Anne Bonny And Mary Read

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Few societies are keen to shine a kind light upon those who flout their norms and expectations, but it is not uncommon for these individuals who refuse to conform to inspire a sense of intrigue and interest in the very societies they defy. This is certainly the case for the infamous outlaws Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Two of only a few female pirates remembered today, Bonny and Read are clear examples of the strange fascination people hold for such outlandish figures. Like other women of their ilk who refuse to play the role of passive victim and otherwise lead lives outside the narrow lines of what is considered acceptably feminine, they are simultaneously sensationalized and criticized. Such a contradictory portrayal aids and abets in the …show more content…

In the book A General History of the Pyrates, often attributed to Daniel Defoe, Anne Bonny and Mary Read are cast as clear examples of this archetype. They are made sinful, beastly deviants who refuse to conform to the passive gender norms expected of her. This is made evident by their scandalous origins, descriptions of their rugged looks, their crass and bold behavior unbefitting of a woman, and the way in which they are both made spectacles of for the pleasure of the public.
As recounted in A General History of the Pyrates, Anne Bonny’s and Mary Read’s beginnings are shrouded in scandal and duplicity. The two arose from similar circumstances, both as children of adulterous relationships. In Mary Read’s case, this led to the deception of an old woman on Read’s mother’s part in order to obtain money (Defoe 153). The old woman was the mother of a man Read’s mother had been married to and borne a son with. However, the husband vanished at sea and the son died, leaving only the mother and her illegitimate daughter. Thus, Read was disguised as her widowed mother’s dead son, “and the supposed Grandmother should allow a Crown a Week for its Maintenance” (Defoe 154). Anne Bonny’s story reads much the same

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