Women's Literary Tradition

 Word Count: 267 The History of the Nun  by Aphra Behn "I could wish, for the prevention of abundance of Mischiefs [Page 7] and Miseries, that Nunneries and Marriages were not to be enter'd into, 'till the Maid, so destin'd, were of a mature Age to make her own Choice; and that Parents would not make use of their justly assum'd Authority to compel their Children" (Behn, 3). "distributing all she had amongst, and for the Use of, the Poor of the Town, especially to the Poor Widows; exhorting daily, the Young, and the Fair, that came perpetually to visit her, never to break a Vow, for that was first the Ruine of her" (Behn, 35).     The first quotation is a sentiment of the narrator stating that she believes guardians of young girls should not decide the fate of their daughters, but rather that their daughters should decide their own fate once they are mature enough. This is what happened to Isabella. While she grows up in the convent, she has time to e...

 Word Count: 259 "Eve's Apology in Defense of Women" by Aemilia Lanyer "And then to lay the fault on Patience' back, / That we (poor women) must endure it all;" "If Eve did err, it was for knowledge' sake, / The fruit being fair persuaded him to fall:" (Lanyer)     These quotations from the second stanza of the poem depict Lanyer's feelings about the story of Adam and Eve. Many blame Eve for the fall of man, but Lanyer argues that she is not the one to condemn. The second quotation explains why Eve took to fruit: she wanted to have the knowledge which the serpent told her was vital, while Adam ate because the fruit was "fair."  The first quotation exemplifies the hardships women still must endure because so many misinterpret the tale.      Lanyer's reasoning in this poem aligns with the current feminist movement, which was probably very controversial at the time of her writing this. This begs the question: why did she write th...

 Word Count: 254  Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich "Jesus Christ that doeth Good against evil is our Very Mother: we have our Being of Him where the Ground of Motherhood beginneth, -- with all the sweet Keeping by Love, that endlessly followeth" (Norwich).     In Revelations of Divine Love , Julian of Norwich repeatedly refers to different aspects of Christianity as a "mother." This is seen in the quotation above where she refers to Jesus as a mother because he expresses the love and kindness of God. All of her references to motherhood relate back to traditionally feminine traits such as feeding children and taking care of the sick. She employs adverbs like "homely" and "tenderly." She compares his crucifixion to a mother giving birth - they both endure immense pain to then relieve their children of pain and give them joy.      Julian of Norwich blatantly relates motherhood and femininity to the expression of love. While her inten...

Word Count: 260  "Lanval" by Marie de France "A hundred times he begs mercy of her -- / Won't she speak to her dear lover? / He curses his tongue, the heart he couldn’t hide -- / It’s a wonder he doesn’t commit suicide." (de France)     This quotation depicts the power Lanval's friend has over him. It demonstrates the dynamic of their untraditional relationship where the woman maintains more power over a man.  The beginning of their relationship also foreshadowed these events. She completes the traditionally "masculine" objectives in relationships such as: seeking him out, professing her love first, and giving him directions about the future of their relationship. This quotation also foreshadows the continuation of this dynamic later in the poem when she comes before the king to testify for Lanval. This particular representation of her power is important for the plot because it emphasizes the seriousness of her return.     This quotation demonstrat...

Word Count: 274  A Room of One's Own Virginia Woolf "men are hated and feared, because they have the power to bar her way to what she wants to do--which is to write" (Woolf) "football and sport are 'important'; the worship of fashion, the buying of clothes 'trivial'" (Woolf)     Virginia Woolf begins chapter four of A Room of One's Own giving background as to why most early female authors seem to be so angry and spiteful. When speaking of Lady Winchilsea, Woolf states, "men are hated and feared, because they have the power to bar her way to what she wants to do--which is to write." (Woolf). This quotation depicts the fear female writers harbored during this time; it also gives reason to their anger, which seems to be just a translation of their fear. I believe this quotation shows their sense of isolation as well. The female writers of the time were writing in secret, and it seems like they were living other lives.      My favorite ...

Over the break, I went to Knoxville, TN to visit my brother. Sadly on my way there my car broke, and we had to take it to the shop to be fixed. We also went to a thrift store and went to a discount book store.