ABOUT THE YELLOW BOOK
The Yellow Book made its reputation with its avant-garde content and motley group of contributors. The magazine’s patchwork format featured entries contributed by both male and female writers from different countries. The Yellow Book strove to demolish “old traditions of periodical literature” and ushered in an era of “charming” and “daring” publications (Diebel 48). The magazine shattered convention right from its debut, having a prostitute gracing the cover of Volume I (Turner 143). This was one of the many ways that The Yellow Book experimented with evolving attitudes towards femininity. In particular, “Defiance and Docility” will focus on a text from Volume IV, published in January 1895, and image from Volume VI, published in July 1895.

ABOUT MARION HEPWORTH DIXON'S "A THIEF in the NIGHT"
Marion Hepworth Dixon’s “A Thief in the Night” falls under the genres of fiction, short story, and periodical. Dixon’s piece is about a married woman, Mrs. Rathbourne, who copes with the death of her brother-in-law and paramour. While she stays at his house, Mrs. Rathbourne scavenges through his belongings to assuage her grief. This story encapsulates Dixon's style, as she often wrote about women grappling with the challenges they face in Victorian society. Also, Dixon reviewed stories about the New Woman during her time at the Englishwoman magazine, taking special interest in ones that explored female oppression (Palmer). This story testifies her penchant for the assertive, wayward, and defiant female character who rebelled against the institution of marriage.

ABOUT WILLIAM STRANG'S "GOING to CHURCH"
William Strang’s “Going to Church” is a visual art piece that was originally an oil painting. It was remediated for publication in The Yellow Book by halftone engraving. The image shows four figures en route to church, as suggested by the title. A man holding a book leads three other people, who are lagging several paces behind. Immediately following this man are a cloaked woman and a girl. The woman’s head is lowered towards the ground and her hands are folded in front of her. Beside her, the girl leaves her head uncovered and fixes her eyes straight ahead. The last figure’s visage is obscured by the shade from a tree, showing only his left hand extended to grasp the trunk. A prolific artist, “Going to Church” is one of the many paintings that showcase Strang’s realist approach to his work. It shows characters suspended in the middle of a commonplace event, the hallmark of Strang’s paintings (Tate London).

By the late 19th century, religion was losing its grasp on people and commercialization was galloping to take its place (Houghton 347). This upheaval placed a heavy demand on men to work hard and earn their keep. However, a more onerous task was imposed on women: she became a pillar that sustained the moral fortress that is her home. These social conditions paved the foundation for Victorian gender ideologies.

IDEAL WOMANHOOD
Specifically, a Victorian woman was expected to combat against the dangers stemming from the newfangled urbanization. Victorian society believed that a welcoming home deters her husband and sons from yielding to temptation and sin (Houghton 347). Therefore, the household was sanctuary that safeguarded the morality of men. As a result, women made their homes both physically and morally pristine. Moreover, a woman had to constantly embody Victorian virtues to preserve her morality and set an example for her family (Houghton 345). An ideal Victorian woman was chaste and meek, eager to obey and honor her husband (Houghton 348). It was crucial that she played her role impeccably, as any misstep would tear the family structure asunder.

Yet, she could never measure up to such unrealistic criteria. Moreover, a frustrating paradox arose from the family dynamic. Although the woman was a mainstay to the moral fibre of her family, she was still inferior to her husband. She is simultaneously indispensable and powerless. How does she confront these rigid and suffocating expectations? More importantly, how does she fashion her own identity?

This digital exhibit will use Victorian gender ideologies as a critical lens to closely examine the female characters in the text and image. Specifically, Mrs. Rathbourne acts as a representative example of a New Woman. By contrast, the unnamed woman in “Going to Church” is an archetype of the ideal Victorian female. Despite the different approaches, both the text and image capture the crux of female oppression in the Victorian era. Additionally, Volume IV and VI stood as bookends to Oscar Wilde’s scandal. Not surprisingly, The Yellow Book altered its content in response to the turmoil the scandal spawned. Taking the text and image at face value, it appears that the periodical regresses to antiquated views of femininity from Volumes IV to VI. Perhaps the magazine was fickle in its stance on female emancipation. Ironically, the Wilde trial triggered a shift that fortified female voices in The Yellow Book. Additionally, Dixon and Strang were two of the more obscure contributors to the periodical. This is especially true for Dixon, who was often eclipsed by her more famous sister, Ella Hepworth Dixon. This digital exhibit will offer fresh insight by looking at two overlooked contributors.

MRS. RATHBOURNE AS A NEW WOMAN
In the beginning of the story, Mrs. Rathbourne appears to fit the Victorian mold of ideal womanhood. She silently endures the discomfort of “stagnant air”, lest she awakens her husband by opening a window (Dixon 240). This considerate gesture alone may mislead the reader to think that Mrs. Rathbourne caters to her husband’s needs. However, her actions dispel this assumption. In fact, she flouts Victorian expectations for a married woman throughout the short story, becoming more of a New Woman.

Her chief act of defiance is her affair with her brother-in-law, Colonel Rathbourne. Infidelity is unforgivable in an era where a wife is expected to lionize her husband. Her rebellion is compounded with her unrepentant attitude towards her actions: she is resolute in her feelings for Colonel Rathbourne and thinks of nothing else. The only remorse she harbours stems from arriving too late to say her last farewell (Dixon 240). In fact, she is wholly fixated on her relationship with the Colonel. It is her brazen disregard for her prescribed duty as a wife that makes her actions so earthshattering. Unlike the ideal Victorian wife, she puts her own needs before anyone else’s (Mitchell 268). Kindling forbidden passions, she undercuts the mainstays of Victorian femininity: self-denial and chastity. While women were expected to repress their desires, Mrs. Rathbourne unabashedly pursues them. She goes so far as stealing her lover’s dressing gown to alleviate her grief (246). Mrs. Rathbourne’s transgression dismantles the framework of femininity. Specifically, shows that women are not infallible as they are expected to be. This echoes New Woman writers’ crusade for female sexual freedom (Leger 76). Like men, it is natural for women to have bouts of impropriety and succumb to their appetites.

Yet, how does Mrs. Rathbourne subvert her expected role with impunity? Perhaps she is granted such leeway because the house is not her own. Unfettered by moral and domestic duties, she handles her sorrow as she pleases. However, catharsis does not liberate her. Despite her rebellious fervor, her stealthy movements show that she is riddled with guilt (Dixon 244). Perhaps this remorse stems from a repressed sense of shame. Therefore, she is still thwarted by the crippling gender ideologies. These societal values are represented by Colonel Rathbourne’s chilling house.

SYMBOLISM of the HOUSE
In the eyes of a common Victorian, Mrs. Rathbourne defiles the sanctity of a home. However, it is important to note the distinct way in which the house operates in the story. From the start, the mansion is characterized as a “house of death” (Dixon 239). Unlike the ideal Victorian home, Colonel Rathbourne’s house envelops its inhabitants in “portentous and uncanny” silence (Dixon 239). Here is where Dixon critics domestic duties and the dynamics within in the home. The house does not protect Mrs. Rathbourne but entombs her. While she darts through its cavernous halls, she cannot escape her suffering. Moreover, the sheer vastness of the house dilutes Mrs. Rathbourne’s suffering. It watches in mute indifference as she ransacks its passages. In this way, the house underscores Mrs. Rathbourne’s separation from those around her.

MRS. RATHBOURNE’S ISOLATION
At her brother-in-law’s funeral, Mrs. Rathbourne feels an “impassable gulf lay surely between her and these living, breathing people” (Dixon 241). When she is with her family, Mrs. Rathbourne is inured to pain and unable to process her loss. She cannot outwardly express her grief due to the nature of her relationship with the Colonel. Only when she is alone can she freely mourn over her forbidden love (Dixon 243). Even then, her avenues of release are limited by her circumstances. Mrs. Rathbourne’s pain is exacerbated by the fact that the Colonel is even more unattainable than he was to begin with. Before, it was merely a matter of violating nuptial ties, but now she cannot get the closure she needs because he is dead. Yet, Mrs. Rathbourne is forced to negotiate these conflicting feelings on her own. In the end, she dashes away with the stolen gown, but it is merely a souvenir of her adventurous youth. She cannot fully come to terms with her loss. Her solitary suffering illustrates the hypocrisy in the Victorian axiom, “Keep yourself to yourself” (Mitchell 265). Women were considered emotionally feeble yet they are pressured to internalize their hardships.

While Dixon’s story follows a Mrs. Rathbourne’s perspective, Strang’s painting obliquely addresses the female experience. However, the stark contrast between the matronly female and the rest of the subjects demand analysis from the spectator. Looking at her from a Victorian frame of mind, this woman seems to meet the ideal womanhood to a tee. This is indicated by her attire: the woman is cloaked and her hair is covered. Her formal clothing may be occasioned by a church service, but they are also measures to protect her modesty. Here, she complies with the Victorian watchword of “respectability” (Mitchell 263). Women were cautious with how they presented themselves to the outside world. In public, they had to exude the same “perfect compliance, innocence, and refinement” (Mitchell 267) that was expected at home.

Moreover, the woman’s posture indicates submission the pressures of womanhood. She does not walk with her hands freely swinging but has her hands folded in front of her, a sign of self-control and decorum. Moreover, her shoulders are slumped, communicating lethargy and indifference. Her facial expression also suggests that she has surrendered to her conditions: her eyes are downcast and framed by upturned eyebrows. These features create a look of guilt and shame, perhaps the same expression one would wear during confession. Here, the woman snugly fits into the shell of ideal Victorian womanhood. She is chaste, repentant, and devoutly religious. At the same time, she appears detached from her surroundings

THE WOMAN COMPARED to the MAN: DETACHMENT
While the man and girl – presumably her husband and daughter – have their eyes fixed on the road, she appears removed from the present. Her alienation is emphasized by her contrast with the man ahead of her. Unsurprisingly, he is several paces ahead, with the females following his wake. This parallels the male role in Victorian families: the men spearhead the operations and the women obediently follow (Houghton 348). Furthermore, the woman is closer to the child, reinforcing her role as a caregiver. This is a reminder that a woman is always tethered to domestic duties, no matter the setting. Yet, her proximity to the child amplifies the striking difference between the two. The girl shares the same posture as the man, walking with her back straight, communicating both resolution and alertness.

THE WOMAN COMPARED to the GIRL: OPPRESSION
Moreover, the girl does not have her head veiled by a cloth. This suggests that a child’s innocence is taken for granted and therefore, there is no need to protect it. In her case, covering her body would be superfluous. However, the woman must take painstaking measures to enshrine her purity, for she is at the mercy of the spectator. The woman’s identity relies on the male gaze and she adjusts herself accordingly to deflect lewd predators. At the same time, Strang’s painting may reflect the restrictive maturation process for a girl. Her position against the woman is a dispiriting reminder that she, too, must assume the role of a mother. In this way, the juxtaposition acts as a prediction of her inevitable fate. Certainly, the girl may not wear a cloak now, but her agency will be eroded as her years add on.

The illustrations above depict common roles undertaken by Victorian wives.

While the text and image have drastically different portrayals of the female plight, both stress the alienation suffered by women as a result of gender ideologies. Specifically, Mrs. Rathbourne and the unnamed woman experience the same estrangement from their loved ones. Although the two women react differently, they are thwarted by the same demand to quell their feelings. Moreover, the text and image capture the futility of their efforts: both female characters are lodged in a standstill. For the woman in “Going to Church”, her inaction begets her isolation. Since Strang is known for his realist style, perhaps he is giving a faithfully reproduction of Victorian life. However, Mrs. Rathbourne, who protests the role thrusted upon her, is not rewarded for her efforts. Given Dixon’s involvement with New Woman literature, why is her story not as empowering as it should be? In both cases, the artists offer an unembellished account of the female experience. Whether the women complied with or revolted against gender ideologies, they did not sugar-coat the unsavory reality: womens' efforts were often fruitless.

Volume IV itself made both positive and negative impressions. One reviewer exalted The Yellow Book’s unflinching “audacity” and “brilliance”, predicting that the magazine will continue to flourish. Another accuses the magazine for its sensationalism and pandering to the audience using shock tactics. However, reviews of The Yellow Book become harsher in the aftermath of the Wilde scandal. The press concocted a relationship between “sodomy and yellow books, decadence and degeneration” (Hughes 856). Embroiled in such conflict, male contributors tried to sanitize the magazine’s sullied reputation with “hypermasculine” content (Hughes 856). Yet, The Yellow Book still suffered from aftershocks in the Volume VI, three months after Wilde’s arrest. A critic yawns at The Yellow Book’s increasing monotony, noting that it “continues to sober down”. Like Dixon, Strang’s work did not merit mention in reviews, even if the subjects were male-dominated.

While men retreated to conservative subject matter, the women were unperturbed by the tumult triggered by Wilde’s scandal. Particularly, female contributors “overtly sustained the journal’s links to decadence” (Hughes 859) by exploring controversial themes. The sixth volume teemed with female submissions that subverted ideal womanhood. For instance, Dollie Radford’s “Song” features a female speaker who is assertive romantic and not a passive sexual object (Hughes 859). Olive Constance’s “A Madrigal” even ventures to the territory of homosexual romance (Hughes 859). In the wake of the Wilde trial, women could undertake topics that were becoming “increasingly dangerous” for men (Leger 7). Moreover, the diminishing male voice provided a contrast to the bold topics women explored. These are the dual contributors to an amplified female voice post-scandal.  Despite the tumultuous months wedged between the fourth and sixth volume, The Yellow Book remained a site for female creations to flourish.

Close examination of "A Thief in the Night" and "Going to Church" illuminated that depictions of Victorian womanhood by both females and males serve their own purpose. Although scholarly material on both Dixon and Strang is scarce, this exhibit hoped to pay homage to their artistry. Furthermore, although the Wilde scandal threw The Yellow Book into disorder, the changes were not without merit. Admittedly, men’s portrayal of women “emphasize piety and the angelic woman” (Hughes 860), but this did not erode the efforts made by women. By contrast, female contributors were emboldened to explore more controversial themes. They capitalized on the chance to assert agency and crafted their own identity through the pen. Certainly, female contributors are indebted to The Yellow Book because it was “an important conduit”. However, the relationship was mutually beneficial. When Oscar Wilde’s scandal abraded The Yellow Book’s vibrancy, women-created content sustained their avante-garde vigor.

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
Images in this online exhibit are either in the public domain or being used under fair dealing for the purpose of research and are provided solely for the purposes of research, private study, or education.

Beardsley, Aubrey. Cover. The Yellow Book 1 (Jan. 1894). The Yellow Nineties Online. Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra. Ryerson University, 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2015.

Beardsley, Aubrey. Cover. The Yellow Book 4 (Jan. 1895). The Yellow Nineties Online. Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra. Ryerson University, 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2015.

Diebel, Anna. “‘The Dreary Duty’: Henry James, The Yellow Book, and Literary Personality.” The Henry James Review 23.1 (2011): 43–48. Web. 23 Oct. 2015.

Dixon, Marion Hepworth. "A Thief in the Night." The Yellow Book 4 (Jan. 1895): 239-46.The Yellow Nineties Online. Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra. Ryerson University, 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2015.

Hughes, Linda K. "Women poets and contested spaces in The Yellow Book." Studies in English Literature, 1500 - 1900 44.4 (2004):849. Web. 23 Oct. 2015

Ledger, Sally. "Wilde Women and the Yellow Book: The Sexual Politics of Aestheticism and Decadence." English Literature in Transition (1880-1920)50.1 (2007): 5-26. Web. 23 Oct. 2015.

Mitchell, Sally. “Victorian Morality.” Daily Life in Victorian England. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2009. 261-272. Print.

Palmer, Beth. “Ella Hepworth Dixon and Editorship.” Women’s Writing, n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2015.

Rev. of The Yellow Book 6. The National Observer. 10 August 1895. The Yellow Nineties Online. Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra. Ryerson University, 2011. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.

Strang, William. "Going to Church." The Yellow Book 6 (July 1895): 329.The Yellow Nineties Online. Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra. Ryerson University, 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2015

Strang, William. “William Strang.” Image. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 25 Oct. 2015

Turner, Mark W. “Urban Encounters and Visual Play in The Yellow Book.” Encounters in the Victorian Press : Editors, Authors, Readers. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. 138–147. Print.

"That Yellow Nuisance Again." Rev. of The Yellow Book 4. New York Times. 10 Feb. 1895: 27.The Yellow Nineties Online. Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra. Ryerson University, 2011. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.

"The Yellow Book." Rev. ofThe Yellow Book 4. The Graphic 19 Jan. 1895: 58-59.The Yellow Nineties Online. Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra. Ryerson University, 2011. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.

“Tales of Early Love: Image from page 29”. Image. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

“Tales of Early Love: Image from page 33”. Image. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

“Tales of Early Love: Image from page 44”. Image. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

“Tales of Early Love: Image from page 47”. Image. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

“The New Woman.” Image. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

Wilson, Patten. Cover. The Yellow Book 6 (July 1895). The Yellow Nineties Online. Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra. Ryerson University, 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2015.

“Works (1895)”. Image. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.