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'What Lies Beneath: Orthodoxy and the Occult in Victorian Literature' ‘What Lies Beneath: Orthodoxy and the Occult in Victorian Literature’ Jessica Webb B.A. Hons (Cardiff University), M.A. (Cardiff University) A Thesis Submitted in Candidate for The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Ph.D. Cardiff University July 2010 UMI Number: U516773 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U516773 Published by ProQuest LLC 2013. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Form: PGR_Submission_200701 NOTICE OF SUBMISSION OF THESIS FORM: a r d if f POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH C UNIVERSITY PRIFYSGOL CaeRDY[§> APPENDIX 1: Specimen layout for Thesis Summary and Declaration/Statements page to be included in a Thesis DECLARATION This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. S igned .............. .7!r.VA/s * J U r......................... (candidate) Date f s / i o 11o STATEMENT 1 This ttasi&is teing submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirem ents for the degree of l m w ................. (insert MCh, MD, MPhil, PhD etc, as appropriate) S igned ......................... (candidate) Date ............I. I. J .! Q.... STATEMENT 2 This thesis is the result of my own independent work/investigation, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged by explicit references. S igned .... (candidate) Date . ....................................... STATEMENT 3 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter- library loan, and for the title and sum m ary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed .....................(candidate) Date .......... *.$.!. JQ .j. 10. STATEMENT 4: PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BAR ON ACCESS I herebygive consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter- library loans after expiry of a bar on access previously approved by the Graduate Development Committee. Signed (candidate) D a te ( / . ? j ..(.9. 1 Abstract Victorian society was fascinated by the issue of spiritual life after death. For the ever- rationalising Victorians, any hint of uncertainty proved troubling: the drive to explain and categorise the world led to unparalleled advances in science, technology and communication. But scientific knowledge itself, most notably in the work of Darwin and his theories of evolution, undermined the concept of eternal life as promised by orthodox Christianity, prompting Victorian society to seek other modes of belief that might offer empirical evidence of life after death. This thesis explores the relationship between orthodox Christianity, quasi­ religious movements, pseudo-science and the supernatural in both a pre- and post- Darwinian world, tracing it through fiction and non-fiction, and in novels, novellas and short stories by canonical authors Charles Dickens, George Eliot and Thomas Hardy, by the lesser-known writers Catherine Crowe, and Arthur Machen, and in the non-Sherlock Holmes stories of Arthur Conan Doyle. Across this variety of literary forms, these very different authors all engage with the supernatural, with quasi­ religious creeds and with pseudo-science. Each of the three chapters of this thesis is introduced by a section which establishes the historical context and its influence on the texts discussed. Chapter One focuses on the presence of the supernatural and the spirit world in Edward Bulwer Lytton’s Zanoni (1846) and The Haunted and the Haunters; or, the House and the Brain (1859), Catherine Crowe's The Night-Side o f Nature (1848) and Charles Dickens’s Christmas stories. Chapter Two explores George Eliot’s use of superstition and medieval and Jewish mysticism in The Mill on the Floss (1860) and Daniel Deronda (1876), before considering Thomas Hardy’s Anglo-centric approach to similar issues in The Return of the Native (1878) and ‘The Withered Arm’ (1888). Chapter Three discusses the late nineteenth-century interest in spiritualism, Egyptology, and ancient religion as represented in Arthur Machen’s The Great God Pan (1894) and Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘The Ring of Thoth’ (1890) and ‘Lot No. 249’ (1894). Overall, the thesis is concerned with the way in which ‘rational’ Victorian society is constantly undermined by its engagement with the supernatural: the nineteenth-century desire for empirical evidence of life after death proves, paradoxically, Victorian irrationality. In memory of Alexandra Smith (1978-2009) 4 Acknowledgements Completing my doctoral thesis has been a long process and I wouldn’t have reached the end without the help and support of such a fantastic family. I am forever grateful to my Mum and Dad for encouraging (and funding) me throughout my studies and for helping me move into, and out of, seven different houses. Sarah and Ruth have always been my constant source of normality and have given me a much needed perspective away from academia. In spite of their protests, however, I am adamant that they have enjoyed hearing my views on Thomas Hardy. Ben has helped more than he will ever know; his patience and talent in providing welcome distractions has made the writing- up stage more fun than I could have hoped for. My grandparents have always been supportive and could always be relied upon for biased praise. Also, I couldn’t write my PhD acknowledgements without mentioning my doppelgcinger . Kara Tennant, who has been my travelling companion, confidante and general partner-in-crime. Although we couldn’t master the art of using a Canadian pav-phone, we certainly had fun along the way. Dr. Heather Worthington needs a special mention for agreeing to become my supervisor and allowing me to take advantage of her never-ending knowledge. Her patience with the re-drafting of my George Eliot section was truly unbelievable. Prof. David Skilton has always been a hugely supportive figure and I am extremely grateful that he introduced me to C.E.I.R. I finally want to thank The James Pantyfedwyn Foundation for sponsoring all of my postgraduate research, Diane Clements (Director of London’s Library and Museum of Freemasonry) for her suggestions on the topic of Bulwer Lytton’s involvement with Freemasonry and Tomos Owen for his help with my Arthur Machen dilemma. 5 Contents Introduction 6 Chapter 1 (1837 - 59): Context, Meaning, Texts 16 (I) Context ....................................................................................................16 (II) Edward Bulwer Lytton .........................................................................25 (III) Catherine Crowe .....................................................................................66 (IV) Charles Dickens......................................................................................85 Chapter 2 (1860 - 88): Context, Darwin, Texts 134 (I) Context ......................................... :............................................................ 134 (II) George Eliot ............................................................................................ 158 (III) Thomas Hardy ........................................................................................196 Chapter 3 (1889 - 1901): Context, Mysticism, Texts 238 (I) Context .....................................................................................................238 (II) Arthur Conan Doyle ..............................................................................256 (III) Arthur Machen....................................................................................... 290 (IV) Conclusion 309 Bibliography 314 6 Introduction The issue of spiritual life after death lies at the very heart of Victorian society. For the ever-rationalising Victorians, any hint of uncertainty proved troubling: the drive to explain, categorise and understand a rapidly changing world led to unparalleled advances in science, technology and communication. But scientific understanding could only make minimal contributions to the Victorian fascination with eternal life. The very nature of orthodox Christian doctrine rejected the necessity to provide empirical and clear-cut evidence for the post-death survival of the human soul: faith, not proof, was central.1 But religious belief was shaken by the scientific achievements of the age, most notably by the discoveries of Darwin and his theories of evolution which brought religious accounts of creation into question and so undermined orthodox Christian beliefs. In this thesis. I position these mid-Victorian theories of evolution as a pivotal point, analysing the effects of science and technology on religious belief in a post- Darwinian world. More specifically, my focus is on the problematic issue and representation of life after death in Victorian literature. Works by classic realist authors such as Charles Dickens, George Eliot and Thomas Hardy are, surprisingly, frequently haunted in various ways by the restless spirits of the dead, and the intention of this thesis is to consider the implications of this disturbing presence in fiction that claimed to represent the lived reality of its readers.2
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