Education
In the novel A Kiss at Midnight, Prince Gabriel has high education. he goes to oxford and got his degree. The nephew of the prince and some of his
friends also got high education in public school. At that time aristocrats men should go to public school and university to get proper education. Prince Gabriel
also passionate toward his field study. He is good anthropologist: “Really?” Kate ventured. Thinking of Gabriel’s fierce eyes, and the set
of his jaw . . . you would know that he was brilliant, just by looking at him. “[Gabriel] Took a top degree. Set all the heads a-squawking at your
Oxford. He published some sort of paper that forced them to think about how they excavate old places. He cares, you see. Lot of them don’t.”
James, 2010: 243. While men could go to school and be a scientist women cannot go to public
school. Their education held in the house provide by a governess. Kate Daltry has had a governess. It is the reason why she is intelligent and educated. Kate could
speaks French because she has some education. It is different with Victoria who does not have a governess. Victoria is ignorant and unintelligent:
“French? I learned that at Eton.” There was a pause. “More or less . .
. do you suppose that’s what they speak at the table?” “I shall translate, if need be,” Kate told him, thinking that it was a
good thing she had come rather than Victoria, who didn’t speak a word of French. Thankfully, she herself had learned the language before her
father died. “Do you know anything of the prince’s entourage?” James, 2010: 71.
French is one of the things that allowed to be learned by women. Women’s education are different to men. While men could have real education and
knowledge about real science, Women should study languages and household
management. Women also not have sex education before they are married. Victoria Daltry not quite understands why she could be pregnant.
“Oh, Mother,” Victoria said. “Please, Kate. Please. I want to marry Algie. And, really, I rather need to . .
. I didn’t quite understand, and, well . .
.” She smoothed her gown. “I don’t want everyone to know about the baby. And Algie doesn’t either.”
Of course Victoria hadn’t understood that she was carrying a child. Kate would be amazed to think that her stepsister had even understood
the act of conception, let alone its consequences. James, 2010: 16.
C. Eloisa James’ Views toward British Social Condition in the 19
th
Century
1. James’ Views toward Classes in the Society
James reveals her ideas about British society in the 19
th
century in the novel A Kiss at Midnight
. British society in the 19
th
century was divided into classes. A person that was born from an upper class has different rights to the lower class.
Upper class people or the aristocrats have certain birthright. Became a member of the upper class can also be done by a marriage. Marriage is often done to
elevate woman position and class. In her novel, A Kiss at Midnight, James wrote Katherine Daltry and Prince Gabriel as the member of the upper class. They have
higher position than the other characters such as Mariana and Victoria. Aristocrats‟ women who want to marry expected to have dowry, otherwise
it will become less attractive for men. James wrote that Kate is a member of the upper class since birth, but she was poor. Different to Victoria who the origin is
lower than Kate ‟s is but she has dowry, so Victoria managed to get a Viscount. In
the marriage market, Love is unimportant thing while money and position is.
Prince Gabriel is in love with Kate but he cannot marry her because Kate is poor. James thinks that people should marry because of love. In the end Prince Gabriel
choose Kate instead of his heiress fiancée because he realize that love is more important.
Eloisa James thinks the upper class people like spending to support their position. Upper class society spent their money on expensive clothes and
jewelries. The upper class people should be change clothes at least three times a day, namely morning, noon and night clothes. Mariana and Victoria have too
many clothes that Kate described, as the number of days in a year is not enough for them to try her one-on-one. Expensive jewelries is also a mainstay of the
aristocrats to show off their power. The dogs that belonged to Victoria even have jewelries put on its neck:
“Shall I push him over?” Gabriel asked helpfully. “With all that hair, he would sink like a stone. Though not as fast as that little one. Are those
jewels glued to her coat?” “Not real ones. They’re glass.”
Gabriel leaned over and examined Coco more closely. “Actually, they
are star sapphires. Although as a prince, I may not know their price , I can tell you that the value of that dog, jewels included, is approximately the
same as a small cottage on the outskirts of this estate.” Kate looked down
at Coco with some dismay. “No wonder she’s so proud of herself.” James, 2010: 116.
Not only has upper class, James also had a view about the lower class. There are a number of lower class in this novel such as the servants and tenants of
Mariana. James thinks that lower class people are often treated unfairly by the upper class.
Lower class people‟s life is depending on their employer. In this novel, James views are presented by the act of Mariana who do not cares to her
employee. Mariana always acts arbitrarily toward her employee but they cannot leave her because it is very difficult to
find another job. Lower class people‟s life is very dependent on their jobs provided by aristocrats.
2. James’ Views toward Education
Education in the 19
th
Century British is that at that time formal school education is just for the upper class people. James thinks that education is not
really an important issue in the society. She thinks that although upper class people go to school, they not must be a smart person because for upper class
people, their position is decided by the birthright. Victoria fiancé, Lord Dimsdale is not smart person although he went to Eton, British public school:
W e‟re eating with the family,” Algie said nervously. “ „In family‟ they call
it.” “ En famille ,” Kate corrected him.
“I suppose that‟s the language they speak over in Marburg. I probably won‟t understand a word.”
“Actually, that‟s French,” Kate said. “French? I learned that at Eton.” There was a pause. “More or less . . .
d o you suppose that‟s what they speak at the table?”
“I shall translate, if need be,” Kate told him, thinking that it was a good thing she had come rather than Victoria, who didn‟t speak a word of French.
James, 2010: 71.
From that quotation, one could reveal James‟ view toward upper class men‟s
education. Viscount Dimsdale is not a smart person but he still go to Eton since it is a must for an aristocrat man to go to public school, but they are not really
should be serious about their education. School is just fancy things to do for the most aristocrats‟ people. They go to school because not to go is embarrassing
since people will thinks they cannot pay the tuition.
