The article “Martha Ray’s Face: Life During Wartime in ‘Lyrical Ballads’” was written by Toby R. Benis in 1997. Benis believed that “The Thorn,” which was published in 1798, mirrored the problems occurring in England affecting the poet. Benis wrote, “Although critics have argued that the ‘Lyrical Ballads’ show Wordsworth abandoning history and political conflict, ‘The Thorn’ is an implicit analogy between Martha Ray, a women who abandoned her baby after being deserted by her fiance and how Wordsworth felt England failed to support it’s people during civil and political unrest.” (Benis page 2) Benis was convinced that Martha’s abandonment of her baby directly related to how the people of Britain felt unsupported by their government. Benis focused on the fact that the disappearance of Martha’s baby was an interest to the nearby villagers. The villagers were unable to figure out the where abouts of her newborn infant, as well as her strange actions. Without accurate information the villagers confusion leads them to the assumption that Martha Ray committed infanticide. Martha’s past behavior, as well as her relationship with Stephan Hill, cause the villagers to theorize what happened to the baby. The scenario assumed by the villagers, serves as an analogy to “the process by which communities persecuted suspect individuals during and after the invasion scare of 1797.” (Benis page 3) Aside from the analogy, Benis points out how Wordsworth associates the thorn with an infant as well as an elder. “Not higher than a two-years child” (“The Thorn,” line 5) would give the reader the idea that the thorn was a young age. However, “looks so old and grey” (“The Thorn,” line 4) gives the impression of an aged thorn. The nearby heap of moss is thought to be the site of an infant’s grave. Beside the thorn and the moss sits Martha Ray crying out. Also Benis creates an analogy between the thorn and Martha. The thorn is infant yet ancient, and Martha is innocent yet morally unjust. One of Wordsworth’s many themes is creating characters difficult to classify. The moss heap, the thorn, and Martha all share characteristics deeper than what meets the eye. Earlier in Martha’s life her behavior was not as complex. After her abandonment by Stephen Hill her behavior becomes more complex, and in a sense she appears to go mad. At this point Benis believes her mental state is questionable. Through the poem Wordsworth is able to dramaticize how he was affected by the unsupportive atmosphere occurring in Britain.
Benis brought ideas that I had not previously considered. Curious about the concept of relating “The Thorn” to Britain in the 1790s, I researched the atmosphere in Great Britain that affected William Wordsworth. Events occurring in the 1790s include the French Revolution, religious movements, social reforms, political party reforms, and other governmental changes. Although I believe the thorn directly represents Martha’s grieving presence, I also believe that the analogy Benis made regarding Martha abandoning her baby and Britain failing to support it’s citizens could apply. Benis also noted how the interest sparked by the unknown whereabouts of Martha’s baby was driven by curious neighbors. Likewise, when Wordsworth’s characters are hard to classify, conclusions are jumped to. Another theme I discovered in “The Thorn” is suspicion and accusation. When Martha’s behavior changes, suspicion arises and accusations are made without accurate information. My reflection of Toby Benis’ theme of “The Thorn” representing Britain may not be completely true, however the events and atmosphere that surrounded William Wordsworth at the time of his writing obviously influenced his work. The abandonment that represents Britain’s ignorance, is shown in the poem through Martha’s suspected abandonment of her baby. However, I do not believe that Martha committed infanticide. There are no lines in the poem that directly accuse her of killing the baby; there is only suspicion from the villagers. I do not agree with Benis’ belief where Martha’s mental state is questioned. The verses in the poem shows Martha’s grief, sadness, as well as her perpetual cries, although her mental state throughout the poem stays constant. The literary criticism from Toby Benis helped me discover different themes as well as develop a new understanding of William Wordsworth’s “The Thorn.”
No comments:
Post a Comment