"Of the Same Lump?"
By, Whitney Heifetz
September 24, 2006
Eng200C
“Of the Same Lump?”
In Dante Gabriele Rossetti’s “Jenny”, the speaker, an unidentified male, is with a prostitute named Jenny. The speaker struggles between his sympathy for Jenny and his recognition of his society’s condemnation of her as a prostitute. In his attempt to understand Jenny better he draws a parallel between Jenny and his young cousin Nell. In Stanza 14 the speaker likens them to “Two sister vessels” (184) implying a relationship between the two women. The Speaker believes Jenny and Nell to be made “Of the same lump” (182). They began as babies, similarly brought into this world yet ending up very differently. The speaker uses the analogy of a potter to describe how the change comes about. He calls this “The Potter’s power over his clay!” (181). A potter begins with a lump of clay. He then chooses how to mold his clay. Will he choose to turn the clay into something beautiful and flawless, or will he neglect the clay and make something less prized? The speaker believes the two women to be like the clay; they begin the same but by the forces that hold power over them they are molded into what they become. The relevant question is: who is the potter in the women’s case? The speaker attributes this power to man. Man in this case represents Victorian society as a whole. The speaker reflects on how men have molded the world. Included in the world are Nell and Jenny, when he says “How atone, Great God, for this which man has done?” (241-242).
The speaker describes Nell as a young woman, “fond of fun, / And fond of dress, and change and praise,” (185-186). She is naive about the world surrounding her, enjoying frivolous things like “fun” and “dress”. The speaker says of Nell, “(her) unconquered mirth turn quieter/ Not through her own, through others’ woe” (195-196). Her gaiety has not yet been “conquered” by misfortunes or other circumstances. When she loses her mirth it will be because of her knowledge of others’ sadness.
As he looks at Jenny he describes her as, “A cipher of man’s changeless sum/ Of lust, past, present, and to come” (278-279). She is devalued by her clients. They use her then pay her. She is a product of her clients from the past, present, and the one’s still to come. Both Nell and Jenny are shaped by their very different circumstances. However for all of Nell and Jenny’s differences Jenny sleeps, “Just as another woman sleeps!” (177) again reiterating that they are both made from the same lump. After the speaker makes his point that the two women are more alike than society accredits them, he is still struggling between his sympathy for Jenny and his cultural afflictions. The speaker reflects on his analogy when he says, “How dare to think/ Of the first common kindred link?” (207-208). He is ashamed of comparing his cousin still so pure to Jenny the fallen woman prostitute.
This passage illuminates the conflict the speaker has between his earthly desires and his moral standards. Although he has sympathy for Jenny he ultimately uses her services, pays and leaves no better in the end then the men who have shaped her.
Works Cited
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel. “Jenny.” The Victorian Web. 2003. September 20, 2006.
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/dgr/3.html
September 24, 2006
Eng200C
“Of the Same Lump?”
In Dante Gabriele Rossetti’s “Jenny”, the speaker, an unidentified male, is with a prostitute named Jenny. The speaker struggles between his sympathy for Jenny and his recognition of his society’s condemnation of her as a prostitute. In his attempt to understand Jenny better he draws a parallel between Jenny and his young cousin Nell. In Stanza 14 the speaker likens them to “Two sister vessels” (184) implying a relationship between the two women. The Speaker believes Jenny and Nell to be made “Of the same lump” (182). They began as babies, similarly brought into this world yet ending up very differently. The speaker uses the analogy of a potter to describe how the change comes about. He calls this “The Potter’s power over his clay!” (181). A potter begins with a lump of clay. He then chooses how to mold his clay. Will he choose to turn the clay into something beautiful and flawless, or will he neglect the clay and make something less prized? The speaker believes the two women to be like the clay; they begin the same but by the forces that hold power over them they are molded into what they become. The relevant question is: who is the potter in the women’s case? The speaker attributes this power to man. Man in this case represents Victorian society as a whole. The speaker reflects on how men have molded the world. Included in the world are Nell and Jenny, when he says “How atone, Great God, for this which man has done?” (241-242).
The speaker describes Nell as a young woman, “fond of fun, / And fond of dress, and change and praise,” (185-186). She is naive about the world surrounding her, enjoying frivolous things like “fun” and “dress”. The speaker says of Nell, “(her) unconquered mirth turn quieter/ Not through her own, through others’ woe” (195-196). Her gaiety has not yet been “conquered” by misfortunes or other circumstances. When she loses her mirth it will be because of her knowledge of others’ sadness.
As he looks at Jenny he describes her as, “A cipher of man’s changeless sum/ Of lust, past, present, and to come” (278-279). She is devalued by her clients. They use her then pay her. She is a product of her clients from the past, present, and the one’s still to come. Both Nell and Jenny are shaped by their very different circumstances. However for all of Nell and Jenny’s differences Jenny sleeps, “Just as another woman sleeps!” (177) again reiterating that they are both made from the same lump. After the speaker makes his point that the two women are more alike than society accredits them, he is still struggling between his sympathy for Jenny and his cultural afflictions. The speaker reflects on his analogy when he says, “How dare to think/ Of the first common kindred link?” (207-208). He is ashamed of comparing his cousin still so pure to Jenny the fallen woman prostitute.
This passage illuminates the conflict the speaker has between his earthly desires and his moral standards. Although he has sympathy for Jenny he ultimately uses her services, pays and leaves no better in the end then the men who have shaped her.
Works Cited
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel. “Jenny.” The Victorian Web. 2003. September 20, 2006.
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/dgr/3.html
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