Similarities between the French Lieutenant's Woman and the Crown Jewel The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles and the Crown Jewel by Paul Scott are two works literature that illustrates the continuity of British literature over time. While The French Lieutenant's Woman [is set]… in the Victorian era and Crown Jewel [depicts events in the]… twentieth century. . ., the two present similar thematic contents. Both works emphasize the importance of social stature, both portray society's view of what is acceptable in women's intimate relationships, and both are stories in which two lovers stay together whether society approves or not. The portrayal of social stature in The French Lieutenant's Woman is quite simple. Besides Sarah Woodruff, the characters belong to the wealthy upper class. Sarah is described as a "poor but educated woman who has lost her reputation". Other characters include Charles Smithson, a wealthy gentleman who becomes Sarah's lover; Ernistina Freeman, Charles' fiancée and daughter of a wealthy businessman; Mr. Freeman, Ernestina's father, a successful businessman who aspires to the upper class by marrying his daughter into [an upper class]...; and Mrs. Poultney, a wealthy widow who takes Sarah Woodruff in to belittle and humiliate her. The social statures depicted in Jewel in the Crown are more complicated; race also plays a role in the social status of his characters. The story's main character is Daphne Manners, who starts out as upperclassman but is later demoted to "that Manners girl" due to an interracial relationship with Hari Kumar. Hari was born in India, but grew up well in England. Upon his return to India he lost his social status. aspires to......middle of paper......disapprove and criticize it. It was a sad reality that white hostility toward mixed-sex relationships could devalue the life of an innocent child. Jewel in the Crown and French Lieutenant's Woman fully illustrate the continuity of British literature. While The French Lieutenant's Woman represents the 1860s and The Crown Jewel represents the 1940s, the two literary works remain very similar in plot and theme. They also illustrate that English values ​​regarding intimate relationships and social boundaries have remained unchanged for over eighty years. Works Cited Damrosch, David, et al., ed. The Longman anthology of British literature. vol. B. Compact ed. New York: Longman - Addison Wesley Longman, 2000. Scott, Paul. The jewel in the crown. (1966.) vol. 1 of the Raj Quartet. Rpt. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1998.