A Room of One's Own (Chapter One) by Virginia Woolf

A Room of One's Own (Chapter One)

In chapter one of "A Room of One's Own," Woolf is discussing the topic of women and fiction. According to Woolf, "...a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction." Woolf's narrator is reflecting on the aforementioned topics on the banks of Oxbridge (fiction setting of Oxford and Cambridge). Woolf compares the predicament of women and fiction to fishing and her narrator's interaction with a university Beadle. As soon as a woman in this time period was able to mentally secure an idea to write, a man would come along and interrupt the idea, much like the university Beadle did encouraging the narrator to return to a designated path for women. 

The narrator goes on to contrast Oxbridge to Fernham, a newer women's college. The meals at Fernham are uninspiring and unbalanced, whereas the meals at Oxbridge are full of life and conversation over a hearty, varied spread of food. Also, the narrator points out that male universities have been financially supported for centuries, while women's colleges often scrape by on whatever they receive monetarily. This problem of continual female poverty was caused by the fact that women were not allowed by law to hold property as they were themselves considered property. Finally, Woolf concludes by reinstating that having one's own space encourages dignity among many other positive attributes. 

In an Artist's Studio by Christina Rosetti and The Blessed Damozel by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Background

• Pre-Raphaelite paintings:
• Lizzie Siddal was the subject of a lot of Gabriel Rossetti's paintings and the subject of his poem "The Blessed Damozel"
• "In an Artists's Studio"
• It doesn't really matter who he is painting because in Gabriel's poem, it's all the same face (could mean Siddal is the subject of all his works?)
• "The Blessed Damozel"
• An idealization of Rossetti's other artistic works

When assigned to bring a picture of a woman to class, I immediately thought of Marilyn Monroe because of her similarities to the women we have studied in Dr. Linker's class. Monroe is still to this day, one of the biggest sex symbols the world has ever seen and ultimately succumbed to her drug addiction in 1962. In my opinion, Monroe is a sort of Roxana figure, as both courted many wealthy, powerful men in efforts to maintain their relevance, although Monroe never had to try THAT hard to remain in the spotlight. I also chose a picture of Monroe because she is such a controversial figure in the entertainment industry and while she was often caught up in Hollywood style drama, she is still an admirable role model for many people, myself included, for her ability to have fun with her work and break down gender conventions/stereotypes.

Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti

Background

• The Gothic inhabited novel forms
• The Gothic was the most successful form of the novel
• The Gothic novel rose to fame in the 1750's
• The Gothic novel has a damsel/virtue in distress
• The Gothic novel has a villain
• The Gothic novel has a hero
• The Gothic novel has a femme fatale (helps villain; haunts hero)
• The Gothic novel and Medieval Romances share many characteristics 
• The knight is most often successful in saving the damsel
• Frankenstein is an example of a Gothic novel
• Edgar Allen Poe is a Gothic writer
• The setting of a Gothic novel is gloomy/scary and often a castle, abbey, ruin
• Many Gothic novels contain elements of the supernatural 
• Christina Rossetti wrote Goblin Market around 40-50 years after Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice
• Victorian era:
• Emphasized socialization
• Emphasized solving social problems
• This era was very prudish
• 25-40% of women in the Victorian era were prostitutes 
• This highly sexualized culture was encouraged by opium/laudanum addictions

Goblin Market

Goblin Market contains many elements that make it a gothic poem. The goblins are the villains, Laura is the damsel in distress, and Lizzie is the hero. The setting is in the dark of night with the stars and the moon shining in an urban space on the steet/marketplace. This poem also contains elements of the supernatural such as the goblin men, addictive fruits, and the animalistic sounds of the goblin men. Laura's sister Lizzie is the hero, although the hero is typically a masculine male. 

The religious and homoerotic elements of the poem are considered to be interpretive. Overall, the sexualization found in this poem overpowers the religious aspects of it. Religious aspects found in this poem include the forbidden fruit and Lizzie serving as Laura's "savior" from death. The fruit juices also could be equivalent to the blood of Christ in religious services. Through this poem and the sisters, Rossetti may be asserting that homosexuality is ok and even preferable to being romantic with the goblin men. 

Hanging out with Goblins was not a typical social convention of this time. It's important to not socially reject fallen women like Laura because we are supposed to save them. Most often, fallen women were forced into their occupation for monetary reasons. 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Part Two)

Pride and Prejudice (Part Two)

Over the course of this novel, Darcy overcomes his pride and Elizabeth overcomes her prejudice. Darcy says Elizabeth is not pretty enough to dance with him initially. Elizabeth discovers that Darcy paid for the marriage between Lydia and Wickham, saving the Bennet family from financial ruin.

Lydia and Wickham eloped and Wickham asks Mr. Bennet for a small income to marry Lydia. The Bennets believe this income is supplied by their relatives, the Gardiners. Darcy secretly pays Wickham the 10,000 pounds he requires. Lydia and Wickham are totally oblivious to the financial problems they have caused with the Bennet family.

Lady Catherine comes to visit Elizabeth and she tells Elizabeth not to accept Darcy's proposal to Elizabeth because Elizabeth's family is not wealthy enough to be tied to Darcy's family. Elizabeth tries not to lose her temper with Lady Catherine despite de Bourgh's rude nature. Lady Catherine tells Elizabeth her family will pollute the walls of Pemberley because the Bennets are basically trash. Lady Catherine acknowledges the need to keep the upper classes and their bloodlines separated from the lower classes. This shows that Austen was in such a powerful position that she was able to critique all social classes in society. 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Part One)

Background

• Mr. Darcy is a jerk at the beginning of the book and kind in the second half of the book
• The Bennet's property will go to Mr. Collins after Mr. Bennet's death because of entailment laws
• Mrs. Bennet is obsessed with getting one of her daughters to marry Mr. Collins so they basically will not become homeless
• The Bingleys look down on the Bennets even though the Bennets are respected by most of their other neighbors

Pride and Prejudice (Part One)

Defoe's Roxana is very similar to Austen's Pride and Prejudice because Roxana chases after money to maintain her lifestyle and the Bennet sisters must chase after men in order to maintain their lifestyles. The idea of companionate marriage is introduced in Pride and prejudice. 

Mr. Collins is the heir to the Bennet family's wealth and is considered an to be an air head. Mr. Collins is "employed" by Lady Catherine de Bourgh as a clergyman. Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth, although he wants to propose to Jane, but Mrs. Bennet asserts that Jane will be marrying Bingley.

For all intents and purposes, Darcy acts like an ass in Pride and Prejudice as evidenced by his bluntness and comments about Elizabeth not being the pretty Bennet sister. His feelings toward Elizabeth are shown when Darcy says he won't dance with Elizabeth. Darcy is so egotistical that he cannot understand how a woman of such a low social standing like Elizabeth is so uninterested in Darcy. 

Miss Bingley is very obnoxious and tries very hard to show off to Darcy and tries to shut down Elizabeth to keep Darcy for herself. Mr. Bingley is very charming and wealthy. As previously stated, the Bingleys even make fun of the Bennets for their comparatively low social standing. Bingley become infatuated with Jane and sends her letters. Throughout the novel, Miss Bingley tries very hard to sever the ties between the Bingleys and the Bennets. 

In a social situation involving Mrs. Bennet, she is very boastful about her daughters' beauty to cover ip their lack of familial wealth. The Bennet family as a whole acts very low class and is judged because of Mrs. Bennet's actions. Austen wants to point out that especially in these times, you are judged by your family's actions. Mr. Bennet is constantly dealing with his wife's nerves and is somewhat mean to Mrs. Bennet. Elizabeth Bennet is very intelligent and possesses much common sense. Elizabeth is the heroine of the novel, but is not the prettiest daughter even though she is the most liked daughter by her father. Jane Bennet is the prettiest daughter and is sweet and reserved. Lydia Bennet is very gossipy and man-crazed. Jane is so coy that Mr. Bingley doesn't even know that she is interested in Mr. Bingley. 

Poems by Phillis Wheatley

Biography & Background

• First published African American poet
• First African American woman whose writings helped create the genre of African American literature
• Born in Gambia
• Became a slave at age 7
• She was purchased by the Wheatley family of Boston
• Wheatley family taught her to read and write and helped encourage her poetry
• Wheatley wrote about religion and morality
• Praised by George Washington
• Wheatley was emancipated by her owners and stayed with the Wheatley family 
• Wheatley was a supporter of American independence 
• Married, but her husband left her
• Died at age 31 during childbirth
• Wheatley's poetry revolves around Christian themes and many poems are dedicated to famous personalities 
• 1/3 of her poems are elegies

Poems

In Wheatley's poem, "On Imagination," she describes herself as a slave thinking of freedom by using her imagination. Imagination is a mental faculty and as Wheatley said, "and soft captivity involves the mind." Wheatley says she is involved in a softer captivity than most slaves who cannot read or write. Hard captivity is much less desirable than soft captivity.

"On Virtue" is a poem by Wheatley where she compares herself to a jewel and asserts that virtues lead you to a better life, or one of charity. Many slaves were religious and saw the afterlife as a promise of ultimate freedom and a better living situation than their identity on earth promises. 

In her poem, "On Being Brought from Africa to America," Wheatley called Africa a "Pagan land." Wheatley says she is happy she came to America because even as a slave, she has a better life in America and she views her identity as a slave in a spiritual manner. Essentially, she is making lemonade out of lemons. She is also happy she came to America because if she had remained in Africa, she would have never become a Christian. One cannot be a Christian if they support slavery, but in this poem, Wheatley does not take an anti-slavery view. 

In "His Excellency General Washington," Wheatley discusses her admiration and reverence for President George Washington. 

Wheatley is very different from many of the women writers we've discussed this semester because she writes about things that others are experiencing, not just about her own experiences. Also, Wheatley's poetry was encouraged by her owners, so her situation was very different from any other writers we have studied. Like Wheatley, Margaret Cavendish also lost several children and was left by her husband. Lady Mary Chudleigh was also similar to Wheatley in that both authorized their art forms religiously and both women wrote about the importance of virtue. At the time of Wheatley's life, many high-born women lived lives similar to slaves because both were considered to be the property of a man. 

Poems by Lady Mary Chudleigh, Mary Astell, and Anne Finch

A Serious Proposal to the Ladies: Mary Astell

• Talks about marriage and education 
• Mistakes of society lie in lack of education for women
• Ignorance is the cause of sin
• A liberal education is a way to secure a virtuous future
• If you are the mother of sons, it is better to be educated for the benefit of the children's future
• Astell's audience is both men and women

Song: Lady Mary Chudleigh

• You should focus on virtue, not beauty

The Wish: Lady Mary Chudleigh

• Chudleigh describes the good characteristics of a desirable man/lover
• Discusses arranged marriages 
• Companionate marriage: based on feelings and compatibility 

To the Ladies: Lady Mary Chudleigh

• Compares role of a wife to the role of a servant 
• A wife must fear her husband as a god
• Once you enter the marriage, the man changes and becomes more commanding 
• Once a woman marries, her husband takes all her property
• This may not be a situation that Chudleigh experienced, but heard of and felt compelled to write about 

The Tree: Anne Finch

• Anne Finch was interested in nature
• Nature is often feminized
• The tree protects people
• The tree is cut down for firewood
• The tree provides so much, but no one gives back to the tree 
• Nature is a metaphor for talking about life
• Nature focuses your attention on sound, not sight, at night 

The Answer: Anne Finch

• This is a response to Alexander Pope's "The Rape of the Lock" (very erotic)
• Finch is describing what Pope wrote
• Finch critiques society's views of women and expectations and limitations of women

Poems by Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, and Lady Montagu

Background

• Pope says women have no character
• Swift shows inferior qualities of women to show the nastiness of women
• Montagu defends women

Poems

Epistle to a Lady: Of the Characters of Women: Alexander Pope

• All females are not the same
• Chloe wants a heart
• Established a relationship between male and female poets
• There is a set way that women should act
• character: unique; perspective
• At this time, women were thought to be vain and lacking reason
• Alexander Pope is the leading writer of his period 
• Only one woman in this poem has character and is considered a "softer man," because at this time, men were only thought to have character
• This poem was part of a series 
• Pope believed philosophically that women have no character

The Lady's Dressing Room: Jonathan Swift

• Very dirty
• Talks about the roles of women 
• Literally talks about ladies' dirty laundry 
• 18th century beauty practices weren't very clean
• Beneath makeup and wigs, there is a dirty woman at the end
• London is analogous to women because it looks like a shiny city, but the streets were lined with the contents of chamber pots

A Letter from Artemesia in the Town to Chloe in the Country: 

• Is a satirical poem
• Men have more education so their writing is more important than the works of women
• Calling someone a whore is as bad as calling someone a poetess 

The Reasons that Induced Dr S to write a Poem called The Lady's Dressing Room: Lady Montagu

• Montagu sticks up for women 
• Montagu tears Swift apart
• Women are in a catch 22 because women are criticized for chasing beauty, but are also criticized if they don't chase beauty

Poems by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

Biography & Background

• Montagu had small pox
• Brought back small pox vaccine 
• Was a well-concealed aristocrat
• Never published any of her work
• Was beautiful and brilliant in youth
• Her daughter burned most of her diaries/journals
• Was a friend of Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift
• Pope and Swift were misogynistic 
• Montagu did not choose her husband and was unhappy
• Montagu travelled to Turkey with her husband, a Turkish ambassador
• A town ecologue is an oxymoron because these are two different forms (it is a satire)
• Ecologue: virgil form; references Greeks and Romans
• Montagu wrote epistolary poems
• Heroic epistle: told in heroic couplets
• Rhymed in couplets
• Rhymed iambic pentameter

Poems

Epistle from Mrs. Yonge to Her Husband:

• Her husband can travel the world and sleep with other women, but Montagu must remain by her husband's side
• An enlightenment text because it's a change of thought
• Arranged marriages were a pre-enlightenment idea
• Concentration on the self is an enlightenment idea 
• Questions all systems (sciences, marriages, government, etc.)
• Concentrates on divorce and the happiness of the self
• The idea of breaking a marriage contract was a pre-enlightenment idea

Town Ecologues: Monday; Roxana or the Drawing-Room:

• Defoe may have based his novel on this poem
• A kept woman; lady of luxury; attached to aristocrats
• Attacks Roxana's vice and attacks all court's vices
• Roxana represents wealth, sex, beauty, low morals
• Roxana figures are like the Kardashians

Town Ecologues: Saturday; The Small-Pox:

• Flavia is the speaker and she has small-pox
• Small-pox caused fever; you were tied to your bed so you didn't scratch your body
• Small-pox was the stealer of women's beauty
• This poem addresses beauty and materialism 
• Montagu is mourning the "death" of her good looks
• Flavia is now going to hide herself away

A Receipt to Cure the Vapors:

• Hysteria was belief that womb could flow to your head and make you go insane
• Vapors were meant to fix hysteria
• Hysteria was a gender-specific bias
• "fit of the vapors" meant she was about to go crazy

Roxana by Daniel Defoe (Part Three)

Background

• Fantomina and Roxana end up the same way: pregnant and tracked down by their estranged children
• Roxana and Amy were punished for their murder, but the punishment is ambiguous
• The women writers we have read so far have been punished by the body for sins by the body

Roxana (Part Three)

Roxana is constantly in pursuit of an escape wither to acquire money or to be with another man. Roxana can never really escape her woes. Roxana's daughter Susan pursues her and gets too close for comfort, thus punishing Roxana. 

Roxana is fearful of the men leaving her and is forced to confront her ex-husband, which she has tried to avoid for a long time. Roxana pursues different identities and her children force her to face her real identity which she is not comfortable with. 

Susan thinks that Amy is her mother and Amy begins to dress and act like Roxana. Roxana's real name is Susan. Roxana admits in part of the novel that she wishes Susan were not present and Amy takes this very seriously. Roxana is trying to kill her old identity as Susan and by killing her angry, aggressive daughter (Susan) she would get rid of the old identity. Roxana's daughter Susan wants to reveal Roxana's true identity because Susan is mad that Roxana is living a privileged life and Susan is living life as a poor maid. 

Roxana is brought up with a lot of money, loses it in the middle of her life, and gains the money back later in life. The more money Roxana acquires, her disguises and actions become more and more bold. Roxana bases the value of her relationships with the men in her life off of how much money they have to offer. Towards the end of the novella, Roxana no longer has to sell her body for money, but she continues to do so because she is addicted to the money. 

Roxana goes through a lot of strife in the novel, but we never know what happens to her. Novels of this time period typically have nice closure, but Roxana never gets any closure. Roxana is left with five children after her husband left her, so this may have turned her emotions and caused her to enter survival mode. 

Roxana by Daniel Defoe (Part Two)

Roxana (Part Two)

Fantomina and Roxana are both about disguise, but Roxana is mostly about the exotic with her French origin. 

Roxana takes her name from Alexander the Great's wife. A gentleman at a dance Roxana attended called her Roxana and the name stuck. Roxana describes the Georgian and Armenian dancers at the dance in a way that places them in a lower social class than Roxana. Roxana says their dances are wild and their dresses do not seem as elaborate as Roxana's. Roxana identifies with her dark side in the dance scene.

The relationships Roxana becomes entangled in continue to become deeper and deeper as the novel moves along with her men. Roxana also does not want to emotionally invest herself into her relationships. Roxana's relationship with the Dutch merchant is unfortunate because he loves her so much, especially for who she is, but Roxana refuses his love. Here are Roxana's relationships in this section of the book:

• Landlord/jeweler
• The prince
• The Dutch merchant

Roxana has not lost the ability to love or feel anything anymore, but she does seem to be losing the ability to empathize with other people. Roxana felt bad for leaving her children because she could not financially support them, but now that she has money, Roxana feels guilty. 

Roxana and Amy's relationship gets stronger as the novel moves along. Amy is willing to murder, sleep with various men, and do anything Roxana asks her to do. Amy even gives birth to one of Roxana's children. Amy is all that Roxana has left and Roxana is very lonely with the exception of Amy's company. Roxana is somewhat jealous of Amy because Roxana is a "fallen woman" and Amy is still considered virtuous and is still chased by men. To equal their playing fields, Roxana makes Amy sleep with the landlord. 

Roxana may be obsessed with talking about "wickedness" and the Devil/religion because she believes she is going throughout her life damned for all eternity because she is so flawed and addicted to her luxurious lifestyle and ways. 

Roxana by Daniel Defoe (Part One)

Biography & Background

• It is called a "history", but that is not true
• It is written in response to a work written by Eliza Haywood
• Roxana's real name is Susan, which she shares with her daughter
• Defoe was a casuist and wrote about morality
• Defoe wrote because he needed money
• Defoe's writing includes the devil a lot
• Roxana is a masochist and often calls herself a whore
• Defoe creates situations in his story about culturally immoral choices and situations and asks why a benevolent God could let His people live in such a way
• Roxana's lovers bring her a lot of wealth
• Roxana feels guilty for all of her vice
• Roxana has a French background & is well-off
• Roxana drops her kids off at a relative's house because she can't take care of them and she realizes this is her only way to survive

Roxana (Part One)

Roxana's first husband was only interested in hunting, drinking, and sleeping around and therefore could not provide for his family. He was of the gentry class and was considered a gentleman because he did not have to would because he had enough money. Her husband spent not only his own fortune, but also Roxana's fortune. Defoe may be trying to show that inheriting money causes problems because you have no respect for how it was earned. Also, Defoe could be trying to say that you should get to know your husband before you marry him to ensure that he is able to provide for your family. Defoe presents a dark view of marriage that is not present in Haywood, where Haywood always presents a glossy view of marriage. 

Defoe's technique of framing Roxana's situation to provoke the reader ask how they would respond to a similar situation which is very effective because it keeps the reader engaged in a continuous mental game. Defoe wrote many "how to guides" about what to do in this situation.

In terms of obstacles faced by Roxana, her money is wasted and she has to raise five children by herself. Roxana often asks herself why she is a whore and goes so far as to ask Amy to sleep around so that Roxana is not below her own maid. Roxana cannot marry again, so she has to keep recreating her identity to remain relevant. Roxana is continuous running from her past and is always hoping for a new marriage proposal even though she cannot legally or socially remarry. 

Amy encouraged Roxana to sleep with their landlord because she knew they needed the money. Roxana threatened Amy that she should sleep with the landlord or else there will be consequences. Roxana may be punishing Amy for a social morality that cannot be escaped. Amy may act as a bad influence on Roxana by encouraging her to participate in bad behavior. Roxana continuously states that the devil makes her complete her bad acts. 

In terms of feeling sympathetic for Roxana, Roxana didn't have any other options to make money aside from prostitution, she didn't exactly choose her current life, and her husband was hard on her and abandons Roxana. Also, Roxana could not have pursued another career at the time due to societal conventions. In terms of not feeling sympathetic for Roxana, she offloaded her kids for selfish reasons. 

Fantomina by Eliza Haywood

Biography & Background

• Playwright and journalist
• Provided with a birth date of 1693
• Fantomina = Love in a Maze (1724)
• Fantomina is about a heroine's repeated seductions of the same man, which she achieves by disguising herself as a servant girl, widow, and other figures in order to lure the man called Beauplaisir
• As Fantomina changes her character, she modifies her behavior to align with Beauplaisir's expectations
• Beauplaisir is convinced he has seduced four different women
• About a woman pursuing a man for sex, which has never been done before, really other than in Lanval
• Eliza Haywood was criticized for being racy and overly sexualized 
• Fantomina is a lot like the woman writer as she is caught and punished for her own gender
• Fantomina ought to be young and virginal, but she is out and pursuing sex

Fantomina (Love in a Maze)

Fantomina adopts many disguises in this novella to get the attention of Beauplaisir and the reader. Fantomina is mostly motivated by the attention, performance, and disguises themselves. Fantomina's disguises include:

• Prostitute in a playhouse
• Celia the maid at Beauplaisir's inn
• Mrs. Bloomer the widow
• Incognita (in writing)

Fantomina may be considered pathetic because she becomes pregnant, gets caught, loses at her own game, and is sent away for her actions. Fantomina may be considered empowered because she can be any kind of woman that a man desires. Women of Haywood's social standing were more or less required to marry, so Haywood may be using Fantomina to comment on how satirical upper class life is. At this time, people began to question the conventions of marriage and how it works. Fanomina is a woman who is trying to take what she wants and is really pushing back and asking why she can't have what she wants.

Fantomina is a novella that is in no way a medieval romance. Fantomina, like a knight, is a woman on a quest for what she wants. This novella is a reversal of the roles in a typical medieval romance. Fantomina is a femme fatale in pursuit. 

Both men and women read novels such as Fantomina, but this especially was designed to empower women to take what they want. Men might think Fantomina is pathetic because when a man goes after a woman, it is considered normal, but when a woman goes after what she wants it's bad/different. Fantomina is miming a libertine (a wealthy upper class man who enjoys masquerade and sleeps with a lot of women like a modern player). Fantomina is duping Beauplaisir the whole time in a fight for power type of relationship. 

For punishment, Fantomina is sent to live in a convent by her mother. Due to Fantomina's illegitimate child, Fantomina's mother would typically want her to marry Beauplaisir. Fantomina may have been sent away as a punishment or because her family was ashamed of her. Being put in a monastery is the ultimate punishment for a highly sexed young woman. Finally, Fantomina's mother may have been upset that Fantomina took away her matchmaking power by messing around with Beauplaisir. 

The HIstory of the Nun by Aphra Behn

Background

• When the word "history" is mentioned, it hints that these stories are sexual/romantic
• Aphra Behn just wanted to sell books, so she had to sensationalize her titles
• At the time of this story, nuns and monks have a reputation for being perverts and overly sexualized
• Your destiny is predetermined for you (nun, heir, soldier, monk, etc.) 
• Being a nun was only for the wealthy in these times because you have to buy your way into the convent

The History of the Nun

The History of the Nun most definitely conforms to the standards of the medieval romance because she mourned for her husband for five years, Henault went to war on a quest for money from his father, and she kills her first husband to prevent being called an adulteress for remarrying her second husband. Isabella begins the story as an innocent and virginal girl and Behn later ties these attributes with Isabella's femme fatale role in this story. 

Isabella made the choice to enter religion over a life of wealth. Isabella constantly battles religious impulses throughout her life. Isabella acknowledges that she broke a vow of marriage to God, so therefore she is deserving of execution/death. Isabella says her story should serve as a lesson to all not to break your religious vows. 

Time is significant to this story because she waited three years to grieve before marrying Villenoy and Henault returned seven years later when he was not dead from war. These numbers (in years) are religiously significant numbers. 

Isabella may potentially be going through multiple psychic states because she has somewhat been pressured into a religious life as a nun instead of marrying a wealthy man and leading a relatively normal life. Isabella may have been torn between her own desires and maintaining her religious reputation and standards placed upon her. Isabella's perpetual sins may have driven her to insanity as she had to commit multiple sins to cover up her shortcomings. 

We are supposed to feel bad for Isabella I believe because she may have been torn by her love for both men and couldn't have them both, so she removed these desires from her mind by killing these men. Also, Henault takes so long to return home from war, allowing Isabella time to again internally justify marriage, and Henault's hasty return may have been emotionally overwhelming to Isabella, evoking sympathy from the reader. 

Oroonoko by Aphra Behn

Biography

• Behn is not aristocratic
• First woman to make a living from her works 
• Oroonoko is about slavery (Oroonoko is "the Royal Slave"
• Aphra Behn was not a prostitute
• Behn was primarily a playwright, then turned to fiction
• Oroonoko is Behn's only text about social justice
• Behn may have been bisexual and was what of a badass
• Behn died poor

Oroonoko

The title of "Oroonoko is significant because royal and educated, but still a slave just like savage people. Oroonoko was depicted as having a European nose and was well versed in European politics, which is highly improbable. Simply based off the title, we are meant to be sympathetic to Oroonoko because he is "the Royal Slave."

We should be suspicious of Aphra Behn's claim to be an "eyewitness" to this "history" because this implies that she was a slave along with Oroonoko. It is problematic for Behn to call this narrative a "history" and not a work of fiction because historians are divided about whether or not Behn truly came to the New World and met a slave named Oroonoko. Behn may or may not have been opposed to slavery, but she never again wrote about slavery. 

Oroonoko has the traits of a medieval romance because he is betrayed, he is on a quest for his family's freedom, and Oroonoko sacrifices himself for his family's freedom. Oroonoko fails his quest for the following reasons:

• Because he fails his quest and becomes feminized at the end of the novel
• Oroonoko cannot overcome slavery
• Oroonoko's identity as a slave is questionable because he himself enslaves "less important" people
• Oroonoko's suicide does not fit into the characteristics of a medieval romance
• In a medieval romance, the knight is supposed to have superhuman strength to overcome any weaknesses, including slavery

Behn describes European society as immoral. Behn is oppressed sexually as a woman and Oroonoko is sexually oppressed as a slave. 

Behn says Europeans/Whites are physically, emotionally, and spiritually superior to slaves/blacks. Behn may feel that slavery offers a better life for slaves because they are being "saved" by whites (rhetoric of the empire). Behn may be anti-slavery because the way she depicts the way that Oroonoko is savagely killed. Behn may be pro-slavery because she may be saying Oroonoko is inherently evil, resulting in him murdering his wife. 

Poems by Anne Bradstreet

Biography

• First woman to be recognized as an accomplished New World poet
• Wrote "The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America..."
• Considered one of the most important early American poets 
• Did not attend school 
• Was educated by her father, a well-read man, Thomas Dudley
• Married Simon Bradstreet
• Had 8 children
• Was not initially fond of the New World
• Was a Puritan 

Poems

A Letter to her Husband, absent upon Publick employment:

• She is not vengeful against her husband
• She is madly in love with her husband
• She hopes the sun will never set, so her husband will never leave again 
• Bradstreet is very religious
• Coming to New England may bring families together
• She references the body and uses the body as an analogy for her love to her husband

In Reference to her children, 23 June 1659:

• She uses birds as an analogy for caring for her children 
• She is "holding on" to caring for her children
• She is in a transition period of some children leaving and some children still in her home
• Upper class women did not typically care for their own children
• Bradstreet had 8 children
• In summary, Bradstreet is talking about her relationship with her children 
• In these periods, you could be pregnant every year until you pass fertile age
• Once you pass childhood, you likely will survive because you have "weathered some diseases by then"
• The views of children in this period are very different than the views of children now

To My Dear and Loving Husband:

• She says her marriage is a great example of what love should look like
• It is very rare that you see spousal love in this age 
• Bradstreet says her love is priceless

The Four Ages of Man:

• She discusses the negatives of each of the four ages
• Childhood: capable of sin even at young age because of Adam's sin
• Youth: you don't respect women
• Middle age: mid-life crisis
• Old age: you have come to terms with death; have survived all ages
• They followed Galen's medical terminology and professions in this period about four humors 
• Phlem
• Cholor
• Blood 
• Bile
• The four humors must be in balance
• She attaches each of these four humors to each of the four ages

The Author to Her Book:

• Bradstreet is metapoetic (discusses her own work)
• Bradstreet talks about her own works and writing process 
• She compares her children to her written works
• She says her writing is ill-formed
• She is very hard on herself
• Bradstreet says she cannot write "highly" because it is above her class
• "Bastard" literature

Poems by Margaret Cavendish

Biography

• 17th century
• Of the Enlightenment Period: scientific, religion, cultural shift
• Fond of scientific discoveries
• Royal Society: a scientific society
• Proposed the idea, "What if the world were made of atoms instead of how Genesis describes creation?"
• "The Blazing World" was a romance about Margaret making herself a powerful world leader, "Mad Madge"
• She was considered to be mad because of her interest in male-dominated fields such as science
• Cavendish was considered a royalist because of her social standing

Poems

The Infinities of Matter:

• There has to be an infinite number of worlds because an infinite number of atoms exist
• If poles exist on earth, God must certainly exist
• Deals with spirituality, but is not strictly a religious poem
• First writer using metaphors in science

A World made by Atoms:

• A deceptive poem
• Uses religious language
• She likens small atoms to small people
• She says like small atoms, small people can make great impacts
• Like atoms, people come in many shapes and forms and become different individuals
• She discusses how people are grouped and how atoms are natured
• She believes people are predestined: either damned or blessed

Poems by Katherine Philips

Biography

Katherine Philips, known as "The Matchless Orinda," is a famous author known for founding The Society of Friendship. The writings of Philips are similar to that of Mary Sidney Herbert. The Society of Friendship was a literary correspondence circle of friends who took pseudonyms. Well over half of Philips' work was dedicated to Anne Owen, also known as Lucasia, and a member of The Society of Friendship. Philips and Owen obviously shared a deeply emotional relationship, but whether or not their relationship was physical remains unknown. Philips said during her lifetime, the love between women was a pure love, platonic love uncorrupted by sexual desires. 

Poems

Friendship's Mystery, To my Dearest Lucasia:

• This poem uses a lot of love and religious language
• Alchemical metaphors are present in this poem
• Alchemy: the conversion of base metals to gold by using "the philosopher's stone"
• Just as Philips describes turing metal into gold, Philips also uses this metal transformation as a metaphor for religious transformation in a person
• Throughout our lives, we move from un-pure to pure

On the Welsh Language:

• Philips says name and reputation are important
• Philips describes England's overtaking by Rome
• Rome conquered Athens and Britain in the 14th century
• Philips asks, "What Wales gave to England?"
• A beautiful language
• Philips asks, "When one country crushes another, what is left?"
• This is the type of poem typically written by a man

Epitaph:

• This poem is written to Philips' son who died six weeks after birth
• Philips' son broke through the prison shell of Earth
• Philips must have had a difficult life because the pressure of not having a male heir as a "high-born" woman for seven years would be socially and culturally difficult
• God may have called Philips' baby home because he was too good for this world
• "The Prison" is the human, physical body
• In this poem, God is the Alchemist converting Philips' baby into Heaven

Poems by Mary Wroth

Biography

Mary Wroth is an English poetess of the Renaissance period. Wroth was born into a family of distinguished authors and Wroth continued the family tradition, becoming one of the first female English authors to establish a well-known literary standing. Like Mary Sidney Herbert, Wroth took on several lovers in her lifetime. Women were judged by their sexuality and bodies in this time period. Wroth often references the Bible, because in this time, the Bible was an infallible authority to the women of this time to authorize their craft. You could not evoke any more power than from a divine figure such as God in this time period. Mary Wroth often references Hell and damnation in her works because at this time, many people were being burned at the stake for their beliefs and actions. Other than Queen Elizabeth I, Mary Wroth was the most important female writer at this time. Some of Wroth's most notable works are "The Countesse of Mountgomeries Urania" and "Pamphilia to Amphilanthus."

Poems

Pamphilia to Amphilanthus: 4:

• Wroth is lusting after a young man she is watching
• Wroth is full of lust and desire in this poem
• Wroth is very jealous in this poem, which likely stems from her lust and desire for power, not emotional attachment

Pamphilia to Amphilanthus: 17:

• Wroth describes how invested she is in her relationships
• She tells how she establishes her authenticity through her body
• Mary often references shade in this work, which is very sexualized, like a grotto

Pamphilia to Amphilanthus: 19:

• Wroth is physically or metaphorically discussing her leaving of a place
• Mary is very sad and melancholy in her description throughout this work
• Wroth is describing her sad state of being

Poems by Mary Sidney Herbert

Biography

Mary Sidney Herbert was one of the first English women to achieve major recognition for her literary works. Mary wrote translations of 107 different Psalms, which were songs of Jews about suffering and lamenting. The Bible was an infallible authority to women of this time period in the authorization of their craft. Mary's family was very aristocratic, as her father was Sir Philip Sidney and her brother Philip was a famous courtier in his lifetime. Although Mary Sidney Herbert's writings are not as suggestive as Mary Wroth's writings, like Wroth, Mary Sidney also took a lover in her lifetime. After the death of Mary's brother Philip, Mary dedicated most of her career to Philip's memory. 

Poems

O:

• Mary discusses the importance of sacrifice 
• Mary asks God to show her his ways and direct her life
• Mary says she will avoid evil and not stray from God's will

Psalm 102:

• Mary says even in her saddest days, she looks to God for guidance
• She acknowledges that God has an eternal presence
• Mary says God's own world will one day perish

Psalm 150:

• Mary discusses the need to praise God with music, especially instruments
• Letting your love of God be known is very important

Psalm 51:

• Mary is asking God to send her His grace
• She is asking God to cleanse her and wipe her sins away
• Mary acknowledges her sins and asks that God spare her of the consequences of her sins
• Mary asks God to unlock her lips so that she may sing His praises

Psalm 55:

• Mary asks God to listen for her prayers
• Mary says she will cast her burdens on God's shoulders

Psalm 57:

• Mary is crying for God to extend his mercy from Heaven

Psalm 84:

• Mary says she desires to see the view of God from His high courts
• Mary says the man whose household is founded on God's word will be the most successful
• She says God is like the shining sun

To the Angel Spirit if the Most Excellent Sir Philip Sidney:

• Mary says this work is dedicated solely to the inspirational spirit of her brother Philip

[The Doleful Lay of Clorinda]:

• Mary is asking where she can direct her grief to relieve her heart of pain
• Mary says death is the devourer of all the world's delight
• Mary says when we are mourning the death of others, we are really mourning for our own sorrows and miseries 

Poems by Queen Elizabeth I

Biography

Queen Elizabeth I is an early woman writer who may not have been the most talented, but her poems have deep meaning and her skill is still apparent. She was known for her great intelligence and ability to translate in 5-6 foreign languages. Elizabeth never married, which may be attributed to the fact that she was sexually abused as a child and surrounded by poor marriages her entire life. Elizabeth's misfortunes did not end with her sexual predicaments, as her own sister Mary attempted to have Elizabeth killed for supposedly committing treason. Throughout her teenage years, Elizabeth is imprisoned at Woodstock and The Tower of London for her crimes against her sister Mary. 

Poems

Ah, Silly Pug, wert thou so Sore Afraid: 

• Elizabeth assured her dog she won't be swayed by money and she will take care of the dog no matter her financial situation
• The dog may have been Elizabeth's only friend and way to vent her frustrations and worries as dogs are loyal to their owners
• Elizabeth's dog may have been frightened by the coming and going of soldiers in Elizabeth's confinement time

In Defiance of Fortune:

• Elizabeth explains that virtue will always prevail over fortune

On Monsieur's Departure:

• This poem discusses Elizabeth's lifelong struggle to cope with the fact that her interest in marriage will never bear fruit as her position as a monarch would cause too much political controversy should her marriage go awry 
• In addition to the potential political controversy, Elizabeth acknowledges that she has trust issues from previous bad sexual relationships 
• The issue of marriage is not only hard for Elizabeth mentally, but also socially because it is very dangerous for a woman to be a monarch and in Medieval times, it is considered to be unnatural for a woman to be unmarried

The Doubt of Future Foes:

• Elizabeth acknowledges that she likes when men fight in her honor, but currently she has no men that she needs to fight for her 
• The Pope said whoever killed Elizabeth would go straight to Heaven for their deed

When I Was Fair and Young:

• Elizabeth says in her youth she was fair and beautiful and enjoyed the attention from suitors that these attributes brought her
• Elizabeth enjoyed the flattering comments and gestures, but only to a certain point, then they disgusted her

Written in her French Psalter:

• Elizabeth notes that no physical deformity is half as unattractive as a shady, untrustworthy individual with questionable motives

Written on a Wall at Woodstock:

• Woodstock was one of Elizabeth's palaces
• In this poem, Elizabeth is showing a desire for vengeance against her violent sister Mary
• The alcoholic beverage "Bloody Mary" came from Mary's murderous tendencies against countless Protestants 

Written with a Diamond on her Window at Woodstock:

• This poem was carved into a window at Woodstock with a diamond as Elizabeth probably did not have access to a writing utensil in her imprisoned state 
• Many of the people who overthrew Mary said they were doing it in Elizabeth's honor, even though Elizabeth had nothing to do with her sister's demise
• This poem explains that although much was suspected of Elizabeth, Elizabeth was innocent with regards to her sister's overthrowing 

The Wife of Bath's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Wife of Bath's Tale is a tale about a woman who has been married five times and is on the hunt for husband number six. The woman is a self-described expert in marriage and desires sovereignty over her husbands. Throughout the tale, the woman is very mouthy and enjoys talking about her marital experiences.

The woman states that her favorite virtue is power, which she seeks through her body. In the tale, the woman misinterprets the Bible in order to justify her marital conquests. She says just like King Solomon, she should be able to have many spouses. According to the woman, wives should not be required to submit to their husbands as commanded by Saint Paul. To say the least, religion and marriage are not painted in a great light in this tale & prologue.

It becomes apparent that the Wife of Bath may behave the way she does because of past sexual experiences. It was stated that the woman married at 12 after her husband lusted after her and she became pregnant. The wife apparently was abused in the past as well, although she shows the most sympathy for the husband who abused her to most.

The Wife of Bath finished her tale by stating that if a man wants to have power over his wife, curse him for such a request. 

The Franklin's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer

The undertone of "The Franklin's Tale" by Chaucer starkly contrasts the undertone of Chaucer's "The Clerk's Tale." The Franklin's Tale describes marriages as a mutual, humorous arrangement, while The Clerk's Tale describes marriage as a one-sided, subservient arrangement where the wife should serve her husband. 

In the Franklin's Tale, Arveragus promises never to be jealous of his wife Dorigen, as their marriage was defined by great amounts of trust. One of the only similarities between the two tales is that both wives are willing to die to honor their husbands. 

This tale emphasizes the importance of keeping one's word, especially in Medieval times. Arveragus told Dorigen the worst thing you can do is promise a man something because promises in this period were believed to be tied to the fate of one's soul. Because Aurelius completed Dorigen's assigned quest, Dorigen is bound by chivalric code to enter courtly love with Aurelius. Arveragus has no problem telling Dorigen to honor her commitment to Aurelius because he knows that if Dorigen sleeps with Aurelius, the couple is breaking chivalric code which may be punishable by Aurelius' death. 

Conclusively, we are supposed to pity both Aurelius and Dorigen in this tale for their love that was not meant to be. 

"Medieval Marriages" Documentary

The documentary "Medieval Marriages" helped me build connections between the modern interpretations of medieval marriage history with the lais of Marie de France and "The Clerk's Tale" by Geoffrey Chaucer. This documentary helped clarify topics brought up in our reading that were hard to interpret such as divorce, consummation of marriage, marital abuse, and social class differences. The following comparisons between the documentary and our readings are listed below:

• In "The Clerk's Tale", Walter wanted a divorce, but the documentary told us that even nobles could not easily divorce.
• In "Chevrefoil", Tristram and his Queen often met in order to quench their physical desire for one another, which the documentary states was common for those in unhappy marriages to do in Medieval times.
• In "Chaitivel", the castrated knight is not able to maintain relations with his lady because he cannot consummate their marriage. The documentary cites inability to consummate a marriage as a viable reason for seeking a divorce in Medieval times.
• Abusive relationships such as the one in "Laustic" were hard to leave in Medieval times according to the documentary, trapping both the abuser and abused individuals.
• "Yonec" confirmed the notion that nobles should seek to have male heirs to inherit their wealth as the documentary states that having a daughter inherit familial wealth was not encouraged.
• The documentary stated that it is forbidden for a spouse to remarry unless given special permission by the church, which contradicts the actions of Biclavret's wife, who takes a new husband after Bisclavret's disappearance.
• The documentary repeatedly made the point that marriages in Medieval times were about what each party could financially bring to the table. In "Le Fresne", the relationship between the noble prince and Le Fresne would be considered socially acceptable because of the apparent class differences of the individuals involved in the relationship. 
• Marriage in Medieval times was very easy for couples to enter into, but very difficult for couples to exit regardless of the reasoning behind the request for divorce. This notion was displayed in "Equitan", as all the couple had to do in order to enter into marriage was exchange rings and vows.

In conclusion, the documentary highlights how easy it was for a couple to be considered married, but how difficult it was to complete a divorce. 

The Clerk's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer

I thought this e-card was appropriate for The Clerk's Tale because Lord Walter was somewhat of a politician and he fooled Griselda multiple times. If Lord Walter was a modern man, he would make a great congressman!

The Clerk' s Tale discusses the life of Lord Walter, who is a bachelor enjoying the freedoms of a man with no dependents. Lord Walter's people desperately want him to get married, but he wants such an occasion to naturally fall into place at his leisure. Walter does not want a forced marriage based around finances like other nobles, as such setups are common as one climbs up the noble ranks.

Walter decides to marry a beautiful, but financially humble maiden named Griselda. Walter proposes to Griselda on the condition that she will remain faithful to Walter no matter the tests he puts Griselda through. This is an important component of their marriage because as Walter continues to test Griselda, she maintains her class and faith in their marriage. 

It is believed that Chaucer wanted the reader to resent Walter's ways just as Walter's people did. Also, this tale was possibly meant to show that that forced marriage is bad as Walter was clearly uncomfortable with traditional marriage and had been very set in his bachelor ways. Ultimately, this tale shows that just as Walter tested Griselda, so will God test His people. 

Getting Around in Medieval Times

After watching "Tristan and Isolde" in class, I was amazed by all of the modes of transportation displayed in the film. People of all classes traveled extensive distances in Medieval times. In Medieval times, people traveled mainly by foot, ship, horse, or carriage among many other modes of transportation. Horses were much smaller in Medieval times than they are now.

• Methods of travel as designated by class:
• If you were in the upper class, you may travel by:
• Horseback
• Covered wagon
• Ship
• Powered by sails or oars
• If you were in the middle or lower classes, you may travel by:
• Horseback
• By foot
• Ship
• Powered by sails or oars
• Knarrs
• Used early in Medieval times to transport cargo
• This ship type was featured in "Tristan and Isolde"
• Trade-Cogs
• Had one mast, steep sides, and a flat bottom
• Used for military transportation and as warships
• The Hulks
• Flat-bottomed
• Lacked stern and sternposts
• Used mostly in rivers and canals, not oceans
• Caravels
• Used in late Medieval times
• Used for exploration voyages
• Used lateen sails for greater speed and the ability to sail toward the wind
• Christopher Columbus' ships the Nina and Pinta are examples
• Carracks
• Used in late Medieval times
• Larger than Caravels
• Christopher Columbus' ship the Santa Maria was an example 
• Galley ships
• Used in early Medieval times
• Used for trade, welfare, and piracy
• Propelled by rowing 
• Longships
• Made famous by the Vikings
• Used for transportation, trade, and commerce, and welfare
• Were light and therefore very fast
• These ships were double ended, allowing them to change they course very quickly

"Tristan and Isolde" Film

In the beginning of the film, the relationship between Tristan and Isolde honors the chivalric code, but at the conclusion of the film, their relationship does not honor the chivalric code. Below is evidence of how Tristan and Isolde conformed to and broke the chivalric code:

• Evidence of conforming to the chivalric code:
• At the beginning of the film, Tristan respects the marriage commitment of Isolde to the king by leaving their sexual relationship in the past
• Tristan completes a quest to win Isolde's love for Tristan's king
• Evidence of breaking the chivalric code:
• Once Isolde joins Tristan and Tristan's King at their home, Tristan and Isolde eventually cannot contain their desire for one another and return to maintaining a physical relationship, which breaks the chivalric code

I believe the film depicts Tristan and Isolde's relationship in a sympathetic light because King Mark and Tristan have a father an son relationship that makes their secret love triangle very complex and sad. The scene where Tristan and Isolde are caught in the garden is very similar to the scene in Marie de France's "Equitan"where the two lovers are caught bathing. 

Also, I believe the film depicts King Mark's predicament with Tristan and Isolde's love because Mark loves both Tristan and Isolde. His relatively calm response to the discovery of the affair is very "Hollywood" and much less dramatic than would have actually occurred in Medieval times. Had the events in this movie actually taken place in Medieval times, both Tristan and Isolde would potentially face death or extradition from their homeland.