Briefly the plot concerns 15 year old Natalie and her two suitors - the definitely middle aged Richard Turlington who is 38 and Launcelot Linzie 15 years his junior (I make that 23). Launcelot is a cousin of Natalie's as well as acting in the capacity of family medical advisor whilst she, her father, and aunt, are cruising on Turlington's yacht to help Natalie recover her vitality after the transition from child to woman. 'Miss or Mrs?' was published at the end of 1871 when the age of consent for girls was still 12 (in 1875 it was raised to 13, it wasn't for another decade that it became 16) the plot demands that Natalie be 15 because at 15 she can be married, but if she's removed from her father's home before she's 16 without his consent it's abduction regardless of whether it's her husband doing the removing or not.I assume that most current readers will share my distaste at Natalie's youth, Collins makes it clear that she's physically mature with the thoughts and desires of an adult woman, and of course legally she is above the age of consent (she's also mixed race which is another kind of interesting) but she's still only 15 and caught between the unwelcome attentions of Turlington who's determined to wed her, and the far more welcome attentions of Launcelot who is also determined to wed her. Now Turlington is very much the villain of this piece and a thoroughly Bad Man who puts considerable pressure both on Natalie and her father to get his own way. Launcelot is clearly a much better thing but he still puts considerable pressure on Natalie to fall in with his wishes regarding a clandestine marriage between the two of them and it made me uncomfortable.
I don't know if it should given the context of the times (it also turns out that Collins was caught up in just such a clandestine marriage in 1848 when he helped a 33 year old friend marry a girl not quite 16 so he very clearly had no qualms about young brides) but I can't help but read this as the story of a girl who is the property of her father being forced to become the property of someone else. It doesn't help that it's not a choice she's altogether willing to make.
Otherwise it's a thoroughly exciting and amusing story, Launcelot proves himself to be more than worthy of Natalie (and not a sexual predator) Turlington is a horrible villain, and the Father and Aunt are by turns comic and appalling. Natalie's sexual maturity and racial background are unique in my limited experience of Victorian literature, both challenge my preconceptions of Victorian society.
'Miss or Mrs?' is available free as an e-book (though quite apart from preferring paper copies I think it's worth paying for the introductions in my Oxford edition) and well worth reading - at just over 80 pages it doesn't take long.
Goodness, I had no idea that the age of consent was 12 as recently as that (people are always mentioning the Romans marrying 12-year-olds). I am shocked. Fifteen seems very young too, but it's only a year younger than 16, which to me seems ridiculously young to marry too but then I am now OLD and so everyone seems too young to be doing things. It puts a different slant on those childy-women of Dickens'. I'd like to read this.
ReplyDeleteIt's well worth reading. I would need to do a bit more research about what the age of consent actually meant in the 1870's. In this case she could be legally married at 15 (though I don't think the marriage is consummated) but it seems that she couldn't be removed from her father's care without his consent until she was 16. It has to be a marriage by banns because a special licence without her father's consent would involve perjury. I get the impression that both ages have nothing to do with coming of age. I find it all fascinating.
Delete'I get the impression that both ages have nothing to do with coming of age' - now that is a very interesting point indeed. I did have a quick look at Wikipedia and like so much English law it seems to have evolved on a very ad hoc basis. I wonder if there are other novels which tackle it quite as directly as this one?
DeleteI hope you don't mind, I used your post as a springboard for one of my own: ( http://gallimaufry.typepad.com/blog/2013/11/the-space-between-us.html)
I assume that girls came of age at 21 and that until then would have required their guardians consent to marry. Wilkie Collins trained as a lawyer and often uses bits of law in his plots, he seems especially keen on bits about marriage and legitimacy. I imagine there might well be quite a lot of Victorian lit that looks at this kind of thing.
DeleteI really enjoy posts that respond to other posts so feel quite flattered!
This sounds really interesting. The age of girls marrying in Victorian lit has always been something I've struggled to get my head around and most of the time I think it goes completely over my head so I'm sure it will incur some fist shaking to read something that focuses on it so much. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteWilkie Collins is always entertaining and always worth reading (or so I've found so far...) , this is no exception. Well worth a look!
DeleteI read The Law and the Lady earlier in the year and it concerns marriage law as well. My favorite is Armadale and if you haven't read it I highly recommend it. Also, you may be interested in a Wilkie Collins event I'm co-hosting late December - February: http://figandthistle.com/2013/11/01/estella-society-event-wilkie-in-winter/
ReplyDeleteI read The Law and the Lady when I was about 16 (a long time ago) I do love a bit of Wilkie and will take Wilkie in Winter as an opportunity to read a few more.
DeleteIf you find Natalie's racial background and sexuality intruguing then I would second figandthistle and recommend that you read Armadale, as it too features lots of intriguing characters, including one who has a mixed racial background and an intruiging sexuality.
ReplyDeleteI read half of Armadale a few years ago when I was quite ill. Not much of it sunk in so I must start from scratch again...
ReplyDelete