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Femininity The Fickle Friend : Femininity Essay

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Femininity the Fickle Friend
Femininity has several denotations especially from person to person however, the general definition means the very essence of being a woman. How would one even measure this essence? What does this even mean? “The very essence of being a woman” is a pretty broad statement. Maybe for some femininity means being dainty, angelic, or virginal. Perhaps for others femininity means rearing children while continuing to be graceful and frail all the while oozing with sexuality; while at the same time maintaining a certain amount of innocence. No matter which definition best suits the word “femininity”, the woman of Cranford all showcase what femininity actually means to them and it is manifested in vastly different ways.
This novel opens by stating that Cranford is populated by Amazons. The word Amazons connotes fearless females towering over the very men in which they do not hold in a very high regard. Amazons would be far too busy living out their lives to become enamored with such trivial sentiments as men. However, as soon as Captain Brown arrived at a dinner party that the ladies were also in attendance at the demeanor changed completely “Ruffled brows were smoothed, sharp voices were lowered at his approach.” (Gaskell 9) The very presence of a man was enough to stop these alleged Amazons dead in their tracks and make their expressions soften? Hopefully a mountain out of a mole hill isn’t being made here, but it seems like the women at a first

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