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Book 5
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Aurora Leigh, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Marriage, Equality, and Social Class
Feminism and Women’s Roles
Art and Truth
Justice, Art, and Love
Summary
Analysis
Aurora spends time in Paris before making it to Italy. She knows the English sometimes call the French “light” as an insult, but she finds their idealism interesting and believes they’re better at considering abstract questions than the English. She likes the city of Paris, finding it as beautiful even as Venice. She thinks of how humanity itself is great and a testament to God’s power. Still, even as she thinks of philosophical topics, Romney and Marian sometimes unexpectedly enter her thoughts.
Like Italy, France represents a place where Aurora can escape from the repressed nature of English culture. Aurora tries to think of deep, philosophical topics, but she instead keeps coming back to personal topics, like her relationships with Romney and Marian. This is similar to how Romney himself focuses on changing the world in broad terms rather than his personal relationships. Aurora can see this trait as a flaw in Romney but has yet to realize that personal relationships are an important part of her life too.
Themes
One day, Aurora swears she sees Marian and rushes after her, but it turns out to be a different woman, who is startled. Aurora wonders whether Marian is even still alive. She continues to walk around Paris, noticing flowers and thinking of how Romney used to always give her yellow roses on her birthdays.
Aurora is going back to Italy for her poetry, but she continues to see reminders of her life in London, like Marian. As the daughter of an Italian mother and an English father, Aurora remains perpetually caught between these two worlds and trying to find a balance.
Themes
As Aurora keeps walking, she’s once again certain she sees Marian and that Marian even looks back and recognizes her. Aurora is tempted to write to Romney and reassure him that Marian is OK. But when she follows Marian to learn more, she sees something surprising: Marian has a child with her. Aurora doesn’t want to have to tell Romney about how Marian has a child. She wonders if perhaps Marian is just babysitting for a neighbor and resolves not to write to Romney until she learns the truth.
Although Aurora wants to challenge the roles the women can play in society, she judges Marian for apparently being an unwed mother. Initially, Aurora tries to pass off responsibility for her judgement, pretending that she is only worried about Marian’s child for Romney’s sake. But as the poem goes on, Aurora has to confront the idea that while she wants to challenge the roles women can play in society, her own ideas about women’s roles are still restricted.
Themes
Aurora struggles to find any trace of Marian in the city again. One day, however, Aurora runs into her again by coincidence when Aurora can’t sleep and goes out walking early. She hears a foreigner in the market struggling in French and confronts Marian. Marian admits her identity but is reluctant to talk with Aurora. For Romney’s sake, however, Aurora insists on talking with Marian. Marian reluctantly agrees to let Aurora follow her.
Marian’s inability to speak French marks her as an outsider, just like her status as an unmarried mother. Her inability to speak foreign languages also reflects her lower-class status and lack of access to traditional education. Although Aurora herself hasn’t lived a luxurious life since leaving Leigh Hall, her ability to speak French is a sign of her different social class from Marian and the privileges it comes with.
Themes
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Marian leads Aurora to a run-down part of the city. Marian has a chamber barely larger than a grave in a shoddy building. In the bed is a young child. Aurora admires the child, but asks if Marian had him legitimately, believing that if not, Marian is little more than a kidnapper. Marian says that indeed she “found” the child in the gutter. Aurora takes this to mean that after Marian abandoned Romney, she gave in to a seducer, and so Aurora scolds her.
Even Aurora, who is a relatively open-minded character, assumes the worst about Marian when she finds out that she has a child. This reflects how deep some prejudices against women run in society, and the remainder of the chapter shows why these prejudices are harmful and often don’t reflect the truth.
Themes
Marian holds up her child and swears on his life that she only left to make things easier for Romney. She says she would not use the word “seduced” to describe her situation but “murdered,” suggesting rape. Aurora apologizes to Marian for getting the wrong idea. Marian says that she was never on Romney’s level, and things have only become worse now with the harsh way the world has treated her. Marian urges Aurora to just leave and pretend that she (Marian) is dead. Marian believes that Romney really loves Lady Waldemar and should be allowed to marry her in peace without learning about Marian’s situation.
Marian’s life, which began with abuse and tragedy, continues to go in dark directions, reflecting the challenges she faces both because she is a woman and because she comes from the lower class. After hearing Marian’s story, Aurora learns how to look beyond her own prejudices. Marian’s comparison of rape to murder shows how strong the moral codes around sexuality were at the time and how severe the consequences were for breaking them, even for victims like Marian.
Themes
Aurora thinks to herself that Marian is wrong to believe that Romney only cares about his charity work and that perhaps Marian also gave him joy, whether or not she realizes it. Marian goes on to say that she first began to distrust her relationship with Romney when Lady Waldemar started visiting, looking more beautiful each time she came. When they were alone, Lady Waldemar told Marian painful “truths,” like how Romney would never truly be capable of loving someone like her. Marian comes to believe that Romney needs a wife on his same “level.”
Although Aurora doesn’t approve of Romney planning to marry Lady Waldemar, she has begun to think more favorably of him in other ways, particularly as she leaves London and begins to realize the things she misses about it. Although Marian initially describes Lady Waldemar as helpful, it is clear from her description that Lady Waldemar is actually being manipulative and taking advantage of both Marian’s naivete and her lower-class status in order to get rid of her.
Themes
Marian obediently wrote a letter to Romney calling off the marriage, then went off with one of Lady Waldemar’s maids to France. She didn’t pay attention to where the maid was leading her, and she only realized it was a brothel after it was too late. This realization sent Marian into a state of madness that lasted for weeks. She left and began wandering the roads, accepting charity from peasants.
This passage shows how helpless Marian is, capable only of being led around by others. This is partially a result of Marian’s low social status, which makes it easier for others to manipulate her, particularly the wealthy like Lady Waldemar. This passage illustrates how Lady Waldemar doesn’t care who she has to hurt to get her way, particularly when the suffering happens out of her sight.
Themes
