Most of us are
accustomed to love triangles as being a standard part of the majority of modern
romantic comedy films, however this has been around for considerably longer
than originally thought. Although it has been used by writers (or poets as they
were known in Ancient times) since Ancient Greek literature the development of
feminist perspectives in the Victorian era allows it to take on a new meaning.
There
are clearly two ways Victorian writers create love triangles: two men vying for
a woman’s affections, or two women vying for a man’s. Which one they choose
depends on the particular representation of the two genders that they are
trying to evince in their writing. Emily Bronte explores gender through this
type of love rivalry in Wuthering Heights
in a particularly interesting way as she utilises both of the above forms and
does so in a way that makes the reader sympathetic towards women as well as
making them strong characters. Cathy Earnshaw is sought after by two men
(Heathcliff and Edgar Linton) and is free to make her own decision regarding
her future husband. This commences well until Cathy is forced by Heathcliff to
realise that in marrying Linton she has defied her true nature which is bound
to him. The mental turmoil she then succumbs to eventually leads to her death
as she cannot lie with this inner tension. Thus, although Bronte creates Cathy
as a seemingly independent, strong woman her death is induced by the power this
love triangle has over her. Indeed, this book has another triangle in which the
wrong choice is made, however this time not unwittingly. This is between
Heathcliff, Cathy and Isabella Linton. Heathcliff’s intentional abuse of
Isabella’s feelings in marrying her to secure property and because he cannot
marry Cathy (thus making her the second choice) serves as an example of the
cruelty of men in the art of love in the Victorian era.
Another
writer who particularly likes the use of love triangles is Thomas Hardy. Both Tess of the D’Ubervilles and Far From the Madding Crowd explore the
nature of men through their differing attitudes towards love. Hardy uses this
arrangement to comment socially upon the transition between traditional ways
and the coming of the “Golden Age”. In Tess the contrast between the new age
and the old is highlighted with the characters of Angel and Alec D’Uberville.
Although there is this foundational contrast between the two they are both
morally corrupt, which highlights the fact that neither traditional ideals nor
modern ones are morally and socially appropriate; perhaps an amalgamation of
the two is more ideal. Thus Hardy utilises the love triangle between these two
men and Tess to not only explore the social context of womanhood in the late
1800s but also that of masculinity in a sexual context.
Furthermore,
Austen uses this form of relationship struggle to highlight the way in which a
woman ought to behave in her novel Mansfield Park. Fanny Price and Mary
Crawford vie for Edmund Bertram’s attention, but in the end Fanny secures the
position of being his wife because of her inner purity and piety. Austen here
socially condemns the modern way of life with drinking, gambling and doing
perverse things in large towns, especially London. Mary’s character ensconces
immorality at a simplistic life with her utter refutation of religion as well
as leading a nice, rural life. Thus, this love triangle exposes the idea that
cohering to modern ideals will not secure you a lover; you must stay true to
being good.
To conclude, at the centre of
these and many other Victorian love triangles I have not mentioned is not love.
Instead these authors are exposing that to secure what one strives for in life
(that is, a life partner in those days) one must have a keen moral sensibility
and use it to do what is socially, as well as religiously, correct.
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