Discipline

by Mary Brunton

Discipline, the second novel by the Scottish writer Mary Brunton (1778-1818), was published in 1814. While less well known than its predecessor Self-Control (1811), it is nonetheless equally deserving of a central place in the canon of Romantic-era fiction. A wide-ranging novel, it shares many themes with contemporary fiction such as women’s difficulties in earning money and the horror of being falsely imprisoned in an insane asylum. However, it is Discipline’s innovative attempt at psychological realism that sets it apart from its contemporaries. Through the moral growth of its heroine Ellen Percy, Discipline insists on women’s self-determination, and their ability to become rational agents in a world that treats them as objects merely of desire or contempt.

Genres: Classics, 19th Century, Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1814

About the author

Mary Brunton (née Balfour) was a Scottish novelist. Her novels redefine femininity. Fay Weldon praised them as "rich in invention, ripe with incident, shrewd in comment, and erotic in intention and fact."

Brunton started to write her first novel, Self-Control, in 1809 and it was published in 1811.
Self-Control was widely read and went into its third edition in 1812. A French translation (Laure Montreville, ou l’Empire sur soimême) appeared in Paris in 1829.

The other novel that Mary Brunton completed was Discipline (1814). Like Walter Scott's Waverley, published in the same year, it had Highland scenes that were much appreciated. It went into three editions in two years.

Reviews

[Christine]

Discipline by Mary Brunton is the story of a beautiful, wealthy, indulged young lady named Ellen. By the time she is sixteen she has become, despite being intelligent and naturally good-hearted, a rebellious, idle snob who spends her time flirting and tormenting her rival. She has two friends attempting to redirect her energies in a more positive, “Christian” direction, but Ellen (like so many teenagers) is stubborn and disregards much of their advice. Her flirtation eventually threatens to ruin her social reputation, her father loses his fortune and then, in a fit of despair, kills himself, leaving Ellen alone, disgraced, and nearly penniless. She is forced to learn some discipline, hence the name of the novel.

The novel felt more Victorian to me than Romantic as a large amount of page space is devoted to moralizing—a LOT of moralizing! The mini sermons throughout the novel grew a bit tiresome and made it a longer read than it needed to be. Brunton praises the virtues of a simplistic life, hard work, and compassion for those less fortunate than oneself. Her heroine is at her best when she is empathetic towards people she would have scorned to associate with just a few months earlier. These are certainly Romantic values. Brunton, a Scot herself, obviously had a great love for Scotland and the Scottish people. Her Scottish characters had interesting stories and family histories to share, and many seemed to embody the Romantic notion of the “noble savage.”

The storyline was pretty predictable—if you’ve read any Jane Austen then you’ll know more or less how the story will eventually turn out. It wasn’t quite as much fun as an Austen novel, though. The novel highlights just how difficult it was for women in the 19th century to survive without means or connections. I did, however, enjoy watching Ellen’s evolution from spoiled girl to self-contained woman and I admired her determination and ingenuity as she faced her many hardships.

[Leslie]

This book is in conversation with all sorts of other texts in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries—Fanny Burney’s Cecilia (the masquerade scene, the humbling of the beautiful heiress), Sir Walter Scott’s novels with their English interlopers in a kind of idealized fantastical Highlands, and of course Jane Austen, especially Emma. I really enjoyed it; it got me through a day of long hours in airports and on planes quite happily.

[Frances Smith]

This was published in 1814 and is a novel for people who want to read books from that time period, rather than for example Jane Austen where the characters and plot are so well written that they appeal to readers of any time.

Written in the first person, the narrator has a sweet voice, but it also rather handwringing, as she berates herself for her youthful failures, and tries to live a more Christian life. It is a morality tale, but the plot is engaging, if occasionally a touch unbelievable, and if you enjoy Georgian novels then it's worth reading

[Gina]

A lame Start but a Good Ending

I had a hard time getting into this book because the beginning was slow and the main character not at all likeable for the first half of the book. The second half of the book was much more interesting to me, and I really enjoyed the ending. As with most books of this era, this book is heavy on morality and seeped with flowerylanguage. There were a lot of rambling sentences that I had to re-read several times before they made sense. In the end, I'm glad I stuck with it, as it was nice to see Ellen redeem herself. Plus, I love a happy ending.

[s-n]

3.5 bought in a used bookshop bc i am attracted to stories about useful suffering . very christian and quite wordy in a way that is often to its detriment but i still enjoyed . the ending was sweet and lovely and i am ignoring the age gap ❤️

[Leslie Reiber]

very old (1815), and interesting as a "type" of women's writing of the era.

[Lori Gideon]

Predictable Victorian romance. Interesting story though.