How_Does_Washington_Square_Society_Present_a_Polite_and_Cultured_Veneer

Washington Square society presents a polite and cultured veneer to mask underlying hypocrisy and deception. Middle-class society during the nineteenth century stresses the importance of education, social and economic status because of the adopted belief of eugenic superiority. Literary critique Andrew J Schieber explores the relationship between society’s behaviour and this belief. The façade masks the hypocrisy, in which standards and beliefs are deceptively not conformed to, creating a great difference between the reality of public and private life. Washington Square society possesses a polite and cultured veneer. This attractive appearance aligns with the patriarchal structure of society during the nineteenth century, where social status and class were of the upmost importance. Henry James’ authorial voice emphasizes his views on the standards and behaviours of the middle-class, their importance and how people have to fit into a particular category to be accepted. Washington Square society adopts the Darwinian theory of eugenics and, according to Schieber, they “regard this self-assumed position as proof of their own evolutionary superiority”. The desire for a polite and cultured appearance is seen through Dr. Sloper’s insistence on his daughter Catherine’s education. He demands her Aunt Lavinia to educate her, saying: “Try to make a clever woman of her…you are good for nothing unless you are clever” Money was another significant aspect of being a member of middle-class society. Economic status was representative of power and influence. This is demonstrated by displaying one’s most prized possessions in the home in plain view of guests. James narrates this belief: “To play a social part, you must either earn your income or make believe that you earn it”. This polite and cultured veneer disguises the true nature of hypocrisy and deception to avert criticism and judgment by others in society. Much of Washington Square society stands by moral standards and beliefs to which they themselves do not conform. This hypocritical behaviour was exercised to gain acceptance and escape the critique of the extremely judgmental society. Dr. Sloper is a prime example of a man with this reality of hypocrisy. After the death of his wife and child, James perceives Sloper satirically, asserting: “For a man whose trade was to keep people alive he had certainly done poorly in his own family.” Sloper escapes this judgment by using his losses to a professional advantage and James gives him a tragic and interesting character. Sloper could not, however, escape his self-judgment behind this false pretense. He lives with his guilt, regret and self-condemnation, which in turn fall onto the protagonist of the novel, Catherine. Schieber critiques: “His personal remoteness and scrupulous professional manner…cover for a memory of personal and professional inadequacy: his tragic inability to save the lives of his wife and son.” The façade that masks hypocrisy also masks the foundation of deception Washington Square is built upon. Private life in Washington Square is deceptively different to public life. Deception is a common theme throughout the novel, and is almost always used for selfish gains. Catherine appears to bear the brunt of deception because of her vulnerability and genuinely good intentions. James describes her as having “simply a plain, dull, gentle countenance”. This is seen when Morris deceptively takes advantage of her docile personality in the pursuit of her fortune. The “brilliant stranger” presents himself as an honorable, romantic gentlemen through self-advertising and presentation and wins Catherine and her Aunt Lavinia over with his charm. Dr. Sloper, however, applies his theory of evolutionary superiority to Morris, and immediately detects and breaks down the façade Morris creates, Sloper “prided himself on being something of a physiognomist”, and instantly distrusts the man. Schieber’s critique describes: “Fixing Morris’s “type” establishes an entire chain of necessary implications, including class, temperament and moral character.” He firmly believes that a man could only be interested in Catherine for her financial assets and that Morris is deceptively manipulating the polite and cultured veneer of society to his own benefit. In conclusion, the polite and cultured veneer of Washington Square that Henry James illustrates is an example of the social context of the nineteenth century, where class, education and economic status are of the upmost importance. The veneer creates moral standards and beliefs to which much of society does not conform, making private life deceptively different to public life.