Le Moonstone Society

Moonstone Society

Religion/Empiricism Clash

FAITH/BELIEF/RELIGION IS PROBLEMATIC

- Betteredge 

Almost religious faith in Robinson Crusoe (Narrative begins ‘In the first part of R. C.’ (p. 15); ‘When my spirits are bad – R. C.. When I want advice R. C.’ (p. 16);  claims he is ‘not superstitious’ (p. 16);)

Such blind faith in the book makes Betteredge an unreliable narrator (‘I seem to be wandering off…We will take a new sheet of paper, if you please, and start again’)

- Clack 

Faith in God and Ablewhite again make her an unreliable narrator`sz (Never calls him anything but ‘Mr Godfrey’ in awe, calling him ‘gifted’ (p. 186), ‘admirable’ (p. 187), ‘Christian hero’ (p. 187), ‘exactly on time’ (p. 192), only labels him a ‘nuisance’ (p. 219) after Societies betrayal and he is still to her ‘a tower of strength’)

Her religion obfuscates narrative (She does not hold a ‘sacred regard of the truth’ (p. 184); spreads ‘tracts’ and holding a ‘heavy responsibility towards others’ (p. 185)

CLASS/GENDER: MS IS QUITE A MODERN, ‘LIBERAL’ BOOK IN DEALING WITH CLASS, ETC

Classcism 

Clack shows remarkable dislike of lower classes despite professing Christian, charitable values (also further obfuscating her claims to impartiality) (Clack belittles Betteredge’s daughter ‘a young castaway’ (p. 185) with ‘dreadful boldness’ (p. 185); Clack refers to Betteredge as ‘too long tolerated in my aunt’s family’ (p. 185)

Servants are first to be accused of stealing the MS (‘he posted one of his men on the staircase that led to the servants’ bedrooms’ (p. 84)

High caste Indian Brahmins are ‘venerated’ for ditching class delineations (‘they doubly sacrificed their caste’ (p. 72))

In the end, Collins critiques class by making the thief upper class! (Still, the thief, Franklin ain’t punished at all)

Gender 

Women are passive characters

Their effeminacy is enforced by Rachel’s superficiality (‘locked up inconsolably in her bedroom’(p. 81) frustrates the reader; if she had declared Franklin’s entry earlier…’; refuses to accept Franklin’s apology for a crime he didn’t commit: ‘[we will] never meet again’ (p. 327))

Women are comical

Clack is the butt of Collins’ joke (she is a caricature – of the kind Collins was drawing in Dickens’ theatre company!): she has loosely masked evangelical motives, self-contradictions in her inherently discriminatory world view…

Women are ‘outsiders’

I.e. Rachel and Limping Lucy – the latter kills herself half-way through to avoid developing characteristics; the former is just impeded and nothing else: a pawn.

Rosanna Spearman, also, ‘had been a thief’ (p. 27) and must be protected by Betteredge to avoid being arrested. She is also bland, hurrying around and crying like a sheep. She is rejected by the other servants for her ‘silent tongue and solitary ways’ (p. 28) and can only make friends with other outsiders who have a ‘kind of fellow-feeling for each other’ (p. 119), i.e. Limping Lucy.

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