A Feminist Perspective of A Sicilian Romance and The Castle of Otranto
In eighteenth century novels, a common means of discussing the role of women in society is through the characterization of two good sisters. The heroine of such a novel is a pure, kind young woman who also has a streak of spunkiness. Her sister may be more good and kind, but she is more submissive and reserved. I would like to look at these sisters (and their mothers) in Ann Radcliffe’s A Sicilian Romance , and The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole.
It is possible that The Castle of Otranto was the first to introduce these two good sisters as a means of exploring the duties and expectations of modern woman and her right to love. Interestingly, the book comes out in favor of increased individuality and lessened submissiveness. One way contemporary ideas of femininity were being defined was through conduct books written to guide women. “Prescriptive writing…in the eighteenth century tended to portray most women as largely passive in the face of men, biology, and fate...” (Hunt, 75). Walpole and Radcliffe explore what happens when a woman is not passive. The consequences of this independence are gauged against the fate of the more acceptably feminine sister (and mother).
Though not blood relatives, Isabella has been raised as Matilda’s sister, and her relationship with the prince and princess is one of daughter to parents. Isabella has a more independent identity than Matilda does. There are suggestions that Isabella is slightly more sensual than Matilda, someone who admits her sexuality and attraction to men. Bianca, Matilda’s lady, says, “But there is my Lady Isabella would not be so reserved to me: she will let me talk to her of young men;...
... middle of paper ...
...ill inevitably have to compromise her virtue for her happiness. Walpole allows Matilda to remain obedient by having her death occur before she must make a final choice. “Well! to be sure, Madam, you were born to be a saint,” says Bianca to Matilda, “and there is no resisting one’s vocation; you will end in a convent at last” (Walpole, 42). Bianca is close to the truth as Matilda is martyred.
Works Cited
Hunt, Margaret R. The Middling Sort: Commerce, Gender, and Family in England, 1680-1780. London: University of California Press, 1996
Radcliffe, Ann. A Sicilian Romance. Edited by Alison Milbank. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993.
Tobin, Beth Fowkes. History, Gender and Eighteenth-Century Literature. London: University of Georgia Press, 1994.
Walpole, Horace. The Castle of Otranto. London: Grey Walls Press Limited, 1950. 1998
Upon examination, we first must look at the sisters’ temperament and attitude towards life. Their attitude on life comes out in their writing and we can sense how they would perceive their new homeland, Canada in the 1832. Catharine, the elder by 23 months was considered to be the “sweet-tempered and placid, was her father’s favourite child,” and Susanna, the youngest, “was the impulsive and defiant [one], with a wicked sense of humour” (Gray, 17, 18). Both sisters’ traits are clearly exposed in their approach t...
Both Castiglione’s The Courtier and Christine de Pizan’s The Treasure of the City of Ladies advise women in the proper way to behave and conduct their lives, but do so aimed towards both a different audience and in different ways. The Treasure of the City of Ladies takes the approach of appealing to a broader range of women and addressing a wider array of subjects. In contrast, The Courtier is aimed mainly towards men and occasionally towards women, and always those of high status. The reasons behind these differences trace back not just to the execution of the books but to the different genders of the authors and the motivating factors behind the writing of them. When comparing both works to one another, The Treasure of the City of Ladies
In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and in Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid, two ladies are presented, that are not necessarily the leading protagonist, but they help unravel the plays’ plots into something amazing. Twelfth Night features Maria, the lady in waiting to Olivia. At first Maria comes off as a dilettante, later on we find out that’s not the case at all. Meanwhile, in The Imaginary Invalid, there is the disputatious Toinette, who is the maidservant and nurse to the imaginary invalid himself, Argan. Maria and Toinette are two strong women characters, their strength and wit is depicted through Maria and Toinette’s deceiving schemes to make their plays more stimulating as well as their objectivity throughout all the chaos in their respective play.
Did you know that every 2 seconds someone in the United States needs blood? Where does that blood come from? The American Red Cross, is a nonprofit humanitarian organization. It assists with disaster relief and provides emergency services to those in need. The American Red Cross has been around for aver 100 years and has come a long way in the process.
The subjugation of women is a key theme across my three chosen texts, Othello, The Great Gatsby and Wuthering Heights, that is presented both subtly and obviously through forms of physical, sexual and mental denegation. As a subtler example of subjugation, each woman is ultimately controlled and manipulated by a male figure, whether it be through Othello’s suppression of Desdemona upon believing she is unfaithful, Heathcliff’s domination over Isabella or Tom Buchanan’s economic control of Daisy via his financial stability within a class defined society. This confirms Evelyn Cunningham’s perception that, “Women are the only oppressed group in our society that lives in intimate association with their oppressors”, notably in the way that women’s roles are dictated and restricted by the domineering, patriarchal men in their lives, however there are still aspects of female rebellion in each of the texts.
During the Elizabethan era women had a status of subordination towards men. They had a role to marry and oblige to their husband’s wishes. Shakespearean literature, especially illustrates how a woman is psychologically and physically lesser to their male counterpart. The play, Othello, uses that aspect in many different ways. From a Feminist lens others are able to vividly examine how women were subjected to blatant inferiority. Being displayed as tools for men to abuse, women were characterized as possessions and submissive; only during the last portion of the play did the power of women take heed.
Shakespeare illustrates the injustices done to women by demonstrating the treatment Desdemona and Emilia received after having been framed of adultery. Because both women are though of cheating on their husbands, they no longer fit in society’s model of an exemplary wife. Despite having proved their affection for their husbands countless of times, not having a pure image led to Iago and Othello mistreating of the women they once loved. Once both women began to stand up for themselves and challenge the authority of their husbands, the repercussions of their bravery were both women’s death. Which shows, women’s only source of authority was their reputation as a wife. Once they lost that status, they no longer held any form or respect in society or with their husband’s.
Sara Mendelson and Patricia Crawford, Women in Early Modern England 1550-1720 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), pp. 37-9 Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/journals/parergon/v019/19.1.crawford.pdf
Women in Shakespeare’s Elizabethan period lived in chains bound by the society with the leash handed first to their father and after marriage to their husbands. The higher the position in society tighter the restrictions. Women were escorted everywhere they went like Desdemona. “Good women followed the instructions of their husband and father’s.” Men did not have to explain themselves and their actions to their possessions.One of the examples of women 's role is given by Shakespeare In act 3 of Othello,when Iago’s wife Emilia says, “I know nothing but to please his fantasy”(3.3.299).
Women in the Elizabethan era were subservient to men. They were expected to conform to the societies expectations while obeying the significant male figures in their lives. High-born women were often portrayed “possessions” to be shared between fathers and husbands. In several cases, they were socially restricted and unable to explore the world around them without chaperones. The women were mainly expected to act as loving caretakers to those in their families. In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, however, the female figures in the play both promote the idea of unbridled feminine sexuality but also promote the female ideals of being loving caretakers. The dramatic technique Shakespeare uses to characterize his female figure in the play are the setting, the character’s dialogue and what the other characters say about them, especially behind their backs. The three main female characters that endorse but also contradict the archetypes of women are the tyrannical Lady Macbeth, the loving Lady Macduff and lastly the mysterious weird sisters.
Women in the Elizabethan era were just mere properties for the entertainment and pleasure for men. Now, not all men- some would love to think- thought all women were to be their possession and to use in whatever way they choose, but majority of them did view women as less than them. Othello, a prime example of patriarchal man who disregards the existence of his wife unless it suites him. He dares get upset at the rumours of his wife’s adultery, (he has had his many fills of other women), because he is jealous, and his description of his jealousy is quite barbaric, “Thy bed, lust-stained,
William Shakespeare’s The Tempest provides dialogue that portrays the social expectations and stereotypes imposed upon women in Elizabethan times. Even though the play has only one primary female character, Miranda, the play also includes another women; Sycorax, although she does not play as large a roll. During many scenes, the play illustrates the characteristics that represent the ideal woman within Elizabethan society. These characteristics support the fact that men considered women as a mere object that they had the luxury of owning and were nowhere near equal to them. Feminists can interpret the play as a depiction of the sexist treatment of women and would disagree with many of the characteristics and expectations that make Miranda the ideal woman. From this perspective, The Tempest can be used to objectify the common expectations and treatment of women within the 16th and 17th Centuries and compare and contrast to those of today.
As a result of the recent technological advance, customers can easily compare different products and post reviews through Internet and social media and they can also be affected with competitors’ activities and promotions. Therefore, it’s always important to combine their needs satisfaction with positive shopping experience and excellent customer
The story of Matilda has shown many different major themes. The theme of kindness, intelligence and even a bit of magic. It can also brilliantly show the theme of good vs evil. This theme relates to the main character and villain. In the story Matilda is the antagonist who was considered good. She stood up for all and didn't back down against bullies like the headmistress. Matilda was a type of good archetype called the Female Messiah, because she cared for others more than herself, she has a strong belief system, is an introvert, and receives information through knowing (Schmidt 11). Matilda acted morally when she put The Trunchbull in her place for picking on the smallest children. She acted heroically any time she stood up to the headmistress
Nowadays many countries in the world have passed laws to ban smoking in public places. However, smoking in public still happens frequently. Some smokers claim that their rights are infringed if smoking is forbidden in public places. However, most non-smokers regard the ban as good news. As far as I’m concerned, smoking should be banned in all the public places such as restaurants, theaters and public square. No one will judge a smoker smokes alone in his/her personal space. However, smoke in public affect other people and the environment, it should be banned. Passive smoking kills so many people and it 's unfair to others, especially nonsmokers.