraid’, while he preaches about faith, Lawrence makes it evident that he has no faith. Therefore the noun ‘mongrel’ suggests that the rector’s beliefs and all religion is a façade, enforcing his opinion that only sexuality is pure and true.

Lawrence uses the fact that the gypsy is ‘stronger than she’ is and he is in no way dependant upon her to show unadulterated sexual desire. Lawrence’s description of the gypsy is ironic as this symbol of desire, is described as having a ‘pure nose’ or a ‘pure line.’ The adjective ‘pure’ has connotations with religion, particularly with baptism, the cleansing to become pure and be accepted. In some ways, the gypsy confirms Yvette and her sexuality in a similar way to these religious traditions.

Female liberation is of great importance in ‘The Virgin And The Gypsy’. Lawrence employs symbolism to demonstrate changing views towards women and their sexuality. Yvette’s virginity is lost along with her innocence through sexual intercourse with a gypsy. With this act ‘Lawrence dispels a dangerous myth: that women do not enjoy having sex.’ What I feel is most significant about this ending is the fact that they come together out of necessity for life and not through desire. I suspect that Lawrence was trying to convey the message that sexuality is instinctive, and that Yvette is liberated by the realisation that it was her father’s (and society’s) dirty moralities that were shameful not her desire. The ‘devouring flood’ is one of the most significant symbolic references as it kills ‘mater’ whom represents old ideals of how women should be. When the water rushes towards them it is a powerful force, possibly symbolic of the gypsy or the instinct to be sexual.

Due to the flood, the Rectory is destroyed; it is the rectory that represents the restrictions of society:

‘She hated the rectory and everything it implied.’

In the rectory they lived ‘a stagnant sewerage sort of life’ which suggests that their lives were wasting away and being destroyed by these redundant beliefs. The air was ‘stale’ indicating that the rectory’s older inhabitants and the religious world they represent are lifeless and worthless. In contrast to the quarry, where the gypsy’s lived, it is ‘perfectly clean’ with ‘fresh air.’ These people seen by society as unclean and immoral, are portrayed by Lawrence as liberated and ‘vigorous.’ The rectory should symbolise holiness but instead is described as filthy and unclean. This is why its eventual destruction is so vital.

The Virgin And The Gypsy centres on the liberation of Yvette and of women in general and of society fighting to keep sex and desire under a veil of secrecy. This is not the case in Hardy’s novel; Bathsheba begins as a ‘wild’ and ‘independent’ person but through fitting in with society’s expectations via her marriage becomes repressed:

‘[Bathsheba] lost all the pluck and sauciness [she] formerly had.’

Hardy uses this to symbolise the repressive nature of society and its moralities. Bathsheba, once ‘in love’ declares that she will ‘never forgive God for making [her] a woman,’ because as Hardy states: ‘loving is misery for women always.’ In Hardy’s time, women were demanded to live up to ‘prescribed societal ideals for a respected women,’ however Hardy’s female characters were granted the freedom to choose a marriage partner based on attraction, especially if they contradicted the view that females are submissive victims.

What both Hardy and Lawrence achieve in these texts is the liberation of female sex. Their controversial female characters are depicted in such a way as to grant the women of their time, some freedom, not within the ‘confines of established expectations’ but from these social confinements. Whilst they were written in different eras and were subject to different social expectations, both texts in the literary sense, defeat society’s constraints. They portray sexuality in a positive manner, which for either the eighteen- seventies or the nineteen-twenties is both innovative and revolutionary.

Bibliography

Passionate Heroine-Heather Dugan and Thomas Valeo / Gettysburg college – 1997
The Virgin And The Gypsy – Rachel Fuller / Hitchingbrooke school – 2000
Bread And Butter Or Cake: The Male Characters In D.H.Lawrences ‘The Virgin And The Gypsy’ / Bantam books, New York – 1970
Women’s Fashion History – Carol Nolan /
Women And The Sexuality In The Novels Of Thomas Hardy - Rosemarie Morgan / Routledge –1988
D.H.Lawrence And Women – Carol Dix / London – 1980
www.homepage.usask.ca/Lawrence