A Critique of The Odd Women - Essay Example

A Critique of “The Odd Women” Introduction George Gissing is one who was ahead of his time. Having witnessed the circumstances of women in the Victorian Era, he used the information he knew in his novel, “The Odd Women”, which strayed away from what the genre of literature prevalent during his time. The Victorian Era is characterized by vast industrialization and outstanding progress in science and technology. Although there were improved living standards, there was also a very wide gap between social classes. Societal restrictions were also pronounced especially in terms of gender differences. Gissing, through his novel, exposed the realities that women faced, along with their innermost desire for transformation and freedom from the bondage of gender inequality. This author beckoned society to face such reality and answer the issues and concerns that plagued women. His book showed how changes in the genders’ status quo can cause chaotic effects, but eventually, lead to a new form of gender relations. It has the power to empower women to rise above their stereotypes as the submissive gender whose only place is the home and is entrapped by domesticity. They learn to seek greater financial and spiritual independence, and this dramatically changes their status and roles in marriage. Thesis: In early Victorian novels, it is but common for romance between a man and a woman to be built up towards the culmination of marriage. In effect, readers, especially women, develop a fantasy that someday, when they do find the love of their life, they will eventually marry and “live happily ever after”. George Gissing, a writer from the Victorian era, comes out as a shock as he breaks tradition with his novel, “The Odd Women”, depicting how women need not aspire for marriage in order to be happy and content. Gissing uses the marriage plot as a tool to expose a clash of the era’s gender roles and statuses as well as other social challenges that came with the time rather than a culmination of a novel with a happy ending. Body Women have been referred to as the weaker sex, to which feminists vehemently disagree. In the Victorian era, women were especially treated as delicate flowers aspiring to be plucked, wooed and pursued by men with the sole purpose of marriage. It is no surprise that most novels written with the backdrop of this period of prudence and restriction revolved around the romance between a man and a woman. The story is developed towards the goal of marriage. Zare claims that feminists oppose such marriage plot (1) and consequently, the loss of whatever freedom the woman enjoyed before she was wed, prompting her to be absolutely dependent on her husband. The heroines of such novels have also been designed to want marriage themselves. In Gissing’s novel, Monica Madden was seduced by the fantasy of being a wife, if only to escape the curse of remaining an unmarried woman. He loves me so much that he has made me think I must marry him. And I am glad of it. Im not like you, Milly; I cant be contented with this life. Miss Barfoot and Miss Nunn are very sensible and good people, and I admire them very much, but I cant go their way. It seems to me that it would be dreadful, dreadful, to live ones life alone. Dont turn round and snap at me; I want to tell you the truth whilst you cant see me. Whenever I think of Alice and Virginia, I am frightened; I had rather, oh, far rather, kill myself than live such a life at their age. You cant imagine how miserable they are, really. -Monica Madden, speaking of Edmund Widdowson Monica witnessed how her sisters suffered the hard life, being single women. Milly, Alice, Virginia, Miss Barfoot and Miss Nunn were “odd women”. Unpaired individuals yet to find a man to even them out. But then sisters Alice and Virginia Madden, past their prime, were resigned to spinsterhood and have accepted a life of poverty. On the other hand, Mary Barfoot and Rhoda Nunn, unmarried by choice, made it their life mission to help out other single women like them to rise from their circumstances and avert the dream of marriage, as expected by society, to be their only recourse in life in seeking better pastures. Something like that, they say. So many odd women—no making a pair with them. The pessimists call them useless, lost, futile lives. I, naturally—being one of them myself—take another view. I look upon them as a great reserve. When one woman vanishes in matrimony, the reserve offers a substitute for the worlds work. True, they are not all trained yet—far from it. I want to help in that—to train the reserve. -Rhoda Nunn Misses Barfoot and Nunn empower “odd women” with skills and knowledge to help them achieve a better quality of life. Being skilled allows them to find better jobs aside from boosting their self-esteem. The revolutionary duo endeavored to make them more independent and widened their worldview from a myopic one that is focused on domesticity after marriage. DuPlessis observes that fiction from the Victorian era highlighted women’s relationships with men and shuns their own skills, talents and capacity for independence, as opposed to twentieth century heroines who have dramatically shifted in their positions in being more empowered, thus, they have “destabilized” the marriage plot of old (4). On the part of men, how do they view marriage? Most Victorian romances would describe the hero as brutish at first, unattainable, hardened, but eventually, develops a soft spot for the heroine. Everard Barfoot, smitten with Rhoda and how her mind works, is not the typical Victorian romance hero. His beliefs on marriage, gender roles, etc. were uncommon for men in his time. In the following conversation between two friends, the perspective of most men on marriage is echoed: Now, when are you going to marry? cried Micklethwaite, with a revival of his cheerfulness. Probably never. Then I think you will neglect a grave duty. Yes. It is the duty of every man, who has sufficient means, to maintain a wife. The life of unmarried women is a wretched one; every man who is able ought to save one of them from that fate. -Conversation between Micklethwaite & Everard The foregoing may have been a sarcastic exchange between two old friends, however, it was an expression of the ‘machismo’ held by men, the perception that they are doing women a favour by marrying them and saving them from a life of unmarried strife. Chauvinistic men ruled and their sense of male superiority was supposed to be acceptable to women. This perception seems to be perpetuated in romance novels and rub off on the female characters. One such man is Edmund Widdowson, the rich, wealthy and mature husband of Monica Madden who was becoming intolerant of his young wife’s restlessness and youth which was not directed towards domestic activities. “Never had it occurred to Widdowson that a wife remains an individual, with rights and obligations independent of her wifely condition. Everything he said presupposed his own supremacy; he took for granted that it was his to direct, hers to be guided. A display of energy, purpose, ambition, on Monicas part, which had no reference to domestic pursuits, would have gravely troubled him; at once he would have set himself to subdue, with all gentleness, impulses so inimical to his idea of the married state. It rejoiced him that she spoke with so little sympathy of the principles supported by Miss Barfoot and Miss Nunn; these persons seemed to him well-meaning, but grievously mistaken. Miss Nunn he judged unwomanly, and hoped in secret that Monica would not long remain on terms of friendship with her. Of course his wifes former pursuits were an abomination to him; he could not bear to hear them referred to." The Widdowson’s marriage as presented in the novel is something that was unfolding in the present instead of happening in the future. “Happily ever after” was not supposed to be like this, but married couples being forever in love and passionate with each other, rearing beautiful children and having no marital discord. However, Gissing effectively presented a reality that most married women commonly faced in the company of traditional Victorian husbands. Women’s concept of love and marriage was romantic. In Bronte’s Jane Eyre, the concept of ‘familiar marriage’ (Schaffer), driven by comradeship but not motivated by romantic love or financial interest. It was what Jane’s cousin proposed to her which she found repulsive. Perhaps this is what Evarard Barfoot also wanted, but in combination with romance. He was very much attracted to Miss Nunn’s intelligence and relished in exchanging views with her, just like a comrade. This is one marriage he can live with. One that he will not tire of, unlike romance, which can easily fade as time goes by. His concept of marriage may be similar to what Jane Eyre and Edward Fairfax Rochester believed in, a partner who is an ‘equal’ and a ‘likeness’. However, Rochester initially saw Jane as something to ‘have and to hold’, much like a piece of property. Eventually, Jane offered herself as more than a wife but a marriage partner and a companion (Schaffer, 12). The beauty of the ending of literary classics Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Miss Majorbanks and Wives and Daughters, is that the heroines get both their romantic and familiar marriage. They were not relegated as possessions to be ruled but as partners to be consulted as much as to be wooed. Due to her dire circumstances in life, Monica married for economic stability instead of love. Edmund took it upon himself to save her from being an odd woman, to being a respectable wife of good stature. From there, a huge difference between the two was established, with her practicality, and his supposed act of chivalry. But his perspective was more of ownership of a possession instead of an individual who has her own preference and will. He felt he needed to educate her on what she is supposed to be doing as his wife because she seemed to have no clue. Womans sphere is the home, Monica. Unfortunately girls are often obliged to go out and earn their living, but this is unnatural, a necessity which advanced civilization will altogether abolish. You shall read John Ruskin; every word he says about women is good and precious. If a woman can neither have a home of her own, nor find occupation in any one elses she is deeply to be pitied; her life is bound to be unhappy. I sincerely believe that an educated woman had better become a domestic servant than try to imitate the life of a man. Edmund Widdowson Monica felt suffocated in losing her freedom and being made to feel as if her social interactions with people outside her marriage were subject to her husband’s approval. She yearned to go back to her life as a single woman, something that was not compatible with a traditional marriage plot in Victorian romance literature. She wanted to regress instead of move forward towards her ‘happily ever after’ in marriage. The realizations that she was experiencing made her regret her decision to marry for the wrong reasons. She wanted out and saw an escape through having an affair with another man. Monica was a typical Victorian woman who longed for independence but cannot release herself from dependence on a man to take care of her. This is precisely why Miss Barfoot and Miss Nunn were working so hard to help other women so that they do not focus on the goal of marriage and lose their individuality in the process. They educate other women to develop their skills and disagreed with Widdowson’s belief that ‘educated women had better become a domestic servant than try to imitate the life of a man’. Women can go beyond the expectations of society of them. Beyond ‘womanly’ duties as teacher or nurse. An excellent governess, a perfect hospital nurse, do work which is invaluable; but for our cause of emancipation they are no good—nay, they are harmful. Men point to them, and say: Imitate these, keep to your proper world. Our proper world is the world of intelligence, of honest effort, of moral strength. The old types of womanly perfection are no longer helpful to us. Like the Church service, which to all but one person in a thousand has become meaningless gabble by dint of repetition, these types have lost their effect. They are no longer educational. We have to ask ourselves: What course of training will wake women up, make them conscious of their souls, startle them into healthy activity? -Miss Barfoot This lamentation of women’s status of stupor in society is a plea for dramatic change. They are much more than what they are given credit for! The ideal woman in those times belonged to noble professions, but was limited to it. It was not considered that they had skills suited for much more daring work, even work that was associated with manly skills. Likening the situation of society’s standards to church service, which was considered meaningless just because it was redundant, Miss Barfoot’s revolutionary philosophy may have been considered blasphemous. But it was a way for her to be heard and her ‘scandalous’ words spread like wildfire. Her passionate speech was explosive, much like a volcano that was brewing strong and powerful volatile emotions. It reflected her innermost desire as well as her deepest frustrations. It must be something new, something free from the reproach of womanliness. I dont care whether we crowd out the men or not. I dont care what results, if only women are made strong and self-reliant and nobly independent! The world must look to its concerns. Most likely we shall have a revolution in the social order greater than any that yet seems possible. Let it come, and let us help its coming. When I think of the contemptible wretchedness of women enslaved by custom, by their weakness, by their desires, I am ready to cry, Let the world perish in tumult rather than things go on in this way! -Miss Barfoot Miss Barfoot’s push for social reform in the emancipation of women is envisioned to be a huge revolution, coming from centuries of enslavement from male superiority. She firmly believes it is possible and puts her full trust on women’s capability to raise themselves up to be equal to men. Men may be responsible for the progress of technology, of business, of new inventions that bring about material gain. However, Miss Barfoot believes women are responsible for more... “... winning souls, propagating a new religion, purifying the earth.” The two revolutionary women have pledged their commitment to their vocation in life. Rhoda Nunn, although it was obvious that she was developing feelings for like-minded Everard, chose the path of self-denial. She was strong to resist the lure of marriage, although deep inside she knew it can work for her and Everard and with the terms they both want. However, her passion for Everard is not as strong as her passion for her convictions. Conclusion George Gissing’s novel, “The Odd Women” obviously aims to shift Victorian era readers’ thinking to more modern terms. It is his literary contribution to a progressing reality that women are capable of so much more than they are given credit for. The typical marriage plot in literature in the prudent and morally upright Victorian period was a way to form people’s minds to conform to societal standards of heterosexual relationships leading to marriage as the culminating climax. However, Gissing used the theme of marriage in his novel as a vehicle to insert his teachings on women empowerment. Works Cited Austen, Jane. Sense and Sensibility. Ed. Ros Ballaster. London: Penguin, 2003. Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Ed. Q.D. Leavis. London: Penguin, 1966, rpt 1988, first ed. 1847. DuPlessis, Rachel Blau, Writing Beyond the Ending. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1985. Gissing, George, The Odd Women, 1893. New york: New American Library, 1983. Schaffer, Talia, Refamilarizing Victorian Marriage, Australasian Journal of Victorian Studies 15 (2010) 2 Zare, Bonnie, The Odd Women’s Creation of a Desire for Romantic Fulfillment, The Gissing Journal, 30 October, 1994 (4) 1-18 Read More