While reading Washington Irving’s The Wife, I expected to see a somewhat stereotypical view of women as associated with Irving’s time period. What I was surprised to find was that, though the common view of women as weak is present, Irving challenges that classification with a very different take on women. The Wife highlights the true strength of a woman, even if it is hidden beneath a soft and tender exterior. I thought that it was very interesting to see these two very different views of women juxtaposed so closely, especially given the time period in which this was written. In Irving’s world, women were ideally supposed to be tender, frail, slight, weak and dependent on their husbands, and were rarely involved in anything more than trivial matters. However, directly after describing this feminine ideal, Irving goes on to say that beneath the delicate exterior of a lady, there hides a strong, brave, and steadfast spirit that makes a woman strong even when men cannot. Irving illustrates this point by describing a delicate vine wrapped around a sturdy oak tree, that, when the oak tree is broken by lightning, clings to the shrapnel and holds it together. I think that it is very refreshing to see recognition of a woman’s strength in writing, especially by a male author. It is nice to know that this quiet strength that women have is recognized by others, and written about in such a pleasing light from one of the most famous authors in history.
No comments:
Post a Comment