By and large, Pamela, by Samuel Richardson, is an 18th century controversial love story between a powerful master and his pious servant. In this epistolary novel, the readers follow the psyche of Pamela Andrews through her tumultuous, but ultimately rewarding journey as a house servant in Lady B’s and then, Mr. B’s household. Their relationship entails repugnant attempts by Mr. B to take Pamela’s virginity, a series of bribes and proposals, kidnapping, an attempted escape, a courtship, and an eventual marriage. A relationship engrained with deception and abuse would likely fail, but Pamela shockingly overlooks Mr. B’s wrongs and she falls in love with him. Even with the apparent love between the two, their doubts taint the chances of their
B’s doubt in order to emphasize the possibility of social mobility in 18th century England and the validity of justifying oneself to God by completing kind deeds on
B to Pamela. It is her natural beauty, her wit, and her intelligence that catches his attention. Mr. B sees something remarkable in Pamela, “Your Mind is pure as that of an Angel, and as much transcends mine. Your Wit and your Judgement, to make you no Compliment, are more than equal to mine” (350). Mr. B wants Pamela to understand her worth and her equality within this elite society, no matter her financial and class background. Actually, for Mr. B, Pamela’s class status is something he admires. He sees a marriage between an upper-class couple as a mere formality, “a Wife is look’d out for: Convenience, or Birth and Fortune, are the first Motives, Affection the last (if it is at all consulted)” (444). Marrying Pamela is in no way convenient for Mr. B, it is radical for the time period, but Mr. B desires true love. Richardson offers an honest depiction of a servant girl’s social mobility through Pamela and Mr. B’s relationship. He addresses the genuineness of the marriage between two people from radically different worlds by making Mr. B fearful or doubtful. Mr. B’s affection for Pamela eventually leads him to question her true feeling for him and the possibility of her having feelings for another man, such as Mr. Williams. This vulnerability places Mr. B in an alike position as Pamela; his higher
...ople see from outside might not be the truth about a particular marriage though there may be some truth in it.
...f qualified gentlemen. Another theme of the play is whether a person should prefer their humane instinct or the law, which is mostly represented towards Mrs. Peters, who is “married to the law‟ yet has empathy for Mrs. Wright. The law that the attorney says Mrs. Peters is married to, is a patriarchal law that dominates women and makes them matters of the system. These women’s dedication truly lies with each other and their struggle to survive a domineering civilization. If during a marriage a woman is secluded and subjugated, her only sense of self lies within the common struggle. At the end, she signifies that her responsibility towards her fellow woman is more significant than the law and stays faithful to her sex. In fact, they might have a concealed longing to do the same thing with their husbands as a rebellious to the continuous domination from the men.
Weber, Harold. The Restoration Rake-Hero: Transformations in Sexual Understanding in Seventeeth-Century England. Madison: U of Wisconsin P, 1986.
Parallel to many of the great feministic novels throughout literary history, Jane Eyre is a story about the quest for authentic love. However, Jane Eyre is unique and separate from other romantic pieces, in that it is also about a woman searching for a sense of self-worth through achieving a degree of independence. Orphaned and dismissed at an early age, Jane was born into a modest lifestyle that was characterized by a form of oppressive servitude of which she had no autonomy. She was busy spending much of her adolescent years locked in chains, both imaginary and real, as well as catering to the needs of her peers. Jane was never being able to enjoy the pleasures and joys that an ordinary and independent child values. Jane struggles through her daily rituals and average lifestyle until she becomes a governess. This allows her to reap the benefits and some privileges that had only been available to those she had previously served. This enabled Jane to realize the infinite treasurers and possibilities life had to offer. This new way of life made Jane want autonomy and independence more than ever, giving her a reason to pursue her dreams. Throughout Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel Jane Eyre, the story’s protagonist, Jane, struggles to find a way for authentic love to coexist with her need for autonomy; to find a workable balance between the needs of love and autonomy that promotes her sense of independence and self worth while also allowing her to give fully of herself to another.
Jane Austen’s progressive ideals of marriage are evident in her portrayals of Mrs. Bennett and Mrs. Gardiner; Mrs. Bennett is portrayed as an insufferable woman who
Austen’s recurrent use of satire conveys the flawed system regarding marriage and social class on which the society in the Regency Era runs, which is juxtaposed by characters who do not follow these set standards.
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
In this chapter Fromm spoke about our society during the medieval times and the period of the reformation. During the medieval times and the Renaissance, Fromm stated, humans were at their lowest peak of individualism. Others saw them not by their individual selves but by what kind of business they took part in. However, even though men were not considered free to Fromm, he believed this was their highest point of security and safety because they were able to live within the natural order. When that natural order was taken away during the time of capitalism many individuals suffered, predominantly the middle class. During this time, once again Fromm stated the individual was feeling anxious and insecure. The individuals then found the new religious doctrines that taught man they were able to overcome this anxiety if they were to give in to complete submission, which could also be known as,
Marriage is a powerful union between two people who vow under oath to love each other for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. This sacred bond is a complicated union; one that can culminate in absolute joy or in utter disarray. One factor that can differentiate between a journey of harmony or calamity is one’s motives. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a novel of manners, where Elizabeth Bennet and her aristocratic suitor Mr. Darcy’s love unfolds as her prejudice and his pride abate. Anton Chekhov’s “Anna on the Neck” explores class distinction, as an impecunious young woman marries a wealthy man. Both Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Anton Chekhov’s “Anna on the Neck” utilize
“The Wife of Bath’s Tale” is written in an entertaining and adventurous spirit, but serves a higher purpose by illustrating the century’s view of courtly love. Hundreds, if not thousands, of other pieces of literature written in the same century prevail to commemorate the coupling of breathtaking princesses with lionhearted knights after going through unimaginable adventures, but only a slight few examine the viability of such courtly love and the related dilemmas that always succeed. “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” shows that women desire most their husband’s love, Overall, “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” shows that the meaning of true love does not stay consistent, whether between singular or separate communities and remains timeless as the depictions of love from this 14th century tale still hold true today.
Peter and Clarissa’s memories of the days spent at Bourton have a profound effect on them both and are still very much a part of them. These images of their younger selves are not broad, all-encompassing mental pictures, but rather the bits and pieces of life that create personality and identity. Peter remembers various idiosyncracies about Clarissa, and she does the same about him. They remember each other by “the colours, salts, tones of existence,” the very essence that makes human beings original and unique: the fabric of their true identities (30). Clarissa Dalloway is content with her life with Richard, is content to give her party on a beautiful June evening, but she does regret at times that she can’t “have her life over again” (10).
Jane Austen, author of the novel Persuasion, is often regarded as the first respectable, prominent female writer of the English language. Unlike typical literature of the nineteenth century, the themes of Austen’s novels fixate on the struggles of being a young woman in England. Literary critics Stefanie Markovits and Kate Nesbit analyze the themes of femininity and marriage in the lives of nineteenth century English women throughout Persuasion.
The history of the romance novel remains lengthy, hotly disputed and obstinately convoluted. This short and thus glaringly incomplete summary will focus on the central works that inspired romance novels, one societal trend that helped the romance novel evolve and gain popularity, and the genre’s emergence into the modern era with the help of Harlequin and Mills & Boon. Regis notes that the romance novel was born of, but not limited to, five notable literary works: Samuel Richardson’s Pamela (1740), Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (1813), Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (1847), Anthony Trollope’s Framley Parsonage (1860), and E. M. Forster’s Room with a View (1908) (55). These works, now universally recognized as examples of literary fiction,
Lady Bracknell represents the typical aristocrat who focuses the idea of marriage on social and economic status. She believes that if the men trying to marry these girls are not of proper background, there is no engagement. Through this major exaggeration, Wilde satirically reveals the irrational and insignificant matters that the upper class society uses to view marriage.
Women are thought to be submissive and weak, yet these qualities are attributed to the male love-interest, while the female lead takes on a more traditionally masculine role. Kate’s masculine expectations in terms of beauty and position of power in her courtship with Marlow is indicative of a greater cultural shift in female liberty within their marriages and the archaism of the severe marriage constraints portrayed by the poets Anne Finch and Lady Montagu.