Lugubrious Victorians, Ludicrous Narratives: The Function of the Comic in Jane Harris’ The Observations

Abstract

Given the socio-economic circumstances of the Victorian Era, one of its unassailable facts was that the conservative and solemn spirit of the time created a claustrophobic social atmosphere for some of its occupiers. Victorian, as well as Neo-Victorian novels register an exigency for laughter partly as a response to this solemnity. As a successful representative of the latter, Jane Harris’ debut novel, The Observations (2006) narrates the dolorous life of an Irish girl, Bessy Buckley who is taken on as a maid in a Scottish manor and is asked to perform strange duties assigned to her by the mistress of the house. This study attempts to unearth The Observations’ versatile approach to the notion of comic on three functional levels by resting on Alexander Bain’s notion of ‘ludicrous degradation.’ Firstly, the study scrutinizes comicality arising out of situations in which clashes of value and meaning occur. Secondly, it explains how ludicrous degradation turned into humour allows for psychological release. Thirdly, it looks at how Bessy’s sense of humour works as a coping mechanism and an antidote for Victorian pathos apart from being a literary source of amusement.