Identity Through the Medium of Journals: Frances Burney in the Eigtheenth Century

The notion of self is in large part determined by understanding one's place in relation to the larger institution of society. As the given excerpts from Frances Burney's Journals and Letters reveal, identity can also be determined by defining oneself against society. That is, the self is equally determined by how you conform to and reject prevailing norms. This manifestation and definition of self is often achieved through various forms of writing, and Burney proves no exception. She chose to write in the medium of journals, which are by their nature not generally intended for public consumption. Burney plays on this assumption to use the journal as a forum for her true thoughts and feelings. Although the work is ultimately aware of the audience it's reacting against, the journals can still be read as her genuine thoughts unfettered by imposed societal preconceptions. Freed from these constraints, Burney depicts this portrait of self through careful reconstruction of dialogue accompanied by a relating of internal thoughts. In this way, the reader is privy to both Burney's external presentation to the world and her internal motivations, thus offering a more accurate and whole picture of self.

Burney begins her journal with its express purpose of having "some account of my thoughts, manners, acquaintances & actions" (Burney 2784). She goes on to express the intended audience of her work as nobody, "[t]o Nobody, then, will I write my journal!" (Burney 2784). This aligns with the generally held belief about journals that they are written not for an intended, external audience but rather for the benefit of the author. While Burney plays on this belief, she immediately complicates it by stating "but why, permit me to ask, must a female be made Nobody?" (Burney 2784). Burney's journals, while ostensibly written for her and her alone, already reveal a more deep-rooted social anxiety. She proves concerned with the role of women in eighteenth-century society and yet is not allowed (by virtue of that century's strict rules of womanly conduct) to outwardly question such issues. By writing these thoughts in a journal format, Burney is able to question the issue of identity as it applies to her and women in general, while still maintaining the deniability that the work was merely her personal journal.

The first incident Burney relates is her marriage proposal from Mr. Barlow. Because a woman's identity was so largely reliant on her position as a wife and mother, Burney's dealings with Barlow reveal essential information about her conception of identity. Upon hearing of Barlow's social call, Burney states "I think I was never more mad in my life-to have taken pains to avoid a private conversation so highly disagreeable to me, & at last to be forced into it at so unfavorable a juncture" (Burney 2785). Burney does not shy from using the language of strong emotion to an ironic effect. Rather than elation or excitement, the only emotion this romantic situation induces is exasperation. Burney's frustration at a suitor's call sets her apart in and of itself. The fact she was "never more mad" in her life truly establishes her at odds with the eighteenth-century female, typically understood as the woman anxiously awaiting her chance to marry. It is important to note, though, these strong words are expressed as her thoughts, not as spoken language. By virtue of the journal form, her thoughts are given extreme credibility. In terms of Burney's true feelings, however, her actual dialogue is less reliable. The first thing she says to Barlow is, "I fancy, sir, You have not received a letter I have written to you" (Burney 2785). This record of actual dialogue reveals what the reader knows to be a lie but what Barlow believes is truth. Burney's audience understands she is simply attempting to remove herself from an uncomfortable situation, but she does not do so through honesty. In fact, the honesty Burney displays so unflinchingly in her thoughts proves absent at times in her actual social interactions. Trying to spare Barlow's feelings like any proper lady, Burney reveals an essential disconnect between her thoughts and actions. While this instance is a lighthearted and essentially harmless case, this divide between the external presentation and the truth is indicative of the increasing eighteenth-century problem with identity. In a society so immensely concerned with appearances, people would hide their true thoughts and feelings in order to conform with preconceived, accepted standards.

Burney's relation of her life, however, not only sheds light on her own identity, but the society of which she seems to be at odds. Burney's depiction of Barlow is a prime example. She obviously does not want to marry him, yet he is not presented in a malicious manner. Rather, he is simply a somewhat pathetic character. His speech is heavily stilted, revealing extreme nerves. He is beseeching and imploring to the point of being pitiable (Burney 2785). Yet, Burney's rejection of his proposal was based on criteria not generally used by eighteenth-century women. Burney categorized it as an "irksome situation...when rejecting an honest man who is all humility, respect & submission, & who throws himself & his fortune at her feet" (Burney 2788). She admits he is honest, humble, and respectful, which are all desirable characteristics in a husband. But her diction is very telling. His submission is equivalent to throwing himself at her feet. He is, in other words, undesirably humble. She also brings in the important factor of money. Barlow is apparently well off, but Burney does not want to marry on these terms either. She seems to be rejecting a marriage only on the grounds that she feels no emotional affinity for the suitor. Again, the reader is offered this insight not by Burney's actions or speech but by her private thoughts. And yet again, Burney's identity is established as atypical to the norm for eighteenth-century females.

Reading Burney's journal often feels like reading excerpts from a novel. The scenes play out with easy, flowing prose and natural dialogue. Therefore, the people that pass through her pages feel like characters within that novel, and the reader is inclined to generalize from the specific person to the general society. In that way, Barlow is more a type than a separate, autonomous being. When he states in relation to Burney's assertion that she doesn't ever want to marry, "so severe a resolution-you cannot mean it-it would be wronging all the world!" the reader gleans this is more a general feeling at the time than any anomalous or personal thought of Barlow (Burney 2786). An attractive, well-bred young lady choosing not to marry was simply not done. Choosing to live a solitary existence, as an exasperated Barlow states, "is contrary to the design of our being" (Burney 2786). Barlow's beliefs reveal the enormity of Burney's rejection and just how severely she was defining herself in opposition to the prevailing practice of eighteenth-century females. Not only is her rejection to marry on any grounds other than love odd or slightly out of the ordinary, but rather she seems to be upsetting the natural order of the human race. She is rejecting her duty as a woman and as a human being by remaining solitary when one is willing to marry her. To incite such enormous criticism Burney must define herself in other terms than traditional gender roles. She obviously receives enough personal fulfillment through her present situation that she does not need to seek or create a sense of self outside her home in the form of marriage and/or motherhood.

Not only is Burney unique in her sense of identity and the factors from which she derives self-worth, but she is also unique for her acute sense of self-awareness. Burney claims "there are many odd characters in the world-& I am one of them" (Burney 2786). Furthermore, she is resolute and definitive when she states in regard to marrying Barlow, "I shall never change" (Burney 2787). Burney is enough of an outsider to critically examine the society in which she lives. Therefore, unlike one who does not see his/her surroundings with a critical eye, she understands rejection of a marriage proposal to a reasonably well-meaning and well-off man is highly against the standard practice. However, she has enough fortitude to understand the enormity of her decision and stick to it regardless of any potential implications. What's more, Burney not only displays this keen understanding of herself in society, but she seems equally as aware of society as a whole. In other words, she knows the rules she has to play by in order to be seen as a "proper lady." Although she ultimately rejects Barlow, she does so in a tactful, artful, even cunning manner.

Lastly, because Burney is so aware of the expectations placed on women in her society, she seem to intentionally defy or complicate these expectations through the depiction of herself throughout the journal. One of the major conventions Burney lived under was that the power structure between the genders was heavily skewed toward the male. But this is immediately refuted by Burney's interactions with Barlow. Rather than Barlow dominating the scene with confidence and swagger, Burney is the one clearly directing the entire exchange. For example, she makes up the fictitious letter, and she directs the conversation to the safer territory of the weather (Burney 2785). From the onset, Burney controls every aspect of the exchange, while Barlow simply follows along. The second major preconception Burney reacts against is the idea of the woman as wholeheartedly, and often uncontrollably, emotional. Within Burney's journals, however, Barlow is by far the more emotionally invested in the situation. Burney on the other hand speaks with wisdom and cool pragmatism when she states "in 3 months time you may forget you ever knew me. You will not find it so difficult a task as you suppose" (Burney 2787). She recognizes Barlow's affections as a passing infatuation more than any semblance of enduring love. Contrary to popular characterization of females during this time period, in no way does Burney romanticize her marriage proposal. If anything, she downplays all aspects of the romantic and heightens Barlow's piteousness to a somewhat comic effect.

Burney's journals reveal many of the workings of eighteenth-century society to a contemporary reader by offering her personality, actions, and thoughts as atypical examples of the time period. By grasping what Burney was reacting against, the reader is offered not only the portrait of one unique woman but also a general sense of the society that necessitated a woman like her. Her journals constantly navigate and reveal both her internal identity and the outward manifestation of that identity, thereby clearly indicating there was indeed a significant divide between these two entities.

Works Cited

Lipking, Lawrence, et al., ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century. Vol. 1C. 7th ed. United States of America: Norton & Company, Inc, 2000.