Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Final Project Proposal
For my final project, I would like to analyze The Monk and Wuthering Heights from a feminist prospective. Th Monk is written from a chauvinistic point of view, in my opinion, whereas Wuthering Heights has more feminist qualities about it. While both sides may be argued for both books, there are more obvious feminist qualities in Wuthering Heights. Catherine says in the novel, ".. the thing that irks me the most is this shattered prison. I'm tired, tired of being enclosed here. I'm wearying to escape into that glorious world, and to be always there, not seeing it dimly through tears, and yearning for it through the walls of an aching heart; but really with it, and in it ..." (WH). I read the novel from the standpoint of it being about a woman who has to overcome the societal pressures to become "a lady." The Monk, however, has many examples of men exerting their powers over women. When women speak, it is rarely as important as when Lorenzo or Ambrosio are speaking. It is referred to as "prattling" on one occasion. It is important to take the context of both novels into consideration when writing this paper and I plan to do this as well.
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I enjoy the idea of expanding upon the two novels from a feminist view. Both novels seem to express their own form of views on women, and they definitely could be looked at deeper.
ReplyDeleteI think perhaps a simple comparison of the two novels would be a bit ... boring. A more specific look at the two characters of Matilda and Catherine could better serve an analysis. Using specific passages that unite and separate their character's, while analyzing their impact on the novels, and look at it in a modern context. Perhaps looking at Catherine as a "stay at home wife", and looking at her characteristics and seeing how the modern world would treat a woman such as her, and then look at how the modern world would treat Matilda as well.
I think it could be very interesting to simply look at Catherine and Matilda and make it as if they were living today. How would their life go? Would it be any different? Etc. It could be interesting even to blur the characters and place them in each other's novels.
If desired, you could definitely pull other female roles into your essay such as Mina or Lucy, and do the same sorts of things. I feel that they have a very large potential for a feminist essay, as their character's are loaded with feminist references.
Perhaps it would be wise to do a little background search on the history of each novel's time period to better understand the role women had at that time
Bailey, I would also work towards focusing on some specific facet of misogyny in these texts. I like how you commented on the way in which Lewis calls feminine speech "prattling." Consider the ways in which women are "silenced" in both of these texts. Consider the narrative "gaps" for both Mathilda and Agnes in The Monk, and think about the significance of Catherine's "ghost" and the way in which she returns to "speak" to other characters.
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