Klingensmith

Scandalous Women Embarking on Solitary Walks: Curiosity invoking independence

Humans walk everywhere. We walk to our jobs or to school, we walk around our homes,

we walk to get the mail, we walk to retrieve things, but we also walk to get away from things in

our lives that worry us and we walk for reflective time. In the 18th century, solitary walking

served as an opportunity for a harmless way of reflecting about life outside the pressure induced

by society. However, solitary walking was not a proper thing for a woman to embark upon.

Society believed it to be dangerous and improper as to dirty their fine lace. Though society warns

women against solitary walking, there are many writers of the 18th century that promote it,

offering women more independence to decide their own paths and reflect on their inner most

desires and ideas to create their own narrative of living in a constricted society, such as through

Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

In the 18th century, solitary walking is a reflective and an independent activity. The

anonymous authors from The Prompter and Hibernian Magazine both agree that the act or

manner of walking is an innocent action causing no harm to reflect on ideas and desires without

corrupting society. Another anonymous author from The Scots Magazine, explains that “Among

the various and selecting fashions of the day, it sometimes happens that the bias is towards

something really innocent and perhaps profitable” (“Reflections Upon Walking” 58) In other

words out of all the “various” activities for the day, the most “profitable” is walking because of

its close relation to “innocence.” While this activity affords its participant’s positive exercise, it

allows them to innocently think on their own accord of anything they so wish to think about

without the etiquette and pressures of society to repress such ideas. The anonymous author

agrees that the act of walking is nonabrasive and does not harm. It allows the participant to
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encounter new things by also never disturbing anything else. It is curiosity without the fear of

any dire consequences conducted by a watchful and critical society.

This freedom of curiosity in walking, especially solitary walking, allows the participant

to enter their own adventure. Naturally, on a solitary adventure the participant is the one who

would make the decisions as they see fit. Furthermore, with no society to dictate one’s moves,

the land and their mind are the only tools in which to decide a course. The anonymous author of

“On the Pleasures of Walking” wrote, “I am not curious about picking out beaten paths, or

convenient ways, but I tread wherever a man may pass; I see whatever a man can see; and being

dependent on no one but myself” (“On the Pleasures of Walking” 92) The author’s “curiosity”

lies not in the path itself, but to “whatever man can see,” thus participating in an act that has the

potential to see things you were not able to when away from the path. Curiosity drives the walker

down new paths. His use of the word “dependent” is paradoxical as it pertains to being reliable

only to yourself, therefore the walk, the adventure has the potential to be whatever it could be

only in the capacity of our minds and how curious we become in the process.

During this century, women were expected to be idle in their homes and think of things

of gossip about courtship or even participating in courtship affairs themselves. Positive attributes

to the benefits of walking typically belonged to the walking endeavors of only men. The lack of

acknowledgment of the other sex in the literature leads readers to this conclusion. However, the

same author that believes walking is innocent, also writes that walking “Will tend very much to

the health of all irregular people, and particularly of ladies, who are destroyed by idleness and

the vapours” (“Reflections Upon Walking 58) If idleness was expected of women, would not the

act of walking be unorthodox and therefore not be an act of innocence in the gaze of society? For

when they walk they are causing harm to societal pressures and breaking them for the sake of
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their own motives and curiosity. However, this author advocates that idleness “destroyed”

women and then prescribes walking as a remedy to refute society. Furthermore, an anonymous

writer in the Hibernian Magazine described that walking for women is merely for athletic

benefits, while S.W. Gent, proclaims in his poem, “These Ladies wou’d not walk from seven till

ten / But take a turn or two and home again” (Gent lines 6-7). In other words, small adventures

are alright if the “Ladies” come “home again” after achieving a short walk. Societal pressures

may seem to dictate that women ought to be idle, but the periodical writers at the time expressed

feelings that walking while entering one’s own adventure is healthy for a woman. However, this

is author limits women to only walking a short distance and not the distance their curiosities may

want to take them. It may be good for their figures, but solitary walking for women was a

dangerous endeavor in the scope of society, and women had to overcome that dichotomy.

One such example of women going beyond the pressure and expectations of society is

through Jane Austen’s character Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. Solitary walking in

Pride and Prejudice is reflective, but often interrupted by intruding thoughts and by other

people. Elizabeth “was proceeding directly to her favourite walk, when the recollection of Mr.

Darcy’s sometimes coming there stopped her, and instead of entering the park, she turned up the

lane, which led her farther from the turnpike road” (Austen 192). Her walk is not only a

reflective walk, but it is also one of independence, conflict, and intrusion. When she proceeds

“directly,” Elizabeth is taking a stand of her own making and going on her “favourite walk,”

which sets this walk a part from anyone else’s walk, proclaiming independence. The ground is

hers to tread and she uses this opportunity to clear her head and reflect. However, this is

complicated when her thoughts turn to Mr. Darcy. She does not turn to thinking about him as a

person, but to the idea of him coming to the same path as her own and in fear that they should
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meet. This intrusion or “The recollection of Mr. Darcy,” worries Elizabeth for meeting with him

will bring back the argument they had in previous pages. This walk of hers is filled with

decisions and fueled by curiosity that lead her down detours, but allow her to end up at the same

conclusion that she was trying to flee. “She turned up the lane” and went “farther from the

turnpike,” thus, she is making her decisions not based on the path that she is on, but rather based

on her own emotions. Despite her efforts, though, Mr. Darcy does find her, but to only give her

his letter. Solitary walking for Austen brings her characters together in a natural scene away from

society and therefore away from recognition. It is not only a walk that encourages unorthodox

personal interactions, but also an opportunity for independence from the motivation of

curiosities.

Olivia Murphy proposes that Elizabeth’s walking illustrates her independence of mind

and motion. Murphy claims that Elizabeth is a Romantic walker due to her intentional decision

making while on such excursions. Elizabeth decides to visit Jane at Netherfield when she fell ill.

The Narrator says, “Elizabeth…was determined to go to her, though the carriage was not to be

had; and she was no horse-woman, walking was her only alternative. She declared her

resolution” (Austen 32). Her Romantic adventures are rooted in her desires as that makes her an

individual (Murphy 132). Elizabeth was “determined” and “declare[s]” that she will make the

walk, that contains multiple miles, to see her sister despite the wishes of her mother and society.

To Elizabeth there was no “alternative,” but we know, as the reader she did have a choice. Her

use of the strong, persuasive words that are exhibited here only deepens her independent mind

and adds a strong feeling of volition rooted in curious thoughts to keep her moving forward. The

18th century was not used to seeing these motivations and actions from a woman.
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Elizabeth’s evolving and radical walks adds to a larger conversation on narrative

structure. Murphy states that “Elizabeth’s love of solitude and space marks her out as a true

Romantic walker, and the novel’s support for such rambling is made clear by the place of

walking in the plot[line]” (Murphy 139). Her own decision making makes way for the potential

to create her own story with her own thoughts, concerns, fear, and love. Marina Ludwigs claims

that “perpetual walking” is a metaphor for narrative structure as it pertains to suspense and

closure. A narrative or a walking endeavor can anticipate a conclusion or destination or they

never want the story or the journey to end causing disruption of the experience for both walker

and reader. Duality in a person’s motive while walking introspectively, mirrors the duality

present in various characters and narrative plots in a storyline. Elizabeth, by thinking

introspectively, adds to the plot of the story for suspenseful reasons, but also it helps creates a

story all her own, of her own journey. Ludwigs says, “While the story is unfolding, the

backward-looking perspective sustains narrative tension by ambushing the future-projecting

perspective with surprise developments” (125), thus suspense is attained and a conclusion is

projected from the reader’s perspective. In other words, Ludwigs explains that when one, or

Elizabeth is reflecting on things of the past, things of the future, or things she is anticipating to

happen causes tension and suspense. By operating simultaneously in an anticipatory state and a

retrospective state, we enter a world with suspense that allows us to predict a closure that may or

may not happen. Characters in and readers of novels experience this all the time. Elizabeth fears

and anticipates Mr. Darcy’s arrival, but also is reflecting on the past and realizes that something

she internally wishes may not happen.

Thus far, solitary walking in the 18th century or otherwise has served as a vehicle for

events such as allowing women independence to decide their own paths, and using walking as
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overall metaphor for narrative structure. I propose we marry these two ideas and claim that while

women of the 18th century, including Elizabeth, participate in solitary walking she is internally

forming her own narrative. In addition to the external forces of path choosing and the diverting

environment, “Walking has something in it which animates and enlivens my ideas” (“On the

Pleasure of Walking” 92). Women then can be their own creators of their own “ideas” as they

form a narrative from their inner most desires, expectations, hopes, and even concerns. Walking

“animates” her ideas and desires in her mind that can only be repressed and lifeless within

society. A couple of writers in the 18th century would agree that solitary walking induces internal

reflection. They, however, explain the interiority of walking through a religious lens. One writer

from the Arminian Magazine and another from The Prompter explain when we walk, we are

exposing ourselves to walk with God and to “carefully watch over our thoughts, words, and

actions; in everything we see, do, or omit” (“The Method of Walking with God” 257). Walking,

specifically, for women, but also applies to humans in general, creates an internal phenomenon

that induces “careful” reflecting whether through God or through their own concerns about the

past, present, and future like our dear Elizabeth Bennet as she decides the path that best suits her

in regards to her personality, her belief system, and her heart.

Solitary walking in the 18th century, therefore, is fueled by natural curiosity to break the

boundaries of society’s expectations as it encourages independent thought and action from

women. Solitary walking is an adventure of our own creation where we pick the paths, beaten or

unbeaten, we pick whether to hide behind a shrubbery or to breeze pass it, and we decide how we

want to form our thoughts with freedom and felicity. Elizabeth Bennet and other 18th century

women participate in solitary walking for it is one of the most innocent activities they can

achieve where they can be their true selves. They are free to think, dream, love, yearn, regret,
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worry, and even fear in the open space of nature where there are no fences of decorum or walls

of etiquette to hold them back. They can construct their own personal narrative of their lives and

see what would be the right plot line to carry out. Solitary walking for 18th century women

enables them to start, endure, and finish their stories of their inner most experiences and desires.
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Works Cited

Gent, S W. “On the Ladies Walking in St. James’s Park.” Diverting Post; Jun 2, 1705; 2, 32;

British Periodicals pg. [91]

Marina Ludwigs. “Walking as a Metaphor for Narrativity.” Studia Neophilologica 87 (2015):

116-28. Web.

Murphy, Olivia. "Jane Austen's "Excellent Walker": Pride, Prejudice, and Pedestrianism."

Eighteenth-Century Fiction 26.1 (2013): 121-42. Web.

“On the Pleasures of Walking.” The Weekly Entertainer: or, Agreeable and Instructive

repository, Jan 6, 1783-Dec 27, 1819; Jul 29, 1799: 34, British Periodicals pg. 92

“Reflections upon Walking.” Peripatetic, A The Scots magazine, 1739-1803; Feb 1788; 50,

British Periodicals pg. 58

“The Method of Walking with God.” Arminian Magazine consisting of extracts and original

treatises on universal redemption, Jan. 1778-Dec. 1797; May 1794; 17, British

Periodicals pg. 257

“To a young Lady, on the Amusements of the Female Sex.” Hibernian Magazine, or,

Compendium of entertaining knowledge, Jan. 1771-Apr. 1785; Nov 1774; British

Periodicals pg. 680

Untitled item, The Prompter; Jan 21, 1735; 21; British Periodicals pg. [69]