Stereotypical Femme Fatale as Depicted in Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s Lady Audley’s Secret The issue regarding how woman is portrayed in literary works such as novel, poetry, or drama has been becoming one of the most interesting topics to be discussed until today. Each work represents its period and how society in that period in seeing woman. Victorian literature has its own way in representing woman. Some of the stereotypical gender roles we can easily found in many Victorian literatures are the portrayal of women as the angel in the house and the fallen angel. The angel in the house is the perfect helpmate as it was presented in Charles Dickens' Agnes Wickfield (David Copperfield) or Esther Summerson (Bleak House).
Truly, Sita symbolizes an ideal daughter, wife and queen. The virtuous Savitri on one hand is revered as an emblem of purity, self-control, devotion. She is also a true wife who regards chastity as her most priceless possession. She exemplifies a true woman through the glory of her purity. She is a woman whom one can look upon in sickness and woe.
Before my conclusion, I will comment on the language used in the text and give reference to the structure adopted by Alice Walker, the author. Celie is initially portrayed as being helpless and always vulnerable. However, she is also warm, kind and gentle and is able to be strong despite the abuse inflicted upon her. At the end of the story, she grows to be an independent, free woman and is shown to be a radical feminist, not following the traditional ideals of a good wife and mother. Alice Walker has associated the qualities of goodness and the sense of emancipation together, which I feel works well to convey the message that despite all the abuse and brutality Celie remains resilient and is rewarded with the freedom of her Spirit.
The Wife of Bath, without a doubt is Chaucer’s most memorable character. In the General Prologue, long before her tale is presented Chaucer provides us with insight about her personality while painting a vivid picture of this aged, but lustrous woman in our minds. The Wife, as a storyteller in the Canterbury Tales represents only one of two females, which is a separate estate of its own. She wastes no time in contradicting the proposed stereotypes of what women of this time should think, feel or even how she should present herself. In her own words she suggests even during the middle ages women then, may have wanted the same thing that many women strive for today; to be known as a woman of strength, that is not only fierce because of her words, but because of the power of her sexual instrument.
Rhys explores the schizoid state more deeply in her middle novels. In her most recent novel, however, she elevates to an explicit theme the schizoid self perceptions that emerge in women's conscious-ness. Madness is the issue in Wide Sargasso Sea, Rhys's retelling of Bertha Antoinette Rochester's transformation from West Indian beauty and heiress to mad wife in the attic. The choice to make a heroine of Antoinette, who in Jane Eyre serves only as an obstacle to a desired marriage, is a loaded one, a reminder that behind the tale of female strength triumphant lies the parallel tale of female fragmen-tation. Antoinette becomes representative of women's disintegra-tion, as Jane has been of their successful integration.
It is no doubt that Elizabeth Bennet is one of the most typical figures among the whole plots. Behaving decently and outstanding, feminist, superior judgment but easily affected by prejudice are all describe a most extraordinary model for her. Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813. It follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th century England. In fact, just like Mr. Teachman expresses his opinion in his book----“ it explores the moral and social conditions of life in the early nineteenth century in ways that enable us to understand that earlier time better and to examine with
She coined the term “womanist” to express her perspective. In her own words this term means, “A black feminist or feminist color.. usually referring to outrageous, audacious, courageous or wilful behaviour. Wanting to know more andin greater depth than is considered “good” for one…A woman who loves other women sexually and/or non-sexually. Apperciates and prefers women’s culture, women’s emotional flexibility and woman’s strenght…committed to survival and wholeness of entire people.” These characteristics are more than evident in Alice Walker’s stronger female characters, Shug Avery and Sofia. The dominant impression of Shug is that she has enormous vigour.
In the end, Dickinson compares being a ruler, Czar, as comforting and being a wife as pain. She then mentions that regardless of the title of her role, they both are the same. The plot of the poem appears to be the struggle of a girl’s innocence transformed into a woman, whom is now a wife that is just the same as a ruler, Czar. The plot, in relation to its structure; 1. She differentiates her 2 roles, a woman and a wife.
Daniel Defoe’s 1722 classic is an autobiography of Moll Flanders, in which she reveals the story of her wicked life, from whoring to stealing, and finally in the end, repentance. Moll Flanders is a very complex character as she changes and develops throughout the novel, and there are many things that Moll does, or has presented to us, that will lead us to the conclusion as to whether she is deserving of sympathy or hate. Defoe has shown Moll Flanders as an avaricious and materialistic woman who simply sees people as commodities, and relationships as business transactions. Class and wealth are the only things that motivate her decisions, and she sees the necessity to stay detached from emotions and deceive people in order to achieve these things. Although she claims to have been truly in love with the elder brother, and that “the Game was over” only after she has been “trick’d once by that Cheat call’d, LOVE,” (P.51), we can still see Moll’s manipulative nature and her extreme greed, by receiving money from the older brother in exchange to fulfill his sexual favors.
As in Adam & Eve, history has proven time and time again that it is women who have always corrupted humanity. Ever since the shift from the ancient matriarchal society women have been depicted in a negative light in art and literature. Woman has been depicted as the catalyst for humanities corruption in western religions, from Christianity to Greek mythology. Whether depicted as innocent or malicious, woman always seems to corrupt man through indirect or direct methods. It is inevitable as death.