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Wilkie Collins
The Evil Genius
Wilkie Collins’s "The Evil Genius" is a sophisticated and controversial novel that dissects the intricacies of Victorian marriage, divorce laws, and the societal perception of a "fallen woman." The story revolves around a seemingly happy family: Linnie and Herbert Westerfield and their young daughter, Kitty. Their domestic peace is shattered by the presence of the governess, Anne Silvester. Captain Herbert Westerfield, a weak-willed man, engages in a foolish flirtation with the governess, which is discovered by his wife. Though the affair is brief and ultimately meaningless to Herbert, the scandal forces Linnie, in a fit of righteous anger, to dismiss the governess and turn her husband out of the house. The novel’s title, "The Evil Genius," does not refer to a conventional villain, but to the destructive power of scandal itself. The well-intentioned but misguided interference of relatives and lawyers, combined with the rigid and unforgiving nature of social convention, acts as the true "evil genius," systematically destroying the family. The narrative follows the separated couple and their daughter, as well as the ostracized Anne Silvester, exploring the devastating consequences of a single mistake when amplified by societal judgment. Wilkie Collins offers a poignant critique of the marriage laws of his time and a sympathetic portrait of all parties caught in a tragedy not of malice, but of propriety.
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