Representations of Illegitimacy in Wilkie Collins's Early Novels (2004)

Illegitimacy was prominent political, social, and literary issue throughout nineteenth century, and is theme that sensation novelist Wilkie Collins repeatedly returns to in his fiction. Best remembered for his 1860 novel, The Woman in White, which heralded beginning of reading public's appetite for sensation literature, and his 1868 novel, The Moonstone, defining text in genre of detective fiction, Collins published twenty five novels as well as numerous short stories and plays in career spanning over forty years. Collins's writing throughout his career served as platform for his often unconventional views on marriage and position of women in society as well as on treatment of illegitimate children. Illegitimacy was popular subject for Victorian writers, not only because of its value as plot device, but also because of changing laws affecting illegitimate children and their parents which kept topic in public eye. This essay will examine Wilkie Collins's engagement with theme of illegitimacy in two of his early novels--Hide and Seek (1854) and The Dead Secret (1857)--focussing particularly on his examination of social and legal issues that affected illegitimate child and its parents. A brief history of legislation affecting illegitimate children and their parents is necessary to understand backdrop against which Victorian novelists were writing. At beginning of century there remained in place an act dating back to 1609, which stated that every lewd woman which shall have bastard which may be chargeable to parish shall be committed to house of correction. (1) In 1810, further act ensured that woman could not be imprisoned for longer than one year, but in 1834 Bastardy laws underwent radical change. Up until this point, any man charged by woman as father of illegitimate child had either to contribute towards its maintenance, marry woman or submit to imprisonment. (2) If parents of an illegitimate child could not afford cost of its upbringing, then parish would provide financial assistance. A commission was set up to investigate Bastardy laws, result of which was The Poor Law Report of 1834. The authors of report objected to fact that man could be punished based on woman's allegations, and suggested that for woman a single illegitimate child is seldom expense, and two or three are source of positive profit (261). The report argued that the female in these cases is generally party most to blame; and that remedy, to be effectual, must act chiefly with reference to her (270), conclusion indicative of sexual double standard and fear of female sexuality that prevailed in nineteenth century. The report concluded that Bastardy Laws offer temptations to crime which they were intended to punish (477), and consequently recommended their entire abolition, thus effectively freeing fathers of illegitimate children from legal responsibility. Although House of Lords amended bill so that woman could apply to Quarter Sessions for maintenance payments from father, fact that woman's evidence now had to be independently corroborated made it virtually impossible for such an application to succeed. (3) Furthermore, even if successful, father of child could no longer be imprisoned for non-payment, thus making it unlikely that mother would receive financial assistance. Although these reforms meant that an unmarried mother could no longer be imprisoned as punishment for beating an illegitimate child, their overall effect was to place full responsibility for child on mother. Various amendments were made to Bastardy Laws in years that followed. (4) Affiliation cases were returned to Petty Sessions in 1838, supposedly making it easier for mother to apply for maintenance, but as corroborative evidence was still required, difficulty in gaining financial assistance from father of child remained. …