Trapped in a World Without a Say
Added on 2019-12-18
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The Death of Soul C-uppsats 15 hp
2ABSTRACTVioleta Risteska-AleksoskaThe Death of SoulA Comparative Analysis Between the Similarities of the Heroine Character in George Eliot’s Middlemarch and Henry James’s Portrait of a LadyNumber of pages: 25
3It has been always witnessed that women rights and society view point always differentiate witheach other. In case of the 19th century, the women were passionate about their dreams as well aswanted to live a free life. In this essay, Dorothea Brooks and Isabel Archer are the maincharacters in the novels Middlemarch (1871-71), George Eliot and Portrait of a Lady (1880-81),Henry James. The authors describe them as strong-minded, independent and interested in whatlife brings to them, taking on challenges and not hesitating in the experiencing life. The mainaim of the research is to witness the wrong choices which both the ladies made in their lives.These choices gave their life a U-turn as due to this their aspirations as well as need came to anend. Further, another aim of the report is to show injustice done by the society with DorotheaBrooks and Isabel Archer. The objective of the study is to examine the thinking of societytowards the women.The results show that Dorothea and Isabel are strong and independent women, but in order to keep those qualities and maintain a position in the male dominated society they need to marry men of importance. To sustain within the realm of society and make a difference or to achieve anything more, they needed to be men. By giving up their independence and choosing to enter marriage leads them to what eventually becomes their spiritual death. Sökord: The Death of Soul, Middlemarch, Portrait of a Lady, similarities, choices, Victorian EraTelefon036–101000 Fax036162585
4TABLE OF CONTENTSINTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................5Choices of the women and the social perspectives of society towards women......................7Similar characteristics of Dorothea Brooks and Isabel...........................................................7SOCIETY’S VIEW OF WOMEN............................................................................................10Perception of society towards women in 19th century..........................................................11Difference between society thinking and characteristics of women.....................................13Injustice done by men towards women.................................................................................14Women live life according to society norms........................................................................14THE FEMALE CHARACTERS..............................................................................................15Characteristics of Dorothea’s................................................................................................16Similarities between both of them........................................................................................19CHOICES.................................................................................................................................19BETRAYAL.............................................................................................................................24Evidence from the sources....................................................................................................25CONSEQUENCES A wrong choice changed her life..............................................................27ACCEPTANCE........................................................................................................................30CONCLUSION.........................................................................................................................33WORKS CITED.......................................................................................................................34
5INTRODUCTIONIn the present era, it has been witnessed that the women are characterized as an angel or asdemon. Further, it has been realized that in most of the novels the suffering is caused by themales to the women but still the lady are projected as the culprit.There are a few similarities between the female characters in George Eliot’s, Middlemarch,Dorothea Brooks, and Henry James’s, Portrait of a Lady, Isabel Archer. Both Dorothea and Isabel are portrayed by the authors as strong-minded, independent and interested in what life brings to them, taking on challenges and not hesitating in experiencing life. Having a passion to learn more and develop, these two women do not conform to the usual stereotype of women living in the eighteenth century. For one of the characters, the main goal is to be part of something greater than what life has to offer; for the other, the aim is to get married and live with a person who is part of a different society. Despite living in two different worlds, they make the same mistake falling back and relying on a husband that only wants them to behave as all other conventional women do. Their husband’s betrayal is of great importance, as it manifests a clear understanding of what happens to the two characters: betrayal they are exposed to by the people they least expect. The aim of the report is to understand the character of the women in both novels and the society’s point of view towards them. Besides this, through the characters of the novel, the report will predict that women are give choices but they do not have the right to take it. On the other hand, it will be depicted that in the end the suffering was caused to the women because they made the wrong choices in their life.According to both the novels, both the women wanted something from their life but the life gave challenges in face of men. Further, both ladies got the choice to choose their mates but because of their wrong choice they suffered a lot. This report will help to portray that Dorothea Brooks and Isabel were ambitious but because of the society norms and the responsibility they were not able to fulfill their goals in their lives. On the other hand, the
6main aim of the report is that the men did not respect the goals and philosophies of the women. They always make them feel that they are superior to the lady. In case of Dorothea Brooks,Casaubon did not involve in her work because he knew that he was much more talented than her. On the other hand, in case of the Isabel, his husband behavior was not good towards her. But despite of this reason, the Isabel builds a good bond between her daughter and saves her from the bad intention of her husband to marry its ex- lover. This character shows the selfless love for her husband’s daughter. Even her real father did not lover her as much as her step mother. This report will aim to show the sacrificing nature of the women towards their family etc.
7Choices of the women and the social perspectives of society towards women The focus of this essay is to show that how a choice Dorothea Brooks and Isabelbecomes fatal to their spiritual life. The aim of the report is to identify social views of thesociety towards Dorothea Brooks and Isabel. Similar characteristics of Dorothea Brooks and IsabelUpon reading Middlemarch and Portrait of a Lady, I could not help noticing the similarities both characters had, Dorothea Brooks marrying a man of importance to be part of the social hierarchy, even though coming from two very different worlds. Besides this, Isabel marries a man who has some history behind it. If she knows, she would not have married him.Social feminism can be defined as oppression of the women which can be further categorized as racism and economic injustice. Barry argues that English and American literature differ in terms of feminist criticism in subjects such as, social and culturalorientation where the English literature focuses on ‘social feminism’. Barry relates with the study because injustice has been carried out in both the characters Dorothea Brooks andIsabel. As the former one was not respected equally by her husband in their work and in case of Isabel her husband was egoistic and did not provided love and affection. But Barry feels that there are certain differences in novels written by women writers, such as, Eliot and James, containing different norms and approaches to society (129).
8This essay will present condition of both the women who had to deal with the situation arising in the Victorian. In order to make a difference, Dorothea and Isabel needed tomarry powerful men with high status to take part in a ‘male’ world where women did not belong. This will constitute an important part of this essay since it is connected to the choicesDorothea and Isabel make. In this, the similarities between the choices of both women will be highlighted. The similarity which can be witnessed is that both the women chose rich man andthe scenario which happened with them was same. After marriage both their husband did not gave love to them. This can give light on the reality of society I will present the outcome of both the female characters Dorothea and Isabel, fate and their decisions. I will not mention and exemplify the suitors at all, as it is not necessary to put focus on them, but what this essay will focus on is why they chose husbands like Casaubon and Osmond. This is important to be focused because both their husband betrayed them.This is important because the life of both the women revolved around their husband. Even though Dorothea and Isabel are two strong independent women, they live in a society where it is not possible for a woman to be prosperous on her own. Their belief is that marriage is a new possibility of a life of prosperity and independence which will enable them to accomplish things they could never do before. This leads both characters to a choice of decisive importance that changes their lives and eventually leads to the death of their soul.
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