Androgynous Characters in Thomas Hardy's Novels

Set in the Victorian era of the 1800’s Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert exemplifies society’s views on the established gender roles of this time. Flaubert utilizes Emma Bovary’s masculinity to accentuate Emma’s desire for control. Her desire for control extends from the social pressure of the period, revealing her envy towards men. Flaubert undoubtedly depicts Emma’s characteristics to have a masculine undertone and throughout the novel her femininity deviates as her priority shifts. Emma’s lack of femininity translates to her relationships by maneuvering an interchanging role of a girlfriend or boyfriend.

“Jane’s somber appearance, reflective of the lesson in androgyny given by Brocklehurst, boasts none of the pampered adornment of Jane’s coquettish rival, Blanche Ingram, or Jane’s highly feminine pupil, Adele” which adds to the masculinity of her character and definitely separating her from the rest of females in society (Godfrey 858). Jane Eyre is portrayed as a rather androgynous, if not masculine, character that was uncharacteristic of female characters of the time. When she

Both characters of the play are interpreted as complete opposites. Titania, characterized as the beautiful, graceful fairy queen; Bottom is portrayed as overdramatic, self centered, and as of now, not keen on the eyes. However, the love nectar never fails and seems to bring the two into a state of lust. The contrast between the two is overwhelming. An important scene in the pl... ... middle of paper ... ...d lust.

Austen, through her character, Anne Elliot, in her novel Persuasion, upholds what an ideal female should be like and the men should accept a female and all her feminine traits. Brontë, on the other hand, in her novel Jane Eyre creates a female character, Jane Eyre, that overcomes gender roles and lives her life in androgyny rather than in femininity. Both authors achieved the same ends, but both had extremely unique ways of creating a world where females, rather than just males, are able to be understood. Austen and Brontë stood against social standards of their day and created in two extremely separate characters, the same basic message that women are real human beings and have characters other than what their husbands or other men in their lives assign to

Unlike Sally or Peter, Clarissa was unable to speak her mind, or do as she pleases. She appeared as the model Victorian woman, yet that held her back from following her love of Peter. The concern that her party would be inferior to other parties prevented her from enjoying herself on a day that she should be rejoicful. Clarissa also seemed to be a dreamer.

Even we don't think of Weldon every time someone mentions a popular contemporary author we know she deserves to be mentioned. Both in the Critical Survey of Long Fiction and in Love and Marriage in the Novels of Anita Brookner and Fay Weldon Weldon is mentioned with great honor and respect. Anna Ericson uses more past situations in Fay Weldon's own life while contrasting her to Anita Brookner while in contrast the Critical Survey of Long Fiction criticizes the works without much comparison to others. Both the Magill and Anna Ericson have strong points on a women's individualism but Anna Ericson proves Weldon's choice of personality for the main character was one reflecting Weldon's own thoughts and morals. In the The Life and Loves of a She Devil Ruth is a character who is well developed who one can feel one with because of the fact that the author creates great depth to her as a character.

Is female passion dangerous, or is it a form of empowerment? Historians and critics often look upon the 18th Century as “The Age of Reason”. However, it may be more accurate to say that the century was marked by two main impulses- reason and passion. This notion is explored most explicitly in Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” . However, it is interesting to consider the issue of female passion in texts that do not so overtly deal with the topic and are more ambiguous in nature.

Many of the interpretations of the relationship between Geraldine and Christabel work to remove any mystery or ambiguity. The anonymous poem Christabess, from 1816, increases the amount of sexual content in the poem, but this version subverts the expected heterosexual encounter and leaves Geraldine a woman. There however, is still ambiguity as to their relationship. There are quotes from the parodies and Coleridge himself on the poster which reveal the uncertainty of the relationship between the women and the conflicting interpretations of the writers.

Through a comparative study of similar ideas, texts may become highly contrasted and their differing contexts highlighted. The critically acclaimed prose ‘The Great Gatsby’ written by F Scott Fitzgerald, and renown ‘Sonnets of the Portuguese’, composed by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, both extensively explore parallel themes of love and hope. The Great Gatsby was created as a criticism of the growing materialism and superficiality caused by the disillusionment following World War I, in an endeavor to achieve the fabled American Dream. On the other hand, SOTP, were written during the Victorian era in a time of rigid societal values, especially toward women, to lament the slowly fading tradition of substantiality. Through the ideas of love and

Collins and Dickens do not adhere to representing strictly construed gender roles. However, the ways in which the two authors challenge these roles differ. Collin’s challenges society’s definition of an ideal woman by his character Marian Halcombe, a strong female character who portrays typically male traits for the Victorian Era. Dickens also challenges the Victorian ideal woman, but challenges it by placing value in his character Nancy, a prostitute with an extremely positive moral value. Wilkie Collins’s challenges the Victorian era’s typical female gender role in his book The Woman in White with one of the main narrators, Marian Halcombe.