FEMINIST AND GAY LITERATURE

Literature in Our Lives

Airlie Maria Heung

PIONEERING FEMINIST WRITERS OF THE ROMANTIC PERIOD

Jane Austen Bronte Sisters

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE’S F IRST L INE

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE SYNOPSIS

Mrs Bennet’s greatest concern in her life: marrying her five daughters to well established gentlemenMr. Bingley, a young gentleman of London takes a country estate near to the Bennet’s homeAt a ball the Bennet Family meet Mr. Bingley, his sisters and his friend, Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Darcy’s smug condescension and proud distaste for the country people causes a bad impression to the Bennet’s familyElizabeth later hears from Wickham that Darcy deprives of his provision of living, she believes it and dislikes Darcy moreShe also refuses her cousion Collin’s marriage proposalCharlotte marries Collins

BENNET SISTERSJane: eldest, pretty, admired and admired by BingleyElizabeth: second born protagonist, intelligent, observant, forthright, dislike and prejudice against DarcyMary: diligent, impatient to display her talentKitty: secure connection with officialsLydia: only fifteen, already be brought to public

BENNET SISTERS

Low connection/ social network

affect their prospect in marriage (Chapter 8)

Mr. Bennet’s property is entailed on the heirs male (cousin Collins) (Chapter 7)

SISTERHOOD

Union of sister growth • pursuit of marriage

Elizabeth and Jane:

different in temperament but complement each other

Affection and care between sisters

DIFFERENT IN TEMPERAMENT

Jane: tendency to like people in general (deceivable of others flaws

Elizabeth’s comment on Jane:

“You are a great deal too apt you know, to like people in general. You never see fault in any body. All the world are good and agreeable in your eyes. I never heard you speak ill of human being in my life.” Chapter 4

Jane unwilling criticize Bingley’s sister while Elizabeth is critical

COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER:

Elizabeth’s questioning attitude prevents Jane from being deceived and gives her assurance

Jane guides Elizabeth to aware of her prejudice on Darcy and is not influenced by gossip

AFFECTION AND CARE

When Jane is ill after riding to Netherfield, Elizabeth walks three miles in rain to visit her sister

a.Elizabeth’s anxiety for Jane

b.Jane’s gratitude for Elizabeth

c.Elizabeth nursing Jane

Elizabeth sees her sister’s happiness as important as hers

Satisfaction

Feeling importance

Respect for yourself

Mary’s definition (chapter 5)

Darcy: class distinction

Elizabeth: dignity to oneself

Mr Bennet: Male ego

Charlotte: class consciousness

Mary: self-perception

PRIDE

DARCY’S PRIDEClass distinctionLand gentry, owner of the estate PemberlyBingley admires his library

DARCY’S PRIDE

First appearance at the ball “He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and every body hoped that he would never come here again.” Rejected to dance with Elizabeth “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me.” Feeling superior over the country peopleStating the class difference of the Bennets

MR. BENNET’S PRIDE

Patriarchy

Belief of superiority over his wife and daughters :

When he talks about his daughters: Chapter 1: “ ‘They have none of them much to recommend them.’ replied he; ‘they are silly and ignorant like other girls.’ ”

After he secretly visits Bingley: Chapter 2: “The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished”

ELIZABETH’S PRIDE

About her own dignity and self esteem

Not dependent on other’s recognition, but other’s insults might hurt her pride (dignity)

Chapter 5 “I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.”

VANITY

The self is dependent on what others think, wants others to think good of one

Mary: Chapter 5: “Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to the opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.”

MRS BENNET’S VANITY

Chapter 1: “Her mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temperament.” Showing off Mr. Bingley has danced with Jane twice: Chapter 3: “Everybody said how well [Jane] looked; and Mr. Bingley thought her quite beautiful, and danced with her twice. Only think of that my dear; he actually danced with her twice; and she was the only creature in the room that he asked a second time.”

PREJUDICE

First impression

Collective consciousness

Public opinion

Gossip

Limitations of visions and understandings

Conflicts of personal views and values

STRICT ENTAIL

Primogeniture

Heirs are male

After Mr. Bennet’s death the sisters will have to leave Longbourn

Can’t protect women

Unequal marriage

Feudal aristocracy agrarian capitalism

Gentry and class

EDUCATION

The idea that Mary’s education is embarrassing therefore should be concealed is mocked in the novel

Bookish women (Mary) are no good, not lively and should hide their knowledge.

Eg. She compensates herself by embarrassing herself, reads but shallowly and no depth, no more than a parrot

She has no pleasure in dancing and would rather observe

GENTEEL SPINSTER

Heiress if no brothers

Governess

Professionals (novelist)

Dependent on her families and chaperon

Elopement

CLASS DISCUSSION

How do you think Austen’s discussion of sisterhood, pride, vanity, prejudice, strict entail and education bring out feminist rhetoric?

BLOG QUESTION

In reflection to Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, how much of her writing and in what forms has it changed the world for women in the 21st century?

THE VICTORIANS

The Victorian age of British history is defined by the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) when the British Empire ruled one quarter of the world’s population and land. This was a period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities, and national self-confidence for Britain.

OSCAR WILDE

Born: October 16, 1854 in Dublin

Wilde died of meningitis on November 30, 1900 at the age of 46.

Major Works: • The Picture of Dorian Gray • The Importance of Being Earnest• Lady Windermere's Fan• A Woman of No Importance

THE MAJOR TURNING POINTS IN WILDE’S LIFE

http://www.biography.com/people/oscar-wilde-9531078#death-and-legacy

Why do you think Wilde was publically shamed while he lived but after his death would be embraced and elevated to the status of a literary genius and cultural icon?

THE THEATRE

The Roundabout Theatre Company:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBCIwj6cqko

‘WILDEISMS’

“I can resist anything, except temptation”

What is ironic or surprising about this quote?

VALUES CLARIFICATION

How do we define our own moral compass?

Why do we hold the values that we do?

MOVIE

HO MO SEXUAL SU BTEXT AN D THE NAM E

flickering presence-absence of… homosexual desire“Earnest” may have been a homosexual in-joke. 3 years before Wilde wrote the play, a poetry collection Love In Earnest. The sonnet Of Boys' Names included the verse: "Though Frank may ring like silver bell

And Cecil softer music claim

They cannot work the miracle

–'Tis Ernest sets my heart a-flame."[The word "earnest" may also have been a code-word for homosexual, as in: "Is he earnest?", in the same way that "Is he so?" and "Is he musical?" were employed.

BUNBURY

and Bunburying, which are used in the play to imply a secretive double life. It may have derived from Henry Shirley Bunbury, a hypochondriacal acquaintance of Wilde's youthcombination word: that Wilde had once taken train to Banbury, met a schoolboy there, and arranged a second secret meeting with him at Sunbury

BUNBURY

duality of Jack/John Worthing and Algernon/Algy Moncreiff that they know of (Burnbury)

How Burnbury was commented on by Lady Bracknell before and after his death

Duality of John the long lost and unknown brother of Algy and how they reluctantly accepted it and their fiances that have always only been in love with the concept of “Earnest”

BLOG RESPONSE

How does the homosexual subtext of The Importance of Being Earnest change, develop, or refine the them of LGBTQ of Wilde’s play in the 21st century?