{"id":1308,"date":"2018-01-04T18:46:05","date_gmt":"2018-01-04T23:46:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/y90sclassroom.blog.ryerson.ca\/?p=1308"},"modified":"2022-03-01T14:37:18","modified_gmt":"2022-03-01T14:37:18","slug":"support-of-new-woman-ideology-in-the-invisible-prince-and-the-yellow-book-volume-x","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cdh.rula.info\/y90sclassroom\/2018\/01\/04\/support-of-new-woman-ideology-in-the-invisible-prince-and-the-yellow-book-volume-x\/","title":{"rendered":"Support of New Woman Ideology in “The Invisible Prince” and The Yellow Book, Volume 10"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 Copyright 2017 Olivia Moore, Ryerson University<\/p>\n

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Illingworth Kay, J. “The Yellow Book, An Illustrated Quarterly”, vol. 10, 1896. The Yellow Nineties Online, Ryerson University, 2005. Public Domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The publication of \u201cThe Invisible Prince<\/a>\u201d, and the tenth volume of The Yellow Book<\/em> <\/a>in general, coincides with changing societal values concerning women\u2019s roles within 1890s British society that emerged during the 1830s Suffragette Movement. The independent female character within Henry Harland\u2019s \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d shares many of the attributes related to the idea of the New Woman that became widely recognized through literature during the Victorian Era. This exhibit will examine whether 1890s societal views of women are supported or contrasted within the tenth volume of The Yellow Book<\/em>,\u00a0and more specifically Henry Harland\u2019s \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d. As a result, this will help to contextualize the evolving role of women within Victorian society, and how The Yellow Book<\/em> may be indicative and even influential of these changes.<\/p>\n

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HENRY HARLAND<\/h3>\n
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Felsenburgh, Julian. “Picture of Henry Harland.” Wikimedia Commons, 2014. Public Domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It is first important to recognize that Henry Harland, the author of \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d, became the editor of The Yellow Book<\/em> in 1894 (\u201cHarland, Henry\u201d). The tenth volume of The Yellow Book<\/em> was published in 1896, two years after Harland earned the position of editor. As the editor of The Yellow Book<\/em>, Harland possessed an extremely influential role in determining which pieces were published within the periodical. Historically throughout the 1890s, many female poets, even a few that were published within The Yellow Book<\/em>, were New Women who immersed themselves within the working world outside of the domestic sphere (Hughes 850). It is argued that Harland\u2019s \u201cjournal of art and literature was an important conduit for women writers at the\u00a0fin de si\u00e8cle,\u201d (Ledger 6), which further illustrates the role he played in promoting and supporting female writers and New Woman literature. Harland\u2019s \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d highlights the idea of the New Woman and supports the involvement of many female contributors to The Yellow Book<\/em>\u00a0who were New Women themselves. Therefore, analyzing those who contributed pieces to the tenth volume of The Yellow Book<\/em>, and worked in editing and publishing, can provide insight toward the beliefs that are perpetuated in this periodical.<\/p>\n

NEW WOMAN FICTION & “THE INVISIBLE PRINCE”<\/h3>\n

The female character within \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d represents many characteristics of the New Woman within the 1890s through her bold and independent behaviour. It is interesting to note that at the beginning of the story it is the woman who first approaches Mr. Field and initiates conversation instead of Mr. Field approaching her. This type of action was extremely unconventional in Victorian Era culture. By introducing herself this way, the woman immediately displays the boldness and nonconformity of her character. Additionally, this anonymous woman does not seem to be accompanied at the masquerade. This suggests her as attending independently, which although society\u2019s perceptions towards women were changing, women attending these types events alone was still uncommon. In Feminist Studies, Weber states, \u201cIt was particularly in the decade of the 1890s, for instance, that educated \u2018New Woman\u2019 were charged with having become \u2018unsexed\u2019 for seeking professional and public lives that put them in the hurly-burly of the masculinized marketplace,\u201d (Weber 548). This indicates a major shift in ideology towards women\u2019s roles within society that is observed within the mannerisms of the female character in \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d. As women began to seek lives outside of the domestic sphere, opinions and perceptions concerning the education of women began to change. In order to be considered equal to men, women began searching for better opportunities in education that would result in improved employment opportunities. In \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d, Mr. Field observes that his female counterpart has, \u201cenjoyed a liberal education,\u201d (Harland 70). Even before discovering her physical appearance, Mr. Field becomes attracted to the woman because of the sharp wit and intellect the woman developed through education. This appreciation of the educated female speaks to the new beliefs surrounding education witnessed in society during the 1890s. It also presents an extremely crucial quality that classifies the female character as a New Woman seeing as New Woman Fiction<\/a> presented a demand for improved academic and employment opportunities for women (\u201cNew Woman Fiction\u201d). However, these are not the sole manners in which the unnamed female character represents the New Woman. The New Woman is additionally described as, \u201cquestioning traditional attitudes towards marriage,\u201d (\u201cNew Woman Fiction\u201d). The female character in \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d expertly avoids accepting or explicitly declining a marriage proposal when Mr. Field asks her to marry him. She chooses to take time to consider the proposal instead of immediately accepting it (Harland 87). Through this act of contemplation, the reader is able to observe this woman\u2019s consideration for her own independence and her ability to make informed decisions. It is evident that she is successful as an individual and did not rely on a man to ensure her success. In avoiding directly answering the request for marriage, the woman ensures that she gives herself time to contemplate whether marriage will be an overall beneficial alteration to the life that she has already established for herself. This therefore provides another example of how the anonymous female character within \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d illustrates the attributes of the \u201cNew Woman\u201d by demonstrating her autonomy in creating her own success, and displaying her autonomy in choosing whether she wants to share that success with another individual. Literature that supported the idea of the New Woman typically wrote about the notion of working women who lived independently (Hughes 851). This idea of the employed single woman emerges within \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d, thus reflecting the shift in ideology towards women\u2019s roles in society that was occurring during the time of publication of The Yellow Book: Volume X.<\/em><\/p>\n

ARTWORK<\/h3>\n

Another aspect of the tenth volume of The Yellow Book<\/em> that supports female independence and rights can be observed within its artwork. Nine out of the thirteen pieces of artwork feature women independent of men. Additionally, three out of the thirteen pieces feature bare-breasted<\/p>\n

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Macdonald, Margaret. “A Dream”, The Yellow Book, vol. 10, 1896, The Yellow Nineties Online, Ryerson University, 2005.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

women, depicting less conventional ideas of modesty and sexual expression. Some of the pieces such as \u201cA Dutch Woman\u201d represent women within the workplace, or working within the home (Forbes\u00a07). Whether choosing to capture these women working within or outside of the domestic sphere, these pieces portray the determination and dedication of working women during the 1890s. They emphasize the responsibilities that these women were tasked with keeping and in ensuring these responsibilities were kept, proved that they could complete tasks in an equal capacity to men. Other pieces such as Macdonald\u2019s \u201cA Dream\u201d and Cameron\u2019s \u201cThe Butterflies\u201d sketch women within natural environments and include details that suggest somewhat supernatural elements. Whether viewing the ethereality of the butterflies within Cameron\u2019s sketch or the sublime physical appearance of the woman in Macdonald\u2019s drawing, both instill viewers with a sense of being within nature and yet witnessing something that transcends beyond the natural simultaneously. This strong focus on women both within the home, the working world, natural and even unnatural environments is crucial as it presents the diversity within women\u2019s capabilities to exist in different facets of life in a similar fashion to how men were able to have lives both inside and outside of the home. Hence, the artwork presented within this periodical further supports that The Yellow Book<\/em> was in favour of female individuality, expression and independence.<\/p>\n

REVIEWS & PUBLIC OPINION<\/h3>\n

Several reviews of the tenth volume of The Yellow Book<\/em>, and \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d in particular, also help contextualize how The Yellow Book<\/em> was received in society at its time of publication. These reviews provide further insight toward the public\u2019s stance on the New Woman and the roles of women in general. A review from the National Observer states that, \u201c\u2018The Invisible Prince\u2019 of Henry Harland is quite the best of many diverting stories, for all the too exceeding cleverness of its dialogue,\u201d (\u201cYellow and Green\u201d). This excerpt highlights the intelligence of the female character as much of the witty dialogue in \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d is spoken by her. She delivers this dialogue with same degree of thought and sharp wit as the character of Mr. Fields. The National Observer is a national newspaper that, through its reviews, provides a general sense of British society\u2019s perspective on certain subjects. Therefore, this review gives insight toward the positive manner in which society regarded \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d by meriting it as the best story within the tenth volume of The Yellow Book, <\/em>further\u00a0presenting an appreciation for the intellectual and independent female. Other reviews have reported The Yellow Book<\/em> as being \u201cbetter worth its price than most books of other colours,\u201d (Zangwill) and directly mentions and praises Harland\u2019s \u201cThe Invisible Prince.\u201d This serves as more proof of the ideologies and themes present within \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d being reflected in society\u2019s changing perceptions towards women\u2019s rights.<\/p>\n

SUPPORT OF NEW WOMAN IDEOLOGY<\/h3>\n

Overall, the tenth volume of The Yellow Book<\/em> consists of literature, poetry and artwork that reflect changing societal conventions in terms of women\u2019s roles during the 1890s. The Yellow Book<\/em> provided writers, and female writers especially, that sought to publish pieces concerning the idea of the New Woman with a medium in which to publish their work. Ella D\u2019Arcy, a writer published within The Yellow Book<\/em> who became both an editorial assistant and deputy editor of The Yellow Book<\/em>, has reported The Yellow Book<\/em> as incorporating a high degree of involvement of female writers and artists (Ledger 8). Through providing this kind of exposure to New Woman Literature, and giving these opportunities to female writers, The Yellow Book,<\/em> although generally regarded as avant-garde, was able to play an influential role in shifting societal conceptions of women\u2019s roles. By involving women not only as authors and artists, but as editors to The Yellow Book<\/em> proves a demonstration of the New Woman in reality that is perpetuated through the literature within the periodical. In regards to Harland\u2019s \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d, as the unnamed woman is single, employed, educated, intellectual, bold and independent, she successfully represents the new emerging ideology concerning female identity within the 1890s and therefore supports changing societal perspectives towards women\u2019s roles during the Victorian Era.<\/p>\n

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Works Cited<\/p>\n

Cameron, DY. \u201cThe Butterflies.\u201d The Yellow Book 10 (July 1896): 220. The Yellow Nineties Online<\/em>. Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra. Ryerson University.<\/p>\n

Forbes, Elizabeth Stanhope. \u201cA Dutch Woman.\u201d The Yellow Nineties Online<\/em>. Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra. Ryerson Universtiy.<\/p>\n

Harland, Henry. \u201cThe Invisible Prince.\u201d The Yellow Book<\/em>, vol. 10, John Lane, 1896, London, pp. 59-87.<\/p>\n

“Harland, Henry.”\u00a0The Oxford Companion to English Literature<\/em>. Ed. Birch, Dinah. Oxford University Press, 2009.\u00a0Oxford Reference. 2009. Date Accessed 13 Nov. 2017<\/p>\n

Hughes, Linda K. \u201cWomen Poets and Contested Spaces in The Yellow Book.\u201d SEL Studies in English Literature 1500-1900,<\/em> vol. 44, no. 4, 2004, pp. 849-872.<\/p>\n

Ledger, Sally. \u201cWilde Women and The Yellow Book: The Sexual Politics of Aestheticism and Decadence\u201d. English Literature in Transition<\/em>, 1880-1920, vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 5-26.<\/p>\n

Macdonald, Margaret. \u201cA Dream.\u201d The Yellow Book<\/em> 10 (July 1896): 163. The Yellow Nineties Online<\/em>. Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra. Ryerson University.<\/p>\n

“New Woman fiction.”\u00a0The Oxford Companion to English Literature<\/em>. Ed. Birch, Dinah. Oxford University Press, 2009.\u00a0Oxford Reference<\/em>. 2009. Date Accessed 18 Nov. 2017<\/p>\n

Weber, Brenda R. \u201c\u2018Were Not These Words Conceived in Her Mind?\u2019 Gender\/Sex and Metaphors of Maternity at the Fin De Si\u00e8cle.\u201d\u00a0Feminist Studies<\/em>, vol. 32, no. 3, 2006, pp. 547\u2013572<\/p>\n

\u201cYellow and Green.\u201d National Observer<\/em>, Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra, The Yellow Nineties Online, Ryerson University, 2010.<\/p>\n

Zangwill, I. Rev. of The Yellow Book<\/em> 10. Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra, Pall Mall Magazine, The Yellow Nineties Online<\/em>, Ryerson University, 2010.<\/p>\n

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\u00a9 Copyright 2017 Olivia Moore, Ryerson University The publication of \u201cThe Invisible Prince\u201d, and the tenth volume of The Yellow Book in general, coincides with changing societal values concerning women\u2019s roles within 1890s British society that emerged during the 1830s Suffragette Movement. The independent female character within Henry Harland\u2019s \u201cThe …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,7],"tags":[64,61,65],"class_list":["post-1308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","hentry","category-eng-810-f2017","category-the-yellow-book","tag-feminism","tag-new-woman-fiction","tag-victorian-era","post_format-post-format-image","column","threecol"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cdh.rula.info\/y90sclassroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cdh.rula.info\/y90sclassroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cdh.rula.info\/y90sclassroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cdh.rula.info\/y90sclassroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cdh.rula.info\/y90sclassroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1308"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cdh.rula.info\/y90sclassroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8207,"href":"https:\/\/cdh.rula.info\/y90sclassroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1308\/revisions\/8207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cdh.rula.info\/y90sclassroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cdh.rula.info\/y90sclassroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cdh.rula.info\/y90sclassroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}