Great discussion today! Before we move on to our next couple of texts (The Love Suicides and The Story of the Stone), here's a chance for a little summing up. Feel free to respond to any one of the following (or take issue--kindly and collegially--with a classmate's response):
Taken together, what have these two texts taught you about the Enlightenment-era world that was new to you?
What interpretively significant similarities do you find between these two texts?
How do the interpretively significant differences between these two texts illuminate your understanding of the period in which they were written?
What does "interpretively significant" mean?
Deadline: Saturday (2/5), midnight.
6 comments:
The two texts really show that writers started to write about more topics than just religion. The two texts both dealt with woman exploring their sexuality and being punished for it. Both woman were thrown in a monistary to live out the rest of their lives. In Fantomina religion did not play a huge role until she was thrown in the monistary at the end; whereas, in Eloisa to Abelard relgion plays a vital role in the poem. God is mentioned through out the poem and is part of the main conflict of the peom. In Fantomina she just gets caught having an affair because she was pregnant. Beauplaisir did not get punished and seemed to care less about Fantomina's fate. Eloisa also was caught, but she did not get pregnant. Abelard also was punished in the poem as well.
I find it interesting that both works we've read so far focus on women who are chafing under patriarchal rule and the society they live in. If enlightenment writers were so focused on the plight of a suppressed woman, or her sexuality, why then did society keep such strict rules on women's behavior for so long after these works (and others like them) were written.
Now, Kristin did say that "Fantomina" wasn't exactly enlightenment canon, supporting the idea that Hayward (the author) was out on a limb while writing her novella, but "Eloisa to Abelard" was an extremely well received work of the enlightenment era written by a MAN about women suffering under old laws.
I suppose one thing I've learned about the enlightenment from the works mentioned above is that, just like any era, change is slow to come even if the problem has been recognized for a while, and that apparently many of the authors we read were considered more extreme in their day than we give them credit for.
I see the role of societal views being a shared aspect of both works.In Fantomina, we see that social classes are very prominent in the story. Society accepts high class to marry with high class and low class to marry class. It was also acceptable for high class men to fool around with low class women for a brief time, which allows Fantomina to embark on her troublesome adventure to pursue a man she cannot have.
In Eloisa to Abelard, Eloisa's relationship with Abelard was not acceptable to society, God, and her uncle. I'm not sure if Abelard was of a different class than Eloisa, but their affair was frowned upon so I'm guessing that Abelard was not on the same level as Eloisa's family? He was also just a tutor, although very respectable, so perhaps he wasn't really acceptable to be with Eloisa? Either way, I see society still playing a big role in the story.
These two texts has given me creative(for a lack of a better word) look into the Enlightnment-era in regards to religion and the way that women were portrayed. First off, I wasn't aware that with such a stress upon religion during this time period, that women even in these stories could be written about. I would assume that even writing about matters like these was unacceptable. Women were not the dominant species then but in both of these stories we see them being the main focus. Secondly, the significant similarities I see between both stories is two females that allow their self-seeking desires lead them rather than religion. The women were caught up in their infatuations, which was at a very religious and secular time, but both still ending with unfortunate or unappealing conclusions.Specifically Fantomina being pregnant and Eloisa locked away.
Both texts have a very blatant message of imorality and sexuality in women. Both pieces have a similar idea that the main character, a female, decides to be promiscuous and explore her sexual desires and is then punished heavily for acting upon such. Both end up being punished in the ultimate way- they become pregnant and are put into monasteries.
All in all, both pieces are lessons for women of the time to be virtuous and careful when dealing with their sexuality. They are a warning to women about what can and will happen if and when they decide to act against what religion tells them to and give into their sexual desires.
These two texts (Fantomina and Eloisa to Abelard) have given me an indepth insight about some of social norms that were placed on women and punishments were given for disobeying the rules given. during the Enlightenment period. Prior to reading, these texts I assummed that the Enlightenment era focused majority on religion but I have been proven wrong. The interprtively significant similarities I find between these two texts are about women exploring their love and sexuality for a man which later lead into them being punished for it. The differences beween these two texts are seen that in Fantomina society is ranked. In this novel, we realize that she has encountered a relationship with a man and beared a child that is of higher social class. In Eloisa to Abelard, her relationship and love for Abelard was not accepted by her family, and she struggles to find happiness through her love for him and God as well. More religion inferences are used in the text, Eloisa to Abelard. My understanding of "interpretively significant" means that something has been interpretated from a some point of view to have significance or importance to what it is being referred to such as the text in these questions.
In conclusion, I think the "interpretively significance" of these two texts, is that is casting a story for women & lovers during the Enlightenment era to learn from the experiences of Fantomina and Eloisa as they both explore their love, sexuality, and desire for Beauplaisir and Abelard.
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