52 Shayna Hicks – A Section from The Tragic Effects of Alcohol and Drugs in Victorian Novels
Shayna Hicks (she/her) is a Senior from Indianapolis, IN, and she is graduating from Indiana University East this year with her bachelor’s degree in technical and professional writing. Although she has taken the technical route, she is also very passionate about creative writing and thoroughly enjoys reading and writing in her free time. She hopes to become an editor someday. This work was prepared for Alisa Clapp-Itnyre’s Eng L335, who states, “Shayna wrote an excellent paper on drugs and alcohol in 3 Victorian novels. This paper was a pleasure to read! I enjoyed her research on the temperance movement, and learned something about the opium epidemic myself!”
Text Introduction:
This is a section from my final Victorian Literature paper. I wrote about the tragic fates of characters in three Victorian novels due to alcohol consumption and drug use. These consisted of Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, “Janet’s Repentance” by George Eliot, and The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. The authors indirectly state their viewpoints on drugs and alcohols through the tragic endings their characters face when they indulge in these substances.
A Section from The Tragic Effects of Alcohol and Drugs in Victorian Novels
The Temperance Movement was extremely prevalent in the Victorian Era. Many were concerned about the amount of alcohol and drugs being consumed and wanted to take action. Seemingly, many Victorian authors made their opinions and beliefs about these issues known through their writing. In novels such as Far From the Madding Crowd, “Janet’s Repentance,” and The Picture of Dorian Gray, the authors seem to express their viewpoints on drugs and alcohol through the tragic fates of their characters.
In Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd, there are many distinct differences between the characters Gabriel Oak and Sergeant Troy and the endings that they receive. While both men do drink, there is a large difference in the way they handle alcohol. In Susan Petit’s article, she claims that “if Hardy camouflaged his ideas by expressing them allusively, in at least three places he pointed to what he was doing” (2). Although she does not explicitly speak of alcohol being one of those places in her article, I would argue that Hardy does this with alcohol consumption as well. Gabriel does drink, but he knows when to stop and does not easily fall for influence. In one instance, Gabriel says he only drank because he wanted to “value [Coggan’s] kindness as much as [he] could, and not to be so ill-mannered as to drink only a thimbleful” (Hardy 50). Gabriel is saying that he only drank in this scenario as to not appear rude. Another instance, a scene that speaks heavily on the tragedies of alcohol, is before the storm comes to the farm. Troy insists on celebrating his marriage and the Harvest Festival by drinking with all of the men. Bathsheba pleads to Troy to not give her workers brandy, as it will “only do them harm: they have had enough of everything” but he insists and does so regardless (Hardy 200). Gabriel stays for a while, so he does not seem rude, but he is able to take “his departure, followed by a friendly oath from the sergeant for not staying to a second round of grog” (Hardy 201). Here, we see that Gabriel is able to withstand the temptation of alcohol and others influence. Unfortunately, the storm is on the horizon and Gabriel alone has to tackle the crops and try to save them from the rain as he is the only man who has not drank. Bathsheba comes to help Gabriel and wonders why the other workers had not come to help, realizing that they were “all asleep in the barn, in a drunken sleep, and [her] husband among them” (Hardy 208). Because of Troy’s insistence to celebrate by drinking, all of the farm’s crops and income were almost lost to a terrible storm. If he had listened to Bathsheba’s pleas, more people could have helped protect the crops and ensured they were safe long before the storm began. Gabriel’s resistance to drink allowed him to save the crops and win Bathsheba’s gratitude as well.
This is not the only tragedy that unveils due to alcohol. Later in the novel, Joseph Poorgrass is ordered to collect Fanny Robin’s body and bring it back for a proper burial. Travelling with the corpse makes Joseph feel quite uneasy, so he stops at an inn in Buck’s Head. It is in this inn that many mistakes are made. The people in the inn convince Joseph to stop for a drink. Coggan tells him to “drink, Joseph, and don’t restrain yourself!” (Hardy 235). This is all of the convincing he needs. It is said that he “drank for a moderately long time, then for a longer time” and said that it is “pretty drinking—very pretty drinking, and it is more than cheerful on [his] melancholy errand” (Hardy 235). Coggan agrees, saying that “drink is a pleasant delight” (Hardy 235). In this scene, Hardy shows how easy it is to fall to the temptation of drinking, especially when those around you influence you. Unfortunately, it also shows how easily drink can be taken too far. After Poorgrass says he needs to leave, a man says “Of course, you’ll have another drop. A man’s twice the man afterwards” (Hardy 236). They tell him that Fanny is already dead so there is no true rush (Hardy 236). Now we see how too much drinking can cause tragedy. Joseph has drank too much and can no longer drive the carriage carrying Fanny’s corpse. Gabriel, the hero, swoops in again and shames Joseph for drinking so much that he has failed his task. Gabriel is able to withstand the temptation of those around him yet again and takes over the carriage carrying Fanny’s corpse. Because of Joseph’s drinking, the funeral cannot go on and must be postponed to the next day. Hardy is clearly showing the problems than can ensue from over-consumption in this scene. If Joseph had not fallen for the temptation to drink and had taken the corpse back as he had promised, the funeral would have continued, Troy would never have discovered that Fanny had passed, Bathsheba would never have discovered that Fanny was Troy’s other lover, and neither party would have discovered that she was with child. These discoveries led to the ending of Bathsheba and Troy’s relationship. Gabriel was once again able to withstand the temptation of drink and save the day by safely bringing Fanny’s corpse back home. If Joseph hadn’t stopped to drink, the funeral could have gone on as scheduled and Troy could have remained with Bathsheba forever. Because Gabriel was able to resist alcohol, he married Bathsheba in the end. Troy’s insistence to drink and engage in reckless behaviors made him unfit for someone of Bathsheba’s caliber, and thus the relationship ended in tragedy. In this way, Hardy camouflaged his ideas about alcohol and its tragic implications through the fates of Gabriel Oak and Sergeant Troy.
While Hardy’s story might have shared moments of tragedy caused by alcohol, George Eliot’s story “Janet’s Repentance” is entirely representative of the tragic horrors that can ensue due to excessive alcohol consumption. In Mark Mossman’s article, he says that Eliot staked “a claim to realism, and by describing the abuse, in specific, frightening terms, the story undermines the more peaceful and pastoral stereotypes of country-life prevalent in middle-class, urban England” (3). This realism includes the harsh reality of alcohol consumption. Mossman also claims that “Violence itself, the way Janet is abused and the way she abuses herself with alcohol, is indeed the central troubling subject of the story” (2). Similarly to Hardy, this was Eliot’s way of including her own ideas about alcohol into her writing. From the very beginning of the story, it is evident that Mr. Dempster, Janet’s husband, is a man quick to anger. This anger is only enhanced by his excessive consumption of alcohol. The narrator comments on “how heavily the months rolled on” for Janet because of “the cruel man…in drunken obstinacy…rating her in harsh tones” (Eliot 337). However, the townsfolk talk about Janet in a similar vein, saying they have “heard the worst account of her habits-that she is almost as bad as her husband” (Eliot 273). These habits, we come to find out, are related to drinking. When Dempster returns home late one night and discovers Janet has been drinking, he says “What, you’ve been drinking again, have you? I’ll beat you into your senses” (Eliot 280). Ironically, her reason for drinking is his drinking and to help her withstand his abuse. Dempster merely drinks recreationally, and far too much at that. The narrator even says that he did not have “any motive for drinking beyond the craving for drink; the presence of brandy was the only necessary condition” (Eliot 339). Later on in the story, when Mr. Dempster is upset by his disagreement with Mr. Pryme, it is said that “under [that] additional source of irritation [Mr. Dempster’s] diurnal drunkenness had taken on its most ill-tempered and brutal phase” (Eliot 342). He lets Janet know that he is to have some men over for dinner, but when he returns home for the dinner he “had evidently drunk a great deal, and was in an angry humour” (Eliot 344). Janet hopes that the men stay so late that Mr. Dempster “become[s] heavy and stupid, and so to fall asleep down-stairs” so she can avoid his drunken abuse (Eliot 345). This shows that Mr. Dempster’s anger leads to ill behaviors and abusive tendencies, enhanced by his excessive drinking. He is now someone that Janet truly fears.
The following fates of the characters solidify Eliot’s own viewpoints on the temptations of drink. After Janet finds safety in Mrs. Pettifer’s house after being kicked out by her husband, she realized that all she wanted was an escape from misery and comfort. She even admits to Mr. Tryan that “one day when [she] was very wretched, and the wine was standing on the table, [she] suddenly…poured some wine into a large glass and drank it” (Eliot 364). Now it is even more clearly understood that the only reason Janet turned to alcohol in the first place was to cope with the miserable hand she was dealt as Mossman suggested. With the help of Mr. Tryan, her relationship with God, and the community around her, Janet is able to completely change her life and find redemption. Eliot even states that “Janet Dempster was a changed woman” (416). At the end of the story, after Mr. Tryan passes, it is said there is a gravestone next to his which reads: “Janet Dempster, rescued from self-despair, strengthened with divine hopes, and now looking back on years of purity and helpful labour” (Eliot 428). Although Janet lived a hard, tragic life, she is able to find redemption and happiness at the end of the story that shows she has hope and many years left to live. The opposite is said for Dempster, who drank himself to death. In his final moments, with Janet by his side, he is terrified of her. He says that “her hair is all serpents…they’re black serpents…they his…they hiss…let me go” (Eliot 393). These thoughts that Dempster has in his last moments are culminations of his guilt. He dies in fear of the woman he abused and treated carelessly because he loved drinking more than her. The accident he was in that led him to this maddened state was because of his driving while drinking. Ultimately, he dies before he can ask for Janet’s forgiveness. She wonders if he could “read the full forgiveness that was written in her eyes” but he has already passed (Eliot 401). This was an intentional decision on Eliot’s part, for she did not feel that Dempster deserved the forgiveness of Janet. At the end of Mossman’s article, he writes to “to Eliot, perhaps Janet is always a kind of monster” (6). This is not something I would agree with, for the endings of these character’s lives speak volumes, especially on the ideas of drink. Janet’s life ends quite happily as she has recovered and redeemed herself, while Dempster’s life ends in a fearful death caused by his own drinking. In this way, Eliot hides her own thoughts about the temptation to alcohol. If you can withstand temptations, you will live a long and prosperous life. If you cannot, you will surely be met with a terrible death. Although the violence and abuse were quite a lot for some to read, they work beautifully to describe the tragic outcomes that can follow from the inability to withstand drinking.
Finally, in Oscar Wilde’s novel Dorian Gray, Wilde touches on the topic of not only alcohol, but opium as well, and their hazardous effects. Unlike Hardy and Eliot, Wilde writes about them in a seemingly positive light. However, towards the end of the novel the reader can see it is really a warning. In Minodora Otilia Simion’s article, she states that “Wilde also warns that unrestrained aestheticism may lead to self-absorption, lack of remorse and intellectual regression and consequently suggests a more restrained aestheticism” (2). This quote perfectly encapsulates the idea of Wilde’s novel being a cautionary tale about the dangers of the aestheticism and decadence movements, including the dangers of alcohol and opium. Wilde’s novel tells the story of Dorian Gray and his descent into the aesthetic movement. Dorian is heavily influenced by the words of Lord Henry, an aesthete. In order to follow the ideals of the aestheticism movement, it was critical to him to focus on only the pleasures. This was only increased by heavy drinking and opium use. Early on in the novel when Lord Henry begins his influence on Dorian, he takes him out to the garden, ensuring they had “something iced to drink,” and tells him that “Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul” (Wilde 16). Immediately, Lord Henry tells Dorian that there is no pleasure that can be spoiled when you can cure the soul with the senses by turning to alcohol. However, as Simion said, Dorian begins to become unrestrained. His selfishness in murdering Basil and devotion to ignoring that fact have become dangerous, swiftly teetering on the line of decadents. Decadents was “aestheticism taken to a bizarre extreme: drugs, drink, sex, degeneration of morals” and we see these ideas in Dorian’s behaviors (Clapp-Itnyre, “Art in the 2nd Half of the Century” Page). His morals were already thrown out the window, and he attempts to turn to opium rather than alcohol. He continually repeats the mantra that Lord Henry had told him: “To cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul” (Wilde 137). Wilde uses this scene to represent his cautionary tale of aestheticism taken too far. He tries to cure his guilt ridden soul by drowning out the senses and resorting to drugs. This quote is a great example of how the aesthetes and decadents associated these movements with drugs and alcohol not only for pleasure, but also to help ignore the hardships of life. Allegedly, the opium dens were “where the memory of old sins could be destroyed by the madness of sins that were new” (Wilde 137). In other words, Dorian could forget the memories of his sins about killing Hallward, and also Sybil, and commit new sins by partaking in opium. In the opium dens, he runs into Sybil’s brother, James Vane, who threatens to kill him. This appearance of Sybil’s brother is Wilde’s way of saying that not even drugs and alcohol can totally erase the harm caused by a life focused on pleasure.
Although Dorian was able to merely escape death in this instance, his life shows no signs of redemption. His refusal to own up to his own mistakes and ruined soul lead him down a treacherous path. His own guilt and regrets catch up to him, and they present themselves in his painting. A “cry of pain and indignation broke from him” when he dedicated himself to a new life of good and realized his picture had not reflected this (Wilde 166). He tries to stab the painting, but in turn he stabs himself, switching places with the painting and lying dead on the ground “withered, wrinkled, and loathsome of visage” (Wilde 168). Dorian’s turn to drugs and excessive selfishness were also the major turns of his character. This is an example of how “indulging in life’s momentary pleasures and not caring about their fatal consequences…holds true for both Wilde and his main character” (Simion 3). Although Wilde wrote about alcohol and opium as positive means of escaping the hardships of one’s life at first, this is a tactic he uses in terms of his cautionary tale of taking the aesthetic movement too far, mirroring his own experiences. Even Wilde himself is showing that too much is too much in terms of indulgence. In an article by Clifton Snider, he writes that if Wilde was “not an alcoholic in the stereotypical sense, then [he was] one who in his post-prison years used alcohol as a way to compensate for the spiritual vacancy he so keenly felt” (2). This is similar to how Dorian turned to opium as a way to compensate for the guilt that was consuming him. However, no amount of recreational drinking or drug use can erase the damage that has been done. If this novel is truly meant to be a cautionary tale, Wilde speaks his mind about the dangerous effects of alcohol and opium and how they are not an effective means of ridding your mind of life’s hardships. This is evident in the tragic fate that Dorian receives at the end.
The tragic endings of the characters in Far From the Madding Crowd, “Janet’s Repentance,” and The Picture of Dorian Gray all express the authors’ underlying thoughts about the negative effects of alcohol and drugs. The Victorians had strong opinions and actions in place to encourage others to avoid the temptations of these dangerous recreational behaviors. Although these authors did not speak their disdain for them outright, they used the lives of their characters to emphasize these dangers and encourage others to stay away and avoid their same fates.
Works Cited
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