Female Constraint in The Return of the Native: Analytical Essay

The authors emphasise society’s extreme expectations by presenting a female character who embodies the ideal by being domestic and submissive, contrasting against Becky and Eustacia’s defiant and rebellious behaviour. ‘The running parallel and contrast between Amelia and Becky provides the narrative backbone’, emphasising the structural unity encompassing the novel, created by the alignment of their adventures despite their opposing values. Chopin also presents two opposing female figures. Adele Ratignolle is key to unravel Edna’s identity, acting as the archetype of Freud’s model of the Madonna, highlighting the deviance of Edna’s character. Chopin portrays satiric and dramatic portraits of ideal, maternal figures whom ‘idolized their children, worshipped their husband, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels’ to emphasise society’s expectations and to contrast Edna’s unconventional approach ‘to do as she liked and to feel as she liked’.

However, the severe difficulty in sustaining this visionary identity, crucial in society, is portrayed by the characters’ underlying imperfections and downfalls. Thackeray highlights the denial of Amelia and Becky’s fabricated characters from society due to their narcissistic goals, using ‘Amelia to explore the workings of vanity in the private sphere- the realm of the home and the heart- and Becky to explore those workings in the public sphere- the realm of social climbing and social status’. Although Amelia is presented as a respectable, Victorian woman, her actions are false and performed. She attempts to approximate a female ideal she learnt at Miss Pinkerton’s, for instance, trying to be a virtuous wife. This develops throughout, she is introduced with characteristics of feminine integrity such as ‘guileless and good-natured’. However, Thackeray ironically contradicts this with faults; ‘the silly thing would cry over a dead canary’, highlighting female model features have negative counterparts, suggesting they can’t be perfect. Thackeray based Amelia’s character on his wife, Isabella Shawe, and ‘his avowed admiration for Fielding’s heroine’, thus Amelia has traits of weakness, foreshadowing her downfall and reiterating non-fictionally all women have faults. Her passivity leads to her isolation and thus her lack of progress. Besides, Thomasin’s similar submissive nature leads to her marriage with Wildeve as she assumes she must marry a respectable man for her ‘pride’s sake’ and to accomplish female propriety. After her marriage fails, her desire to protect her reputation deteriorates, becoming a ‘lost woman’, ostracized from society, symbolised by ‘picking up these apples’; the action of disgraced women. The suffering of Eustacia and Thomasin ‘emphasises that society, on the basis of social scripts didn’t allow women to develop their personality apart from the angelic housewife role prescribed for them’. In Macbeth, although Lady Macduff is introduced as a devoted wife, mother, and religious figure, for example, she questions the witches’ prophecies. She controversially accuses her husband of sins such as ‘To leave his wife, to leave his babes’ and initiates political issues, accentuating her immodesty, not tolerated in society. Again, Shakespeare emphasises her imperfections to underline the difficulty of fulfilling the ideal, especially due to male domination.

Both characters reject society’s conventions by exercising power and rebelling against constrictions such as male domination and natural order. At the beginning of The Return of the Native, Eustacia asserts authority over men including Johnny, her ‘little slave’, dominating as an ‘absolute queen’. She spies upon people extending her ‘telescope’, symbolising her attempts to authorise control. Eustacia’s operation as a mummer, a heroic masculine role, portrays her sexual depravity as she dresses in ‘boy’s clothes’ to change ‘sex’, thus threatening normality to gain opportunities and meet Clym, emphasising the limitations of her femininity and her disruption to gender categories. She conceals her sexual enticement as the ‘power of her face [was] all lost, the charm of her motions all disguised’, resulting in failure highlighting the significance of gender to identity and thus showing the limited ways to acquire dominance. Lady Macbeth denies her femininity, screaming ‘unsex me here’ to achieve the strength to murder. She rebels against natural bonds, denouncing ‘o'th’ milk of human kindness’ in Macbeth when he hesitates to kill Duncan. Her link with the witches crosses the gender boundary, violating the expected role of a passive woman thus challenging conventions. She arouses profound disturbance by calling upon spirits ‘That tend on mortal thoughts’ and ensuring the witches’ ideas take physical form. Both women challenge traditional roles due to their belief it’s the only way to gain power because of patriarchal restrictions, whilst Eustacia performs masculinity, Lady Macbeth resists her femininity and plays with supernatural forces. Hardy also portrays Eustacia’s paranormal qualities, using ambivalent irony to parody her role as a goddess, for example, she was a ‘raw material of divinity’, expressing the deterioration of her passion by society’s limits. ‘Eustacia Vye is also associated with paganism in several ways that enhance her status in the narrative’, for instance, with pre-Christian darkness and her moonlight dance, a Dionysian celebration. The authors indicate their rebellion against nature and attempt to exercise power through metaphysical influence as a response to the lack of authority they have. Although Thackeray creates a realistic picture of society, he uses allusions to highlight Becky’s capacity to perform evil, for instance, he refers to her as a ‘siren’, an alluring sea-nymph. His use of allegorical names like Sharp reiterates her cunning and disobedient nature.

Both authors portray an ambivalence towards their characters; although they criticise society, in parts they criticise the way the character’s rebel against this, presenting them as flawed. Becky revolts against Miss Pinkerton throwing the sacred dictionary, screaming ‘Vive la France! Vive l'Empereur!’, a rebellious outburst as Napoleon was a figure viewed as the devil by conservative opinion, especially as he was anti-monarchs. She uses her knowledge of French as a source of power, similar to Napoleon, climbing social heights as he did politically. Edna is also painted as a recalcitrant figure. For example, although married women were prohibited from walking alone to prevent being considered a ‘fallen woman’, this is crucial to Edna’s solitary life. Chopin uses the setting of Grand Isle which was destroyed by a hurricane and thus has connotations of disaster, representing the Garden of Eden and its association with sin and destruction. Eustacia’s disruption to social order is considered so menacing that she is removed from society. Susan Nunsuch uses a needle and wax effigy to take revenge on Eustacia for tormenting her son. The authors portray the characters to have a problematic approach to society’s oppressive terms. Becky further rebels against societal norms by neglecting her child, as she considers him a hindrance on her quest for wealth as she will no longer be able to captivate men. The epitome of her selfishness and inability to feel affection is accentuated when she leaves ‘behind her little son upon the Continent’ not causing ‘either party much pain’. Chopin also portrays women’s sexuality and capability as constrained by the inevitability of children as they’re the fate of married or sexual women. Society was strongly opposed to birth control, ‘fearing that contraception would create a threatening sexual freedom that would ultimately dissolve the family’, thus ensuring sexuality was linked with motherhood, limiting freedom. More tyrannically, Lady Macbeth implies she has ‘given suck’, however, if she still had a child she would have ‘dashed the brains out’, violating the role of a woman due to the constraint on her power. Usually, the role is performed with invulnerable fortitude, however, in the Roman Polanski film, Francesca Annis regretfully weeps, using emotional manipulation to effectively enhance the audience’s psychological involvement.

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In order to gain social position and wealth, both women use their femininity and sexual assertiveness to allure and exploit men, therefore they’re criticised by others. Due to Jos’ ‘very large income’, Becky captivates him, pretending to be interested in his adventures due to her belief that marriage is virtually the only occupation available to women. She allures men with her talents; she could ‘sing like a lark’, however, Thackeray mocks her as she sings ‘ballads which were the fashion forty years ago’, satirising her clichéd attempts to secure a man. Her intimacy with Lord Steyne leads to her gain in material wealth, he dresses her in ‘bracelets and rings, and the brilliants on her breasts’. Thus, her marriage is obliterated after he ‘gave up everything’ for her, implying her corrupt, heartless nature. Edna is also portrayed as promiscuous, the intense ‘feeling of irresponsibility’, conveys her appetite for sexual pleasure which is condemned as chastity was idealised, thus Edna feels remorse. In The Kiss, Nathalie marries for wealth whilst maintaining an affair, she is depicted as imperious, satisfying her desires. Both characters are presented as intelligent, Chopin’s simile comparing Nathalie to a ‘chess player’ due to her ‘clever handling of his pieces’, displays her use of sexuality to obtain her goals, Becky is also a ‘young person of no ordinary cleverness’, suggesting the authors admire their ambition to achieve and battle social discrimination. Hardy also characterises Eustacia as a ‘femme fatale’ as men find her mysteriously seductive due to the ‘certain obscurity in Eustacia’s beauty’, demonstrating the intensity of her allure through her unorthodox appearance. However, women find this threatening thus believing she is a ‘witch’. Her impulse to challenge male dominance with the use of her audacious sexuality and ‘romantic recollections’, is frowned upon. For example, she desires ‘to be loved to madness’ as ‘one in a desert would be thankful for brackish water’, the bathos metaphorically emphasises her awakened sexual conscience motivated by isolation. Lady Macbeth also exerts her sexuality to emasculate Macbeth, manipulating him to fear failure and ‘live a coward’. Her masculine characterization and her power over her husband derives from her ambition to achieve strength and glory, at the expense of others. Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy dramatically highlights her thirst for power and lack of femininity, especially as modesty of speech was a female virtue. As a result of society’s constrictions, each woman uses their sexuality, one thing they do possess, to achieve their goals.

Although women were supposed to act submissive and modest, the literary heroines contain many desires which they pursue through their radical and deceptive behaviour. After enduring a challenging childhood, Becky recognises she must marry and befriend those of a higher status to climb economically and socially. For instance, she adjusts herself to manipulate situations to aid her material circumstances, ‘with her wicked flattery and falsehoods’ she is believed to have ‘deceived everybody’. Thackeray refers to Becky as a snake on numerous occasions, the simile, ‘she writhes and twists about like a snake’, referencing the Garden of Eden, compares Becky’s manipulating abilities to the snake who deceived Eve into disobedience by the use of his tongue to encourage her to disobey God. Becky develops as a character as she becomes to realise to achieve her aspirations in society she must act as an ‘honest woman’, so others see her actions as sincere, however, this is regarded as ironic as it’s clear at the heart of Becky’s character she is deceitful and doesn’t know another way to behave. Eustacia also selfishly wants a wealthy life for ‘she loved what money could bring’, therefore she marries Clym to live with him in ‘beautiful Paris’, due to her motivation to escape her remote environment and those on the heath. She treats him as a possession as she had a ‘voluptuous air of triumph’. The abstract noun ‘triumph’ exaggerates her power over him in which she covets to achieve her cosmopolitan dreams to enter a revolutionary, social world. In A pair of silk stockings, instead of using ‘fifteen dollars’ to support her family and embody purity by having no personal desires as expected by society, Mrs Sommers recklessly becomes seduced by stockings, thus revelling in her femininity and sensuality. The characters’ controversial motivation for wealth and pleasure derives from their conviction that wealth is the key to freedom.

Thackeray also presents society as immorally suspicious and a performance, reflecting Shakespeare’s view that ‘All the world's a stage’. Known as ‘the legitimate high priest of truth’, Thackeray uses the narrative to paint insignificant, mild scenes to add a sense of common reality to reveal the deceptive qualities of society. The text was released with illustrations and the subtitle, Pen and Pencil Sketches of Society, intensifying his satire of morality. In contrast, rather than reality, Hardy uses vivid poetic language, such as the characterization of Eustacia who ‘might have stood for that of either of the higher female deities’, showing under the surface of the ordinary, Hardy discovers the mystery of life. Hardy also uses effective narrative rhetoric and figurative language to emphasise the notion of tragedy that permeates the novel. Furthermore, originally the novel was structured into five books thus mimicking the classical tragic format. Therefore, as fate is inevitable in their actions and their behaviour is determined by the repressive plot, ‘Hardy’s heroines are characterized by a yielding to circumstances that are limited by the play of instinct. They are never quite bad’. Thus, their actions are mainly accidental ensuring the reader’s sympathy. Both characters are conveyed as flawed rather than evil. Their imperfections are portrayed to be a result of their ambition, thus neglecting the expectations of society.

Their unconventional behaviour leads to members of society challenging their desire to marry. Furthermore, once married, the character’s face restrictions due to their marriages’ transactional nature causing the breakdown of their relationships. Firstly, Mrs Yeobright prevents Eustacia’s relationship as she fails to recognise her as an individual due to her unconventional behaviour and as she is sexually ‘voluptuous’. Once married, Eustacia finds herself restricted, like a ‘painful object, isolated, and out of place’. The tricolon and simile emphasise the intensity of her suffering as a result of attempting to act submissive. Similarly, Mr Osbourne prevents the marriage between Amelia and George as she becomes penniless due to the failure of her father’s business, implying marriage is an economic transaction which parental figures control, criticising society. The marriage between Clym and Eustacia fails as they don’t see each other for their personality but for the ideal images they desire so their dreams are fulfilled, for instance, Clym needs an ‘educated woman’ to assist with his school. Also, Eustacia wishes to leave the heath as she covets the social world, highlighting the use of marriage to access the sphere of public and social affairs, initially only open to men. She becomes aggravated by their marriage’s limitations, as she fails to reconcile with the external world and her identity becomes threatened by the men around her. Hardy accentuates the absence of love in their relationship as Clym claims Eustacia has ‘not valued [his] courtesy’. The courtly manner, ‘courtesy’, suggests Hardy is satirising courtly love, an idealised form of love practised in the Middle Ages, as this is barely accomplished. Consequently, Clym accuses Eustacia of murdering his mother and removes himself from their marriage therefore she becomes a ‘fallen’ woman and is exiled from the domestic sphere. Chopin criticises women’s rights and marriage as women become their husbands’ property, highlighted through Edna’s suppression as her husband looks upon her like ‘a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage’. In Story of an Hour, Chopin illustrates the ‘monstrous joy’ of self-fulfilment and freedom when her husband dies. The oxymoron accentuates the repressive effects of love, constrained by marriage. Contrastingly, Becky successfully uses her marriage to gain wealth, for she takes advantage of her husband’s passion for gambling and uses her sexuality and ‘charms’ on the men he works with to earn more fortune. This portrays Becky’s intellect and abilities as, despite the restrictions placed on women by marriage, she manages to obtain benefits.

The character’s use of femininity and rebellion, results in their self-destruction, emphasising the difficulty in sustaining integrity and character. Throughout The Return of the Native, Hardy foreshadows Eustacia’s violent death-by fire especially through her association with bonfires representing Hell. She is bound to be defeated by society as she fails to live a conventional life and she can’t escape everyday reality, making the audience sympathise with her, also reinforced by Hardy’s pessimistic vision. Due to the heath’s nature and Eustacia’s unwillingness to accept her destiny, her death is the epitome of a tragic fate, thus concluding that ‘a heroine with a flame-like soul is bound to destroy herself’. As she perishes, he conveys her with a ‘sense of dignity’ and with her ‘black hair looser than ever’ presenting her as a turbulent and powerful force society can’t control. Furthermore, Clym’s survival portrays the destruction of her femininity in a patriarchal society. Edna, before killing herself, flaunts her sexuality and challenges conventions, standing ‘naked under the sky’, symbolising her freedom from the repressive society. Chopin presents the ‘touch of the sea’ as ‘sensuous, enfolding the body in it’s soft, close embrace’, personifying it as a lover to convey her as a sensual woman walking away from society. Lady Macbeth also dies as similarly, she can no longer endure the pain and breaks under the strain of guilt becoming mad, highlighting her unexpected vulnerability.