Initial Ornamented Letter "W"

Initial Ornamented Letter "W"

First Letter of "An Imaginative Woman"

I chose to include this ornamented opening letter of "An Imaginative Woman" because I find's Goodman and Hardy's artistic choices blend to make a sly comment on the story through a simple letter "W." The box contains what appears to be tangled flowers or leaves, which might suggest the tangling of masculinity and femininity, which Ella demonstrates in the story. It seems that Hardy intended to open the story with a "W," which could either represent the first letter of Ella Marchmill's husband's name, or simply, 'woman.' It seems more likely (and more interesting) that the point of the ornate lettering is to suggest Ella's prominence as a female figure that hides behind the mask of a man. Although she is not nearly as well-known as her idol, Robert Trewe, she makes her mark as John Ivy nonetheless. The "W" is almost concealed by the vines, just like Ella's identity is concealed by her pseudonym.

Goodman, Arthur J.

Victorian Web

Pall Mall Magazine

April 1894

Allingham, Phillip V.

Scanned Image of Lithograph

Illustration