Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Frances Burney

I really enjoyed reading this scribbling woman. It was like you were stting there with a good friend while she was reciting all of her thoughts and how her life was going. Yes, it did sometimes seem intrusive, like you were peering into a very personal part of her life sometimes, but it was still a neat experience. I think she must have been a very vivacious woman in a graceful kind of way. Someone that everyone would love to know. It was a long read at parts then at other times, I couldn't put it down. Kind of like a girl reading someone's else's diary before they come back into the room. So my verdict is, that despite it being sometimes a bit blah, I'm glad I read it. 3.5 stars.

Polwheele and Pope

Let's start with Pope. Did anyone else feel the urge to smack something while reading this. the scibbling woman eh? huh. Eliza Haywood as the prize of a pissing contest. Well, I guess we have to give him props for originality. He bashes woman writers but never really says anything about their actual works. That sounds life the work of a coward who is not comfortable with his sexuality enough to have a woman in the buiness of writing. I'll stop there. I found it intersting how Polwheele is completely against anything sexual but yet his writing is very sensual. He speaks of the unsexed female. oh no!! gasp. I find it amusing how Wollstonecraft is such a sore spot for him. Perhaps because of her radical views and her intelligent works. He says that it's not that he feels that women shouldn't write but that there should be clear restrictions. But are there restrictions for men?.. of course not. Women should write about housekeeping and cooking and leave the science, political and social matters to the men. Perhaps instead of writing about other writers, he should have actually written something of some intelligence himself. He says that "the crimsoning blush of modesty, will be always more attractive, than the sparkle of confident intelligence" He gives praise to those female writers who choose to set a good example of feminine propriety and decorum but not those who may be "unchaste" such as wollstonecraft or Behn. .

Thursday, November 03, 2005

My Paper

How my paper is going....



Well, it all worked out. The paper is done. I chose to do my paper on Mary Wollstonecraft and how her own life is reminesent in her works. I chose her because I found her to be the most interesting person that we've covered. She came from a broken home and still amnaged to overcome it and be very successful. (maybe not all in her own lifetime, but her efforts are still ongoing and contiue to be an inspiration) Her family alone is amazing. her husband- William Goodwin..and then they produced Mary Shelley. Wow. I wonder what Mary Shelley would have been like if her mother had lived to see her grow up?? Anyway, Paper is done. A new stressful endeavor awaits.

Manley's Rivella


Well, what can I say about this one? I can't really say that I enjoyed it as there were so many characters, it made it hard to follow sometimes. I didn't enjoy the read, but it was really interesting that she was her own biographer. The way that she tells the story of her own life is really different as she tells it through the gossiping mouths of two men. Thsi in itself is a way to tell people not to take themselves or gossip so seriously. I was also a way of her being somewhat objective of herself. She is able to say things about herself that she may not say if she was telling this story in her own narrative. This also makes it somewhat onesided. This was she can distort some of her life's facts to work to her advantage. Certainly if someone had a shady reputation, this was a way of leaving her legacy without leaving behind her diginity. I guess it's another one of those works that are just interesting because they . I thought that her life was actually more intersting than the piece itself. she seems to make excuses for herself but is also saying that she is the only person of her sex that knows how to live. Maybe she is just a bit superficial or perhaps jsut self-concious. I can't quite figure out which. All of her descriptions of herself counter act each other. Maybe she just thinks that looks aren't everything. She is an interesting lady though. I find it funny how if other authors wanted to be considered legitimate and be respected that they had to disassociate themselves with Manley, Haywood and Behn. the guilt by association. I guess to a certain degree it is like that still. If someone is friends with a person who is a not well liked, than people assume you have the same views. As confusing as this was to read with all the characters and long sentences, it was still worth reading, if not for the innovative narrative alone

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Mary Wollstonecraft and Bathsua Makin



I really enjoyed Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Women. I never got a chance ot read it all but still, of what I did read, was an amazing feat for a woman in her time. The fact alone that she was responding to the negitive views about women from major literary and political figures was very risque. I was so impressed with her. I've read also her novella Mary and also Maria, or the Wrongs of Women. these are also very interesting as they, especially Mary are somewhat autobiographical. The Mary in the novel is also from an broken household of abuse and she is a woman who is constantly wandering and trying to find a place for herself in the world. She was a very remarkable woman and then married to such a remarkable author. Then, to have Mary shelley who also turned out to be a distingued literary figure. That would be one amaing family tree.

I was also very impressed with Bathsua Makin. Her essay was very clear and easy to read. I loved the way she undrecuts her opinions on men. She says that they are good, but then makes referance to a reson that they are not. It was very clever and amusing to read. I can't imagine what the men at that time were thinking of this. It deals with the education of women in a very clever way. Her advertising for her school at the end was also a little surprising. I wasn't really expecting that. I don't think that it ruins this piece in anyway it was jsut another way of making her school known by using the resources that she had. Smart Lady. Whether it worked or not..? who knows.