Female Characterism In Defoe's The Fortunate Mistress

As a senior revising and expanding this essay, I realized how much I have grown as a writer and a student of literature. When I began revising, I realized that the focus of the paper needed to be narrowed and focused more on the play Arcadia, in which Thomasina is the exception to the types of women characters stereotypically

During the 20th century, the women’s rights movement changed the role of women in society for the better, causing a change in the traditional gender roles that culture dictated before the turn of the century. Women won the right to vote in 1919, which was a major turning point in the respect of women as equal members of society as compared to men. In addition to this newfound right, women also took steps to become part of the work force rather than stay home and raise the children like traditional housewives of the time. This sudden interest was sparked by the two major wars that were fought during the 20th century, each causing women to feel that it was their duty to fill in for men while they were fighting for our country. Another significant feature of this time period was the exploration of sexuality for women, especially in the case of determining whether or not a woman was a lesbian. Given these issues, John Dos Passos and Patricia Highsmith both wrote novels that touched on the issues of being a woman during the 20th century and the certain rights that one had as a woman in society. In their respective works, Dos Passos and Highsmith explore the view of women through the characters of Janey and Therese Belivet, which portrays the distinct nature of women that are defying the traditional gender norms of the time.

In todays world it is not hard to find a woman in any role in society, however this was not always the case. In time periods previous to this, the role of women was quite different than it is in today’s world. What is now equality and power was once seclusion and degradation towards women of society. Over the course of time the role of women has changed dramatically, and the plays Antigone by Sophocles, Trifles by Susan Glaspell and The Doll House by Henrik Ibsen are great works that show how women can challenge the boundaries that were put on them by a society that was not very accepting of feminism.

Over the course of time the role of women in society and in the home has changed drastically. Many brave women have fought and worked tirelessly to earn the right to vote, for equal pay, and to all around be treated the same way as men get treated. In literature, especially early literature, we see major differences in women’s roles both inside the home and out in the world.

The eighteenth century was an era where a woman’s role in society consisted of specific expectations. Women were often held to a higher double standard and were shamed in the public if they did not confide to the standards. During this time a woman was being judged by three distinct characteristics; wealth, beauty and virtue. A woman who was in possession of these qualities were the most desirable. The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope, and the “Epistle from Mrs. Young to Her Husband” written by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu are both works of literature discussing the controversial issues revolving a women’s sexuality and desires. Where the value of a woman in society is being displayed through her reputation and double standards. Both pieces of literature allow the reader to examine society’s view on women though a female’s perspective.

Throughout history, the role of a woman has transformed from that of invisible child-bearer, housewife and suffragette to that of empowered and outspoken innovators and visionaries of modern times. Although the field of male-dominated artistry such as writing was out of reach for feminine icons during historical times, male writer’s began implementing the strong and forceful woman into their stories and sparked a centuries long debate on the value of women and their roles in books. Shakespeare rose to fame in a century where women could not own land, married young with the responsibility of bearing children and were seemingly forgotten as time went on, while the father figures passed wealth and rank to their sons. Shakespeare entered the writing arena full force as a playwright, and quickly incorporated the female role into his plays. Although many of his plays did not actually cast a female to play the woman character, the idea that women finally had a platform in theater and had the ability to be expressed in his writing was a sign of the times.

In most early British literature a woman is often presented as only one thing: an object. They can be objects of desire, objects of beauty, or merely objects to be owned, but it is rare that a woman is anything more than that. It is even more uncommon to find a female character in literature that is presented as an equal to the men around her. In William Congreve's The Way of the World he plays on the similarities of both his female and male characters to establish just how much of an issue gender really is because though their actions might be similar, the consequences are not.

An example of this notion is shown in Hope Leslie when Governor Winthrop, the landlord, reacts to Hope, the tenant, coming home late and refuses to reveal her reason why: “...Winthrop was not accustomed to have his inquisitorial rights resisted by those in his own household, and he was more struck than pleased by Hope’s moral courage” (184). Evidently, Winthrop’s reaction proves that women with “moral courage” are unladylike because moral courage is a manly trait. On the other hand, Esther Downing, another character in Hope Leslie, embodies the cult of true womanhood. Esther’s mere look at her love interest Everell is described as “a look of...pleased dependence, which is natural... and which men like to inspire, because --perhaps -- it seems to them an instinctive tribute to their natural superiority” (219). So, “Esther’s look … of dependence” confirms that the expectation that all women are supposed to have the same behavior, gestures and personality is meant to not only please men but to also hide their true form. Therefore, the cult of true womanhood presents an internal battle in female writers and Sedgwick presents this womanly struggle through the contrast between Hope and Esther. Society wants women to be quaint housewives but publishing a book defies the cult of true womanhood. Thus, defying the qualities rooted in the cult of true womanhood causes high risk of

This expectation of female behavior was deeply instilled in the mind of many, making a courageous female being viewed as distasteful. An example of this notion is shown in  Hope Leslie when Governor Winthrop, the landlord,  reacts to Hope, the tenant, coming home late and refuses to reveal why she came home at this time: “...Winthrop was not accustomed to have his inquisitorial rights resisted by those in his own household, and he was more struck than pleased by Hope’s moral courage” (184). Evidently, Winthrop’s reaction proves that women with “moral courage” are unladylike because moral courage is a manly trait. On the other hand, Esther Downing, another character in Hope Leslie, embodies the cult of true womanhood. Esther’s mere look at her love interest Everell is described as “a look of that meek and pleased dependence, which is natural for women to feel and which men like to inspire, because --perhaps -- it seems to them an instinctive tribute to their natural superiority”(219). So, “Esther’s look … of dependence” confirms that the expectation that all women are supposed to have the same behavior, gestures and personality is meant to not only please men but to also hide their true form. Therefore, the cult of true womanhood presents a internal battle in female writers and Sedgwick presents this womanly struggle through the contrast between Hope and Esther. Society wants women to be quaint housewives but publishing a

The classic works of Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, and Charlotte Bronte are powerful examples of the restrictions that women of the 19th century endured. These women collectively penned several of the most famous novels ever written, subversively authoring their works either anonymously or under male names, thus allowing their novels to become much more widely read than they would have been. Emma, by Jane Austen, Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, and Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, are all examples of works that call into question traditional roles of gender and social class and prove themselves to reveal similar themes in structure and style. These novels align themselves similarly from the very first lines by strongly establishing the tone

During this era, women were to be in the domestic sphere rather than the public sphere. Their jobs were to be the “stay-at-home” mother who cooks, cleans, nurtures children, and stay silent. However, in this novel, Roxana represents women who are slowly moving from the private to being in the public sphere as an independent woman. According to Thomas Hobbes philosophy, he believes that government laws and chain of causes operates human’s feelings and mind. In regards to chain of causes, he discusses how these different causes can lead to a person’s “will,” or the final action that happens to them. If one sees something that is external (liberty=Roxana sees valuable possessions and money), it affects what is internal (power=Roxana begins to

While women make up approximately half of the population of the world, literature does not reflect this ratio. Even with such population, most works do not even focus on women. Few works have dealt with the role of women in society throughout the history of literature, but it has become more and more of a recurring theme as time passes. Works like The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer and Hamlet by William Shakespeare were rare for their time due to how they portrayed female characters. Works like The Education of Women by Daniel Defoe and A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen were wrote in a time of change and were not as rare as the other works published in the same time period.

In the Middle Age literature, women are often presented or meant to come off as an unimportant character; which can also reflect on how the author wants the women character represent. Women are usually shunned, have no say or control in what they do; due to what men desire; like Ophelia and Gertrude did in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. But these female characters that I will discuss are women with power, control, and a voice. Majority of the female character’s appearances are made to represent wickedness, evil, or a seducer who challenges a man belief; and does not symbolize perfect women.

Roxana always wanted him to leave, but she thought that if he did, he would starve his family, and he did. She says, “… I was dreadfully frighted at last, and the more when I look’d into my own Circumstances, and considered the Condition which I was left; with five Children, and not one Farthing Subsistance for them, other than about seventy Pound in Money, and what few things of Value I had about me, which, tho’ considerable in themselves, were yet nothing to feed a Family, and for a length of Time too” (52). Here, she noticed that he is really gone, and now she is scared, because she cannot take care of her and her children without him. This chain of event connects to her husband’s negligence. Since she made the decision to stay with her husband, despite the hardships that he placed his family and himself in, he left her. So, she cannot take care of her nor her children because she is not familiar with being an independent woman living in a male dominant world. This cause could have been avoided if she were to leave him when she realized that he was becoming broke and irresponsible; however, she was dependent on him because he made the money and she worked in the private sphere. Overall, this connects to Hobbes philosophy of the chain of events, because her husband’s negligence and him leaving leads to the next event that brings us closer to the loss of her children –– the“will,” and, because of her husband leaving her, she had to reach out for

The novel demonstrates both popular and familiar gender roles in the 19th century. Catherine Earnshaw, breaks through the stereotypes, and has a mesh of both feminine and masculine qualities. In the Victorian Era, men are seemed as superior to women. Her gender roles are beyond the social norm, as well as her husband Edgar, who is portrayed as more feminine. Catherine holds many masculine qualities such as being adventurous, extroverted, and determined.