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For Monday: Le Fanu, “Passage in the Secret History of an Irish Countess” (pp.201-234)


Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: In many ways, “Passage in the Secret History of an Irish Countess” is like a Gothic Jane Austen story (esp. Mansfield Park). Perhaps the biggest similarity is that both authors focus upon the realities of 19th century marriage. According to the story, what hidden dangers lie in wait for a prospective bride in the 1830’s? What does marriage allow men to gain—and to hide—by law?

Q2: The story mentions that a letter offering evidence of the uncle’s guilt was published in Faulkner’s newspaper (The Dublin Journal—see note on page 273), which was another magazine which published news side-by-side with Gothic stories like this one. How might this story be consciously trying to adopt a non-fictional tone in the manner of its storytelling? In other words, how does it read even more realistically (like journalism) than our last two stories?

Q3: When the narrator’s uncle intercepts her letter for help, he threatens her by saying, “Men will universally believe you mad, if I choose to call for an inquiry. I can make you appear so” (225). Though a Gothic story, why might this be one of the great fears of 19th century women? Have you read another story (or seen a film) that uses madness to check a woman’s freedom or choice?

Q4: In many of the stories in this book, women are frail, naive creatures who submissively meet their fate. How is Le Fanu’s narrator markedly different from these women (while still being very much a 19th century woman)? Why do you think he made it a point to show a different kind of woman—and have her tell the story herself, rather than use a third-person narrator?

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