Male and Female Identity in The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins powerful and domineering male characters. Victorian femininity is characterized by passivity, endurance, and unassertive gentleness, while masculinity is characterized by energy, action, and determination. The passive Laura Fairlie reflects the dominant expectation that women should be submissive and obedient. The beautiful and delicate Laura, who exudes feminine weakness, exemplifies the passivity of Victorian femininity in its entirety, while the simple and energetic Marian Halcombe poses a serious challenge to dominant Victorian femininity by scorning feminine passivity and embracing the masculine energy and determination, albeit with ultimate determination. failure. On the other hand, active and energetic men like Percival, Fosco, and Walter embody masculine energy and determination. Unlike relatively weak and often victimized women, men actively participate during their lives, despite their moral differences. Percival and Fosco use their evil energy and determination to shape destiny to their advantage. Walter Hartridge uses his noble energy and chivalrous resolve to rescue the damsel in distress and save the day, something even the shrewd and energetic Marian fails to emulate. It is ultimately male action and determination that shapes the development of the story. Marian's ultimate failure to challenge dominant Victorian femininity shows that established gender spheres could not be easily challenged and that the division of sexual domains remained firm in the Victorian era. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayThe prototype of Victorian femininity is represented by the character Laura Fairlie. Laura is the extreme representation of passive, unassertive Victorian femininity. She embodies the Victorian social expectation that women should be obedient, unassertive, and patient. Laura reflects feminine obedience by submitting to her father's wish to marry Percival. Although she is painfully aware that marrying Percival would transform her into "the most miserable of her sex" (Collins 171), she nevertheless decides to enter into an arranged marriage out of respect for her father's final wishes. As Marian observes, Laura was content simply to “make it” (73). Laura embodies the Victorian virtue of female endurance. Faced with the prospect of a loveless marriage, she stoically announces that “I must submit, Marian, as best I can” (172). She stifles her emotional spontaneity by burying her love for Walter and resigns herself to her suffering at the hands of Percival without complaint. As Marian observes, “there is no tone of complaint to warn me that she is absolutely unhappy in her married life” (201). Laura's passive nature reflects the Victorian expectation that women should be insecure and demure, instead of active and demure. resolute like men. She is constantly pushed and manipulated by others, while possessing little individual will to advance her own interests and desires. She is forced to abandon the man she loves and submit to the tyranny of the man she hates. She is weak in intelligence and hasty in confidence, making her easy prey for Fosco's sharp cunning which ultimately causes her to lose her status as a legal existence. Laura's intellect further degenerates to the point of beingreduced to the tiny status of a child, who clings helplessly to the strong protection of Walter and Marian for guardianship. Laura's pathetic, childish state reflects Fosco's patriarchal assertion that women "are nothing but adult children" (323). Marian laments that Laura is "socially, morally, and legally dead" (413), which can be seen as a lament for the passive state of Victorian womanhood. Like Laura, women of the Victorian era were too reduced to passivity and submission, to the point that they were effectively "socially, morally, and legally dead" (413) figuratively. Against a backdrop of female passivity and submission, Marian Halcombe poses the following question: a powerful challenge to dominant Victorian femininity. Marian's contempt for the female prototype is first reflected in her physical features. Unlike the woman Laura, known for her soft and delicate features, Marian's features have a "masculine appearance" (35). His masculine features are symbolic because they serve to reflect the masculine trait of his characters. This transgression of the boundary between the sexes at a time when separate sexual spheres are defended is sure to raise eyebrows in some, and Walter is initially "repulsed" (35) by the idea that the two elements of femininity and masculinity can be found in it. Marian's characters are also unfeminine in the Victorian sense of the term. She is full of masculine energy and takes an active part in shaping the course of history. It is Marian who takes a curious interest in investigating her mother's old letters and discovers the identity of Anne Catherick; it is she who intervenes in a desperate romance by separating Walter from Laura, it is she who protects Laura and protects her from harm; she is the one who writes to lawyers for male advice; she is the one who listens to the conversations and asks questions. Marian possesses masculine will and resolve. She is eager to challenge the limits of female freedom and aspires to play an active role in life. She refuses to remain passive and wants to affirm her value of being active when she cries “don’t refuse me because I’m just a woman.” I have to go! I’m going” (583)! Marian is painfully aware of the limits placed on a woman's freedom of action and resents being a woman and being condemned to "patience, propriety, and womanizing for life" (198). She envies masculine power and his freedom of action. At one point, Marian imagines “if I had been a man, I would have knocked [Percival] down on his own doorstep” (245). At another time, Marian imagines that “if only I had the privileges of a man, I would go…to York” (198). Marian clearly crossed the gender line by preferring masculine freedom and resolve over feminine passivity and obedience. Marian can be seen as a member of the “new women” who challenge female submission and passivity by aspiring to become an active, independent, and thoughtful woman. Marian is almost one of the first feminists who is passionately interested in defending women's rights against patriarchal tyranny. Upon learning of Laura's abuse at the hands of Percival, she has the courage to stand up to him and tell him that "there are laws in England to protect women from cruelty and outrage...I will appeal to these laws” (293). Marian is not content to resign herself to female endurance. Seeing Laura's bruises, she dismisses any pretense of endurance and announces that "our endurance must end and our resistance must begin" (299). Her energetic character is fully credited by her admirer Fosco, who describes her as a “sublime creature” (336) who stands “firm as a rock” (324)to hinder the evil plans of Percival and Fosco. Marian challenges the Victorian ideal that women should be obedient wives and caring mothers. Unlike Laura, who marries at a young age, Marian is unwilling to marry out of reluctance to be submissive to a domineering husband and is content with the freedoms of celibacy. The sight of Laura's suffering at the hands of men reinforces Marian's hatred of the patriarchal social order and the tyranny it brings. Marian hates the state of marriage and launches a passionate tirade against him: “Men! They are the enemies of his innocence and our peace... they take our body and soul for themselves... I'm crazy when I think about it” (181)! Instead of rejoicing at the prospect of Laura's marriage, Marian conceives a "reckless, vindictive, desperate hatred for the man who was to marry her" (82). Throughout the book, Marian poses a serious challenge to conventional Victorian femininity by rejecting imprisoning passivity and choosing to embrace the liberating experience of masculine action and firmness. Unlike the feminine passivity that defined predominant Victorian femininity, Victorian manhood was characterized by resolve and action. Marian paints a vivid portrait of female passivity and male resolve when she tells Walter to crush his love for Laura: “don't shrink under it like a woman, tear it out; trample him like a man” (73)! The three important male characters, including Walter, Percival, and Fosco, are all characterized by strong resolve and forceful action due to the disagreement in their morals. As a socially rejected bastard, Percival is determined to shape his own destiny by rebelling against what fate has assigned him and to achieve his ambitious goals through bad resolutions. He is not resigned to illegitimacy and poverty and is determined to achieve wealth and respectability. He is an accomplished ascensionist who has no qualms about resorting to fraud, deception, and other immoral practices to obtain his heart's desire. To gain power and status, he forges his parents' marriage, usurps title and property, and locks Anne Catherick in the asylum to prevent the fraud from being exposed. Percival and his evil advisor Fosco go so far as to fake Laura's death to devour her possessions, and bury her alive by locking her in an asylum under the name of Anne Catherick. The scheming Percival and Fosco who actively shape life to their advantage could not have been more opposite to the truthful and passive Laura who meekly endures the suffering inflicted on her. Unlike the passive femininity condemned to endurance and patience, exemplified by Laura, Percival and Fosco are the embodiment of masculine action and resolve by taking an active hand in shaping the course of their destiny. Such is their determination that they are willing to trample both law and morality in order to shape destiny as they wish. Percival and Fosco's evil resolve to usurp wealth and status contrasts with Walter's noble resolve to restore Laura to her identity and social position. Laura's passive life is shaped primarily by the action and determination of men. It takes the evil actions of Percival and Fosco to destroy Laura's life and Walter's chivalrous resolve to save the damsel in distress. It is Walter who actively seeks to restore Laura's identity by investigating, investigating, and forcing people to confess. Laura's identity could not have been restored without Walter's active quest. Marian may have the resolve to investigate and resort to eavesdropping, but she's too ready to succumb to weakness, 2003

Essay / Male and Female Identity in The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins powerful and domineering male characters. Victorian femininity is characterized by passivity, endurance, and unassertive gentleness, while masculinity is characterized by energy, action, and determination. The passive Laura Fairlie reflects the dominant expectation that women should be submissive and obedient. The beautiful and delicate Laura, who exudes feminine weakness, exemplifies the passivity of Victorian femininity in its entirety, while the simple and energetic Marian Halcombe poses a serious challenge to dominant Victorian femininity by scorning feminine passivity and embracing the masculine energy and determination, albeit with ultimate determination. failure. On the other hand, active and energetic men like Percival, Fosco, and Walter embody masculine energy and determination. Unlike relatively weak and often victimized women, men actively participate during their lives, despite their moral differences. Percival and Fosco use their evil energy and determination to shape destiny to their advantage. Walter Hartridge uses his noble energy and chivalrous resolve to rescue the damsel in distress and save the day, something even the shrewd and energetic Marian fails to emulate. It is ultimately male action and determination that shapes the development of the story. Marian's ultimate failure to challenge dominant Victorian femininity shows that established gender spheres could not be easily challenged and that the division of sexual domains remained firm in the Victorian era. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayThe prototype of Victorian femininity is represented by the character Laura Fairlie. Laura is the extreme representation of passive, unassertive Victorian femininity. She embodies the Victorian social expectation that women should be obedient, unassertive, and patient. Laura reflects feminine obedience by submitting to her father's wish to marry Percival. Although she is painfully aware that marrying Percival would transform her into "the most miserable of her sex" (Collins 171), she nevertheless decides to enter into an arranged marriage out of respect for her father's final wishes. As Marian observes, Laura was content simply to “make it” (73). Laura embodies the Victorian virtue of female endurance. Faced with the prospect of a loveless marriage, she stoically announces that “I must submit, Marian, as best I can” (172). She stifles her emotional spontaneity by burying her love for Walter and resigns herself to her suffering at the hands of Percival without complaint. As Marian observes, “there is no tone of complaint to warn me that she is absolutely unhappy in her married life” (201). Laura's passive nature reflects the Victorian expectation that women should be insecure and demure, instead of active and demure. resolute like men. She is constantly pushed and manipulated by others, while possessing little individual will to advance her own interests and desires. She is forced to abandon the man she loves and submit to the tyranny of the man she hates. She is weak in intelligence and hasty in confidence, making her easy prey for Fosco's sharp cunning which ultimately causes her to lose her status as a legal existence. Laura's intellect further degenerates to the point of beingreduced to the tiny status of a child, who clings helplessly to the strong protection of Walter and Marian for guardianship. Laura's pathetic, childish state reflects Fosco's patriarchal assertion that women "are nothing but adult children" (323). Marian laments that Laura is "socially, morally, and legally dead" (413), which can be seen as a lament for the passive state of Victorian womanhood. Like Laura, women of the Victorian era were too reduced to passivity and submission, to the point that they were effectively "socially, morally, and legally dead" (413) figuratively. Against a backdrop of female passivity and submission, Marian Halcombe poses the following question: a powerful challenge to dominant Victorian femininity. Marian's contempt for the female prototype is first reflected in her physical features. Unlike the woman Laura, known for her soft and delicate features, Marian's features have a "masculine appearance" (35). His masculine features are symbolic because they serve to reflect the masculine trait of his characters. This transgression of the boundary between the sexes at a time when separate sexual spheres are defended is sure to raise eyebrows in some, and Walter is initially "repulsed" (35) by the idea that the two elements of femininity and masculinity can be found in it. Marian's characters are also unfeminine in the Victorian sense of the term. She is full of masculine energy and takes an active part in shaping the course of history. It is Marian who takes a curious interest in investigating her mother's old letters and discovers the identity of Anne Catherick; it is she who intervenes in a desperate romance by separating Walter from Laura, it is she who protects Laura and protects her from harm; she is the one who writes to lawyers for male advice; she is the one who listens to the conversations and asks questions. Marian possesses masculine will and resolve. She is eager to challenge the limits of female freedom and aspires to play an active role in life. She refuses to remain passive and wants to affirm her value of being active when she cries “don’t refuse me because I’m just a woman.” I have to go! I’m going” (583)! Marian is painfully aware of the limits placed on a woman's freedom of action and resents being a woman and being condemned to "patience, propriety, and womanizing for life" (198). She envies masculine power and his freedom of action. At one point, Marian imagines “if I had been a man, I would have knocked [Percival] down on his own doorstep” (245). At another time, Marian imagines that “if only I had the privileges of a man, I would go…to York” (198). Marian clearly crossed the gender line by preferring masculine freedom and resolve over feminine passivity and obedience. Marian can be seen as a member of the “new women” who challenge female submission and passivity by aspiring to become an active, independent, and thoughtful woman. Marian is almost one of the first feminists who is passionately interested in defending women's rights against patriarchal tyranny. Upon learning of Laura's abuse at the hands of Percival, she has the courage to stand up to him and tell him that "there are laws in England to protect women from cruelty and outrage...I will appeal to these laws” (293). Marian is not content to resign herself to female endurance. Seeing Laura's bruises, she dismisses any pretense of endurance and announces that "our endurance must end and our resistance must begin" (299). Her energetic character is fully credited by her admirer Fosco, who describes her as a “sublime creature” (336) who stands “firm as a rock” (324)to hinder the evil plans of Percival and Fosco. Marian challenges the Victorian ideal that women should be obedient wives and caring mothers. Unlike Laura, who marries at a young age, Marian is unwilling to marry out of reluctance to be submissive to a domineering husband and is content with the freedoms of celibacy. The sight of Laura's suffering at the hands of men reinforces Marian's hatred of the patriarchal social order and the tyranny it brings. Marian hates the state of marriage and launches a passionate tirade against him: “Men! They are the enemies of his innocence and our peace... they take our body and soul for themselves... I'm crazy when I think about it” (181)! Instead of rejoicing at the prospect of Laura's marriage, Marian conceives a "reckless, vindictive, desperate hatred for the man who was to marry her" (82). Throughout the book, Marian poses a serious challenge to conventional Victorian femininity by rejecting imprisoning passivity and choosing to embrace the liberating experience of masculine action and firmness. Unlike the feminine passivity that defined predominant Victorian femininity, Victorian manhood was characterized by resolve and action. Marian paints a vivid portrait of female passivity and male resolve when she tells Walter to crush his love for Laura: “don't shrink under it like a woman, tear it out; trample him like a man” (73)! The three important male characters, including Walter, Percival, and Fosco, are all characterized by strong resolve and forceful action due to the disagreement in their morals. As a socially rejected bastard, Percival is determined to shape his own destiny by rebelling against what fate has assigned him and to achieve his ambitious goals through bad resolutions. He is not resigned to illegitimacy and poverty and is determined to achieve wealth and respectability. He is an accomplished ascensionist who has no qualms about resorting to fraud, deception, and other immoral practices to obtain his heart's desire. To gain power and status, he forges his parents' marriage, usurps title and property, and locks Anne Catherick in the asylum to prevent the fraud from being exposed. Percival and his evil advisor Fosco go so far as to fake Laura's death to devour her possessions, and bury her alive by locking her in an asylum under the name of Anne Catherick. The scheming Percival and Fosco who actively shape life to their advantage could not have been more opposite to the truthful and passive Laura who meekly endures the suffering inflicted on her. Unlike the passive femininity condemned to endurance and patience, exemplified by Laura, Percival and Fosco are the embodiment of masculine action and resolve by taking an active hand in shaping the course of their destiny. Such is their determination that they are willing to trample both law and morality in order to shape destiny as they wish. Percival and Fosco's evil resolve to usurp wealth and status contrasts with Walter's noble resolve to restore Laura to her identity and social position. Laura's passive life is shaped primarily by the action and determination of men. It takes the evil actions of Percival and Fosco to destroy Laura's life and Walter's chivalrous resolve to save the damsel in distress. It is Walter who actively seeks to restore Laura's identity by investigating, investigating, and forcing people to confess. Laura's identity could not have been restored without Walter's active quest. Marian may have the resolve to investigate and resort to eavesdropping, but she's too ready to succumb to weakness, 2003

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