Editor’s Note: The following essay was a winner in the Informational category of the 2023-2024 First Year Writing Contest. It was nominated by Professor Jude Nixon.
William Morris was the firstborn child of Emma and William Morris. His father's financial prosperity brought to Morris a privileged upbringing and a considerable inheritance that ensured he would never have to work. Morris spent his youth in an opulent house with vast gardens and surrounding forests, where he developed a fondness for nature and architecture. He attended Marlborough College and Exeter College, where he came under the strong influence of medievalism while studying classics. William Morris was a versatile man of the Victorian era who embodied the concept of a multipotentiality man. He excelled in various disciplines, including poetry, calligraphy, journal writing, political leadership, translation, and romance writing. Additionally, Morris was a theorist of socialism and profoundly influenced literature and the Arts and Crafts movement during and after his time. In 1859, he married Jane Burden, with whom he had two daughters. Morris discovered that Jane was having an affair with one of his friends, Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Surprisingly, this affair did not affect Morris, who appears to be almost supportive. In News from Nowhere, William Morris explores the theme of women's prerogative in sexuality and other areas of their lives. This theme is heavily influenced by his personal beliefs, reflected in his writing. Morris's examination of this theme is a significant aspect of his literary work and contributes to his overall message in the novel.
News from Nowhere tells an imagined utopian society, including the roles he sees women performing. There are few in the novel who are there, it seems, for the sole purpose of the men. Three distinct women are the major focus: Annie, Clara, and Ellen. Perhaps other minor women mentioned could be interpreted in a larger picture. Given Morris’s and the Pre-Raphaelites’ obsession with Mariolatry, the three women in News might be taken to represent Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of Jesus), Mary Clopas, or even one of the other Marys mentioned throughout the bible. These women followed Christ and were present through crucial moments of his time. Given this female configuration, Morris's character, Guest, might then be taken to represent Christ himself, for Guest, a messianic figure, is seen as almost a prophet with this message that he needs him to deliver to better the society. Women are used around men and for men, whether it be for pleasure or even addressing concerning love. Despite attempts to create an equal and liberated society for women, Morris's News from Nowhere ultimately fails to break free from sexist stereotypes and objectification, perpetuating a dynamic of servitude and subservience that reinforces misogyny.
The first female character introduced in the novel is Annie, the housekeeper. This holds significance because not only are occupations done for pleasure, but it is insinuating that women are naturally inclined to such jobs. Not only does this perpetuate the stereotypes of obedient, submissive women, but it shows us where women find themselves in this ideal society. Here, Annie is catering to the men as she leads them to their meal, cooks, and cleans for them all willingly. She is said to receive pleasure from doing so. After it is revealed that she is 20, she mentions how her mind is beyond her years, which Guest finds enticing. When Annie and Guest meet, a sexual tension is immediately apparent. In chapter 3 of the novel, Morris writes, "She blushed under my gaze, though it was clear that she had taken me for a man of eighty" (News). Morris is perhaps suggesting that significantly younger women are interested in men and in men's appeal towards them. Younger women are not only agreeable with being stared at by older men but seemingly enjoy it. It is apparent that despite her young age and their drastic age difference, Annie finds Guest attractive. In the essay, “William Morris & News from Nowhere: A Vision of Our Time,” Jan Marsh believes that Annie is presented with these erotic feelings because of Guests' warmth and sexuality, and that she is smitten by him despite the large age gap. This also addresses the fact that the words from Morris represent the unreformed masculine desire. Morris pushes this emphasis on impulsive masculine urges as well as completely normalizing such. Morris idealizes the concept of younger women being interested in older men because it fulfills his desire to be seen as desirable by these younger, inexperienced women in their prime.
Annie's introduction provided an initial glimpse into Morris's perspective on women, but it was Clara who helped provide the big picture. This is seen as if she is the main female lead of the novel, proving that she holds importance. Clara is initially introduced in this negative light and played out as this reckless woman, but Guest is intrigued when she is visually introduced. In chapter 16 of the novel, Morris describes Guest’s initial reaction to seeing Clara: "I found it difficult to keep my eyes off the wall-pictures (for I thought it bad manners to stare at Clara all the time, though she was quite worth it)." Guest finds value in Clara's aesthetic pleasure, but his perception of her character changes as soon as he gets to know her personally. Admiring Clara seemingly makes sense as Guest admires nature and craftsmanship, but why does he compare them to the same degree as women? Clara mainly feels like a general depiction of women in News from Nowhere as we see their place through her. Clara and Dick, her lover, are representative of the sexual liberties and freedom men and women share when it comes to seeking partners and other intimate relations. In Kumar’s writing, he makes it evident that “Romance, we know, was a matter of the utmost importance to Morris… the sexual relations between men and women.” He follows with, “News from Nowhere is ‘romantic’ in this other sense, as well as being concerned with sexual and erotic life” (Kumar 134-135). Is Morris so interested in discussing the sexual lives of women because it's something he enjoys? Romance is often portrayed alongside hypersexuality and intense sexual tension. Women have the freedom to pursue relationships with whomever they choose, with "relationships" primarily referring to engaging in sexual affairs. Although women are represented with these liberties, it is apparent that with Clara, they tend to take advantage of them. "She got it in her head that she was in love with somebody else. So, she left poor Dick… but it did not last long" (News). In this quote, it mentions that Clara left Dick for another man and plays it off as if Clara did such an inhumane thing after completely normalizing it. In all their time apart, Dick never tries to find another woman to replicate Clara, as she is all he needs. While Clara, the one who left, ultimately regrets her sinful decisions, and eventually returns to Dick.
Morris's distaste for Clara can almost be seen as ironic as she represents his wife, Jane. Despite Jane's decision to seek an extramarital affair, Morris chose to remain faithful to her due to his love for her. This stance on sexual fidelity may have contributed to Morris' broader and more permissive views on sexual relationships. Susan Cooper points out the absence of Jane in Morris’s life and the impact on the lives of the children they conceived together, writing, “Jane's frailty and poor health cannot be considered separately from the burden of being Jenny’s chief caregiver” (128). Morris, especially, finds it clear that caring for children is a significant burden. Perhaps that is why, towards the end of chapter 9, we see that women are no longer required to watch over their children in this utopian place. “For the rest, remember that all the artificial burdens of motherhood are not done away with. A mother has no longer any mere sordid anxieties for the future of her children.” (Project Gutenberg) Women are now unburdened by their kids, but why was it presumed to be a burden in the first place? It should be a shared responsibility, not a burden uplifted from women. Florence Boos mentions this affair as well, referring to it in his writing saying that Clara was partially absent from her family's lives as Jane was. (22-23) After Clara leaves, it is striking that there is an assumption that Dick wouldn't be expected to take responsibility and raise the kids on his own. Is this because it's considered to be a women's role? It's ironic how Morris grants women sexual freedom yet still views them as more promiscuous for exercising it. He then suggests that women need not take responsibility for the children they produce with their husbands. This perpetuates harmful stereotypes, limiting women's roles and sparing them from responsibilities associated with being seen as lesser than men. Why promote the idea that women can have more significant roles while simultaneously enforcing restrictive gender roles on them?
The novel being discussed features a recurring theme of objectifying and sexualizing female characters. One character, Ellen, is portrayed as the protagonist's love interest and is described as "strange and worldly" regarding her physical beauty. Ellen is also seen as “the most arresting in a succession of unearthly beautiful women he encounters (Plotz 941). Plotz also mentions a quote that shows Guest's interest in this woman: “[Ellen] was not only beautiful with a beauty quite different from that of ‘a young lady’ but was in all ways so strangely interesting; so that I kept wondering what she would say or do next to surprise and please me” It almost seems like Guest feels that whatever Ellen does, it is to lure him. He also believes that Ellen was put here solely to be with him. In the author's opinion, Ellen represents a new era and embodies the ideal woman. She is also portrayed as a Christ-like figure who leads the protagonist "home." This is seen especially in Boos's writing, where they describe Ellen. “Inevitably, Ellen thus bears witness to some of the residually continental features of Morris’ ideals for women. She is the symbolic gal of Guest’s journey…” (News) Their relationship follows a courtship pattern, with Ellen leading the protagonist by hand. Ellen also desires to have as many children as possible and is fascinated with history, emphasizing the importance of physical beauty in women. It is worth considering whether the author included Ellen in the novel as a role model for women, as her character embodies perfection in his eyes. Ellen represents the ideal of women as perceived by the socialist feminist collective, and her character holds significant thematic importance in the novel as it reflects the author's beliefs about women and their societal position.
The presence and interactions of the few female characters in Morris's novel are significant to the story, with Clara, Annie, and Ellen being the most prominent. Throughout the novel, as mentioned previously, it is apparent that Guest dislikes Clara. An example of this is seen in the middle section of chapter 23 when Morris says, "Nothing loth, we went with him, and Clara took his hand coaxingly, which I noticed she used with old men…" (Project Gutenberg) This feels insinuative as if Clara is trying to gain validation from this older man. Additionally, the tone he uses when addressing Clara is not pleasant. When first described, it's almost as if she is made out to be a villain who left her family behind. He also makes a point of comparing Clara to practically every other woman seen throughout the novel.
After Guest bade farewell to Annie, he does not hesitate to compare her to Clara, the woman with whom he will spend the remainder of his journey. "…Annie shook hands with me and hoped I had had a pleasant day - so kindly that I felt a slight pang as our hands parted, for to tell the truth, I liked her better than Clara, who seemed to be always a little on the defensive, whereas Annie was as frank as could be, and seemed to get honest pleasure from everything and everybody about her without the least effort." (Project Gutenberg) He is comparing Clara to this woman that he finds more ideal. When Clara and Ellen meet, it is apparent that Clara is jealous of Ellen as she is even more desirable. This is not necessarily because she is Morris’s ideal but because she is fully aware that she lacks the beauty and emotion that Ellen possesses. In chapter 22 of the novel, we see this; "I noticed by the way Clara must rather have felt the contrast between herself as a town madam and this piece of summer country that we all admired so, for she had rather dressed after Ellen that morning as to the thinness and scantiness and went barefoot also, except for light sandals." (Project Gutenberg) This is Clara changing herself to be more like Ellen, perhaps insinuating that women see the ideal and want to strive to be it in this utopian society because it helps them serve a greater purpose. Guest favors the available women and his ideal women, comparing and contrasting them all.
The objectification and emphasis on the physical appearance of women is a recurring theme in News from Nowhere, as the novel consistently highlights the importance of women's looks in every encounter. With the first women Guest encounters, Morris points out that he needs to look at them and compare them to other sights. At the beginning of the novel in chapter 3 we see this, "As they were the first of the sex I had seen on this eventful morning, I naturally looked at them very attentively and found them at least as good as the gardens, the architecture, and the men." (Project Gutenberg) Morris has to empathize with the fact that because they are women, he has to judge them harder. In his writing, Kumar mentions that everything has to be beautified, whether it be nature or women. Beauty is natural architecture, and women are repeatedly stressed, which can be seen as celebrating this multifaceted beauty and the complexity of women. Not in an appreciative way. In almost an observant way. Another writer, Plotz, mentions that Nowhere heavily emphasizes the pleasures involved in gazing and how satisfying it is to observe all the aspects of that beauty. This mindset perpetuates harmful beauty standards and undermines the valuable achievements and contributions of women in this society.
It could be argued that compared to most romantic novels of the late 18th century, Morris' work has a higher representation of sexual equality. However, Boos points out that although Morris does show a sympathetic view of the constraints faced by women, as well as the radical separation of the sexes, he ultimately fails to redefine established gender roles. In the novel, women are introduced through constant comparisons to each other and their appearance rather than their societal roles and contributions. This is disappointing, as it diminishes their abilities and potential and reduces them to stereotypes and objects rather than complex individuals. The novel portrays numerous instances where women are objectified and subjected to harmful sexist clichés. The portrayal of women in William Morris's News from Nowhere does not live up to expectations of gender equality and falls short in redefining gender roles.
Works Cited
Boos, Florence S., and William Boos. "News from Nowhere and Victorian Socialist Feminism." Nineteenth Century Contexts, vol. 14, no. 1, 1990, pp. 3-32. Accessed 4 April 2024.
Cooper, Suzanne Fagence. How We Might Live: At Home with Jane and William Morris. Quercus, 2022. Accessed 25 April 2024.
Kumar, Krishan. "‘NEWS FROM NOWHERE: THE RENEWAL OF UTOPIA.’" History of Political Thought, vol. 14, no. 1, 1993, pp. 133-143. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26214424. Accessed 4 April 2024.
Marsh, Jan. “Concerning Love: Work in News from Nowhere and Gender.” William Morris & News from Nowhere: A Vision for Our Time, edited by Stephen Coleman & Paddy O’Sullivan, Green Books, pp. 107-125. Accessed 4 April 2024.
Morris, William. “Morris’s Life.” William Morris Archive, https://morrisarchive.lib.uiowa.edu/items/show/1516. Accessed May 7, 2024.
---. News from Nowhere. Project Guttenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3261/3261-h/3261-h.htm. Accessed 26 April 2024.
Plotz, John. “Nowhere and Everywhere: The End of Portability in William Morris’s Romances.”
ELH, vol. 74, no. 4, 2007, pp. 931-956. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30029604. Accessed 4 April 2024.