Typically, a husband who can’t consummate a marriage should be abandoned without hesitation. When Bertrande is “urged by her relatives to separate from Martin, she firmly refuse[s]” (28). This decision reveals Bertrande’s “certain character traits…a concern for her reputation as a woman, a stubborn independence” (28). Bertrande cleverly calculates the advantages she possesses as a result of Martin’s incompetence. “Her refusal to have her marriage dissolved…freed her temporarily from certain wifely duties…gave her a chance to have a girlhood” (28).
Jane’s new wealth, due to her uncle’s death, allows Jane to be truly independent, “I am independent, sir, as well as rich: I am my own mistress”. Although Jane attempts to be independent earlier in the novel, it is always impossible due to her economic disadvantage. She strives to have freedom in her relationship with Edward Rochester and through her feminist power gains her some freedom, his economic dominance always hindered her liberty. This idea was expressed by Bronte through slave imagery. Jane was a slave to her profession and class, “governess slavery”, and was discriminated against by Rochester’s wealthy friends.
Critic Suzanne Birkett suggest ‘She later marries Edgar and comes to feel that she is imprisoned by society’s rules.’ As although Cathy has made a wise choice in marrying Edgar because ‘He will be rich’, her forbidden love for Heathcliff still hinders her when Heathcliff once again returns in chapter ten. “There’s no need to be frantic” Edgar “crossly” tells Cathy to calm down after she finds Heathcliff has returned. Suzanne Birkett also suggests that ‘Heathcliff feels excluded from the culture’ Northanger Abbey Isabella and Captain Tilney’s
This essay will argue that In both texts motherhood and marriage is shown to be a hindrance to both women’s careers and their female identity. The theme of marriage in The Bell Jar and Top Girls Is shown to demolish the female identity of the women. In The Bell Jar Plath uses Buddy as a symbolic figure to show how even the “clean” men of that time were only out for one
This trait is extremely alarming, and is embodied in her own quote when she expresses that she’d rather spend money on paints to create a beautiful painting that could last forever instead of buying food that will only last fifteen minutes. Neither of the parents seem to display adequate strength of character or maturity to raise their children safely. Even though the Walls value self sufficiency they are not
The book firmly projects the patriarchal society as the context: “A young woman, if she falls into bad hands may be teased…but one cannot comprehend a young man’s being under such restraint.” This language, although satirical reaffirms a main attitude existent in the context of Regency England. Austen uses the novel's protagonist Emma as a manager of self-determination and although she is a part of high society, she is delicately able through Austen’s narrative, to resist traditional gender roles and concerns. Emma proudly states, when refusing Mr. Elton’s proposal: “I have very little intention of ever marrying at all”, showing her dominant stance yet she is still somewhat a woman of her context as the novel results in her marrying of Mr. Knightley. This reaffirms the fundamental reality of patriarchy as although Emma forms her own opinion, she
Pizan so obviously from the start of her writing, introduces how women should behave (from the perspective of a princess), so that her actions shall be beneficial to her and her husband. By talking about the finances, which is radical, Pizan degrades women in all other aspects. Degrading is used in the sense that she does not promote equality in any other way other than the financial aspect. These women could be considered early feminists if they looked for equality in other things as well not just a specific
Women in the 1800s were considered weak links; they were supposed to depend fully on their husbands for survival. Many women are exceptions for this “belief”. In the Count of Monte Cristo a novel written by Alexandre Dumas, the characters Valentine, Mercedes, and Haydee are portrayed as strong women. Each of these women are portrayed as strong individuals in their own way, in a matter that some are consistent and some ahead of their time. To begin with, Valentine demonstrates being a strong woman in a positive manner.
Bella’s guilt caused by her mother’s fear of loneliness has left her short of any male relations. She cannot escape the wrath of her mother, and continually surrenders to her mother's will. Also, Bella has felt she cannot start her own relationship because her mother, in an effort to protect her living children, she has trained them not to feel by hardening them with punishments such as locking them in a closet or beating them with her cane” (Bloom, Harold. “List of characters in Lost in Yonkers. p67-68).
Sommers is a static character. In the beginning, she is a caring and loving mother. During the climax, her id conquers her superego and she becomes self-centered, but at the end of the story, she is back to where she was, being a devoted mother and wife to her family. Mrs. Sommers represents a woman who has been oppressed by the world of marriage. She is forced to fit in the social norm of being a proper mother and ‘woman’ that she has no time to explore her individuality because she lives in a patriarchal society.