Page "Lady Audley's Secret" Paragraph 14

Lady Audley's Secret plays on Victorian anxieties about the domestic sphere.

The home was supposed to be a refuge from the dangers of the outside world.

However, in the novel, the seemingly perfect domestic lady turns out to be a violent criminal who has not only tried to commit murder but who has also committed bigamy and abandoned her child.

This unsettled Victorian readers because it indicated that the concepts of " the perfect lady / mother " and " domestic bliss " were more idealistic than realistic.

In addition, anxieties about the increasing urbanization of Britain abound ; the city gives Lady Audley the power to change her identity because it renders its citizens effectively anonymous.

The small town of Audley is no longer a refuge where everyone knows the lifestory of every neighbor ; the residents of Audley must accept Lucy Graham's account of herself since they have no other information about her past.

Other anxieties about unstable identity appear throughout the novel: Robert's relationship with George has homosexual overtones, especially considered in light of his attraction to Clara, George's sister, who is described as looking identical to George.

Additionally, Lady Audley's maid, Phoebe, resembles Lady Audley, thus banishing the idea of physical distinction between the upper and lower classes and therefore of any inherent superiority of the former.