Nonconformism In The Portrait Of A Lady By Henry James

“Pride and Prejudice”, a novel written by Jane Austen represents eighteenth century English women as illogical, domestic individuals who economically depend on male members in their household. Major decisions in their life are decided by their fathers and brothers. They perform subordinate roles, and are considered inferior to men. This novel reinforces the sexist stereotypes of women.The female characters in the novel possess these virtues in varying degrees depending on their role. Marriage is considered essential to secure a woman’s future ,they are expected to behave in a certain manner to earn the respect of the society, and are treated unfairly by the social and justice

If you have ever broken a rule you know that afterwards you learn something. You either learn not to break that rule again, or how to break that rule without being caught and maybe even something about yourself you never knew. When Isabel broke a rule, she learned not only how to not get caught, but also she also learned she was more courageous than she originally thought. Being a slave, it is illegal for Isabel is not entitled to leave the house

The concepts of “True Womanhood” can be defined by piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity. This novel reflects the concepts of the time, for example, when Winthrop comments to Fletcher, “passiveness next to godliness is a woman’s best virtue” (153). Winthrop reinforces the norm for women to be submissive, which is referred to in the novel as passive. True Womanhood could also be defined as selfless, referring to the concept of piety. We see selflessness reflected within the relationship between Hope and Magawisca, where Magawisca takes a huge risk in coming to tell Hope about her sister’s marriage and how Faith had changed, and in return, Hope risks everything to set Magawisca free

Throughout the book Grace is continuously influenced by women who accept their stereotyped role as women in 19th century society. An idea widely accepted in the book was that of marrying in order to improve social status or life in general. For example, Grace’s good friend Mary Whitney informed her that, “It was a custom for young girls in this country to hire themselves out, in order to earn money for their dowries, and then they would marry, and if their husbands proposed they would soon be hiring their own servants in their turn”(Atwood 157-158). She suggests that the aim of a woman’s life is to marry a man in order to live a legitimate life. In other words, a woman was unable to live happily without the aid of a man to help her. Later in

Feminist Fulfillment and the Ultimate Defiance Social paradigms are a societal construct. Survival does not depend on our ability to conform. In the Victorian era, conformity was valued above all else, especially concerning gender roles. Women were seen as objects of marriage and motherhood, nothing more. However, literary critic Katherine Thompson in an essay describes the Victorian era as the “essential beginnings of gender equity changes” (Thompson).

Women in the 1800s were stereotyped and confined to specific roles in society, however it all changed. The 1800s in Victorian England, created an environment, which encouraged stereotypes, aimed at women in which they were required to stay at home and be ‘The Angels of the House.’ Women were not only constricted to very narrow gender roles where they are expected to be mothers, pure, naïve and dependant on their husbands. Jobs such as teaching and nursing were seen as women jobs only and these were the only jobs women should do. However, the Industrial Revolution helped open a new era for women in society and this allowed women to feel the need to stand up for their rights and challenge the stereotypes of the society. Lucy Westenra is a typical young, beautiful girl whose main aim is to marry and do what is accepted in society as a wife. She is seen as a marginal figure whose

The majority of literature at this time emphasized women’s domestic and religious roles , and those women who deviated from these socially accepted and designated roles, were not viewed as positively as those who adhered to societal norms . American Literature depicted flawless images of women in a flawed world, making it especially difficult for real and fictional women alike. This negative perception is seen in numerous American Literature works, but the disparity in treatment of these women is most obvious when the characters are compared to the more passive and docile female characters that were considered to be the ideal representations of American women at that period of time. This negative perception of women can be best demonstrated

The novel written by Henry James can be interpreted in many different ways. The theories that readers form are developed by the story’s shifting plot and mysterious tone. The novel is filled with characters from different status and hierarchy. The situations described throughout the story place women in stereotypes or roles that display their power and qualities. The story also creates a wall that separates men and women by their social class and appearance.

She compares her aunt's life to "A sort of cage-bird life" and views her own rebellion toward the expected role as "A wild bird scarcely fledged" (P.1866-1867, Ll.305, 311). Aurora's aunt tries teaching the role of Victorian women with books dictating " if women do not think at all, they may teach thinking"(P.1869, L. 427). One of the only rights of thinking given to women, was "their right to comprehend their husbands" (P. 1869, L. 431). The limited rights were not satisfactory for Aurora, who finds a savior to oppression of intellect through poetry. Rebelling against the limited lite rature available, her soul is "At poetry's divine first finger-touch, / Let go of convictions and sprang up surprised" (P.1872, L.L 850-851). Through Aurora's rebellion, she found sanctity in educating herself with poetry. More hardened towards rebellion is the modern character of Isabella; a wealthy spinster who "bought this house and collected with her own hands" (P.2454), a new concept for women in the age of Modernism. The fact that Isabella has remained unmarried can be thought of as rebellion towards the repression of women's education, world travel and financial freedom of the previous of the still fresh Victorian era. With a husband, Isabella may not of been able to keep these freedoms. The speaker views Isabella's freedom from a man as "twenty times more passion and experience than those that loves are

A factor I wanted to capture in my piece was women 's role in society. During the 1920’s in America, women were seen as objects of fun. Daisy Buchanan, the main lady in The Great Gatsby, states that she “hopes [her daughter will] be a fool,” because, “that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” (17). Daisy, along with most of the female population, were raised in a world where they were taught to believe that a foolish and carefree lifestyle would make life easier. Women weren’t thought of

In the Victorian Era of mid nineteen to early twentieth century, a woman’s role in society remained to be in the household, away from the business and cares of men. The feminine side is portrayed as negative, powerless, and lacking (Kileen 49). Society discouraged women from having power in society and neglecting women represented normal in the eyes of most men and women. However, Victorian novels such as The Picture of Dorian Gray illustrate the consequences of disregarding women. In Oscar Wilde’s only novel, the lack of importance surrounding the female characters and their careless treatment from men results in the selfishness of the male characters exemplified through Dorian Gray’s acts of evil.

Another work of art by the author is a scene that demonstrates how confused and tormented Edna is over her circumstance, and how utterly trapped she feels in her marriage. Mrs. Pontellier spends most of the novel in similar situations, struggling with herself, masking her emotions and pretending like what she is feeling is not really true.

While introducing her to Isabel, Mrs. Touchett notes, “she [Madame Merle] is too fond of mystery…that is her great fault” (183). Isabel wonders about her past and how Madame Merle came to justify such an “air of distinction” (184), but Madame Merle is able to conceal her affair with Gilbert Osmond and the child it produced, the most important parts of her life, from Isabel’s knowledge. Nevertheless, Isabel quickly declares she “had never encountered a more agreeable or interesting woman than Madame Merle” (196) and finds herself trying to emulate many of Madame’s characteristics. It is clear that Merle is an intelligent, witty, and cultivated woman and when she was younger would have shared much in common with Isabel, including her ambition and independence. The parallels that Madame Merle sees between Isabel and herself becomes a driving force in her efforts to marry Isabel to Osmond. Merle covertly helps Osmond tailor himself to what she knows Isabel desires: an intellectual match, as well as someone who (seemingly) will not stifle her freedom. Among all of Isabel’s acquaintances, Madame Merle is the only one not vehemently opposed to her relationship with Osmond, but because of Isabel’s naive belief in her own independence she does not see this as suspicious, and agrees to marry

To a forward-thinking woman of the Victorian era, the concept that a novel written by a man could illustrate so vividly the thoughts and natures of women would have been foreign. Yet such a novel exists, one that spins a web of morality and human frailty so intensely that the reader emerges with a thousand questions in their mind. Henry James, often referred to as ‘the master’, took upon himself the task of creating such a novel, one that could skillfully capture the female spirit as well as reveal the Victorian society’s flawed idea of wifehood. He succeeded, producing the serial The Portrait of a Lady in 1881. Though The Portrait of a Lady is renowned for its psychological realism and rebellion against conventionalism, more expertly depicted is James’ accurate portrayal of Victorian society and womanhood. His approach is profoundly feminist and reveals the toxicity and inequity of its era to a high degree. James’ employment of his subtle wit is on full display with his interpretation of the dysfunctionality concerning the concept of an ideal woman. In fact, he creates several female characters, all of whom are manifestations of the different lives women could inhabit during the Victorian era. In addition, the aforementioned characters are refreshingly three-dimensional. Their flaws do not diminish the story – in fact, those defaults enhance the plot. James’ depiction of a woman’s life and choices is then embodied in the frequently-discussed ending of the novel. The

Like most of James's fiction of the 1870s, and the majority of his writing for the rest of his career, Portrait focuses on a group of expatriate Americans in England and Europe. Leisured, cultured, but just a bit bored, Daniel Touchett and his son Ralph are idly passing their time at Daniel's country estate, Gardencourt, but find themselves reenergized when Daniel's all but estranged wife, Lydia, brings with her to England her niece, a beautiful and enthusiastic orphan named Isabel Archer. Isabel is everything these men are not: lively, enthusiastic, and alert, she is a less flirtatious, more thoughtful version of Daisy Miller. But this American Girl, too, has the resistance to convention that both marks the type and makes its fate so problematic; when her Aunt Lydia reproaches her for staying up late to talk to Ralph and his friend, Lord Warburton, Isabel thanks her for informing her of the social prohibition but claims that she wants this knowledge only "so as to choose" whether to follow it.