Janeites, Austen Enthusiasts, and those who are new to the sport of analyzing Austen’s great works, welcome to a series devoted entirely to the writing Jane Austen produced when she was in her youth. The fragments, short stories, poems, and letters have been cobbled together over the years and in most circles are commonly referred to as Austen’s Juvenilia. For this latest excursion through Jane Austen’s earliest works, we delve into Henry & Eliza, a story less about love, friendship, and marriage, and one more closely tied to the gothic literature that ruled the day.
Henry & Eliza: A Synopsis
Sir George and his wife, Lady Harcourt, while supervising the haymakers in their work happen to come upon an orphaned child who is nestled in the foliage. Taken with the beautiful young girl, and having no children of their own, the couple adopt the foundling, name her Eliza, and raise her according to their own code of principles—placing a premium on possessing a love of virtue while harboring a hatred of vices.
Life is splendid for all until, just after she turns the age of eighteen, Sir George and Lady Harcourt catch Eliza stealing a fifty-pound banknote. She is promptly turned out of the house, but she bears the punishment well. Rather than despair, she asks her friend, Mrs. Sarah Wilson, to help her acquire a place serving as a personal companion to a great lady. Pleased to be able to aid Eliza in this endeavor, Mrs. Wilson writes a letter of recommendation to the Duchess of F., asking the greatly esteemed lady to welcome Eliza into her home.
The Duchess of F. is delighted to be of assistance and sets out to make Eliza’s acquaintance at once. She has but one daughter, Lady Harriet, who is soon to be wed to Mr. Henry Cecil, so she is thrilled to welcome Eliza as her new companion. Harriet, as well, is inclined to like Eliza and insists they behave as though they are sisters.
The affectionate bond between them is not nurtured for long because shortly thereafter, Eliza and Henry fall in love. They elope and leave behind only a short, callous letter that provides no consolation to the Duchess or her daughter. Enraged, Her Grace hires three hundred men and orders them to track the couple. Should they kill Henry and Eliza on sight, that is permissible, but the Duchess would prefer they be brought back alive so she may be granted the pleasure of confining and torturing them herself.
The couple flees and winds up living in France for three years. During that time, Eliza gives birth to two boys, but has the great misfortune of burying her husband while abroad. Now widowed, she wishes to return to England. Upon setting foot on land at Dover, she and the boys are seized by the Duchess’ men and conveyed to a prison.
After being trapped for a few weeks, Eliza and her children manage to escape, but then they have no means by which to live. She decides they must seek out Sir George and Lady Harcourt. She hopes they will be merciful.
When she and the children get closer to her former home, she spies Lady Harcourt and Sir George in a carriage and calls out to them. That is when Lady Harcourt reveals an odd secret. Eliza is not just an adopted child but is their biological daughter. When Sir George sailed for America, she was pregnant and eventually gave birth to a daughter. Certain that her husband would be disappointed to see a little girl rather than the son he so desired, she hid the child in a haycock. She forgot all about doing as much until she heard Eliza call out to them presently. But now, she recognizes the voice of her daughter and wishes to reconcile with her completely. Sir George agrees. He absolves Eliza from all wrongdoing.
Just as soon as she is restored to her former place at Harcourt Hall, she raises an army and bids them march against the Duchess of F. Eliza earns the commendation and gratitude of thousands when her men demolish the Duchess’ prison cell.
Henry & Eliza: An Analysis
This work seems to be heavily influenced by Austen’s tastes in novels that had been published during her youth or a few years prior. For anyone who has endeavored to read the works of Walpole or Radcliffe (or other renowned fiction writers who might have earned a place on the bookshelf in the Austen family’s extensive library), it is noticeable that this tale incorporates several characteristics of gothic literature.
We begin with the story of young Eliza. She is an abandoned child who is adopted by loving, doting parents. While under their care, she thrives until making one small mistake. From there, she embarks upon a whirlwind romance and incurs the wrath of a former friend because of her betrayals. Once Eliza and her children are imprisoned, it would seem that their situation is most dire, but she, through some hard work and ingenuity, and perhaps a touch of luck combined with supernatural Providence, is able to arrange for them to escape their confines safely. Then, when the situation seems to be at its absolute worst, the heroine and her children are rescued by none other than Eliza’s real parents, who raised her for eighteen years, but did not comprehend her identity until she called out to them for succor.
This melodramatic piece, full of isolation, a touch of romance, the thrill of seeking vengeance, and of course, a hint of supernatural aid swells with tropes that are associated with gothic literature. It is little wonder that Austen continued to experiment with this type of novel later in life when writing Northanger Abbey, because she has a clear gift for crafting a suspenseful, intriguing narrative without rambling along as some of her predecessors were wont to do.
Wish to read the full text for yourself? Click the link to download a PDF version of the story. Then, please, drop a comment below and let me know what you think of this short tale.
A video created to accompany this text is also available and can be viewed here. And please, join us next time as we present a summary and evaluation of Austen’s short story entitled The Adventures of Mr. Harley.
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