Malachi's Cove and Flight

Malachi's Cove and Flight, are about two young ladies growing up but in

different times and places. Both asserting their independence and developing relationships with young men. Malachi's Cove is set in mid-nineteenth century

and Flight in the 1950s.

Wide Reading: GSCE Coursework

Both of the stories, Malachi's Cove and Flight, are about two young

ladies growing up but in different times and places. Both asserting

their independence and developing relationships with young men.

Malachi's Cove is set in mid-nineteenth century and Flight in the

1950s.

The authors' outlook on these stories express many differences.

Anthony Trollope (Malachi's Cove) was a male author, he wrote his

story when women were expected to find satisfaction in getting married

to a man whom might not love and having their children. This left them

dependent on men. This of course was in the Victorian period.

Doris Lessing wrote her story when women like herself were becoming

incredibly frustrated by the restrictions if their familial

responsibilities. One of Doris Lessing's best-known novels The Golden

Notebook (1962) was esteemed as an important manifestation of feminist

ideas. Doris may have been showing her views from when she was younger

when she went to a Catholic convent school but then left at the age of

14. She also joined the Communist party in 1949. This may explain the

reason why she wrote this story, to express her beliefs on women's

rights and feelings.

At the time Trollope wrote his story women were expected to take

certain duties onboard. He's written about a girl who is going against

all of the ideals of Victorian women. A stereotypical view of one of

these women was to be paled faced and have a 'delicate constitution'.

Women had nothing, they couldn't vote, they couldn't work in politics,

and they couldn't take a degree. Married women didn't have any

property of their own, women weren't legal guardians of their

children, and wives couldn't even keep their own earnings and that was

only if they worked as women were considered as 'ladies of leisure'.

In the 1950s women had a slightly better role than in the Victorian

times. The girls were getting a better education, even though it may

seem slightly sexist, they studied sewing, cookery and PE. Women were

still expected to stay at home and look after the children if they

were married, but they weren't discriminated if they didn't do that.

But they were still expected to act in a 'ladylike' manner.

Mally and Alice are in the same situation by wanting to be

independent, but they are opposite because they want to be independent

in different ways.