Breaking the Mold: A Feminine Perspective
He wanted to avoid the “the jeweled line” like many modernist, Thomas Hardy pursued to be called “dissonances, and other irregularities” (Ramazani and Stallworthy). Hardy’s childhood was in the Victorian Era but paved the way for the Modern Period. Yet, his works appear diverse in comparison to the Victorian Era for they have become known as disbelieving, harsh, and realistic. His works also challenged the standard of English with his contorted syntax, irregular, and intricate stanza formats. One of Hardy’s famous novels is The Return of The Native, which involves “two pairs of mismatched lovers” (Hardy). The novel immediately opens to Diggory Vann escorting Thomasin Yeobright to the rural village
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To begin, the British social class was based on “matches” with a high influence of money for a couple to be considered “successful” in the Victorian Era. As stated by Penny Boumelha “… the concern with cross-romance demonstrates that the novel’s representation of gender relations and differences is made more dense and complex by it sensitivity to the issue of power and hierarchy more commonly understood to relate to class” (Introduction 20-21). The novel displays the social class such as Ms. Thomasin’s betrothal to Mr. Wildeve with her aunt’s approval. Another example, in discussing the marriage between the Eustacia and Clym, Hardy states, “The feelings of both husband and wife varied, in some measure, inversely with their positions” (Hardy 251). Yet, the entire plot line of the story is surrounded by the Victorian standard of the social class. However, Diggory Venn tries to change his faith by purposing to Thomasin, but he seeks her guardian’s permission who quickly dismissed his offer. For the reddlemam (a person who sells red dye to farmers and shepherds for their sheep) tries to impress her aunt but her response is, “I am much obliged to you for your interest in my niece; but I fear there would be objections” (Hardy 97). However, at the end of the novel Diggory breaks the traditional societal thoughts on marriage for he ends up marrying Thomasin due to an unfortunate circumstance and genuine
The main conflicts in the novel revolve around marriage and social class due to the fact that everyone in the story is trying to find their ideal match: a partner who is compatible to them by wealth, bloodline, and social standing. Marriage was the foundation of social class and was paramount to the people of Highbury whose social status was usually defined in reference to a family name and a long line of wealth or even poverty. To people during the nineteenth century, marriage was extremely important as it acted one of the only ways to keep social/ economic status or change it.
In Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, Mr Collins is shown as a comical man, who we as readers are not expected to take seriously throughout the novel. Mr Darcy is a much deeper character, and Austen uses him to portray divisions between classes. She uses their proposals firstly to highlight the difference in the attractions the men have towards Elizabeth, but secondly to emphasise the importance of social class within a marriage proposal. This is seen in the form she writes in the content of the proposals (dialogue in Collins’s proposal versus free-indirect discourse in Darcy’s), and the structure of the proposals.
The sport of football is arguably one of the most popular sports in the country. The National Football League makes around Nine Billion dollars every season (Isidore). Tickets to each game cost around one hundred dollars per person. However, ticket prices are not the only price when it comes to the sport. Players risk serious injury when competing. Some minor injuries include bruises, scrapes, and burns. More serious injuries consist of muscle pulls, strains, and broken bones. However, one of the most severe and problematic injuries that can occur, happens in the head. It is known as the concussion. Minor and major head injuries, such as the concussion, can lead to problems in a person’s future life, such as depression, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy,
Strong, smart, talented, superficially over attractive and often dreadfully single is how many heroic women in movies, books, and shows are portrayed. If left up to the media the personification of a gifted female would be the body type of a Pamela Anderson in her Baywatch prime and Serena Williams hybrid. With a face like Halle Berry lips of Angelina Jolie Pitt and the balls to the wall rebel heart devil may cry attitude she has been type casted to in her past 15 movies or so. Not to mention still either dreadfully single or just plain bad with men. There are many myths that help perpetuate these stereotypes in my book “Breaking the Mold” I talk about combating them and actually highlighting skills and talents that make females gifted. It is also talked about in my book the obstacles
During the time period of the 1800s in England, not only was the economic situation different but the social norms were differently. Jane Austen depicts this greatly in her novel pride and prejudice, not only was the social classes a big deal, but the marriage between families was a bigger deal. Throughout the novel many of the characters encounter this problem of, love in marriage or money in marriage, and many of the families and females within this time period choice money in marriage. The author Jane Austen feels that the idea of marring for money rather than love is preposterous and expresses this through the character Elizabeth
England has always had a rich history of interesting cultural traditions but arguably none as prevalent as marriage. Marriage, the union of two people with emotional ideals and expectations, are brought on by many different factors that include: for love, for money, for climbing social status, escapism, survival, etc. In Jane Austen’s novels, she focuses on the importance of marriage in her world because she wanted to emphasize how marriage is the most important life event of a woman as this would determine her place in society. Persuasion shows readers good and bad examples of marriage: the amiable Crofts and other couples such as Sir Walter & Lady Elliot and the Smiths. Jane Austen uses the Crofts to support the importance of marriage
In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen introduces the major thematic concept of marriage and financial wealth. Throughout the novel, Austen depicts various relationships that exhibit the two recurring themes. Set during the regency period, the perception of marriage revolves around a universal truth. Austen claims that a single man “must be in want of a wife.” Hence, the social stature and wealth of men were of principal importance for women. Austen, however, hints that the opposite may prove more exact: a single woman, under the social limitations, is in want of a husband. Through this speculation, Austen acknowledges that the economic pressure of social acceptance serves as a foundation for a proper marriage.
Jane Austen’s novel is commanded by women; Pride and Prejudice explores the expectations of women in a society that is set at the turn of the 19th century. Throughout the plot, Austen’s female characters are all influenced by their peers, pressures from their family, and their own desires. The social struggle of men and women is seen throughout the novel. Characters, like Elizabeth, are examples of females not acting as proper as women were supposed to, while other women like Mrs. Bennett allow themselves to be controlled by men and society. Mr. Collins is a representation of the struggles males deal with in a novel dominated by women. The theme of marriage is prominent during Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Marriage can be examined in
Jane Austen was a Georgian era author who was best known for her novels that commented on social issues and class, and Northanger Abbey is no exception. Austen’s social commentary is apparent in this novel’s plot, as the reader follows a seventeen-year-old protagonist, Catherine Morland, as she matures and forms intimate relationships with fellow characters in an England town called Bath. Marriage between characters in the novel is heavily based on wealth, and because of England’s unstable economy at the time, marrying into wealth meant maintaining a high social class and economic stability for the characters. The importance of economic prosperity and social rank heavily influenced marriage in 19th century England, and this idea bourgeoisie classism and marrying for wealth is contradicted by Austen in her novel, Northanger Abbey.
It is truly impossible to believe that relationships have not changed at all since Austen’s time. Pride and Prejudice took place in a setting where the male had complete authority over the female, and primogeniture decided who received the family fortune. However, most of Austen’s main points about personal relationships still ring true today. For instance, Austen begins her novel by saying, “it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” (Austen 1). People in
Although Highbury was just a small population town, the particular social structure was reflecting this type of class structure about Britain. For instance, the love amongst Robert Martin and Harriet was not acceptable in Emma’s eyes. Robert Martin was a successful respectable farmer; Harriet is a friend of Emma and illegitimate of a tradesman nevertheless she received well cared and properly educated. So Emma couldn’t agree while Mr. Martin proposed marriage to Harriet, subsequently Emma Convinced Harriet to Refused to associate with Robert Martin. And try to match Harriet and Mr. Elton who was considered as higher rank of society status, young priest with record of great educating. In Emma describe of Mr. Martin “he may be the richest of the two, but he is undoubtedly her inferior as to rank in society.”(Emma, Chapter7, and p.33) it is clear that time, marriage most depended on and compromised with the values of their social status.
Through the use of literary devices, Pride and Prejudice reveals Jane Austen’s attitude towards the novel’s theme of true love through the actions of the suitors; the process of courtship in the 1800s articulates characterization, foreshadowing, and irony. The novel opens with the line, “it is a truth acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of wife,” (Austen 1) which foreshadows the conflict of finding a significant other . During the Victorian age, men and women courted others of the same education, wealth, and social status; it was considered uncommon for someone to marry beneath them or to marry for love. Jane Austen uses Elizabeth Bennett’s encounters with different characters of varying
Marriage has no always been about the love and happiness two people bring eachother; instead it was concidered to be more of a business transaction. Emma by Jane Austen takes place during the early twentieth century, this time period was completly absorabed in social classes and had a much different view on marriage than today. Through the young, bold, wealthy, and beautiful character Emma Woodhouse, Jane Austen exposes the protocol of marriage as well as the effects marriage held based on social standing during the early twentieth centuery.
At the beginning of the Victorian Period, both single and married women’s rights were limited. The changes during this era in the identity of genders are represented in the characters the author Wilkie Collins describes. For example, Marian Halcombe is characterized as strong and predominant. She is Laura’s voice when regarding to her husband and protects her throughout the story. Although Marian knows her role as a woman in society, she disapproves with the beliefs of the era. On the other hand, Laura personalizes the conventional quiet woman that obeys customs. To emphasize this, in Collin’s novel, he lets the reader know that Laura is marrying the man that her father approved even though he is now dead. When she marries, her rights legally belong to her husband and is treated with the laws and customs of the Victorian era. Throughout this period, the distinction between classes was also notable. Comparatively, The Woman in White presents how the middle class as Laura and her uncle refer to the working class, Fanny the maid. Even though Fanny has always been their maid and is the only person they trust, they only communicate with her at their convenience. Moreover, Mr. Fairlie does not even call the maid by her name, but refers to her as “Young Person”. Certainly, the Victorian Period was a significant impact in the novel where
“Domestic violence is the most ubiquitous constant in women’s lives around the world. There is virtually no place where it is not a significant problem, and women of no race, class, or age are exempt from its reach” -Joni Seager