# The Venetians — Themes

> Major themes in The Venetians by M. E. Braddon.

## Guilt and Redemption

The protagonist, John Vansittart, is haunted by a fatal stabbing in Venice, and the narrative explores his attempts to escape guilt through flight, self-exile, and eventual atonement through acts of kindness and support for the victim's family.

### Where it surfaces

- [Afterthoughts](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/ii-afterthoughts): Vansittart is consumed by remorse for his actions in Venice, yet he chooses to conceal the truth rather than seek redemption.
- [III: “Fairies!”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/iii-fairies): Jack Vansittart's internal struggle with the memory of the fatal encounter in Venice and his attempts to suppress his guilt.
- [VIII: A Face in the Crowd](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/viii-a-face-in-the-crowd): Vansittart is consumed by guilt over the death of Fiordelisa's lover and is determined to make atonement, resolving not to run away this time.
- [IX: “Though Love, and Life, and Death Should Come and Go”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/ix-though-love-and-life-and-death-should-come-and-go): Vansittart seeks to alleviate his guilt by providing for Lisa and la Zia, hoping to make amends for his past crime.
- [X: “As Things That Are Not Shall These Things Be”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/x-as-things-that-are-not-shall-these-things-be): Vansittart seeks to atone for his past sins by providing for Lisa and her aunt, sacrificing a significant portion of his income as a form of penance.
- [XV: “Love Should Be Absolute Love”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xv-love-should-be-absolute-love): The revelation of Harold's alleged crime and Vansittart's internal torment reflect the theme of guilt and the possibility of redemption through love.

## Social Class and Marriage

The book examines the constraints of class and respectability in marriage, as seen in Vansittart's choice of Eve, a woman from a disreputable family, and the contrasting expectations of his mother and sister regarding suitable matches.

### Where it surfaces

- [Afterthoughts](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/ii-afterthoughts): Maud's debut and the attention from Sir Hubert Hartley reflect the importance of marriage and social standing in upper-class society.
- [III: “Fairies!”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/iii-fairies): Maud's marriage to Sir Hubert and the social dynamics of the house party, including Miss Green's inheritance restrictions, highlight class and marital expectations.
- [The Prelude to Some Brighter World](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/iv-the-prelude-to-some-brighter-world): The ball is a key setting for social maneuvering, where Vansittart's attentions to Eve are contrasted with the 'pettiness of village society' and the awareness of the Marchant girls that they are 'not in society'.
- [Teatime in Arcadia](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/v-teatime-in-arcadia): Vansittart, a man of property and position, is fascinated by the Marchants' Bohemian lifestyle, which contrasts with the conventional respectability of his own class. His interest in Eve is heightened by the pathos and comedy of her circumstances.
- [VI: Why Should He Refrain?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/vi-why-should-he-refrain): Vansittart weighs his love for Eve against her lower social standing and his mother's expectations, reflecting the era's class constraints on marriage.
- [He Would Take His Time](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/vii-he-would-take-his-time): Vansittart weighs the social and familial implications of marrying Eve, considering his mother's and sister's potential disapproval.

## Secrecy and Identity

Vansittart hides his past crime and assumes false names (John Smith) to protect his reputation, while also concealing his relationship with Lisa and her child, leading to a life of prevarication and fear of exposure.

### Where it surfaces

- [In the City by the Sea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/i-in-the-city-by-the-sea): Lisa's story about her English benefactor is shrouded in mystery, and her true history remains unknown to Vansittart, who cares little to learn it.
- [Afterthoughts](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/ii-afterthoughts): Vansittart adopts the alias 'John Smith' and plans to deny ever having been in Venice, highlighting his struggle to hide his true identity.
- [The Prelude to Some Brighter World](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/iv-the-prelude-to-some-brighter-world): The chapter hints at an 'understanding' between Eve and Sefton, and Vansittart's pursuit of Eve involves a degree of social strategy, suggesting hidden motives and unspoken rules.
- [VI: Why Should He Refrain?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/vi-why-should-he-refrain): Vansittart keeps the secret of Venice from his mother, and the Marchant family's past is shrouded in mystery, influencing perceptions.
- [VIII: A Face in the Crowd](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/viii-a-face-in-the-crowd): Vansittart's past actions in Venice threaten to expose his true nature. He receives an unaddressed letter, and his identity is known to Fiordelisa, creating a sense of impending exposure.
- [IX: “Though Love, and Life, and Death Should Come and Go”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/ix-though-love-and-life-and-death-should-come-and-go): Vansittart's hidden past and the promise of secrecy from Lisa and la Zia underscore the theme of concealed identity.

## Jealousy and Trust

Eve's jealousy and suspicion of her husband's fidelity create a rift in their marriage, and the narrative explores how unresolved doubts and hidden truths corrode trust between lovers.

### Where it surfaces

- [VI: Why Should He Refrain?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/vi-why-should-he-refrain): Vansittart suspects Sefton's intentions toward Eve and questions whether she is innocent or scheming, reflecting his internal struggle with trust.
- [The Little Rift](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xxiii-the-little-rift): Eve's jealousy is sparked by Lisa's familiar greeting to Vansittart. The incident erodes the trust between them, as Vansittart's explanations seem inadequate and his pallor betrays his anxiety.
- [XXIV: “Poor Kind Wild Eyes So Dashed with Light Quick Tears”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xxiv-poor-kind-wild-eyes-so-dashed-with-light-quick-tears): Sefton's jealousy of Vansittart's relationship with Lisa, and his attempt to provoke Eve's jealousy, highlight the theme's central role in the chapter.
- [XXV: “And Every Gentle Passion Sick to Death”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xxv-and-every-gentle-passion-sick-to-death): Eve's irrational jealousy over a letter strains her marriage, while Sefton's jealousy over Lisa's lover drives his obsessive behavior.
- [Closer and Closer Swam the Thundercloud](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xxvi-closer-and-closer-swam-the-thundercloud): Eve's jealousy persists despite reconciliation, and Sefton's manipulation of Sophy highlights trust issues.
- [XXVII: “Thou Mayst Be False and Yet I Know It Not”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xxvii-thou-mayst-be-false-and-yet-i-know-it-not): Eve's jealousy is ignited by Sophy's revelation, leading her to doubt her husband's fidelity and plan a confrontation.

## Exile and Escape

The theme of physical and emotional exile is central, as Vansittart flees to Africa and the desert to escape his past, and Lisa and her aunt are displaced from Venice to London, seeking a new life away from poverty and shame.

### Where it surfaces

- [XII: “One Born to Love You, Sweet”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xii-one-born-to-love-you-sweet): Vansittart's troubled memories of Venice and his reluctance to return to Italy reflect themes of exile and escape from past traumas.
- [XXX: A Double Exile](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xxx-a-double-exile): Both John and Eve seek physical exile as a means to escape their emotional and psychological torment. John escapes to the African wilderness, while Eve retreats to the monastic solitude of Mont St. Michel.
- [XXXI: “Oh Tell Her, Brief Is Life, but Love Is Long”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xxxi-oh-tell-her-brief-is-life-but-love-is-long): Eve's travels through Europe are an attempt to escape her grief, while Vansittart remains in exile in Africa.
- [A Scene of Light and Glory](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xxxii-a-scene-of-light-and-glory): Eve has been living in exile from her husband and home for three years, enduring a life she compares to a squirrel's wheel. Her journey to Venice is both an escape and a confrontation with the past.

## Class and Poverty

The book contrasts the wealth and privilege of the English gentry with the poverty of Venetian lace-makers and the struggles of the Marchant family, highlighting how economic circumstances shape characters' choices and social standing.

### Where it surfaces

- [In the City by the Sea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/i-in-the-city-by-the-sea): Lisa's past in a lace factory and her life on polenta contrast sharply with Vansittart's wealth and idle leisure, highlighting the social divide.
- [Teatime in Arcadia](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/v-teatime-in-arcadia): The chapter vividly depicts the Marchants' poverty: the shabby furniture, the lack of a late dinner, and the girls' homemade attire. Yet this poverty is romanticized as 'Arcadian' and 'fairyland' through Vansittart's admiring eyes.
- [So Very Wilful](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xxii-so-very-wilful): Lisa's background as a lace factory worker and her rise to fame contrast with Sefton's worldliness, emphasizing class differences.

## Love and Sacrifice

Love is portrayed as both a redeeming and a destructive force, with characters like Lisa refusing a wealthy marriage out of love, and Eve sacrificing her happiness for her husband's peace, while Vansittart sacrifices his reputation for his family's honor.

### Where it surfaces

- [One Thread in Life Worth Spinning](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xi-one-thread-in-life-worth-spinning): Vansittart's willingness to overlook Eve's family background and his longing to marry her reflect the theme of love overcoming obstacles.
- [XII: “One Born to Love You, Sweet”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xii-one-born-to-love-you-sweet): Vansittart's proposal and willingness to marry Eve without a dowry, and his desire to include his mother in their lives, demonstrate love and sacrifice.
- [XV: “Love Should Be Absolute Love”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xv-love-should-be-absolute-love): Vansittart's declaration that he would marry Eve even if her brother were a felon underscores the theme of unconditional love and personal sacrifice.
- [XVI: To Live Forgotten and Love Forlorn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xvi-to-live-forgotten-and-love-forlorn): Lisa's passionate love and willingness to sacrifice herself contrast with Vansittart's pragmatic decision to marry Eve.
- [XVII: “She Was More Fair Than Words Can Say”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xvii-she-was-more-fair-than-words-can-say): Vansittart's advice to Eve to keep the gift, despite his own disgust, demonstrates his willingness to make personal sacrifices for the sake of social harmony and his love for Eve.
- [The Shadow Passeth When the Tree Shall Fall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xviii-the-shadow-passeth-when-the-tree-shall-fall): Eve and Jack's mutual devotion is tested by concern for Peggy, showing love's willingness to act.

## Fate and Consequence

The narrative emphasizes the inescapable consequences of past actions, as Vansittart's crime resurfaces through Lisa and her child, and the characters' attempts to control their futures are repeatedly thwarted by fate and circumstance.

### Where it surfaces

- [He Would Take His Time](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/vii-he-would-take-his-time): Vansittart's deliberation about taking his time reflects the theme of fate and the consequences of hesitation in matters of love.
- [The Shadow Passeth When the Tree Shall Fall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xviii-the-shadow-passeth-when-the-tree-shall-fall): The shadow of hereditary illness looms, suggesting that past family tragedies may repeat.
- [XX: Peggy’s Chance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xx-peggy-s-chance): The chapter deals with the inevitability of Peggy's fate and the consequences of hereditary disease, as well as the uncertainty of Eve's future health.
- [From the Evil to Come](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xxi-from-the-evil-to-come): The deaths of Peggy and the infant son are seen as consequences of past actions, reinforcing a sense of inescapable fate.
- [XXIX: 'Tis Not the Same Now, Never More Can Be](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xxix-tis-not-the-same-now-never-more-can-be): The chapter emphasizes the inescapable consequences of past actions, as Eve and Jack are forced apart by the fatal event.
- [A Scene of Light and Glory](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_venetians_se/chapters/xxxii-a-scene-of-light-and-glory): Eve's illness is a direct consequence of the strain and sorrow she has endured. The chapter emphasizes the inevitability of her fate as she approaches 'the beginning of the end.'

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