Introduction
Regarding class, gender, industrialization, and the rise of the media, the dynamic Victorian society registered numerous changes and conflicts. This hampered the growth of personal and collective identities and contributed to a crisis in effective communication. In this context, women faced various social, legal, and cultural restrictions that limited their freedom of choice and capacity for self-expression.
Defying these restrictions, pursuing personal development, and expressing one’s thoughts and ambitions were necessary for female self-expression in a patriarchal culture. For example, the Lady of Shalott’s reliance on a mystical mirror or screen is shown in Tennyson’s poem, Pre-Raphaelite art, and other sources, signifying the female struggle in the Victorian era. Notably, the restrictions placed on women’s autonomy and their desire for self-expression while adhering to established gender norms are highlighted in these representations.
Thus, the current research paper investigates the following three aspects of the poem. Firstly, it elaborates on how the poem underscores the struggle for women’s agency and right to self-expression. Secondly, it uncovers the crisis of masculinity during the Victorian era, highlighting the shifts in gender roles within the poem. Finally, the paper identifies factors and concepts that directly challenge established gender roles and social norms. All these points indicate that The Lady of Shalott is a work filled with female emancipation and empowerment ideas.
Underscoring Women’s Agency and Self-Expression
The depiction of the Lady of Shalott’s reliance on her mirror underscores the limitations on women’s agency and self-expression in Victorian society. According to the poem, all Lady can only watch the images displayed by the mirror and picture them through weaving (Tennyson, lines 63–65). Moreover, the same lines indicate that she is mostly content with her life, thus not realizing the full scale of her predicament.
As Nikiforova states, that is remarkably similar to what most women experienced in the Victorian era (171). An important notion is that the Lady’s condition is imposed on her by an unknown force since the author only mentions the curse’s existence without providing any details about its origins (Tennyson). The Lady is obediently carrying out this unknown force’s directive while being indifferent to everything else, until she notices Sir Lancelot in her mirror. Only then does she halt her weaving, escape from her cell, and pass away on the boat on the route to Camelot. These events and a tragic ending serve as emotional points of connection with the audience, drawing their attention to the Lady’s story.
The main point is the drastic change the protagonist experienced due to her bold actions. Before, she just performed her duties as required and remained anonymous to the outside world. After that, she exposes herself to the world and draws everyone’s attention, for which she pays the highest price. In other words, by writing this poem, the author exaggeratedly illustrated what can happen to a woman who decides to break free from the constraints of her gender role. In this context, the Lady is restrained and controlled by outside influences, which are represented by the mirror, preventing her from completely exerting herself and interacting with the outer world.
The case was similar for women’s options for autonomy and self-expression, which were constrained during the Victorian era: they were frequently limited to home settings and required to comply with these social norms. However, it should not be taken negatively: although the Lady paid a great price, she did receive recognition. Even her object of desire, Sir Lancelot, acknowledged her in the poem’s final lines (Tennyson, line 169). This acknowledgement is what underscores the importance of female emancipation.
Crisis of Romantic Masculinity
Tennyson’s words, the poem’s screen motif, and Pre-Raphaelite pictures all emphasize the crisis of romantic masculinity and redefine gender norms. In terms of the former, as readers go through the poem, they can notice the shifts in the roles the two leading figures assume. Namely, the shift occurs at the last lines in the poem, where Lancelot comments on the Lady’s beauty, saying “she has a lovely face” (Tennyson, line 169). Including a direct Lancelot’s speech in the poem is crucial in the context of romantic masculinity, which implies that men and women are always subjects and objects of desire, respectively (Abigail 200).
In this context, the moment when Lancelot observes the Lady’s lifeless body adheres to this definition, as the man expresses interest in her features. One may see this as a reinforcement of the above-mentioned standardized gender roles of the Victorian era: the male viewpoint and speech are dynamic and intense, whereas the female perspective is “lovely” but mute (Tennyson, line 169). However, simply complying with it disregards the existence of the mentioned shift, which is impossible due to the dynamics between the characters before Lancelot’s words.
Interestingly enough, there is little to no description of the Lady’s appearance compared to Lancelot’s stunning features. The introduction of Lancelot in Part III is incredibly vivid, with much more focus placed on his physical characteristics and the splendor of his clothes, which take up 35 lines (Tennyson). He stands out dramatically as the shining and alluring object of affection due to his “blazon’d baldric” of a “mighty silver bugle” hanging, his “thick-jewell’d” saddle leather glistening, and other features (Tennyson, lines 87-92).
It is important to note that this affection can be viewed in a narrow and a broad sense. Regarding the former, Sir Lancelot is an object of the Lady’s desire, which she cannot resist despite her previous success in staying secluded. Regarding the latter, Sir Lancelot is an object of desire in the poem. Tennyson conveys this desire through the devotion and care with which he portrays the knight in shining armor.
Attention here has to be paid to the order and significance of who plays the role of an object of desire. Undeniably, the Lady’s attraction toward Sir Lancelot is a central driving force of the plot that brings readers toward the poem’s climax and explains such a melancholic end. In turn, when Lancelot assumes the role of the desiring subject, he receives only the poem’s last three lines, as if adding irony to everything that has happened so far (Tennyson, lines 169–171). According to Abigail, this accentuation of masculinity and sexual desire for the male body pushes the poem’s erotics into what may be referred to as homoerotic (200). Although Abigail’s assumption may seem exaggerated, there is no doubt about the existence of the masculinity crisis in the poem’s dynamics.
This crisis is also evident in the artwork of prominent painters of that time. In particular, Nikiforova mentions how artists such as Rossetti, Millais, and Hunt primarily focused on depicting the Lady and her mirror while disregarding Sir Lancelot (190). As mentioned before, the Victorian era raised numerous questions about the validity of established gender roles and their functioning in society. In this context, the predominant depiction of the mirror and how it relates to the Lady’s inactivity points precisely to the altering dynamics of gender relations and redefining their roles in Victorian society. As men struggled with shifting societal expectations and women attempted to establish their agency and defy constrictive gender norms, it seemed only natural that conventional ideas of masculinity were being called into question.
Lastly, the mirror from the previous point can be considered a symbol of gender identity shifts. Namely, Lady’s interest in the magical sights of the mirror reveals her longing for connection and participation in the world outside of her imprisonment. In this context, imprisonment implies the restriction of women to the home and family, that is, daily chores, children, and caring for a husband. It can be assumed that, by highlighting Lady’s curiosity toward what is happening outside her confinement, Tennyson intended to raise a question regarding the necessity of this confinement.
This argument grows stronger if one considers Lady’s dependency on her mirror. If she stops weaving the images she sees in it, she knows she will be cursed (Tennyson, lines 42–45). On the one hand, her dependency on the mirror suggests she lacks autonomy and is forced to have a filtered reality experience, which is a negative perception of a traditional female gender role. On the other hand, lines 62–65 state, “She hath no loyal knight and true, but in her web, she still delights / To weave the mirror’s magic sights” (Tennyson). These lines are in many ways attributable to the male gender. The Lady is independent and enjoys her work, which can be viewed as purely masculine if taken out of context.
Challenge to Traditional Gender Roles and Social Norms
The Lady’s defiance and pursuit of a more meaningful life confront conventional gender norms and societal limitations. Specifically, there is an essential notion regarding the reasoning behind the Lady leaving her weaving: her decision was brought about by curiosity, not only toward the outside world but also the man she saw. Right after the description of Sir Lancelot’s attractive features ends at line 108, the Lady instantly leaves her chores to look “down to Camelot” (Tennyson, line 113).
In this context, the author raises the topic of sexuality in the world, implying how tempting it can be. Moreover, the tragic outcome of the poem confirms the dangers that it poses, as in pursuing her desire, the Lady forsakes her duties and even sacrifices her life. It can be assumed that the overall situation refers to a specific Victorian fear about women’s sexuality, which was strictly regulated at the time (Plasa 248). Namely, Victorian society placed a great value on women’s virginity, whereas sexual desire was considered inappropriate, to say the least. However, the poem implies that endlessly repressing desire is impossible; suppressed sexuality will ultimately break through, becoming a devastating force.
There are clues that the Lady considers her seclusion most burdened by the lack of sexual realization, even before Lancelot appears in the poem. Although she is said to “delight” in her seclusion, the poem also mentions her desire to be loved (Tennyson, line 64). For instance, her statement of being “half sick of shadows” directly follows the vision of a newlywed pair happily enjoying themselves and their love (Tennyson, lines 70–71). Interestingly enough, as her statement marks the end of the poem’s second part, the third part immediately introduces Sir Lancelot to the reader.
The author describes Sir Lancelot with great care and attention to detail. He serves as a romanticized and eroticized representation of masculinity, and it is his attractiveness that prompts the Lady to take action. For instance, the Lady is mesmerized by his outstanding features, such as long, curly hair, dazzling armor, and alluring singing voice (Tennyson, lines 100–108). To her, Sir Lancelot appears to be emitting a meteor-like radiance. The Lady cannot help but run to the window when she sees Lancelot in her mirror. She is physically attracted to Lancelot and acts out of emotion, regardless of logic or reason.
The possible implication is that women cannot stay within the artificial boundaries of reason forever. In this context, the “curse” mentioned in the poem can symbolize sexual desire itself. The Lady only meets Sir Lancelot after her death, unable to express her feelings or indulge in the love she so desired. The evidence above indicates that the Lady of Shalott’s rebellion and desire for a more fulfilling life challenge contemporary societal restrictions. It further aligns with Plasa, who mentions that “the Lady’s seclusion and imprisonment in the tower serve as a metaphor for the restrictions” (263).
However, there is also an indirect challenge to traditional gender roles. Namely, while men are positively encouraged to overcome obstacles to deserve women’s love, the Lady is punished by death for daring to do the same. This way, the conflict between the agony of sexual famine and the danger of sexual satisfaction becomes one of the poem’s main focal points. Like most Victorian English women, the Lady will be cursed regardless of her choice.
Therefore, the Lady’s final uprising against her restricted life represents her desire for independence and self-expression. It stands for women’s desire to overcome the artificial boundaries put on them and find sexual fulfillment outside of the traditional roles imposed by society. In this situation, the mirror can be viewed as a motivating factor for self-realization and empowerment since it is the source of the Lady’s awareness of her desires. In other words, if not for the mirror, the Lady would not have been able to find the strength to express her autonomy and reject social norms.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Tennyson’s poem and other sources that depict the Lady of Shalott’s reliance on a supernatural mirror shed light on the identity crises and gender disputes that were prevalent in Victorian literature and art. The mirror symbol depicts the limitations and outside forces that prevented women from communicating and affirming themselves. In turn, the poem questions established gender norms and emphasizes the continual battle for autonomy and agency in a world with restricted communication and changing gender relations via the Lady’s Uprising. Overall, the Lady can fight societal pressures and establish her uniqueness thanks to the mirror, which is a potent symbol of female self-realization and empowerment.
Works Cited
Abigail, Joseph “Impressions of Weird Fate”: Revision and Crisis in “The Lady of Shalott.” Journal of Victorian Culture, vol. 22, no. 2, 2017, pp. 183-203. Web.
Nikiforova, Anna. “The Screen Effect of the Magic Mirror in Alfred Lord Tennynson’s Poem “The Lady of Shalott” and Pre-raphaelite Illustrations.” Visual Arts and Screen Culture, vol. 169, 2018, pp. 168-190. Web.
Plasa, Carl “Cracked from Side to Side”: Sexual Politics in “The Lady of Shalott.” Victorian Poetry, vol. 30, 1992, pp. 247-263. Web.
Tennyson, Alfred. “The Lady of Shalott.” Poetry Foundation. Web.