Diana of the Crossways: Difference between revisions
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{{about|a novel|the film|Diana of the Crossways (film)}} |
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| ⚫ | '''''Diana of the Crossways''''' is a novel by [[George Meredith]] which was published in [[1885 in literature|1885]] |
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{{Wikisource|Diana of the Crossways|''Diana of the Crossways''}} |
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{{short description|1885 novel by George Meredith}} |
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==Background== |
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''Diana of the Crossways'' was first serialized in the ''Fortnightly'' in 1884, then published as a book the following year.<ref name="cronin">{{cite book |last1=Cronin |first1=Richard |title=George Meredith: The Life and Writing of an Alteregoist |date=23 November 2019 |pages=186–187 |publisher=Springer International Publishing |isbn=978-3030324483 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cO6_DwAAQBAJ |access-date=23 September 2022}}</ref> The book was Meredith's first popular novel; at least three editions of ''Diana of the Crossways'' would come out in 1885, and for many years it remained Meredith's most popular work.<ref name="gretton">{{cite book |last1=Gretton |first1=Mary Sturge |title=The Writing & Life of George Meredith |date=1926}}</ref> The book's popularity has been attributed in part to the boost in recognition that 1879's ''[[The Egoist (novel)|The Egoist]]'' gave Meredith, but also its roots in a [[high society (social class)|high society]] scandal.<ref name="mcglamery">{{cite journal |last1=McGlamery |first1=Gayla |title=In the Beginning, His Ends: The Preface to Meredith's Diana of the Crossways |journal=Studies in the Novel |date=1991 |volume=23 |issue=4 |pages=470–471 |jstor=29532819 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/29532819 |access-date=23 September 2022}}</ref> |
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Meredith based the titular character of Diana on socialite, poet and novelist Caroline Norton, with whom he was acquainted, and the politics of the story on the troubled history of [[Robert Peel]]'s administration and the 1845 [[Corn Laws]]. Norton had been accused of selling to ''[[The Times]]'' the news, allegedly told to her by admirer [[Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea|Sidney Herbert]], of Peel's intent to repeal the laws. The story was later proven false, but its prominence in Meredith's fictionalized story drew significant credence to the claim.<ref name="collie">{{cite book |last1=Collie |first1=Michael |title=George Meredith |publisher=University of Toronto Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-Jc6pCYgxcUC |access-date=23 September 2022}}</ref> Beginning with the 1890 edition, Meredith added a disclaimer to the preface of the book that "the story of ''Diana of the Crossways'' is to be read as fiction."<ref name="gretton" /> |
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Diana, beautiful, charming and intelligent but hotheaded, becomes embroiled in a political as well as a social scandal (the politics are based on the troubled history of [[Robert Peel]]'s administration, and the 1845 [[Corn Laws]] in particular). Eventually Diana achieves a sort of freedom, due to the timely death of her husband, which leaves her free to marry "a good, strong, trustworthy man," Redworth, who has always loved and tried to protect her. |
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''Diana of the Crossways'' has been described as a [[feminist literature|feminist novel]], and contemporary writers have drawn additional parallels between Diana's marriage and Meredith's similarly troubled marriage to his first wife Mary Ellen, the dissolution of which had deeply troubled him for several decades.<ref name="gornick">{{cite web |last1=Gornick |first1=Vivian |title=Vivian Gornick on the "Forgotten" Wife of Victorian Novelist, George Meredith |url=https://lithub.com/vivian-gornick-on-the-forgotten-wife-of-victorian-novelist-george-meredith/ |website=Lithub |date=24 June 2020 |access-date=23 September 2022}}</ref> Critic Richard Cronin argues that Meredith's choice to make Diana childless -- unlike Norton, whose political activism over losing custody of her sons famously led [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] to pass several reforms concerning married women's rights -- stemmed from a desire to "avoid reflecting on the similarities between [George Norton's behavior] and his own behavior toward Mary Ellen."<ref name="cronin" /> |
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==Plot== |
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| ⚫ | Diana Warwick, beautiful, charming and intelligent but hotheaded, becomes embroiled in a political as well as a social scandal. She says: "We women are the verbs passive of the alliance, we have to learn, and if we take to activity, with the best intentions, we conjugate a frightful disturbance. We are to run on lines, like the steam-trains, or we come to no station, dash to fragments. I have the misfortune to know I was born an active. I take my chance." Her efforts to advance her husband, through cultivating a friendship with Cabinet Minister Lord Dannisburgh, lead to scandal and alienation from her husband, Augustus Warwick. Her intention to live "independently" through writing is initially successful, but her involvement in politics brings her to grief, both personal and public. |
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==Characters== |
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*'''Diana Meredith''', the fiery title character. She enters into a loveless marriage with Augustus Warwick. She was heavily inspired by [[Caroline Norton]] |
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*'''Dan Meredith''', the father of Diana. A noted wit, his relation to Diana parallels that of Caroline Norton's grandfather, [[Richard Brinsley Sheridan]].<ref name="Bailey">{{cite book |last1=Bailey |first1=Elmer James |title=The Novels of George Meredith: A Study |date=1908 |publisher=Haskell House Publishers Ltd |location=New York |pages=148-158 |url=https://archive.org/details/novelsofgeorgeme0000bail/page/n5/mode/2up}}</ref> |
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*'''Augustus Warwick''', a politician who marries Diana, but later attempts to divorce her due to her platonic friendship with Lord Dannisburgh.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Greenfield |editor1-first=John R. |title=Dictionary of British Literary Characters: 18th- and 19th- Century Novels |date=1993 |publisher=Manly, Inc. |location=New York}}</ref> |
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*'''Lord Dannisburgh''', an elderly cabinet minister who befriends Diana |
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*'''Percy Dacier''', the nephew of Lord Dannisburgh. He is infatuated with Diana, but is betrayed when she leaks information about him to the newspapers. |
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*'''Marcus Tonans''', a newspaper editor |
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*'''Constance Asper''', a wealthy and well-regarded heiress. She ultimately marries Percy Dacier |
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*'''Captain Rampan''', a womaniser who pursues unmarried women. He forms part of the reason why Diana is forced to marry Augustus Warwick. |
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*'''Mary Paynham''', a portrait-painter with a damaged reputation |
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*'''Mrs Crambourne Wathin''', the wife of a tradesman whose social ambition leads her to insult Diana Meredith's character |
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*'''Thomas Redworth''', the faithful lover of Diana Meredith who remains alongside her throughout her marriage to Augustus Warwick. After Warwick's death, he marries Diana. |
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*'''Arthur Rhodes''', a failed writer who unsuccessfully proposes to Diana. |
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==Adaptation== |
==Adaptation== |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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{{portal|Novels}} |
{{portal|Novels}} |
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*[[Caroline Norton]] |
*[[Caroline Norton]] |
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*[[History of feminism]] |
*[[History of feminism]] |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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* {{librivox book | title=Diana Of The Crossways| author=Meredith}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Diana Of The Crossways}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diana Of The Crossways}} |
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[[Category:1885 novels]] |
[[Category:1885 British novels]] |
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[[Category:Feminism and history]] |
[[Category:Feminism and history]] |
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[[Category:Feminist novels]] |
[[Category:Feminist novels]] |
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[[Category:Novels by George Meredith]] |
[[Category:Novels by George Meredith]] |
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[[Category:British novels adapted into films]] |
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Latest revision as of 08:58, 16 March 2024
Diana of the Crossways is a novel by George Meredith which was published in 1885, based on the life of socialite and writer Caroline Norton.
Background
[edit]Diana of the Crossways was first serialized in the Fortnightly in 1884, then published as a book the following year.[1] The book was Meredith's first popular novel; at least three editions of Diana of the Crossways would come out in 1885, and for many years it remained Meredith's most popular work.[2] The book's popularity has been attributed in part to the boost in recognition that 1879's The Egoist gave Meredith, but also its roots in a high society scandal.[3]
Meredith based the titular character of Diana on socialite, poet and novelist Caroline Norton, with whom he was acquainted, and the politics of the story on the troubled history of Robert Peel's administration and the 1845 Corn Laws. Norton had been accused of selling to The Times the news, allegedly told to her by admirer Sidney Herbert, of Peel's intent to repeal the laws. The story was later proven false, but its prominence in Meredith's fictionalized story drew significant credence to the claim.[4] Beginning with the 1890 edition, Meredith added a disclaimer to the preface of the book that "the story of Diana of the Crossways is to be read as fiction."[2]
Diana of the Crossways has been described as a feminist novel, and contemporary writers have drawn additional parallels between Diana's marriage and Meredith's similarly troubled marriage to his first wife Mary Ellen, the dissolution of which had deeply troubled him for several decades.[5] Critic Richard Cronin argues that Meredith's choice to make Diana childless -- unlike Norton, whose political activism over losing custody of her sons famously led Parliament to pass several reforms concerning married women's rights -- stemmed from a desire to "avoid reflecting on the similarities between [George Norton's behavior] and his own behavior toward Mary Ellen."[1]
Plot
[edit]Diana Warwick, beautiful, charming and intelligent but hotheaded, becomes embroiled in a political as well as a social scandal. She says: "We women are the verbs passive of the alliance, we have to learn, and if we take to activity, with the best intentions, we conjugate a frightful disturbance. We are to run on lines, like the steam-trains, or we come to no station, dash to fragments. I have the misfortune to know I was born an active. I take my chance." Her efforts to advance her husband, through cultivating a friendship with Cabinet Minister Lord Dannisburgh, lead to scandal and alienation from her husband, Augustus Warwick. Her intention to live "independently" through writing is initially successful, but her involvement in politics brings her to grief, both personal and public.
Characters
[edit]- Diana Meredith, the fiery title character. She enters into a loveless marriage with Augustus Warwick. She was heavily inspired by Caroline Norton
- Dan Meredith, the father of Diana. A noted wit, his relation to Diana parallels that of Caroline Norton's grandfather, Richard Brinsley Sheridan.[6]
- Augustus Warwick, a politician who marries Diana, but later attempts to divorce her due to her platonic friendship with Lord Dannisburgh.[7]
- Lord Dannisburgh, an elderly cabinet minister who befriends Diana
- Percy Dacier, the nephew of Lord Dannisburgh. He is infatuated with Diana, but is betrayed when she leaks information about him to the newspapers.
- Marcus Tonans, a newspaper editor
- Constance Asper, a wealthy and well-regarded heiress. She ultimately marries Percy Dacier
- Captain Rampan, a womaniser who pursues unmarried women. He forms part of the reason why Diana is forced to marry Augustus Warwick.
- Mary Paynham, a portrait-painter with a damaged reputation
- Mrs Crambourne Wathin, the wife of a tradesman whose social ambition leads her to insult Diana Meredith's character
- Thomas Redworth, the faithful lover of Diana Meredith who remains alongside her throughout her marriage to Augustus Warwick. After Warwick's death, he marries Diana.
- Arthur Rhodes, a failed writer who unsuccessfully proposes to Diana.
Adaptation
[edit]In 1922 the novel was adapted into a film Diana of the Crossways directed by Denison Clift and starring Fay Compton and Henry Victor.
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Cronin, Richard (23 November 2019). George Meredith: The Life and Writing of an Alteregoist. Springer International Publishing. pp. 186–187. ISBN 978-3030324483. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ a b Gretton, Mary Sturge (1926). The Writing & Life of George Meredith.
- ^ McGlamery, Gayla (1991). "In the Beginning, His Ends: The Preface to Meredith's Diana of the Crossways". Studies in the Novel. 23 (4): 470–471. JSTOR 29532819. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ Collie, Michael. George Meredith. University of Toronto Press. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ Gornick, Vivian (24 June 2020). "Vivian Gornick on the "Forgotten" Wife of Victorian Novelist, George Meredith". Lithub. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ Bailey, Elmer James (1908). The Novels of George Meredith: A Study. New York: Haskell House Publishers Ltd. pp. 148–158.
- ^ Greenfield, John R., ed. (1993). Dictionary of British Literary Characters: 18th- and 19th- Century Novels. New York: Manly, Inc.
External links
[edit]
Diana Of The Crossways public domain audiobook at LibriVox
 | This article about an 1880s novel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page. |
 | This article about a political novel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page. |