The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins was published in 1859-60, two years after The Matrimonial Causes Act, a change in British law “that was first big step in the breakdown of coverture,” according to Danaya C. Wright in the essay Untying the Knot: An Analysis of the English Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Court Records. Under the law of coverture in England, a single woman had few legal rights, but the rights she did have vanished once she married. The property of a feme covert, including any future inheritance, and the ability to earn a wage, was directly under her husband’s control. Lillian Nayder, in “Wilkie Collins,” writes that Collins’s “concen with the inequities of Victorian marriage" stemmed from his own upbringing, being raised by
(Nayder 7, 11) It can also explain why he vacillates in “The Woman in White” between putting women in a situation that seems to leave them no choice but to accept their male perpetrated institutionalizations and showing how their own complicit deference to Victorian tact and those same men perpetuate that prison. Collins wants it both ways.
In The Woman in White, Laura Fairlie, despite warnings from everyone around her and a victim of her soon-to-be-husband, does not take the opportunity offered by Percival Glyde to end an unwanted engagement made, in essence, by her father. She blames her inability to change her mind on her “obligation”, not just to Percival, but “to her father’s memory.” (170) Collins tell us though, that that desire to fulfill promises is her antagonist, “Her own noble conduct has been her hidden enemy.” (Marian
In 1860, J. Ewing Ritchie wrote in About London “Such cases are constantly occurring.” (141) Although it was typically women who used the law to get financial release from men, it was not unheard of for men to sue their betrothed. But, according to Ginger S Frost in Promises Broken: Courtship, Class, and Gender in Victorian England, “A person under twenty-one could sue but not be sued for a promise made before his or her majority.” (16). Laura was twenty. There was no legal recourse Percival could take if she said
The concern of this paper is the “happy ending,” typical in Women’s Fiction according to Harris (46), present in A New England Tale, in which Jane Elton sacrifices her autonomous self through marrying Mr. Lloyd. I will critique this ending by applying several of the points Harris makes, including the conflict between theme and structure, the “extended quest for autonomy” (50), and the issue of the self-willing and “socially determined self” (54); also, I will discuss the sexual and religious politics Jane faces, as well as the importance of her role as educator. Readers can understand the autonomous self to which I refer in a nineteenth-century context: this do...
No reader of The Woman in Black, can be left in doubt about its conscious
Coyne uses paradigms within the text to describe the horrible situation in a maximum security federal prison. In “The Long Goodbye: Mother’s Day in Federal Prison”, she describes maximum security as “Pit of fire…Pit of fire straight from Hell. Never seen anything like it. Like something out of an old movie about prisoners…Women die there.” (61). Using this paradigm draws the reader in and gives him or her a far fetched example of what maximum security federal prisons are like. Amanda Coyne backs up her claim with many examples of women in the federal prison who are there for sentences that seem frankly extreme and should not be so harsh. For example, in “The Long Goodbye” Mother’s Day in Federal Prison” we learn about a woman named Stephanie. The text states that Stephanie is a “twenty-four-year-old blonde with Dorothy Hamill hair
[?] a Lady with numerous aristocratic connections sued for divorce from her husband, who ?had been unfaithful to her on their wedding night, had debauched all the maidservants in the house, had given his wife venereal disease, and was constantly drunk.? Her application was defeated after considerable parliamentary debate on the grounds that ?divorce by act of Parliament had traditionally been restricted to husbands, except when there were peculiarly aggravating circumstances like incest.? (34)
Of course, we all know from common sense that women are far less likely to be sentenced to death row than men. This should tip us off to the differences that the judicial system discriminates even in matters as important as murder or other capital offences. But within the subgroup of women prisoners there can be a distinction made between the representations of women more likely to be sentenced to death row, or in this case shown compassion while on death row. Hawkins describes this compassion as “typically extended only to female inmates who fit a certain predetermined societal profile of women”. This definition of “women” or “womanhood” is very interesting and deserves to be explored. In my past, I have a conception of women as being sweet and frail; basically incapable of doing wrong because they are too nice or too weak to do so. Women who are too intelligent or too strong are cast off as being masculine or lesbians. When female basketball players are seen on television, they are perceived as trying to be masculine.
Sir Percival, although spelled in a variety of ways, was one of King Arthur’s legendary Knights of the Round Table. In many accounts, his widowed mother raised Percival; typically the works did not give the names of any siblings or other relatives for this knight, in a secluded forest. Percival’s mother sheltered him extensively, keeping him from knowing of knighthood in particular, although some accounts include that he was illiterate and further, ill mannered. As a result of his sheltered upbringing, in the beginning of his life and career, Sir Percival is consistently portrayed as being uncouth or having a natural innocence or foolishness about society, knighthood, and chivalry. Often, this innocence translates to his quests where he demonstrates
By any contemporary standards of behavior, Griselda actions are reprehensible; not only does she relinquish all semblances of personal volition, she deserts all duties of maternal guardianship as she forfeits her daughter and son to the--in so far as she knows--murderous intent of her husband. Regardless of what we think of her personal subservience to Walter, the surrendering of her children is a hard point to get around. Even the ever-testing Marquis himself, at his wife's release of their second child says he would have suspected her of malice and hardness of her heart had he not known for sure that she loved her children (IV 687-95). It is little wonder our students, in whom we try to foster a sense of personal responsibility and human sensitivity, initially find Griselda an insipid and morally reprehensible wimp.
...d longs for her elder sister and mother. Frances is a good person – at heart – and is always looking out for her younger sister. Moreover, even though she has different views that her father and will always do the opposite of what is expected of her, it is seen that this insecurity is caused by James indeed. Frances feels that in order to gain security in her life, she must perform these actions. She feels compelled to live her life the way she does. Frances’s naughty and mischievous behaviour can be viewed as a weakness she possesses, and she longs to correct these weaknesses by her actions. She is not a role model by any means, but she is by no means the Devil’s advocate. A sincere heart – compelled by circumstances – does its best to make the situation turn out for the better than the worse, and Frances, through her love for her mother, inevitably does just that.
Society creates standard rules that create a barrier between the male and female roles. In most cases, the male comes out on top as the superior breadwinner of the family, while the women stay home and perform the role of the housewife. Therefore, women are limited to having one perspective and do not experience the outside. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman illustrate how the American woman define the limits and experiences a woman has. Initially, the American woman has a position that does not change; thus the women must accept the role. However, both Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter and the unnamed narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” establish the condiment women face, unable
This is one of the first signs of secrecy in the book because Laura Fairlie ends up withholding information of her first love from her husband. Inevitably he finds for himself and becomes enraged. Hartright finds it odd but leaves the country trying to forget is first love. After the marriage takes place Glyde attempts to get Laura to sign over her fortune to him because of his debt. After the being refused by Laura and also Miss Halcombe finding out too much information, Glyde and his friend Count Fosco decide it is best to switch Laura with her doppelganger Anne, into the roles or each other’s lives. They do this because in order to gain access to Laura’s money, Glyde and Fosco must fake Laura’s death.
Domestic principles of Victorian England also promoted the dominance of men. The husband was the supreme being in the house and it was “a husband’s duty to protect his wife […] this authority also allowed for him to use violence, if necessary, in order to keep her in line” (Nolte 3). Caroline Norton gave evidence of this when she disagreed with her husband upon the actions of another lady.
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on The Scarlet Letter.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2003. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.
Womanism in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple “Every time they ask me to do something, Miss Celie, I act like I’m you. I jump right up and do just what they say” (88). This line conveys how obedient Celie is towards others, which she learns from her own people. The black community degrades black women to make it difficult for them to become independent (Tanritanir and Aydemir 438).
Collins, as awful as he is, is actually socially equal to Charlotte. Although Charlotte’s father, Sir William Lucas, was once a knight, he is now retired and the family is no longer thriving. Therefore, Charlotte is left in a predicament of being too educated and upper-class to marry below her, as it would be a social demotion to her family, but she is also too poor and average in looks to attract a wealthy, good-looking man. Although Charlotte views Collins as “neither sensible nor agreeable,” she is a realist who recognizes her entrapment in the social web, and directs herself toward a solution to her problem. After Charlotte accepts Mr. Collins’s proposal, she reluctantly tells Lizzy, knowing it will make her upset. When seeing the shock and disgust on Lizzy’s face, Charlotte calmly defends herself, saying, “ ‘You must be surprised, very much surprised—so lately as Mr. Collins was wishing to marry you. But when you have had time to think it over, I hope you will be satisfied with what I have done. I am not romantic, you know; I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins's character, connection, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state’ ” (147-148). Charlotte simply states that she doesn’t mind she isn’t Mr. Collins’s first choice and accepts a marriage with no love. She explains to Lizzy that her admittance of this proposal is necessary for
The short story Girl written by Jamaica Kincaid is a mother’s compilation of advice, skills, and life experience to her daughter. The mother believes that her offer of practical and helpful guidance will assist her daughter in becoming a proper woman, and gaining a fulfilling life and respectable status in the community. Posed against the mother’s sincere concern for her daughter’s future is Sir Walter’s superficial affection to his daughters in the novel Persuasion written by Jane Austen. Due to his detailed attention for appearance and social rank, Sir Walter has been negligent to his daughters’ interests and fails to fulfill his responsibility as a father. Throughout both literary works, the use of language and tone towards persuasive endeavors reveals the difference in family dynamics and the success of persuasion on the character’s transformation.