The Night Gardener

The Night Gardener takes place in England during the Victorian Era (roughly 1837-1901, during the reign of Queen Victoria). The famine in Ireland (popularly known as the Irish Potato Famine) occurred during this time frame, and the background and subtext of the novel are heavily influenced by the events and societal norms of the time. England was a primary power in the world during the Victorian Era, producing advancements in medicine, science, and industry and experiencing only a few confrontations with minor powers. An emphasis was placed on morality as part of an Evangelical movement mostly made up of Britain’s new middle class. This dynamic enabled certain groups to rise while infringing on the liberties of others, particularly nonconformists and anti-religious groups. Auxier uses the character of Dr. Crouch to embody this strict Victorian sense of morality; the doctor’s opinionated, arrogant personality symbolizes the type of moral righteousness that dominated the period.

Although Ireland was not the only region to suffer a sharp increase in deaths due to the blight that sickened potato crops far and wide, the island nation was particularly hard-hit, as potatoes were the main food source in the area. Approximately one million people died of disease and starvation during the famine, and another million fled the country in poor conditions. (In the novel, Molly and Kip’s flight to England, as well as the deaths of her parents, are precipitated by this crisis.) Ireland was part of the British Empire at the time, and the famine heightened political tensions between the Irish and British. The moral code of England’s middle class compelled them to conclude that the famine was due to a moral failing on the part of the Irish, and many of Britain’s people therefore viewed the Irish as little more than animals, a view that Dr. Crouch perpetuates throughout The Night Gardener.

During the Victorian Era, the upper class saw a decline in numbers and power as the middle class rose to prominence. With this rise to power came new ideas about freedom, values, and love, some of which influenced the backstory of The Night Gardener. One of the most popular ideas of the time was the idea of marriage for love, rather than for money or convenience, and Mr. Windsor’s money troubles stem from this movement. He and Constance married for love, and while he comes from a middle-class family, Constance comes from a wealthy background and is used to greater extravagances than her husband. In an attempt to give his wife the life she used to have, Mr. Windsor makes a series of poor investments, causing severe financial difficulties that compel him to move back to his family’s house out of sheer desperation, subjecting his family to the supernatural ravages of the tree. In the Victorian Era, women were meant to be housewives while men were seen as the breadwinners—strong and dependable. Auxier subverts these norms by having Constance become a strong presence who defies her husband while Mr. Windsor remains fearful and incompetent in business matters. If Mr. and Mrs. Windsor represent the clash between the middle and upper class in Victorian times, then Mr. Fig and Stubbs, Mr. Windsor’s creditors, represent the criminal world that arose along with the new middle class. Rather than behaving like honest businessmen, men like Fig and Stubbs preyed on those willing and desperate enough to make any type of deal in order to improve their situation.