Character Analysis Amelia Sedley is the opposite of Becky Sharp, unwitted, dependent on others, and overall a damsel in distress. She was brought up in a very wealthy home to both of her parents alive and well. All her life she had been pampered and doted on, every request granted on a whim, the perfect little princess life that Rebecca longed for. The bane of her existence had been protected by her loving parents, always sheltered from the outside world. Because she was so hidden away from society, Amelia was very weak and could not carry herself alone. She works best off of someone there to support her, the minute that support is taken away she falls into a depression-like state. Despite her being very weak and one-track minded, she is also very loving and loyal. Similar to Rebecca, she also attracts suitors, but for a very different reason. If Becky was wanted out of lust, Amelia is wanted out of love. She is a lovable, innocent, kind person that the other characters cannot help but love back, however also take great advantage of her. …show more content…
Growing up as a typical damsel in distress is both good and bad. In a good sense, she was a more feminine and innocent version of Rebecca, capable of human emotions and caring for others. However, the stereotype does seem to get too extreme, resulting in a human lump of emotions and sadness when no one is there to swoop in and protect her from the great giant dragon out her window. Miss Pinkerton herself even suggests that Amelia use a backboard every evening, Thackeray’s way of saying she lacks a backbone to her mentality and could really use one right about now. Readers are shown two extremes of a helpless princess and a strong independent pauper, two of which result in vanity-oriented women who, at the end of the day, only care about
Emma Simpson- She is the main character in this story . The whole concept of the book is about her diary . In her diary she talks about the stress and anxiety the war has brought upon her family .Emma to me is a static character. She still to me doesn't mature as much as she says she has. She complains a lot .If she really matured she would have handled things like her Aunt Caroline.
One might question if Eliza really had any choice in her situation. Early in the novel she declares, "What a pity . . . that the graces and virtues are not oftner united!" (Foster 22). While Sanford possessed all the suavity she desired and Reverend Boyer all the integrity, she could find no companion who possessed both. This lack of options seems to be what truly destroys Eliza. It may have been within Eliza's power to be a True Woman, but due to the societal constraints imposed upon her, it does not seem at all possible for her to have been a happy woman.
You could see the helpless and powerless state of women even as far back as the 18th century. The story also exposes the fundamental injustices meted out to women by confining them to a limited domestic sphere. The society dictates the identity and role of the woman; “every young woman is expected to marry a suitable spouse” (Foster 818), take care of her husband and children, while having no voice or rights of her own. Any relationships outside the spheres of marriage is being frowned at. But the man can do as he pleases, even if he is married. While Eliza had to move away from her family and friends because she was pregnant and could not stand the shame and had “become a reproach and disgrace to friends” (Foster 906), Sanford is allowed to continue living his life probably with another vulnerable young woman in the society. While Sanford gets away with his womanizing acts, Eliza is the one who is branded as loose, and termed a coquette; she was the one who lost her life, trying to conceal a pregnancy that was conceived by two people. An unidentified source has this to write about her: “But let no one reproach her memory. Her life has paid the forfeit of her folly. Let that suffice” (Foster
The time Maud spends receiving her education is spent by Sadie enjoying her life. Maud, the educated sister, ends up “all alone in this old house” at the end of her life, while Sadie “left as heritage her fine-toothed comb” for her children. This result is not just a statement against education, but a statement against society. According to this poem, no matter which path a person chooses, there will be a negative in their life. If someone exceeds societal expectations as Maud does, then they will be accepted by society, yet sad. In contrast, the complete opposite path that Sadie follows allows her to be happy, but she is rejected and disrespected by society. Society has made impossible standards for African-American women; if they want to be happy, they will be rejected by society. When what limited opportunities available to women are seized, they are unable to enjoy their lives. The poem Sadie and Maud comments on the impossible standards set forth by society for African-American women, and even women in
Eliza Wharton has sinned. She has also seduced, deceived, loved, and been had. With The Coquette Hannah Webster Foster uses Eliza as an allegory, the archetype of a woman gone wrong. To a twentieth century reader Eliza's fate seems over-dramatized, pathetic, perhaps even silly. She loved a man but circumstance dissuaded their marriage and forced them to establish a guilt-laden, whirlwind of a tryst that destroyed both of their lives. A twentieth century reader may have championed Sanford's divorce, she may have championed the affair, she may have championed Eliza's acceptance of Boyer's proposal. She may have thrown the book angrily at the floor, disgraced by the picture of ineffectual, trapped, female characters.
The epistolary novel challenges gender roles because in a society where the most accepted form of female writing was letters, the epistolary novel gives a new voice to women. The letters written by the characters especially the women go hand in hand with new republican virtues of society. Women were becoming more educated and their letters became more frequent. The epistolary form gives a sense of realism. It allows the reader to dive head first into the lives and problems of the characters, it is set up in a way where the reader ultimately knows more than the character does. This style of writing allows us to get the story from each character as an individual, which is important because if told from another character, events and emotions might get lost in translation or become skewed. Through reading Eliza’s letters, the audience can get a grasp of her personality, her morals, her humor, and her intentions. Eliza’s voice is strong and as she begins to decline her voice starts to dwindle and become muffled and eventually lost. Through being able to see how her voice gets lost, the reader can get a real sense of her decline as a character. Eliza begins to fade and other characters start to step into the light. Eliza’s letters are what makes her relatable and without these snippets from Eliza, the audience might not want to side with her. William Brown Hill’s preface to The Power of
Many might argue that sentimentalism is an act of weakness or that it’s an emotion that should only be expressed by the female sex. However, that is not true; the act of sentimentalism actually helps to prove the moral quality of a character or person. This is eminent in the story Charlotte Temple by Susanna Rowson in which the reader comes across many characters being sensible or acting sentimentally towards others.
...nd fear of the domesticity that she is imprisoned in. These ideas only reiterate the gilded cage idea of the nineteenth century and the association of all that is bad in a society represented by the trappings of domestic life.
act, and devoted his entire attention to his love for Amelia. Amelia, however, felt no
Amelia loves Samuel, but being a single parent is hard enough, but she also then has to deal with Samuels bad behavior and all of the
“: You hungry, Gabe? I was just fixing to cook Troy his breakfast,” (Wilson, 14). Rose understands her role in society as a woman. Rose also have another special talent as a woman, that many don’t have which is being powerful. Rose understands that some things she can’t change so she just maneuver herself to where she is comfortable so she won’t have to change her lifestyle. Many women today do not know how to be strong sp they just move on or stay in a place where they are stuck and unable to live their own life. “: I done tried to be everything a wife should be. Everything a wife could be. Been married eighteen years and I got to live to see the day you tell me you been seeing another woman and done fathered a child by her,”(Wilson, 33). The author wants us to understand the many things women at the time had to deal with whether it was racial or it was personal issues. Rose portrays the powerful women who won’t just stand for the
From being able to save up money to buy a car and move out to West Virginia and then leaving the responsibility of finances and income to her children, Rose Mary Wall’s helped put Jeanette and her siblings through a hard and tough childhood. Although, a debate could be made that with all the awful impacts that the mother had on her children, all she really did was actually positively influence them to be able to conquer any hardship that they may face in their life. In the end, Rose Mary Wall’s character of being independent, unreasonable, and stubborn did both positively and negatively impact her children’s lives through the hardships they all faced
...good man, which she ruined by running away with Sanford. Eliza made her own choices and caused her own demise.
To be great and kind isn’t always the easiest thing to find, because many of the greatest women in history were great because they had so little of a personal life. Amelia was able to embrace her life to the fullest as well a make an impact on society. She will always be considered great in future generations and will always be remembered in future generations.
In conclusion, Jane has been through oppression and depression but she stands up for what she believes in. Jane gains her femininity, socialization, individuality and freedom. Her husband, who has been oppressing her for so many years, is no longer her prison guard. Jane defies her husband, creeps right over him and claims her life” so, that I had to creep over him every time” (Gilman 1609). Jane is now her own personal freedom through perseverance.