The Hidden Hand

We began our semester discussing the major characteristics of literature of the nineteenth century. We gathered various conclusions based on both the MacLeod and Sanchez-Eppler texts, and then saw most of the characteristics followed through in our first two texts. One key point that we discussed was the lack of setting and deep description. We saw clear examples in both The Wide, Wide World, and The Lamplighter. In both texts there was very little description of the surroundings of the story and practically no mention of a setting or location. This technique was used to provide as little distraction as possible from the primary instructional message of the text. Not only was the setting considered a distraction, but also without a specific location tying down the storyline, the message could be more universally accepted and applied. But, in our most recent text The Hidden Hand, Southworth begins the text with an in-depth description, “Hurricane Hall – a large old family mansion, built of dark-red sandstone, in one of the loneliest mountain regions of West Virginia.” (pg 151). This sentence alone is much more description of a setting than what was provided in our previous texts. The first chapter introduces the reader to multiple locations all described in great detail using dark, negative words. “Spiked clumps of dark evergreens,” “terrific raging of the torrent over its rocky course,” broken rock and barren soil,” (pg 151) all describing a place called “Devil’s Run.” These word choices were all made for a specific reason. Southworth made these rhetorical decisions to evoke a certain response from the reader. The vocabulary used to describe the events of the first night, and the story of the woman was in the same tone, a tone that was used to prepare the reader of what was ahead in the text. Each decision made by a writer is for a reason; the font, tone, vocabulary, etc. are all rhetorical choices to serve a specific purpose. The fact that Southworth chose to be so specific in the settings and descriptions was a very different approach in the nineteenth century. I believe this decision was thoughtfully preparing the reader for upcoming events and setting up that this novel was to be a different kind of domestic fiction.