Is sexuality always used to challenge the norm in Carol Ann Duffy’s poem ‘The Devil’s Wife’ and in the novels Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf?
I will open my essay with an Oxford English Dictionary definition of the noun ‘norm’. I will argue that all three texts do use sexuality to challenge the norm, however they do not always use sexuality to challenge it. For instance, in ‘The Devil’s Wife’ I will show how Myra Hindley’s sexuality creates empathy for her, even though she is generally a despised figure. I will also illustrate how Carol Ann Duffy challenges norms without using sexuality in the poem. Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World challenges the norm of monogamy, though it conforms to others and surrenders
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Sexuality challenges norms as monogamy is a source of shame in this extract: Lenina ‘blushes scarlet’ when Fanny discovers ‘there’s been nobody else except Henry’ (Huxley,1932, p.34). However, as Atwood implies, like most fictions all romantic relationships in the novel are heterosexual (1993, p.7). This is obvious in this passage as Lenina’s romantic/sexual interests are men. The concept that sexuality is controlled, that ‘the interval’ ‘between desire and its consummation’ is ‘shorten[ed]’, does not challenge the norm (Huxley, 1932, p.37). Instead, it reiterates seventeenth-century norms where similarly, sex was ‘controlled’ ‘for the greater good of all’ (Foucault, 1981. …show more content…
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In Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, Abigail can be considered evil and her failed attempt to be good and pure was evident. Arthur Miller has portrayed Abigail to be unclean and the chaos of Salem, this is clearly shown from the very beginning of the play when Betty reveals to the audience, abigails truly malicious character saying, “you drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife.” this quote outlines the truth of abigail's evil intentions and despite her obvious knowledge about what is right to do, she tries to guilt John Proctor into continuing their affair “You loved me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love me yet! John, pity me, pity me!” In this quote, Abigail tried to flatter john while also disrespecting Elizabeth Proctor.
Does deviating from one’s gender norms inevitably doom one down a spiral of moral corruption? Tim O'Brien, author of “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” and Ernest Hemingway, author of “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”, certainly seem to hold this view, as evident by the fates of the major female characters in their respective works. The deviance of the major female characters in both works appears to corrupt not only themselves, but also pollute their partners, causing them to suffer injury or harm as a result. The degree of injury ranges from negligible, like Fossie’s demotion and broken heart, to fatal, like the bullet that rips through Macomber’s skull. It begs the question, are these stories meant to serve as cautionary tales for their female readers, or possibly for their husbands, so they may recognize gender deviance and stop it in its tracks before their wives transform into Margot Macomber or Mary Anne Bell? This essay will analyze what such characters say about pervading views of women, both in society and in literature.
The nineteenth century is popularly known for its traditional view of gender roles, especially regarding women. The term “True Woman” refers to what society at that time thought to be the ideal woman, carrying qualities of “modesty, submissiveness, physical weakness, limited education, and complete devotion to husband and home” (White, 2009, p. 1). Women were restrained in terms of sexuality, dress, language, and economic decisions. In Amy Gilman Srebnick’s The Mysterious Death of Mary Rogers, Mary rebels against these standards by being a single women that is also sexually active, however, her actions are what seemingly lead to her demise. Similarly, Fanny Fern’s Ruth Hall also goes against gender norms. In her case, she earns her own economic independence through her writing and lives a more unconventional life as a mother, but faces repercussions from her family. Through the novels Ruth Hall and The Mysterious Death of Mary Rogers, the main female characters revolt against being “True Women” through their daily actions and behaviors, however they’re each punished with consequences for trying to deviate from society’s path.
"Stanton, Elizabeth Cady: Introduction." Feminism in Literature: A Gale Critical Companion, edited by Jessica Bomarito and Jeffrey W. Hunter, vol. 3: 19th Century, Authors (C-Z), Gale, 2005, pp. 427-428. World History in Context. Accessed 10 Feb. 2 "The Women's Rights Movement. "
Sexuality is all over the book to the point were it got uncomfortable. The following quote explains how Fanny is having a conversation with Lenina about how she has been feeling out of sorts. “I’ve been feeling rather out of sorts lately - Dr. Wells advised me to have a Pregnancy Substitute. But my dear you are only nineteen the first Pregnancy Substitute isn’t compulsory till twenty-one” (Huxley, 38). “Dr. Wells says that a three months Pregnancy Substitute now will make all the difference to my health for the next three or four years” (39, Huxley). When Fanny mentioned that she is feeling "out of sorts” it is interpreted to suggest she is not feeling sexual, which could probably related to her menstruation cycle. Franny situation is viewed with a negative light everyone in that society should always feel a sexual desire. Franny believes that she had to tell the doctor that she was not feeling any sexual desire when in reality she had the right to think otherwise. She thought it was the right thing to do, to be happy. In Human and Behavior B.F. Skinner speaks about how to maintain a behavior. Skinner mentions how the term
Victorian society is noted for its large anxiety over the relationship between desire and gender and traditional conventions of sexual difference: “The man’s power is active, progressive, defensive. He is eminently the doer, the creator, the discoverer, the defender.
The news article “ Houston Floodwaters are Tainted with Bacteria and Toxins, Test Shows” by New York Times, Sheila Kaplan and Jacky Healy, explains how Hurricane Harvey has left many contamination in the water. To begin with, it is not clear how far the toxic waters have spread and many treatment plants have died by cause of the contamination of the water. That’s not it many people have been infected by the contamination, which have harmed them in a sort of way. Also, many people aren’t able to return home because of the destruction of Hurricane Harvey. People aren’t able to be in their homes because of the contamination and they start coughing or aren’t able to breath. In that case it’s suggested for elderly people and people with immune problems to try and keep out of their homes. Although if you get infected like in some cases it can just be treated with antibiotics you should take precautions and try not getting infected. Also, you should avoid any cuts
In Aldous Huxley’ novel Brave New World, sex is nothing but an object to the characters, even to the children. Starting at grade school, which should be a safe haven for children, minors in this novel are taught and even forced to be promiscuous. Although this may seem atrocious,
Sexuality has an inherent connection to human nature. Yet, even in regards to something so natural, societies throughout times have imposed expectations and gender roles upon it. Ultimately, these come to oppress women, and confine them within the limits that the world has set for them. However, society is constantly evolving, and within the past 200 years, the role of women has changed. These changes in society can be seen within the intricacies of literature in each era. Specifically, through analyzing The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, one can observe the dynamics of society in regards to the role of women through the lens of the theme of sexuality. In both novels, the confinement and oppression of women can be visibly seen as a result of these gender roles. Yet, from the time The Scarlet Letter was published to the time The Bell Jar was written, the place of women in society ultimately changed as well. Hence when evaluating the gender roles that are derived from sexuality, the difference between the portrayals of women’s oppression in each novel becomes apparent, and shows how the subjugation of women has evolved. The guiding question of this investigation is to what extent does the theme of sexuality reflect the expectations for women in society at the time each novel was written. The essay will explore how the literary elements that form each novel demonstrate each author’s independent vision which questions the
Seeing as women are seen as sex toys and made to play erotically every day of their lives, they are seen simply as just another women and the power, love, and passion that is exhibited in the 1920's sex culture are taken away from women by making them mere objects of promiscuity. The ideology and expectations of promiscuity in Brave New World objectify and take power away from women both in the novel and in society
Leaves of Grass is Walt Whitman’s life legacy and at the same time the most praised and condemned book of poetry. Although fearful of social scorn, there are several poems in Leaves of Grass that are more explicit in showing the homoerotic imagery, whereas there are several subtle – should I say “implicit” – images woven into the fabric of the book. It is not strange, then, that he created many different identities in order to remain safe. What Whitman faced in writing his poetry was the difficulty in describing and resonating manly and homosexual love. He was to find another voice of his, a rhetoric device, and his effort took two forms: simplified, and subverted word play.
I chose to compare and contrast two women authors from different literary time periods. Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) as a representative of the Victorian age (1832-1901) and Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) as the spokeswoman for the Modernist (1914-1939) mindset. Being women in historical time periods that did not embrace the talents and gifts of women; they share many of the same issues and themes throughout their works - however, it is the age in which they wrote that shaped their expressions of these themes. Although they lived only decades apart their worlds were remarkably different - their voices were muted or amplified according to the beat of society's drum.
Now I intend to turn my attention to concrete examples from Walt Whitman's poetry to provide some evidence of that sexuality played an important role in his poetry, and there are possible readings to find traces for that. Of course, we cannot only rely on selected
Women in literature have been portrayed in a multitude of ways throughout time. From goddesses to witches, and even prostitutes, women have not been limited in their representations. One challenge, in particular, is repression of their sexuality. In novels by Kate Chopin, George Orwell, and Kazuo Ishiguro, female characters live in societies that seek to regulate their sexuality. Published in 1899, The Awakening by Chopin focuses on Edna Pontellier, a woman who seeks to create a life outside her marriage by pursuing relationships with various lovers. George Orwell’s 1984, which was published in 1949, features Julia, a woman who rebels against her society by having sex for pleasure and not for reproduction. In addition, like Chopin and Orwell,
When thinking of starting a contracting business for solar panels, many economic issues and concerns play a factor in the decision making process. Having a concern for the environment and knowing that solar panels have a cost saving for both households and business seems to be reason enough to start a business. However, before making such a financial investment you should first take a look solar panels in the economy in terms of (i) GDP growth rate, (ii) interest rates, (iii) level of unemployment, (iv) business cycle, (v) fiscal policy, (vi) monetary policy, (vii) international trade, and (viii) demographic.