In this essay I will be discussing how Mary Shelley used the description of femininity her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft created in her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. For that to be done I will analyzing three female characters from the novel and discuss how these characters are leading examples of the early nineteenth century woman. I will be using examples from both A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and Frankenstein to support my arguments. Lastly I will discuss what the characteristics of the female characters in the novel say about Mary Shelley’s thoughts on women and femininity during the early nineteenth century. Mary Wollstonecraft was an English writer and advocate of women’s rights; she was also the mother to English writer and feminist Mary Shelley.
As a personal critique, Louisa May Alcott is a very realistic author; she draws one in right with her. As a person, she proves that women can be who they want to be, despite popular beliefs. Louisa May Alcott, born over 100 years ago, is still one of the most influential people of all time, especially for aspiring women.
Jane Austen was a widely read English novelist, whose works of many romantic novels such as “Pride and Prejudice” or “Emma”, earned her a place as one of the most well-known writers in English literature. (The Biography of Jane Austen) Jane Austen was well-known for personifying the woman characters in her books as headstrong and stubborn that faced all different kinds of circumstances and backgrounds, but wanted one thing, true love. (Jane Austen Biography Page 2) Also, her realistic thoughts and aggressive comments on socialism has given her a historical importance among many people to this day. (The Biography of Jane Austen.) One of seven siblings, Jane Austen came into this world on December 16, 1775, in Steventon, England to her parents, Reverend George and Cassandra Austen.
Not only did she include it, but she “wrote some of the most natural and real-seeming conversations in literature.” (Sutherland, Jane Austen’s Social Realism and the Novel). Jane wrote her heroines to be realistic, average, everyday people to appeal to the modern day world. Her protagonists were most always “strong and firm in their determinations.” Instead of seeing heroes as unrealistic images portrayed in Gothic novels, she made a hero that wasn’t necessarily obvious. This appealed to most everyone in the century and no longer portrayed women as shallow, but as deep, strong characters that have emotions and needs just like everyone else (Christine 2012, Writer
Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is an engaging and remarkable “snapshot” of its time. Written in response to a publisher’s request for a “girls’ book,” Little Women is a timeless classic of domestic realism, trailing the lives of four sisters from adolescence through early adulthood. The life-like characters and their tales break some of the stereotypes and add to the strength of the plot that embeds the last few years of the Industrial Revolution and social customs and conflicts, such as the Civil War, of the 1800s. Often moralistic and emotional, the novel nonetheless genuinely portrays family life in the mid-nineteenth century United States. The four “little women” of the March family journey into womanhood, learning difficult lessons of poverty and hard work along the way.
Sense and Sensibility is Jane’s first full-length novel, in which the traits in this story will get us to know more about Jane. In her novels, they tell us more of the lives of an everyday woman in the late 19th cen. England. Where we learn the trials and problems, about romantic relationships and the importance of family. It was said in the views of Jane’s novel Sense and Sensibility that, she was inspired by her relationship with her older sister Cassandra.
Nineteenth century women authors were some of the mo9st influential writers in the past several hundred years. Emily Dickinson expresses her love of nature through her poetry, and Harriet Jacobs shares a piece of herself and exposes the slavery of African American women. Kate Chopin invites people into her world of valuable life lessons that she had to learn the hard way. Louisa May Alcott gave us timeless fiction that captures our imaginations and our hearts. Elizabeth Oakes Smith wrote about women’s suffrage and sparked new ideas for a new, equal society.
However, during the coarse of the novel we see different sides to the sisters’ personalities making the statement in the essay title only partly true, as some incidents, most obviously the ironic ending, reveal to us that some role-reversal can take place. Elinor, commonly known throughout the novel as Miss Dashwood, was created by Austen to contrast with the heroines in most novels of the time, who were over-emotional characters, fainting at the slightest hint of trouble. Austen makes her heroine a strong, understanding, and cool figure “… which qualified her, though only nineteen to be the counsellor of her mother”. Elinor takes over after her father dies so she has to be strong for the benefit of her mother and sisters. From this we can clearly s... ... middle of paper ... ...re is a complete turnaround in Marianne’s character.
In writing her novel Little Women, Alcott tends to use "many of the incidents”, which “were taken from her own experiences", and impose them into the plot line (MacDonald 10). Alcott was an abolitionist and a feminist, which she imposes as characteristics onto Jo March and somewhat onto Mrs.March. Her writing also allows the three sisters to be compelled by their family to experience their lives to the fullest, much similar to how Alcott’s family did to Louisa. The three sisters had a very meaningful relationship with each other, much like Alcott had with her three
When Louisa May Alcott turned seventeen, she was such a beautiful woman, who was tall and charming. She had great blue eyes and brown hair. However, she would never get married because she thought that a woman could take care of herself without a man’s supports (Delamar 34). Because of her difficult life, she began to work at an early age. She worked as a governess, a seamstress, and a teacher.