Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s novel, Lady Audley’s Secret, encompasses various elements and has been categorized in multiple styles or genres since its release. In my opinion, it perfectly aligns with the melodrama or sensational genre, specifically belonging to the subgenre of mystery. It incorporates substantial aspects from both genres, and thus recognizing both is essential, while acknowledging that melodrama serves as the primary mechanism and mystery functions as a Victorian melodrama subtype.
To comprehend how the story aligns with these categories, one must examine the Victorian features of each and connect them to the text. Apart from determining the genres, it is crucial to elucidate why and how these genres assimilate into Victorian culture.
According to Microsoft Encarta, melodrama refers to a play with a romantic plot where the author’s focus is on manipulating events to elicit emotions from the audience, with little consideration for character development or logical consistency. To be classified as a Victorian melodrama, certain techniques must be utilized, including proximity and familiarity with the audience, deceit instead of maliciousness, minimal character development, and the significant role of social status.
The sensational novel is typically a story set in modern times. Proximity is a crucial factor in creating sensation. The tale, which intends to excite the reader, is only truly effective if it takes place in our own era and involves people we frequently encounter. Lady Audleys Secret, in line with mid-Victorian themes, has a strong connection to street literature and news reports of actual criminal activities.
The crimes in Braddons novel are hidden and covert. Similar to the offenses perpetrated by reputable doctors and trusted women, the crimes in Lady Audleys Secret are shocking due to their unexpected nature. Crime in the melodramas of the 50s and 60s is bone-chilling, as it implies that deceit and violence exist within the midst of innocent individuals. An outer layer of morality masks ambitious deceitfulness disguised as respectability. Lady Audleys Secret concludes with a triumph of good prevailing over evil, but simultaneously suggests in an unsettling manner that this victory exists satisfyingly only within melodramas (Kalikoff, 96).
Lady Audley’s actions are perceived as deliberate and cunning, contrasting with previous stories of violence where criminals killed for the pure pleasure of it. She displays remarkable ingenuity in executing bigamy, arson, and murder. The nature of her crimes reflects a prevailing dread of hidden violence within personal relationships, indicating an increasing unease of being endangered from within. Her actions are carefully strategized and premeditated, stemming from a particular societal backdrop rather than being driven by insanity or malicious revenge (Kalikoff, 81).
In Victorian melodramas, murders are frequently the outcome of intricate schemes to hide identity, seek revenge, or advance social standing. Upon finishing Lady Audleys Secret, readers may realize their limited knowledge of the characters. Rather than being fully fleshed out individuals with whom one can empathize, the characters in this novel serve more as symbols or pawns prioritizing the highlighting of social or moral dilemmas. The most evident example of this is Lady Audley herself.
Lady Audley is not simply an individual, but rather a symbolic embodiment of the intimidating female figure challenging the male-dominated social order. She instills a sense of anxiety regarding women’s autonomy and sexuality. Sensation fiction, a prevalent genre during the Victorian era, effectively exploits the allure of secret and often sexual transgressions committed by its female protagonists. This genre offers a valuable lens through which to examine the paradoxical portrayal of these villainous victims, who are both morally corrupted and victims of social and economic oppression (Bernstein, 73).
Lady Audley is depicted as a devilish figure due to her ability to manipulate the men in her life. By using her innocent appearance as a tool, she tries to convince Sir Michael that Robert is insane without any evidence. This portrayal reflects the fears of the Victorian society, where a powerful woman was considered to be a dangerous presence.
In the novel Lady Audleys Secret, crimes originate from a society that highly regards social status. These crimes are often committed by individuals seeking to elevate their social standing, particularly individuals with a mysterious past. Lady Audley, despite being married to a much older man, manages to capture the attention of Sir Michael and comes close to achieving her ambitions. The question arises as to who is safe when a cunning manipulator infiltrates the aristocracy (Kalikoff, 84).
Lady Audley’s Secret portrays aristocrats as harmless, while those who attempt to infiltrate higher social classes are portrayed as dangerous. Lady Audley herself is viewed with suspicion due to her “social crime” of marrying Sir Michael. In Victorian melodramas, bigamy is a commonly featured offense. Many novels from this era revolved around bigamy in action or intention, and often explored the concept of having two wives or two husbands. This crime became so popular that it resulted in the emergence of a distinct sub-genre known as Bigamy Novels (Manse, 6).
The cunning bigamy and eventual murder committed by Lady Audley embody the mid-Victorian society’s fear of a deceitful woman who uses her manipulative sexuality to pursue wealth, social status, and power (Kalikoff, 84). Taking melodrama into consideration, we can now examine the novel’s role as a mystery. Similar to crime-based melodramas from the thirties and forties, mid-Victorian audiences were captivated by these stories and became devoted fans.
According to Peterson (41), the Victorian style of murder mystery is said to have its roots in The Woman In White written by Wilkie Collins. The novel tells the story of a daughter who is forced to marry a man chosen by her late father, and her mysterious death is subsequently investigated by her half sister and a man named Walter Hartright.
Braddon’s novel imitates many of the essential elements and topics employed by Collins in his story, such as featuring the protagonist as the investigator who unravels the fundamental enigma, rather than relying on a professional detective, and incorporating the concept of madness and its affiliation with insane asylums. Charles Dickens, an earlier and more renowned writer, also delved into the realm of mystery before Braddon.
Dickens employs various literary devices to create suspense in his novel Bleak House. These include the presence of a mansion, a baronet who desires to marry a woman with an unknown background, the wife’s exhaustion whenever her past is brought up, and a grave warning given by a lawyer who has investigated her history (Horsman, 217).
The ideas of uncertainty, avoidance, and warning are evident in Braddon’s story through various elements. These include the portrayal of Audley Court, Sir Michael’s initial hesitance in proposing to Lucy regarding her past, Lady Audley’s efforts to steer clear from discussing her own history, and Robert’s grave caution to Lady Audley that he was aware of her scheme. Braddon effortlessly embraced the new form with Lady Audleys Secret, showcasing her talent. Both works exemplify how Braddon expanded the mystery genre and achieved her highest selling book to date. Originally, Lady Audleys Secret was written by Mary Braddon solely for the purpose of assisting John Maxwell in launching a new magazine. However, as the attempt failed after merely twelve issues, Braddon later submitted it to another journal for publication a few months later (Peterson, 159).
Braddon targeted her novel towards the audience that had acknowledged Collins’ work, aware of the recognition he was receiving. While many readers found pleasure in the sensational writing style, not everyone shared this sentiment. As a writer of sensational novels, Braddon faced criticism from those who believed crime stories to be immoral and corrupt. Critics also lambasted her, arguing that a talented female author should pursue loftier aspirations, rather than resorting to sensationalism (Peterson, 160).
Like melodramas, murder mysteries have specific elements that must be present to maintain their true nature. These elements consist of coincidence, return, disguise, madness, and hidden information. Lady Audley’s Secret, a Victorian mystery novel, effectively incorporates these techniques in its plot.
One common element used in Victorian mysteries is coincidence. In these narratives, nineteenth century writers often included highly unlikely coincidences. This was particularly popular in Victorian sensational novels. In the novel Lady Audley’s Secret, there are several coincidences. It is by pure coincidence that George Talboys happens to know Robert Audley and encounters him right after returning from a long absence abroad. Furthermore, it is also by coincidence that Talboys’ missing wife is married to Audley’s own uncle (Reed, 130). As a result, Robert takes George to his uncle’s estate, where he eventually has the opportunity to meet his long-lost wife, Helen.
The story is centered around coincidence. It’s also quite coincidental that Luke, the innkeeper, happened to discover George after he escaped from the well. It was convenient that one of the main characters had the key to the mystery from the start. These coincidences set the stage for the unfolding of the entire mystery.
Another technique used by Braddon in mysteries is the Return. This device not only evokes reader sentiment, but also conveys a moral. The concept of the return has been around since the Odyssey, although it has evolved over time. In the Romantic period, the hero would withdraw to nature to gain clarity in their life before ultimately reengaging with civilized society (Reed, 216).
Victorian writers often utilized the return as a traditional plot device, as was the case in Braddon’s novel. However, what sets Braddon’s novel apart is that it delves deeper into this concept. The story begins with George Talboys coming back from a long journey in search of wealth. He is eager to be reunited with the wife he left behind many years ago. The expectation is clear: the husband comes back and they are happily reunited. However, this is not the case. Instead, he discovers that his wife has recently passed away. As a result, the reader’s emotions are deeply affected. This element plays a crucial role in both the mystery and melodrama found in Lady Audley’s Secret.
Braddon also utilizes disguise as a literary device, which explores the theme of identity. In her novel, she demonstrates this through the transformation of Helen Talboys into Lucy Graham and later, Lady Audley. Robert is driven to uncover the truth about his vanished friend as a result of this clever disguise (Reed, 294).
What do individuals typically do when they desire to start a new life – to have a fresh start in the race of life, without the burdens that had hindered their initial journey? They change their names, as Lady Audley did (chapter 29). When Robert and George stumble upon Sir Michael and Lady Audley in their carriage, Lady Audley averts her gaze, never wanting to face the two men. She apprehends being recognized by George. While contemplating how to evade detection, Lady Audley’s thoughts are interrupted by the approach of someone else. To appear preoccupied, she swiftly grabs a book (Reed, 294). The narrator then comments on how Lady Audley has transformed into an actress due to her desperate need to conceal her secrets.
The frequent use of the subject of madness is evident in much of mid-Victorian literature, often disregarding its gravity. A selection from Lady Audleys Secret exemplifies how casually the topic of confining the insane was treated. When Robert Audley confronts Lady Audley about her deceitful past in front of her husband, she retaliates by threatening to accuse him of being mad. This event illustrates the extent to which fiction had embraced the prevailing societal concern regarding the inadequate handling of laws pertaining to mental illness (Reed, 205).
Towards the end of the book, another part focuses on madness. Robert Audley decides to send Helen Talboys to a mental hospital as a form of punishment. Before doing so, he consults a psychiatrist to assess her level of sanity. The psychiatrist concludes that she is not insane, but agrees to confine her for convenience and as a precaution in case she deteriorates mentally in the future. This casual treatment of madness adds intrigue to the mystery novel as it raises concern that similar situations could occur to anyone, given the inadequate laws regulating mental hospitals at that time.
The development of an important part of the plot in Lady Audleys Secret relies on a technique called buried information. This term is commonly used to describe a device found in classic detective stories. It involves hiding a crucial clue within the seemingly insignificant conversation of a non-essential character (Peterson, 45).
Luke, a character in the novel, played a crucial role as the holder of the missing piece of the puzzle. Despite not being a main character, Luke’s importance cannot be ignored. In the story, Luke possesses the true information about George Talboys’ disappearance, making him the only person with this knowledge. Surprisingly, a seemingly insignificant character in the novel turns out to be instrumental in unveiling the entire plot. This technique was widely employed in Victorian mystery literature.
Mary Elizabeth Braddon achieved great success in her career as a Victorian novelist through the use of melodrama and mystery elements in her most renowned work, Lady Audley’s Secret. Her talent for crafting intriguing mysteries and engaging readers is evident, highlighting her remarkable writing abilities. Had she not incorporated some degree of sentimentality (melodrama) into her fiction, Mary Braddon may not have gained popularity as a novelist during the Victorian era (Peterson, 165-166).
Her choice of the mystery genre made her renowned and admired by numerous peers. Robert Louis Stevenson once expressed his desire for his days to be intertwined with Miss Braddon’s novels, while Tennyson confessed to being completely immersed in Miss Braddon’s works (Peterson, 161). By delving into both melodrama and mystery elements, it is evident that Lady Audley’s Secret encompasses both. By employing these genres, Braddon managed to craft a triumphantly novel that captured both reader sentiment and Victorian society.
Bibliography
- Bernstein, Susan David. (1997). Confessional Subjects: revelations of gender and power in Victorian literature and culture. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
- Horsman, Alan. (1990). The Victorian Novel. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
- Kalikoff, Beth. (1986). Murder and Moral Decay in Victorian Literature. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press.
- Manse, HL. Sensation Novels. Quarterly Review, April 1863, Volume 113, Number 226, 482-514.
- Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 98 (1998). Computer program. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation.
- Peterson, Audrey. (1984). Victorian Masters of Mystery. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co.
- Reed, John R. (1975). Victorian Conventions. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press.
