"The Most Terrifying Idea to the Victorian Mind is a Beautiful Woman in Charge" (Porphyria's Lover)

Once you get past the creepy feeling that descends upon you when you realize that you are reading about a murder in Browning’s “Porphyria’s Lover”, you have to tackle the more appalling and arguably more eerie feeling that sets in when you think about WHY Porphyria might have been killed. It appears to me that the speaker, consumed by feelings of powerlessness and inferiority, murders Porphyria in attempt to regain control of the relationship and establish true dominance between the two lovers. AKA, this man was way too insecure about the power this woman exerted over him (because of course, women shouldn't be in control!) and decided to be all macho and show her who's boss. I think he went a little too far.

Porphyria's arrival illustrates her strong sense of independence and power. With no command or assent from the speaker, Porphyria transforms the cottage from a cold, dark place, to a cheerful, warm environment. Her actions upon arrival suggest that she does not care whether the speaker wants the house to be lit, but rather believes it is truly best for the speaker and herself, turning an act of kindness into an act of control. As she continues to move about the house, the speaker remains silent and makes no visible acknowledgment of her presence, as if to downplay her importance and undermine her power in his head. However, despite his apathetic appearance, he describes Porphyria’s every move to the readers, from the removal of her “soiled gloves” to the release of her “damp hair”, signifying that he is watching her astutely to the point of obsession and desired possessiveness (12-13).

The speaker’s muteness appears to fuel Porphyria’s desire to regain attention from the speaker as she uses her femininity as a means of establishing control by belittling his frustrations with her and making him love her again. Lines 16-20 particularly emphasize how she uses her sexuality to assert her sense of power over the speaker (seems a little reminiscent of "SHE", does it not?). Porphyria’s overt sexual actions suggest that it is she who makes the decisions for the couple and thus has all the control in the relationship. The speaker is physically manipulated by Porphyria; he does not respond on his own, and all forms of affection are instigated by Porphyria moving his body to conform to hers. Traditionally, it is the man who is the dominant one in the relationship, particularly in its physicality. The fact that Porphyria appears to have taken on this role reveals how emasculated the speaker is, thus losing his sense of superiority.  Instead, the speaker is captivated by a woman who is artfully using her sexuality to control him. Frightened, the speaker lashes out and controls this oh-so-scary situation by killing his "love."

Upon her suffocation, the speaker masterfully controls her body as if she were a puppet; he seems to be playing lovingly with his newfound power over her, exploiting his dominance by moving the dead Porphyria to a position where she is leaning on his shoulder – a symbol of dependency. By doing so, the speaker demonstrates an eerie parallel to Porphyria’s manipulations on his body moments before her death. He concludes by sitting alone with her body “all night long”, and ultimately decides her fate – she is entirely stricken of her independency and power, and cannot come and go as she pleases (59). This results in the speaker’s ideal situation where he assumes Porphyria’s dominant role in the relationship by reestablishing which lover is in control of the other. In other words, it seems like he's thinking, "PHEW, THE SITUATION IS UNDER CONTROL GUYS. I GOT THIS." Terrifying.