What evidence from the text best supports the theme that society places limits on the roles of women? Read the excerpt from act 3 of A Doll's House. Helmer: Listen to her, Mrs. Linde! She had danced her Tarantella, and it had been a tremendous success, as it deserved—although possibly the performance was a trifle too realistic—a little more so, I mean, than was strictly compatible with the limitations of art. But never mind about
that! The chief thing is, she had made a success—she had made a tremendous success. Do you think I was going to let her remain there after that, and spoil the effect? No, indeed! I took my charming little Capri maiden—my capricious little Capri maiden, I should say—on my arm; took one quick turn round the room; a curtsey on either side, and, as they say in novels, the beautiful apparition disappeared. An exit ought always to be effective, Mrs. Linde; but that is what I cannot make Nora
understand. Pooh! this room is hot. [Throws his domino on a chair, and opens the door of his room.] Hullo! it's all dark in here. Oh, of course—excuse me—. What evidence from the passage best supports the theme that society placed expectations on men and women based on gender? Read the excerpt from act 3 of A Doll's House. Helmer [walking up and down]: He had so grown into our lives. I can't think of him as having gone out of them. He, with his sufferings and his loneliness, was like a cloudy background to our sunlit happiness. Well, perhaps it is best so. For him, anyway. [Standing still.] And perhaps for us too, Nora. We two are thrown quite upon each other now. [Puts his arms round
her.] My darling wife, I don't feel as if I could hold you tight enough. Do you know, Nora, I have often wished that you might be threatened by some great danger, so that I might risk my life's blood, and everything, for your sake. How do the stage directions best support the theme that the truth can never be hidden? Select TWO options. Read the excerpt from act 3 of A Doll's House. Helmer [kissing her on the forehead]: Goodnight, my little singing-bird. Sleep sound, Nora. Now I will read my letters through. [He takes his letters and goes into his room, shutting the door after him.] Nora [gropes distractedly about, seizes HELMER'S domino, throws it round her, while she says in quick, hoarse, spasmodic whispers]: Never to see him again. Never! Never! [Puts her shawl over her head.] Never to see my children again either—never again. Never! Never!—Ah! the icy, black water—the unfathomable depths—If only it were over! He has got it now—now he is reading it. Goodbye,
Torvald and my children! [She is about to rush out through the hall, when HELMER opens his door hurriedly and stands with an open letter in his hand.] Character Tropes of Women in Medieval Literature “The Virgin” Perhaps the most common, and most positively looked upon character trope to be affiliated with women in literature is “The Virgin”. According to the majority of early literature, women’s primary function was to remain “pure” until they are wed and then permitted to produce children. If an unwed woman were to appear in literature back in Medieval times, she would almost indefinitely be made into a virtuous, pure woman. Like many tropes in literature, this character ideology originated in The Bible. Saint Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, also called The Virgin Mary, is the first notable person recorded with this all around encompassing identity. St. Mary took a vow of virginity and remained faithful to it her entire life, despite giving birth to a child. Mary was so pure of character that her pregnancy was an immaculate conception. The angel Gabriel came to her and told her she would bear the son of God. St. Mary lived her life completely within the parameters of being a perfect Christian woman. It is her life and her behavior that created this “ideal” religious woman. In Medieval literature, The Virgin is often the voice of reason. She is rational, down-to-earth, and guiding (as far as guiding the main character towards the path that God has set out for them). Telling the hero what God has in store for them is The Virgin’s primary job. She tires to keep the hero on their quest. She is often described as beautiful, graceful. Though still generally a secondary or even tertiary character in Medieval literature, The Virgin is still important to the plot. She is respected and protected in some way throughout the story. Even when she is in trouble, the author doesn’t do any physical damage to her, often just putting her to sleep or locking her somewhere until the hero can save her. In Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, Una is the saintly princess that the Red Cross Knight must protect on his journey. She appears riding right along side the Red Crosse Knight, riding a donkey “white then snow, yet she much whiter” (783). We all know that white signifies purity, and the point made about her being whiter than her ride gives us an idea about how Virginly she is. Reading further, “So pure and innocent, as that same lambe, she was in life and every vertuous lore, and by descent from Royall lynage came” (783), explaining that Una gets her virtue from her royal upbringing. During the story, Una quite literally keeps the Knight on the forest past, discouraging him from straying and finding other things to do: “‘Be well aware,’ quoth then that Ladie milde, ‘Least suddain mischiefe ye too rash provoke: The danger hid, the place unknowne and wilde,'” (785).
“The Witch” Origin of trope Characteristics of trope Examples in literature Witches do not only appear in epic tales but in the Bible as well (this is one of the many instances of Pagan and Christian ideologies influencing each other). In the Bible those who practice witchcraft, or magic of any variety are seen as sinners who are worthy of death. Although in early Catholic Christianity having Saints and relics was a step from the plethora of pagan religious deities, and there was magic used by Christians. This magic did not focus on demons but on spells and mechanical remedies for ailments, and the lord’s prayer was often said while mixing potions for these remedies. Significance/impact
of trope Portrayal of Witchcraft by Ulrich
Molitor “The Whore” Most of the medieval social structure made it very hard for women to find their place in society. Women did not have the same rights as men, or same privileges as men, so many of them just did whatever society told them they were supposed to do. Overtime, as women were constantly told their place in society, many women started fulfilling their taught role of the Medieval Prostitute, otherwise known as “The Whore” of Medieval society. As time progressed into the 16th and 17th century, Female prostitution became a huge issue for Europe’s nation, where women commonly solicited their bodies for money on the streets of Europe’s countries. The “Medieval Prostitute” became a popular topic for profound writers of the century to explore and incorporate into their works of literature. The history of Medieval Prostitution stretches far back in the European time line, dating back to almost the beginning of the middle age era. According to an online article, “Prostitution was not necessarily a woman’s sole career choice and there are many examples of women who used prostitution to supplement their everyday income” (Fantaesque). Most women did not want to become prostitutes or “whores” of Europe’s streets, but they acknowledged the fact that they needed to make money to support themselves and survive when times were tough. Due to poor living conditions and poverty stricken lives, many women were left with no choice into becoming Medieval prostitutes. Many women, particularly of poverty, in the Medieval society were always put down on the intellectual scale, compared to Men. Eventually these women of poverty started to conform into the ideas about their purpose and place in society that they were told by officials and the world, thus medieval prostitutes were born. Just as we have had numerous amounts of prostitution issues evident in our present society, many females back in the middle ages who engaged themselves in prostitution were heavily looked down upon and some were even killed for their soliciting practice. Despite the representation of medieval prostitution industry as a “dirty business”, the practice of Medieval prostitutes caught the eye of many people, and eventually was seen by a large percentage of Europe as a form an institutional money making business. At first most of Europe disapproved of the prostitution industry and gave it a negative label early on towards the beginning of its existence. However, somewhere along the line of the medieval prostitution industry expansion, certain countries of Europe started to recognize the sexual desires and needs of married and unmarried men. Many Medieval city leaders and town officials started to accept the idea and practice of prostitution and ultimately created designated places where women were legally permitted to solicit their bodies. They started to use the activity to their advantage in making profits. These specified areas “where women were allowed to ply their trade without interference or harassment.” (Fantesque) were referred to as “brothels” and were created in both public and private environments. According to some research on the history of Medieval Prostitution, the law making decisions that put these “brothels” in operation actually gave the authorities of either the city or town some level of control over the soliciting practice. In literature, writers use their language and literary devices to bring our attention to worldwide themes. One of the biggest themes we have been exposed too in the works of literature we have read over the course of this semester is women’s role in society. Many of the female characters in the literature we have read, have been perceived as weak and incompetent. Writer’s, such as Chaucer, allude us to the thought of women’s purpose and place in society. In his sub story of “The Canterbury Tales”, “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” Chaucer makes multiple references to the traditional ideas of women culture, and what women want. The old woman in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” symbolizes much of “The Whore” trope. In the context of the tale, the old woman, the wife, presents herself as an authority figure on marriage. However her behavior throughout much of the prologue gives us the inclination that she is fulfilling the role of “The Whore” trope of Medieval women in literature. Specifically the lines from the prologue of “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” below serve as a great example of Chaucer’s allusion to Medieval Prostitution and how the old woman is displaying some of “The Whore” characteristics. “They hadde me yiven hir land and hir tresor/Me needed nat do lenger diligence/To wine hir love or doon hem reverence” (Lines 210-213) “Hath me biraft my beautee and my pith/Lat go, farewell, the devel go therwith!/The flour is goon, ther is namore to telle:/The bren as I best can now moste I selle;” (Lines 481-484)
“The Trickster”
There is a distinct purpose for the trickster archetype in Medieval Literature. It “served a conservative function in serving to reassert social norms . . . valued for innate wit, an asset for surviving in any society. They act as a creator and a destroyer, transgressing boundaries but also being defined by them” (Perfetti 633). This trope comes to life in the Wife of Bath’s Tale with the character of the old hag. The old woman serves as an advisor to the knight in the tale, being the source, which reveals to him what women most desire. When he approaches her, she has the power in the relationship and questions what his purpose is wandering down the road she was on. He asks, “‘My leve moder,’ quod this knight, ‘certain / I nam but deed but if that I can sayn / What thing it is that wommen most desire / Coude ye me wisse, I wold well quite you’re hire” (1012-1014). The knight seems to know that this woman possesses a unique knowledge and wit, and the fact that he places his life in her hands shows that he knows she is skilled at surviving in society. She transgresses the boundaries that Medieval society holds her to, which are silence and powerlessness, and holds the knight to a deal, stating, “‘Plight me thy trouthe here in myn hand,’ quod she / The next thing that I requere thee / Thou shalt it do, if it lie in thy might / And I wol telle it you er it be night” (1015-1018). Holding the power in this situation, she binds the Knight to a deal, putting him in a subservient position at her will. His life lies in her hands rather than the other way around. This puts her in the optimal position to trick him as he is at her mercy. When they get to the Court, the woman requests that the Knight marry her, and even though he begs her to change her mind, since she is in the position of power, he cannot. As Jonathan Blake states in his article, “Tricksters upset normal hierarchies and rules of everyday or official behavior either through cleverness or foolishness.” The old woman, using her dominant role, traps the Knight into a binding agreement. She then asks him to chose whether he would like her to be young and unfaithful or old and loyal. He replies, “My lady and my love / and wif so dere / I putte me in youre wise governaunce: / cheseth youreself which may be most pleasunce” (1236-1238). From her trickery and the position that she puts him in, the Knight submits to the old lady’s will, and she gets what women most desire. The significance of the trickster archetype in Medieval Literature is the fact that, “Cunning or foolish or both, Trickster’s pranks and games serve the role of the equalizer, and in so doing, raise awareness” (Sutton 1). Medieval society is guided by the rule that women are to be subservient to men, not trusted with serious matters, and inadequate at decision making. Therefore, often times, women’s voices are suppressed and ignored, so therefore, they become unhappy in marriages and unfulfilled. The old woman in The Wife of Bath’s Tale gives a different picture, sharing with society that women are in fact so capable and cunning, that they can outsmart men and get their way. In fact, what they have to say is so important that it can cost a man’s life if it is not said in front of a court. The archetype of the woman trickster allowed the conclusion to be made at the end of the tale that if a woman is treated with respect and her wishes are granted, the relationship will be mutually beneficial, “And she obeyed him in every thing / That might do him pleasance or liking / And thus they live unto hir lives ende / In parfit joy. . . And eek I praye Jesu shorte hir lives / That nought wol be governed by hir wives” (1261-1264, 1267-1268). This teaching, that husbands and wives should listen to each other and allow one another to have sovereignty is an important ideal. It would not have been communicated unless the woman trickster in the tale had the Knight’s life at stake because of her knowledge. Works Cited Arcimboldo, Giuseppe. Portrait of Eve. 1578. <http://www.wikiart.org/en/giuseppe-arcimboldo/portrait-of-eve-1578>. Bovey, Alixe. “Women in Medieval Society.” The British Library . Web. 10 Dec. 2015. Chaucer, Geoffrey. “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Middle Ages. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 282-310. Print. Fantaesque. “The Medieval Prostitute.” History in the (Re) Making. January 6, 2015. Forth, Sarah S. Eve’s Bible: A Woman’s Guide to the Old Testament. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2008. Web. Kroch, Carl. “The Cornell University Witchcraft Collection.” Cornell University Library Witchcraft Collection. Cornell University. Web. 9 Dec. 2015. O’Pry-Reynolds, Anita Kay. “Men and Women as Represented in Medieval Literature and Society.” Web. 10 Dec. 2015. Perfetti, Lisa. “Review of Allison Williams ‘Tricksters and Pranksters: Roguery in French and German Literature of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.” Rev. of “Tricksters and Pranksters: Roguery in French and German Literature of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Speculum 2003: 633. Web. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Middle Ages. E. Stephen Greenblatt. 9th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 162-213. Print. Sommerville, Johann. “Holland Treatise.” Holland Treatise. Wisconsin University. Web. 4 Dec. 2015. Spencer, Edmund. “The Faerie Queene.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Middle Ages. E. Stephen Greenblatt. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 282-310. Print. Sutton, Brenda. “Trickster.” Mythic Passages: The Magazine of Imagination. Mythic Passages, 2006. Web. 8 December 2015. “The Second Shepherd’s Play.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature . Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. 9th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 450-476. Print. Trueman, C N. “Medieval Women.” The History Learning Site. The History Learning Site, 5 March 2015. Web. 8 December
2015. What evidence from the text best supports the theme that women have equal rights to be free?Nora's speech resolves the conflict and develops the theme that women have an equal right to be free. What evidence from the text best supports the theme that women have an equal right to be free? "There must be perfect freedom on both sides."
How does this excerpt best develop the theme that society places limits on the roles of women?How does this excerpt best develop the theme that society places limits on the roles of women? Answer: As a woman, Nora cannot borrow money, but she does so behind her husband's back in order to save him.
|