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One of the most prominent women in The Secret River is Sal Thornhill. Raised in London, Sal is young William Thornhill's sweetheart, eventual wife, and mother to his children. Sal comes from a slightly better-off background than Will, but still is considered low-income (Grenville 17). She and Will eventually land into more severe poverty during their early married life.
Sal's experience reflects much of women's experiences in the late 18th century. Although modern media prefers stories about the upperclass women at this time, most women were low-income (Vickery 383). Their stories, (while much less glamorous) also matter, and Grenville attempts to highlight them through Sal's life.
Body
In The Secret River, Sal is not overly sexuality, but nor is her body treated as something that doesn't exist. William thinks she is beautiful, but has never seen her completely naked (Grenville 201). This is because for white culture in late 18th century London, women's bodies are supposed to be private in order to maintain their purity. Modesty was important in English culture particularly and 'modest' English women were often regarded as superior to 'coquettish' French women (Ylivuori 31). Sal is pressured to not be completely exposed to her husband, and certainly to minimize the amount of her body that the rest of the public can see. However this does not mean that she is ashamed of her body and sexuality in any way. In private, she jokes with Will about these topics and does not seem to be afraid or uncomfortable to be intimate with him (Grenville 87).
Duties
Besides her relationship with her body, another key aspect of London Sal's womanhood are her duties. Growing up, Sal tries to be a good daughter. She takes lessons in 'letters' and sews shirts and handkerchiefs (Grenville 37). These activities are similar to the typical work of a lower-income London woman in the late 18th century, and they were seen as natural fulfillment of a woman's role rather than 'work' (Vickery 410). Once Sal is married to Will, supporting and attending to him becomes another one of her duties. She is subservient to Will as his wife and is primarily tasked with maintaining the household while he works (Grenville 48).
However, because the couple is so desperate for money, Sal is eventually able to run their shop Sign of the Pickled Herring as well. Another one of Sal's largest duties is as a mother. Motherhood was expected of women at this time, and Sal is proud to fulfill that duty and bear Will a son (Vickery 398). Without the income to afford a nanny, she is tasked with raising her children and continuing to bear them if Will wishes.
Power
Sal does not hold much power relative to the men of her time and place, but she is relatively powerful for a woman in the same context. Like other married women at this time, Sal cannot own property (Dashwood 1). However, she is able to manage a shop and live in an apartment that Will rents. She also has little authority in government and most social circles, but is able to confidently speak her mind within her marriage most of the time. Will's hard work and future dreams are driven by love of his wife, giving her more influence in that way (Romero-Ruiz 157).
Outside of this fictional history, actual late 18th-century low-income London women often conditioned to act in ways that fostered men's approval for their survival and sense of self-worth (Darby 336). As such, Will is still regarded as the primary authoritarian figure, but Sal can communicate her desires to Will and he often gives in. Perhaps the main source of Sal's power is her individual autonomy. In her lower-class position, Sal is able to take risks as if she has little to lose in terms of her reputation. She devises clever strategies to keep her family from financial ruin and takes the initiative to find a way to prevent Will's execution (Grenville 62).
Significance
There are multiple possibilities of what Grenville is trying to Sal through Sal in London. First, she reflects on changes in the way women's bodies are perceived and treated. As the woman character readers are introduced to first, Sal's lived experiences serve as the comparison point for the other woman characters who surface later on. Also, it reinforces the obstacles that she has had to overcome when eventually arriving in Sydney. Sal's history of lacking power, having to struggle to survive, having numerous duties to fulfill, and sympathizing with trapped creatures generates character growth and shapes her belief system and values (Grenville 18).
Beyond Sal's own development, her character itself effectively portrays the sexism of late 18th-century London society. Readers witness her possess intelligence, initiative, and responsibility, and management skills equal if not superior to Will's own, yet she is not afforded the same opportunities he is. Plus, her representation in modern mainstream literature gives attention to a very marginalized group whose stories and especially triumphs are often left out of history books. Grenville deliberately refuses to portray poor 18th-century London women as submissive, powerless, accepting. For this reason, Sal can be interpreted as a symbol of the strength of actual women of this time and the ways many of them attempted to thrive in a society that tried to stifle them.
Image: Woman from "From Street Life in London" (1877) by John Thomson and Adolphe Smith.
Link: https://postimg.cc/jCvwngvg