Eliot’s overall disinterest in either of the discussed forms of over-concern with gender in regards to literature— because she didn’t consider a woman’s feminine virtue to be relevant criteria in determining the quality of a piece of literature, nor did she find the general advancement of any women’s writing to be a necessary aspect of advancing the overall status of the female gender— serves as yet another example of how this Victorian writer fits Ezell’s description of Romantic literary critics. During the Romantic era, a writer’s gender was not emphasized nearly as much as it was in the Victorian era. Regardless of the actual gender of the writer who wrote the piece of literature in question, if a writer achieved either a masculine or androgynous …show more content…
Likewise, Eliot claimed that “fiction is a department of literature in which women can […] fully equal men,” and furthermore saw the adopting of a masculine tone as a method by which such equal levels of literary merit could be accomplished (1368). Furthermore, the specifically considered “masculine” traits in literature of this time were “being witty [and] having a strong intellectual framework and content” (Ezell 74). If these traits were considered masculine, then those traits were praised by Romantic era critics. Therefore, literature lacking such traits would have, by basic laws of logic, been criticized. These therefore criticized traits— the lack of depth and the lack of intellect—are, as mentioned previously, some of the very same qualities that Eliot held against the “silly novels,” thus proving yet another instance in which Eliot’s views adhered to those assigned to the Romantic era rather than her own time. Also, the very fact that Eliot’s praised women adopting masculine traits in their writing is still another direct contrast with Ezell’s description of the Victorian era, specifically their preoccupation with women writers’ femininity, since femininity and masculinity are completely opposite …show more content…
Eliot is actually never even mentioned in Ezell’s discussions of the Victorian era, and is likely not even mentioned in the whole book. However, Eliot’s voice, or rather her pen, was only one of presumably a chorus of hundreds of Victorian literary critics’ opinions. Given basic knowledge of history regarding women’s societal roles, it’s not much of a stretch to assume that if there were other female literary critics in this era, there likely weren’t many, leaving the cacophony of male opinions and critiques to still be the dominating tone of this era. Thus, it’s certainly reasonable that Ezell would leave out the anomaly of George Eliot, for even the most extensive of research will still inevitably overlook some writers. The existence of Eliot’s works and its nature as a counterexample to the specific arguments Ezell presents regarding literary criticism thus paradoxically serves as confirmation of one of her largest, overarching arguments: scholarly attempts to set a mold to describe an element of literature inevitably results in exclusion because there will always be exceptions, and thus an image of a genre one may be presented with will never be quite as complete or all-encompassing as the writer or compiler may
Throughout history, women have struggled with, and fought against oppression. They have been held back and weighed down by the sexist ideas of a male dominated society which has controlled cultural, economic and political ideas and structure. During the mid-1800’s to early 1900’s women became more vocal and rebuked sexism and the role that had been defined for them. Fighting with the powerful written word, women sought a voice, equality amongst men and an identity outside of their family. In many literary writings, especially by women, during the mid-1800’s to early 1900’s, we see symbols of oppression and the search for gender equality in society. Writing based on their own experiences, had it not been for the works of Susan Glaspell, Kate Chopin, and similar feminist authors of their time, we may not have seen a reform movement to improve gender roles in a culture in which women had been overshadowed by men.
There is no doubt that the literary written by men and women is different. One source of difference is the sex. A woman is born a woman in the same sense as a man is born a man. Certainly one source of difference is biological, by virtue of which we are male and female. “A woman´s writing is always femenine” says Virginia Woolf
The English Renaissance was a time of great literature. The world was changing and people were exploring their boundaries. In a time of such opportunity, women were often excluded. For instance, it was very difficult for women to receive education. Even if they did, it was extremely difficult for them to be accepted as writers and nearly impossible to have their work published. Only a small number of women writers succeeded in having their works published because of the many social barriers.
...estrictions forced upon them. She used her writing to examine, express, and voice her dissatisfaction with the masculine long-established society, and emphasized a woman’s self-definition. She showed it was a woman’s responsibility to safeguard her own happiness as well as to follow the heart’s desire without trepidation. Her use of sympathetic female characters was a brilliant way to advocate contemporary feminist issues.
The term Romantic is “Term applied to music of the 19th century. Romantic music had looser and more extended forms, greater experimentation with harmony and texture, richly expressive and memorable melodies, improved musical instruments, an interest in musical nationalism, and a view of music as a moral force, in which there was a link between the artist’ inner lives and the world around them” (Burkholder, p. A16). With Romanticism, composers looked for ways to express intense emotions through their music. At this time, many people were proud of their countries and wanted to reflect their country in their music and art.
In the novel, Emma, Austen introduced her audience to a new idea of patriarchy. While she is known to satirize society for the “faulty education of female children, limited expectations for girls and women, and the perils of the marriage market” (“Austen, Jane”). Austen expresses the irony of the men of her patriarchal society and proposes the ideal gentleman in Mr. Knightley. In Emma, Austen moves away from “a traditional idea of 'natural' male supremacy towards a 'modern' notion of gender equity” (Marsh). Jane Austen is a revolutionary in the way she transforms the idea of Nineteenth Century patriarchy by not “reinforcing the traditional gender stereotypes” (Rosenbury) but instead challenging the status quo. While her characters still hold some ties to traditional ideals, Austen proves to be ahead of her time, influencing the way gender is regarded today.
Throughout literature’s history, female authors have been hardly recognized for their groundbreaking and eye-opening accounts of what it means to be a woman of society. In most cases of early literature, women are portrayed as weak and unintelligent characters who rely solely on their male counterparts. Also during this time period, it would be shocking to have women character in some stories, especially since their purpose is only secondary to that of the male protagonist. But, in the late 17th to early 18th century, a crop of courageous women began publishing their works, beginning the literary feminist movement. Together, Aphra Behn, Charlotte Smith, Fanny Burney, and Mary Wollstonecraft challenge the status quo of what it means to be a
Hurston portrays women as independent and capable of infinite possibilities. Many aspects contribute to how an author, male or female, portrays his or her female characters. Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Steinbeck, Wharton, and Hurston all illustrate their own perception of women based upon personal experience and social acuity of their particular era. The portrayal of women in American Literature is based solely upon an author’s personal opinion and interpretation and does not necessarily symbolize the true spirit and quintessence of women as one. Bibliography:..
Through her writing, she acted as a precursor to the first wave of present day feminism that still shakes the flaw social constructs of our patriarchal system. She uses metaphors to illustrate allegorical imagery that when analyzed is rooted into the problems that women faced of the 1900s. And a thorough investigation and criticism of the bias that still holds true to today involving narrative constructs and their character gives readers the boons of an objective view of literary work. Women have experienced the worst that men have to offer and through their obstinance of the past, have become stronger and stand taller today than ever
Women in the Romantic Era were a long way from being treated as equals; they were expected by society to find a husband, become a typical housewife, and a good mother. So what happens when women get tired of being treated horribly and try to fight back towards getting men to treat them as an equal? Both Mary Robinson’s, “The Poor Singing Dame” and Anna Barbauld’s “The Rights of Women” show great examples of how women in the Romantic Era were disrespected and degraded by men, whereas all they wanted was to be treated with respect and dignity.
In an essay on feminist criticism, Linda Peterson of Yale University explains how literature can "reflect and shape the attitudes that have held women back" (330). From the viewpoint of a feminist critic, "The Lady of Shalott" provides its reader with an analysis of the Victorian woman's conflict between her place in the interior, domestic role of society and her desire to break into the exterior, public sphere which generally had been the domain of men. Read as a commentary on women's roles in Victorian society, "The Lady of Shalott" may be interpreted in different ways. Thus, the speaker's commentary is ambiguous: Does he seek to reinforce the institution of patriarchal society as he "punishes" the Lady with her death for her venture into the public world of men, or does he sympathize with her yearnings for a more colorful, active life? Close reading reveals more than one possible answer to this question, but the overriding theme seems sympathetic to the Lady. By applying "the feminist critique" (Peterson 333-334) to Tennyson's famous poem, one may begin to understand how "The Lady of Shalott" not only analyzes, but actually critiques the attitudes that held women back and, in the end, makes a hopeful, less patriarchal statement about the place of women in Victorian society.
Within the context of this historical epoch, characterized by its reverence for "earnestness, moral responsibility" and "domestic propriety," the function of art as a device to both commemorate and conserve societal ideals makes it an effective instrument for the delineation of the Victorian individual. Those operating within the domain of literature, therefore, attempted to recreate their experience of the issues challenging Victorian society. The efforts of poets in this period to identify and explore these issues, including the position of women in society, are reflected in their works. Nineteenth century poets Tennyson and Rossetti endeavored to confront the prevalent social issues within England at the time. Amy Roxana in her writing explains that their texts, The Lady of Shallot and Goblin Market respectively, engage in “literary discourse with one another on the Victorian Era's perception of women in society, presenting dissimilar views on the idea of women's need for male protection, but mutually concluding that the place of women is indeed within the domestic sphere”.
Smith and Stirling Since the 18th century, music making for women was simply a social skill. However, in the Romantic Period, music making was considered more than just an ornament. For women of this period, it was often very difficult for them to have their music published especially if they were not born into a musical family like Schumann or Mendelssohn. Even if they were born into a musical family it was still difficult for women to become composers. This is due to the fact that, it was not common to hear of women musicians or musicologists of this era.
In the Romantic period, many authors make references to different social concerns. This enabled the authors to hint towards different concerns in their writing, but not come directly out and state their concerns. Three great examples of authors like this include: William Blake, Robert Burns, and Anna Laetitia Barbauld. Each of these authors had unique concerns that they were able to get across in their own way.
Over the years, the classic man saving the helpless woman routine, has evolved into a more feminist view where the woman saves the man, for example .