For The Governess by Sarah Fielding

FRAMEWORK: The novel as a tool for instruction

Novel Structure

The structure of storytelling in The Governess differs greatly from other novels (Moll Flanders, Pamela, Anti-Pamela, Shamela) that tackle the same question of morality and proper behavior for girls and young women. Whereas in those aforementioned novels, the reader must dissect the intended lessons from events within the story with guidance from paratexts, but The Governess directly instructs the reader on how they should interpret the many stories told throughout the book. The way in which the novel unfolds, ie. the context of a story followed by the telling of said story and then an explanation as to what should be learned, has the same qualities of a modern academic essay that uses the art of rhetoric for maximum persuasive appeal.

Characters

As discussed during last class, Miss Jenny Peace is a role model to the other girls at the Little Female Academy and acts as a primary source for behavioral instruction alongside Mrs. Teachum. By examining Miss Jenny’s backstory and its relationship to her good disposition, we can understand why the other students and the readers of The Governess would have trusted her to provide this instruction. 

Topics/Themes

The Governess covers similar topics and themes to other novels (Moll Flanders, Pamela, Anti-Pamela, Shamela), but unlike those texts, there is a much heavier emphasis on the outcome of living a virtuous and good life. While other novels focus on more material gains from virtuous behavior, such as marriage or wealth, The Governess highlights intrinsic happiness as the primary reason for being good/obedient. 

QUESTION:

How/why was The Governess an effective means of teaching young girls about morality and proper behavior?

INTO THE TEXT:

  • Jenny reflects on her mother’s advice after her kitten dies (66)
  • Jenny’s reputation of goodness transfers to the school after she leaves (175-176)
  • Discussion of disobedience versus duty (142)
  • Discussion of the consequences of vice versus virtue (156)
  • Possession of fine things doesn’t necessarily bring pleasure (164)

THE SIGNIFICANCE: 

Fielding’s incorporation of traditional appeals to rhetoric in The Governess seems to give some explanation for how young girls from this time period could be persuaded to behave as suggested in the novel. Ethos makes Jenny a trustworthy instructor on morality and logos represents the claim/evidence/connection structure of the novel. Pathos is used more frequently, though, and it represents Fielding’s awareness of the moral development within her readers. Fielding’s readers may not have had a fully developed moral character as children tend to be egocentric, but they would have understood that their actions affect their lives directly. For this reason, happiness is almost always cited as the result of good dispositions instead of marriage or wealth because the latter two outcomes would have been out of a young girl’s control. By targeting one of the only aspects of a girl’s life that she could be in charge of, Fielding encourages her readers not to let that opportunity go to waste.

FOLLOW-UP:

  • Why was it necessary for Fielding to persuade her audience to listen to her guidance?
  • How might critical reactions to Moll Flanders and Pamela have been different if Defoe and Richardson had included more rhetorical appeals within their respective novels? 
  • Are there lessons or elements of lessons from The Governess that still hold weight in the modern world?