Writers such as Rebecca West, Jean Rhys, and Radclyffe Hall among others used female defiance as a way to enlighten women, change the female objectification, and empower women that dominated the society before and early 20th century (Wayne, 2018). West uses George Silverton and his wife Evadne to depict the moral and norms issues in the early 20th century. In her short story, “Indissoluble Matrimony,” West depict the different actions undertaken in a couple that hated each other (West, 1914). George is the narrator and it is through him that the reader gets to know his wife. George describes his wife to enjoy sex too much, which he believes should not be the case. He believes that the sexual excitement and approach taken by his wife makes it clear that she is unfaithful and he must kill her or divorce her.
In one of his thoughts, he remembers their courting claiming, “You’ve always been keen on kissing and making love, haven’t you my precious? I don’t believe that good women are!” (West, 1914). He claims that from a moralistic point of view, women should not enjoy sex and only prostitutes can enjoy sex. The thoughts of his wife cheating are tormenting and make him delusional to the point he follows his wife convinced that she was going to meet her lover, a bachelor neighbor, only to find her alone swimming (West, 1914). He tries to kill her but fails repeatedly for the entire story. His rush decision and obsession to kill his wife based on senseless assumptions are wrong and he should have supported the proficiency of his wife. He should have loved and confronted his wife to seek clarification rather than endure the torment and need to kill her. Communication would have saved their constrained relationship.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Although the reader only knows Evadne through George, she seems to be quite intelligent and strong. She does not let the evil thoughts of her husband deter her from engaging in her career and her duties as a wife. Her action to turn-off the gas at the main source saved her life and that of her husband when George attempted to kill her and himself (West, 1914). However, it was better to divorce than to live with a person determined to killing her. This action would save her the torment and physical abuse from George. Her submission makes her conform to the patriarchal expectations of having to bear with her abusive husband rather than face social disapproval.
Task 2
Radclyffe Hall’s “Miss Ogilvy Finds Herself” is a story involving Miss Ogilvy identity calamities (Hall, 1959). Miss Ogilvy lives in dejection because of her masculine body not acceptable for women in the society. Her attraction to women and desire to be a man depicts the identity problems of LGBTQ and rejection by the society at the time. She even changes her name from Wilhemina to William and constantly stated, “If only I had been born a man!” (Hall, 1959). She uses every way to be a man through her actions. For instance, she cut her hair to serve in the French Army as a Lieutenant. While serving in the army she is delusional and believes she is a man. Following the end of the Great War, she returns home but her sisters want her to grow her hair back to stop the neighbors from talking.
The neighbors hate her and fear for her sisters for having to live with someone such as Miss Ogilvy (Hall, 1959). The essence that even her sisters do not accept her sexual and gender identity makes her leave her home and investments to live alone in an island away for everyone and the society that does not appreciate her. She dies alone in a cave where the dreams of her having a wife and engaging in intimacy are overwhelming to her (Hall, 1959). Her body depicts defeat in search for identity. In the entire story, it is evident that women were expected to remain at home, get married, submit to their husbands, undertake household chores, and have a smooth, slim, and sexy body (Wayne, 2018). Miss Ogilvy did not fit in this category and her desires for war or other activities restricted to the men resulted in her desperation and rejection by the society. The patriarchal society, culture, and environment was hostile to her and did everything possible to challenge these hostile social norms. Hall tries to empower her character through defiance and independence, which led to the author referring Miss Ogilvy as he defies the social norms at the time. Hall falls short of deliberating LGBTQ rights at the end of the story because of the description of Miss Ogilvy that depict defeat thus conforming to the social norms that the society always win. On the other hand, Hall used death as a symbol of liberation for Miss Ogilvy (Wayne, 2018). This strategy enabled the writers demand change in the society by making death seem better than living in a discriminative society.
Reference
Hall, R. (1959). Miss Ogilvy finds herself . London: Hammond Hammond.
Wayne, V. (2018). Virtuous Necessity: Conduct Literature and the Making of the Virtuous Woman in Early Modern England by Jessica C. Murphy. Early Modern Women , 12 (2), 256-259.
West, R. (1914). Indissoluble matrimony. Blast, 30, 1, 98-117.
