Retrospective Readings

The portrayal of the fallen woman in our recent texts has disappointed me, because it doesn’t seem to be changing much. I think I approach each batch of readings with a little hope that maybe we will see a slightly stronger and more respected woman slowly emerging from the delicate, susceptible, swooning female whose only valuable attribute is virtue. The portrayal of women is fairly stagnant. It’s also a little disappointing that we continue to see all male-authored texts, as well.

That’s not to say that I haven’t gotten anything out of the texts. If anything, the consistency continues to show me just how concerned late eighteenth-century society was with rakes and persuadable young women. I will admit that I appreciate that the texts are holding the male more responsible than they used to (e.g., the infanticide narratives). The authors still slip in their female instruction and assertions about female worth, but at least the rake is getting some of the blame he deserves.

That’s probably why I enjoyed reading “The Passenger” this week. It jumped out at me because the theme of domestic abuse was different than the preceding texts, and the story of a woman locked inside a chamber was a little more riveting than the usual sob stories. However, what made me connect to it was the fact that the article emphasizes the husband’s fault. One of the characters—Mrs. Short Metre—suggests that both the husband and wife were at fault. The doctor immediately rejects her idea by telling the story of the imprisoned woman. He even mocks Mrs. Short Metre in a rather scathing last line. I find it interesting that a male character stands in defense of the female, just as the male author is concerned that men who don’t “fulfill their obligations” in marriage are not held accountable. And it pleased me that the wife, although she was tempted by a rake, did not fall as most of the "weak" women in recent texts have done. Instead, she "spurned him with indignation."

So encountering the readings this week, there were some frustratingly familiar stories (particularly Arrabella Artless), but there were also a few pleasant surprises. As I said earlier, I’d certainly like to see more of them, and I think it would be good for discussion!