“So perhaps I am writing a transposed autobiography; perhaps I now live in one of the houses I have brought into the fiction; perhaps Charles is myself in disguise. Perhaps it is only a game. Modern women like Sarah exist, and I have never understood them. Or perhaps I am trying to pass off a concealed book of essays on you.” (p. 80). As a reader, in this point in the novel, I get thoroughly confused and do not know where I stand, much less where I am headed. I realize that there is an inside and outside of the novel, the inside being a world of a story itself and the outside being the space made known to us by the narrator. After this turning point in the novel and now looking back, this quote gives a brilliant over view of the book. Fowles does a wonderful job of unraveling and expanding your imagination to other things and makes the novel seem a lot more than just any other book. There are a vast variety of themes in the French Lieutenant’s Woman, especially the relationships of the characters.
One of the most challenging things as a couple for Charles Smithson and Sarah Woodruff is just the relationship at itself, the relationship answers to the desires of both of them for a life lived outside and in defiance of the rules. Charles is a scholarly and independent man, the superior of the social classes, he is rather confused and fascinated by the mystery Sarah portrays. He is intrigued by the shallowness and signs of weakness shown by Sarah. Charles is starting a habitual routine lying to others and secretly spying on other women, although he is already engaged. Mr. Smithson keeps pursuing his curiosity of another life and continues to find him searching for this mysterious lady, Sarah, he once saw at the village of Lyme. Sarah dreams of one day finding the man she fell in love with. Many expose her as the French lieutenant’s whore and mentally ill, patiently waiting for him to come back. “Already it will be clear that if the accepted destiny of the Victorian girl was to become a wife and a mother, it was unlikely that there would be enough men to go round.” (pg. 11) Seeing that women in this time do not really need men, and then what are women really looking for? This gives a good explanation of Sarah being called a whore. She often disobeys the rules giving to her from her boss, Mrs. Poulteney. Sarah frequently visits the rocky shore of Lyme when she is told to stay away.
Society plays an enormous place in relationships in The French Lieutenant’s Woman. As a Victorian, wealthy man pursues a low end; impecunious woman there is always going to be troubles and precautions to the relationship during this time period. Of course in this village town, anyone seen with the Lieutenant’s woman is going to be looked down upon. Throughout the novel, they always have to meet in the woods or on the shore to get away from the society. In the movie, you really get a feel for how Charles is uniquely attractive as he stares her down standing on the Ware Common. The meeting in the Marlborough House is a new chapter in Charles’ eyes. As Mrs. Poulteney and his soon to be wife, Ernestina ignore Sarah at all times, he realizes that something is not right. They only acknowledge her when they need her to do something for them. It rather makes him irritated and annoyed with the fact they ignore her because of her social status. When the women start talking about the relationship of Sam and Mary, two lower class servants, Charles gets offended and defends them. He is starting to become known of the society as well as evaluating who he is. Moments later, Mr. Smithson is at a rather uncertain at this point, talking down to his servant, Sam. Depending on the social environment, Charles uses different tones with certain people and performs abnormally. This is clearly an indication of insecurity and uncertainty with himself as a person in society. As for Sarah, society reflects everything but well for her. On top of being classified as a whore, everyone stamps her as a piece of dirt because of unemployment and being homeless. Although she does desire to be a part of the upper class because of her wealthy father, who kicked her out of the house. Once she does land a job and someone to take her in, she has her boss’s housekeeper spying on her. Mrs. Poulteney comes across as a polite and honorable person, but after the rumors of Sarah, she becomes spiteful and acts superior to her now. She, as well as society, sees women should be working and not playing in the woods. Mrs. Poulteney forbids Sarah from going to “Ware Commons” as routinely. Throughout their arguments about visiting the sea, you can really see that she goes there to be along and free her mind. The book and movie both illustrate how Mrs. Poulteney and Mrs. Fairly’s speculations and assumptions lead to making it more complicated for Sarah and Charles to meet and talk about her past relationships. After they talk about the French Lieutenant and how the town knows of her actions with him, Charles now realizes why she is such an outcast of the town. He states that he can help her and that moving away would be a possibility. Sarah explicates that she thinks that is weak and cowardly, like most women these days. She would rather be a social outcast and not hide herself from society. Through Sarah’s struggles and troubles makes Charles more attracted to her.
The movie gives an enormous image and kind of gives away things in the beginning scene with the first encounter between Sarah and Charles. When Charles and his soon to be wife, Ernestina, are strolling along the sea, they see Sarah in a hazardous situation standing on the wall. As Charles arguably has to go inform Sarah that it is dangerous, their eyes meet. Music starts playing loudly making it obviously that something more will come from this. Also, his jaw drops tremendously.
Charles Smithson and Sarah Woodruff face countless of problems throughout the movie and the novel. Whether they face them together or separately, they arguably solve most of them. What makes this piece so special is the fact that there are multiple endings. The fact you get one that you mainly assume and you get another that is more practical but ever so unexpected. This truly gives what an audience wants, the best of both worlds. The French Lieutenant endings portray a perfectly representation of society and reality.