Appearance
Excerpt
Excerpt from Lemorne Versus Huell, by Elizabeth Stoddard
"Maybe; but wear it."
I rode every day afterward, from four to six, in the black silk, the
mantilla, and the white straw. When Aunt Eliza went she was so on the
alert for the Uxbridge family carriage that she could have had little
enjoyment of the ride. Rocks never were a passion with her, she said,
nor promontories, chasms, or sand. She came to Newport to be washed
with salt-water; when she had washed up to the doctor's prescription she
should leave, as ignorant of the peculiar pleasures of Newport as
when she arrived. She had no fancy for its conglomerate societies, its
literary cottages, its parvenue suits of rooms, its saloon habits, and
its bathing herds.
I considered the rides a part of the contract of what was expected in my
two months' performance. I did not dream that I was enjoying them, any
more than I supposed myself to be enjoying a sea-bath while pulling Aunt
Eliza to and fro in the surf. Nothing in the life around me stirred me,
nothing in nature attracted me. I liked the fog; somehow it seemed to
emanate from me instead of rolling up from the ocean, and to represent
me. Whether I went alone or not, the coachman was ordered to drive a
certain round; after that I could extend the ride in whatever direction
I pleased, but I always said, "Anywhere, William." One afternoon, which
happened to be a bright one, I was riding on the road which led to the
glen, when I heard the screaming of a flock of geese which were waddling
across the path in front of the horses. I started, for I was asleep
probably, and, looking forward, saw the Uxbridge carriage, filled with
ladies and children, coming toward me; and by it rode a gentleman on
horseback. His horse was rearing among the hissing geese, but neither
horse nor geese appeared to engage him; his eyes were fixed upon me. The
horse swerved so near that its long mane almost brushed against me. By
an irresistible impulse I laid my ungloved hand upon it, but did not
look at the rider. Carriage and horseman passed on, and William resumed
his pace. A vague idea took possession of me that I had seen the
horseman before on my various drives. I had a vision of a man galloping
on a black horse out of the fog, and into it again. I was very sure,
however, that I had never seen him on so pleasant a day as this! William
did not bring his horses to time; it was after six when I went into Aunt
Eliza's parlor, and found her impatient for her tea and toast. She was
crosser than the occasion warranted; but I understood it when she gave
me the outlines of a letter she desired me to write to her lawyer in
New York. Something had turned up, he had written her; the Uxbridges
believed that they had ferreted out what would go against her. I told
her that I had met the Uxbridge carriage.
Explanation
Analysis of the Excerpt from Lemorne Versus Huell by Elizabeth Stoddard
Context & Background
Elizabeth Stoddard (1823–1902) was an American novelist and poet associated with the mid-19th-century literary scene, often linked to the Dark Romanticism and Psychological Realism movements. Her works explore female agency, social constraints, and emotional repression, often through introspective, morally ambiguous protagonists. Lemorne Versus Huell (1860) is one of her lesser-known works, but it reflects her recurring themes of isolation, societal expectations, and the tension between duty and desire.
This excerpt follows an unnamed female narrator (likely Lemorne, the protagonist) during her stay in Newport, Rhode Island, a fashionable summer resort for the wealthy in the 19th century. She is accompanied by her Aunt Eliza, a pragmatic, unimpressed woman who views Newport’s high society with disdain. The passage captures the narrator’s emotional detachment, social obligations, and a fleeting, mysterious encounter that hints at deeper unrest.
Themes in the Excerpt
Social Performance & Obligation
- The narrator describes her daily rides as part of a "contract"—a performative duty rather than a source of pleasure. She wears the prescribed attire (black silk, mantilla, white straw) not out of enjoyment but because it is expected of her.
- Aunt Eliza, too, is in Newport out of necessity (health) rather than desire, reinforcing the idea that social life is a transactional, joyless affair.
- The mention of "conglomerate societies," "literary cottages," and "parvenue suits of rooms" critiques the artificiality of high society, where people perform roles rather than engage authentically.
Emotional Numbness & Alienation
- The narrator admits that "nothing in the life around me stirred me, nothing in nature attracted me." She is emotionally deadened, moving through motions without feeling.
- The fog becomes a symbol of her inner state—she feels it "emanate from [her]" rather than the ocean, suggesting her isolation and self-imposed emotional distance.
- Even when she touches the horseman’s mane, she does so without looking at him, reinforcing her detachment from human connection.
Class & Social Conflict
- Aunt Eliza’s disdain for Newport’s elite ("bathing herds," "saloon habits") reflects class resentment and a rejection of performative wealth.
- The Uxbridge family represents the threatening aristocracy—their carriage is a symbol of social power, and their legal dispute with Aunt Eliza suggests class warfare beneath the surface of polite society.
- The narrator’s indifference to the Uxbridges contrasts with Aunt Eliza’s anxiety, highlighting how social conflicts are inescapable even for those who claim not to care.
The Mysterious Horseman & Suppressed Desire
- The horseman is a gothic, romantic figure—appearing out of the fog, riding a black horse, his gaze fixed on the narrator. His reappearance in her memory suggests he is more than a passing stranger.
- The touching of the horse’s mane is a moment of unconscious desire—she acts on "irresistible impulse" but avoids eye contact, implying repressed attraction or curiosity.
- The contrast between fog and sunlight (she has only seen him in fog before) suggests that clarity (the bright day) brings danger—the Uxbridges are nearby, and social rules are stricter in the light.
Time & Constraint
- The narrator extends her rides beyond the prescribed time, defying Aunt Eliza’s schedule. This small rebellion suggests a desire for freedom, even if she doesn’t consciously acknowledge it.
- The delayed return (after six) and Aunt Eliza’s impatience reinforce the tension between duty and personal will.
Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices
Symbolism
- The fog = emotional numbness, obscurity, the narrator’s inner state.
- The black horse & horseman = mystery, desire, a disruptive force in her controlled life.
- The geese = chaos, an interruption of order (their screaming contrasts with the narrator’s silence).
- The Uxbridge carriage = social power, threat, the inescapable gaze of judgment.
Irony & Understatement
- The narrator claims she is not enjoying the rides, yet she extends them—suggesting unacknowledged longing.
- Aunt Eliza’s practicality ("I came to Newport to be washed with salt-water") is ironic because she is emotionally washed out by the experience.
Sensory & Psychological Realism
- Stoddard uses tactile details (the horse’s mane brushing against her, the ungloved hand) to ground the moment in physical reality, making the narrator’s emotional detachment more striking.
- The shift from fog to sunlight mirrors the narrator’s psychological state—she is more comfortable in obscurity than in clarity.
Gothic & Romantic Elements
- The horseman emerging from fog is a gothic trope, suggesting hidden passions or dangers.
- The rearing horse among hissing geese creates a dramatic, almost supernatural moment, breaking the monotony of the narrator’s life.
Stream of Consciousness
- The narrator’s memory of the horseman ("I had a vision of a man galloping on a black horse out of the fog") feels like a sudden, involuntary thought, giving the passage a psychological depth.
Significance of the Passage
Female Agency & Repression
- The narrator is trapped in social expectations (the rides, the attire, Aunt Eliza’s demands) but hints at rebellion (extending the ride, touching the horse).
- Her emotional detachment is both a shield and a prison—she avoids pain but also denies herself pleasure.
Critique of 19th-Century Society
- Stoddard satirizes the emptiness of high society, where people perform roles rather than live authentically.
- The legal dispute with the Uxbridges suggests that wealth and power are used as weapons, reinforcing class divisions.
The Uncanny & the Sublime
- The horseman’s recurring presence introduces an element of the uncanny—is he real, a figment of her imagination, or a symbol of her unconscious desires?
- The natural world (fog, geese, horse) becomes a mirror for her inner turmoil, blending Romantic nature imagery with psychological realism.
Foreshadowing & Narrative Tension
- The horseman’s gaze and the Uxbridge carriage suggest future conflict—will he reappear? Will the legal battle escalate?
- The narrator’s small act of defiance (touching the horse) hints at larger rebellions to come.
Conclusion: A Moment of Rupture in a Life of Constraint
This excerpt captures a single, charged moment in the narrator’s otherwise monotonous existence. While she claims indifference, the horseman’s appearance disrupts her emotional numbness, suggesting unacknowledged longings. Stoddard’s psychological depth, gothic imagery, and social critique make this passage a microcosm of her broader themes: the struggle for selfhood within societal constraints, the tension between duty and desire, and the haunting presence of the unseen.
The narrator’s detached tone only makes the underlying tension more palpable—she may not admit to feeling anything, but the reader senses the storm beneath the calm. In this way, Stoddard masterfully conveys repression not through melodrama, but through what is left unsaid.