The Stallion: A Consideration of Sanditon's Sidney Parker

In the PBS "Masterpiece" description for Sanditon, the character of Sidney Parker is described as "humorous, charming (and slightly wild!") He's also described as enigmatic. Well, I say he's more than a little wild and he's definitely an enigma. 

In my second post about Sanditon on Episode 8,  I note that Sidney Parker reminds me of a wild stallion, a magnificent and powerful beauty who can also be stubborn and brutish. When he strides with his long black overcoat flowing and top hat on, he channels the sleekness, strength and boldness of these great horses.  He is a Regency cowboy with a wildness at heart.

First, let's consider common traits of the stallion. Stallions are sometimes generalized to be mean, aggressive and uncontrollable. This is the Sidney Parker we encounter in the first several episodes of Sanditon--one could argue at least through Ep. 4.  But by the same token, stallions are known to be natural, spirited, and noble and some even take them for mystical creatures. When trained by a knowledgeable and experienced horse handler, one who recognizes and corrects inappropriate behavior, they can be trained to perform exceptionally well. Some people believe a stallion can bond to a single human to the exclusion of all others.

There's a long tradition of stallions in literature and film and of the special bond that can be forged with one exceptional human. This person has insight into the natural world and can break through to a stubborn stallion. Think about classics like "Black Beauty", "The Black Stallion", "The Horse Whisperer" or even the recent film "The Mustang" starring Matthias Schoenaerts in which an individual can break through to a horse when no one else can.  Sometimes the horse is rebellious because it misses its freedom and sometimes the aggression is due to trauma or abuse. 

Charlotte is the exceptional human in Sandition--she's a genuine and free spirit who recognizes a kindred spirit.  We can argue that Sidney is rebellious due to the trauma he's suffered. Charlotte is the skilled trainer who is not intimidated by Sidney despite his very rough, potentially dangerous edges and his aggression towards her. She is not afraid to try and help shape Sidney into the best man he can be. 

Despite layers of cynicism and distrust that have built up around him, at heart Sidney is genuine, passionate, kind and caring. He is devoted to family and loves them more than anything. I imagine as a child he too was a free spirit, a golden boy who loved laughing and mischief and adventure. He swims, he seeks out new places, he reads philosophy and keeps his mind sharp. But as a young man he felt defeated by life's disappointments until he met Charlotte who helped to break down his barriers and regenerate him into the loving man he is. She made him feel safe enough to be his truest self. 

Watching and re-watching Sanditon, I've thought on how purity becomes tainted over time, much as Charlotte's wide-eyed innocence and positivity is crushed by episode 8 and wild stallion Sidney is essentially captured in a vice-like trap.  I kept thinking more on the theme of animals being hunted. Sidney to me is like a prized, rare animal stalked by hunters.  With all the many ways people around Sidney have sought to control him and use him, whether it's Tom or Mrs. Campion, or even Mary who turns a blind eye to his incredible sacrifice for her family, I'm reminded of how some humans capture and kill majestic animals for sport just to show their dominance.  Many seek to control and inhibit wilderness and nature for other reasons, thinking their efforts are in service of a greater good (we can lump Tom into this unfortunate category as he's obsessed with building up Sanditon at any cost).  

What's at stake? Majestic animals are preyed upon, violently killed and left lifeless to serve as mere trophies. No matter how powerful and strong they are in the wild, humans with their highly developed tools and intellect--and often their ruthlessness--can take them down. So Sidney is hunted upon by his own brother and by Eliza for their selfish gain. 

It was only Charlotte who with her love and patience was able to tame Sidney's wild heart and make him feel safe and loved enough to truly be himself. Given the chance to marry Charlotte, imagine what could lie ahead for this great man? What could he go on to achieve in Sanditon and beyond? How would he "leave his mark on the world and leave it a better place than he found it?" (*Sidney, ep. 1)

But at the conclusion of Ep. 8 we are left with a gut-wrenching scene of Sidney grief stricken on the cliff top, trapped in a loveless engagement watching the woman he truly loves whisked away by a carriage. He is the hunted animal now severely wounded, gasping desperately for breath as he sees his very life, his spirit dragged away. 

I was reminded of a pivotal scene from the 2006 movie, "The Queen" with Helen Mirren and if you haven't watched it, it's a must-see for this hauntingly beautiful and poetic scene alone:

The Queen -hunted Stag scene

Here, Mirren's character Queen Elizabeth is outside in the idyllic Balmoral countryside having a private moment of peaceful reflection when she sees a large and majestic deer. She whispers, "Oh, you're beauty!" breathlessly as she's so awe-struck by this awesome creature. Its beauty is staggering.

She then hears the sound of a hunter's gun.  She's woken from her reverie and tries to shoo the unsuspecting animal away to safety. It is one of the most quietly moving and powerful scenes of the film.

I view Sidney in some ways like this deer. He's an outlier in London society and even in Sanditon, a man who has traveled and lived in faraway places, sworn off marriage and settling down. He's like the exotic animal preyed upon by so-called refined and civilized humans, who are actually savage in their ability to be extremely cruel. Especially women like Eliza who want to claim him as a trophy but don't understand or appreciate him. The exception is Charlotte who didn't want to own him but just loved him for who he is. 

Naturally, prior to Charlotte’s help, he had built up massive walls defending himself and not trusting people. Like the stallion or that precious deer in "The Queen" he is a rare thing of beauty in heart and spirit, almost mystical. Perhaps even too precious for this cruel world as the end of Ep. 8 leaves us bidding farewell to a tragic hero. 

Later in the film, "The Queen", Helen Mirren sees an imposing deer head hung on the wall at a very wealthy man's estate as a trophy. It's meant to impress. It's alluded that this trophy is the same large deer she saw earlier--a special conquest for this hunter, a banker who was out for a day of shooting. And she is so deeply saddened to see this magnificent, otherworldly creature, butchered and hung. Lifeless.

Humans will kill beautiful creatures to exert control and power. This is how I view Eliza with Sidney. She doesn't truly love him because real love is unselfish. She just needs to win. As she said herself at the regatta, she doesn't see a point in entering a race not to win. Marrying Sidney, one of the most appealing bachelors in their society, is just another status symbol for her. 

In my earlier post, I noted Sidney's dual nature. In addition to his wild and genuine heart, he's also incredibly intelligent. He will need to use every ounce of his understanding and intelligence to navigate the very tricky web of societal conventions he is trapped in now with a loveless engagement to Mrs. Campion and the enormous debt he is carrying for his brother Tom. It's a situation in which his brute strength and bravery are not enough. He needs his wits and he needs to outsmart them. I believe he can do it.

Now, where will the next chapter of Sanditon lead us? How will Sidney use his smarts along with his bravery to unlock this formidable trap he's in? First, he has to summon all of his courage to decide he will not accept this fate and give up his soul. He is not destined to be a tragic hero. He is the Austen hero who will prevail. Will he call upon old friends in Antigua? Will he scheme a new business venture? Will he nudge Eliza toward a titled man to lure her away? Or will he have a heart to heart with her and somehow in friendship get her to see the light to release him but remain an investor in Sanditon's future? Perhaps I can't think of a way out right here, right now (it's a truly awful situation--we know!) But I also know that Sidney and Charlotte together are an incredible team. Their chemistry is ultimately based on a magnetic meeting of the minds. Given the opportunity to reunite they will put their heads together. With a little luck, a lot of heart and the strength of their minds and ingenuity as only a Jane Austen story could give us, they will prevail. 

Now, back to envisioning all that can still be. Sidney Parker, our prized stallion, must be freed. He will ride on.