Analysis Of The Girl With The Golden Eyes

Society often views individuals that do not conform to its expectations as separate from the societal group. The Story of the Marquise-Marquis de Banneville, by Charles Perrault, François-Timoléon de Choisy, and Marie-Jeanne L’Héritier follows two main characters, one of which does not fully conform to binary gender presentation. The Girl with the Golden Eyes, authored by Honoré de Balzac, portrays an “oriental” woman as an object to be purchased and used. In Le Roman de Parthenay Ou Le Roman de Melusine, written by Coudrette, the heroine is a half human, half fairy who holds great power. In this paper, I argue that the majority of biologically female protagonists in these novels exist in-between the expectations society has for them, which

In this novel, the society is centered around dichotomies; “youth and dotage” (Balzac 67), “the young man who has possessions and the young man that has nothing” and “the young man who thinks and the young man who spends” (87). Any person who falls outside of either box is called a “[child] who learn[s]… too late” or can “never appear in polite society” (87), essentially meaning they are undesirable in a formal society because they cannot follow expectations. The titular character, Paquita, is an “oriental” foreigner, from Havana, domesticated in Paris when she was sold to a wealthy woman who desired her. She fits into no culture entirely, as she is “part Asian houri on her mother’s side, part European through education, and part tropical by birth” (122). She is bisexual, choosing neither men nor women over the other. She is controlling, dressing Henri in women’s clothing (119), but controlled as she is reduced to a possession. However, there are ways in which a person can still be desired even if they are not easily pigeonholed. With her golden eyes and sensuality, Paquita fulfills both of the main pursuits of this society, “gold and pleasure” (68). Consequently, unlike the Marquis and his irrelevance in society, Paquita is highly sought after, thus making her a valuable commodity. Her desirability is not because of who she is as a human, but instead what

However, while Melusine is certainly ethereal and supernatural, the main cause of her dehumanization to society is her characterization as an independent, powerful woman. In the time in which this novel is placed and written, holding authority was not part of the mental schema regarding women. Thus, Melusine did not fit into the cultural understanding of how women were supposed to act; she fell in-between the roles of mother and head of the family. This is her real downfall. The count of Forez instigated this demise by informing Raymond that not knowing “where [Melusine] goes nor… what she does” (Coudrette 253) is disgraceful and dishonorable. In a fit of rage, inspired by the count of Forez’s statement and his acknowledgement the Melusine was not under his control, Raymond disobeys her one request of him and finds out she is half human and half serpent. Later, with the knowledge that she is truly non-human, Raymond blames her for their children’s actions because her serpent tail marked her as “the Devil’s work” (307). At this point, Melusine is completely dehumanized and exposed as “great serpent… riding the wind” (333) around the castle. Ultimately, her being half fairy is directly related to her dehumanization, but the true cause of her fall into unworthiness to be considered a person arose from