The aftermath of the traumas of the American Civil War saw an unleashing of intellectual, cultural and economic forces, which accelerated the rate of transformation in American society. In post-Reconstruction America, after so much controversy about slavery, social and political reformers climbed on the platform to agitate on behalf of the Feminist movement in an “air [that] was thick with theory and controversy about women” (Habegger 9).
When Henry James outlined his general idea for "The Bostonians" (1886) in his notebook-entry of 1883, he referred to this new ideology, which he perceived as being responsible for the perversion of the confused and uprooted young American society:
I wished to write a very American tale, a tale very characteristic of our social conditions, and I asked myself what was the most salient and peculiar point in our social life. The answer was: the situation of women, the decline of the sentiment of sex, the agitation on their behalf.
The undoing of the differences between man and woman and the blurring of the boundaries between the feminine and the masculine and, in particular, the subordination of the masculine hegemony by “the stirrings of feminism in late nineteenth-century Boston” (Lansdown x) might be the root, or at least a symptom of the problem, which was upsetting both public and domestic affairs.
The novel is a drama between opposing dogmas: progressive Feminism versus conservative Chauvinism, ultimately, between the forces of progress and reaction. The analysis of the ideological conflict between these two extremes is “dramatically focused in a conflict among characters who, James said, were evolved from his ‘moral consciousness’” (McMurray 339). The notebook-entry reveals that the novel represents James’s response to a contemporary phenomenon: it seeks to investigate the situatedness of individuals in a historical context.
James's main purpose was to trace the effects of a confused system of morals in the relations between men and women and he chose to exemplify that idea by portraying a group of people in whom the essence of love had become distorted or vulgarized. The conservative James assumed that the epitome of the American problem lied in the decline of what was generally considered traditional ideals surrounding gender, which he evaluated as a potential threat to the equilibrium of forces that had previously regulated society.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION TO THE BOSTONIANS
1.1 Gender Anxiety: James’s Conception of Sexual Difference
1.2 The “Emasculated Man” and the Reign of the Feminine Voice
1.3 Ambiguity in James’s Language
1.4 The Defender of Sexual Difference
1.5 Women torn between the Private and the Public Life
1.6 The "New Woman" as Consummate Professional
1.7 A Troubled Union: The Silenced Woman in Marriage
2. INTRODUCTION TO JANE EYRE
2.1 The Emancipation of Women
2.2 The Sentiment of Pride or Desire for Independence?
2.3 The moral Predicament of Jane Eyre
2.4 Controlled by Men: The Instrumentalization of Jane
2.5 Marriage based on Equality
3. CONCLUSION
Objectives and Topics
This work examines the ideological representations of gender roles, moral sentiments, and the pursuit of individual agency in Henry James's The Bostonians and Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, exploring how both authors negotiate the tension between social expectations and personal autonomy.
- The impact of nineteenth-century gender ideologies on individual identity.
- The socio-political "decline of the sentiment of sex" in American and Victorian contexts.
- The conflict between patriarchal constraints and women's professional and personal ambitions.
- The role of moral integrity as a mechanism for achieving true independence.
- Comparative analysis of how marriage is depicted as a site of potential bondage or equality.
Auszug aus dem Buch
The “Emasculated Man” and the Reign of the Feminine Voice
Reactionary prejudices and internal conflicts were part of the author and James states his unease about women’s emancipation efforts in a confession: “I am not eager for the avènement of a multitudinous and overwhelming female electorate and don’t see how any man in his senses can be” (B xxiii). James’s critique of the perceived "feminisation" of American society is expressed in Basil Ransom’s contempt for this “fatuous agitation.” His apprehension is about the decline in sentiment, in particular about the loss of manhood, and he blames the ascent of women in public affairs to be responsible:
The whole generation is womanized; the masculine tone is passing out of the world; it’s a feminine, a nervous, hysterical, chattering, canting age, an age of hollow phrases and false delicacy and exaggerated solicitudes and coddled sensibilities, which, if we don’t soon look out, will usher in the reign of mediocrity, of the feeblest and flattest and the most pretentious that has ever been (B 260).
The nostalgic rant is indicative of the fear of loss, that is, the loss of a clear-cut masculine identity and shows an awareness that the time of great ‘real and pure’ men, who are in charge of public affairs, is over; both men and women are now diluted species. Basil calls the democratic ideal “mediocrity” – something which would have a weakening effect on society – and he has a fierce conviction “that civilisation itself would be in danger if it should fall into the power of a herd of vociferating women” (B 40). A woman trying to acquire male attributes, in particular, striving to be heard in public, would inevitably lose her essential qualities and simply relapse into an incomplete man, a decline from her natural state of womanhood, whereas a effeminacy in a man weakens his essential status as ruler of worldly affairs.
Summary of Chapters
INTRODUCTION TO THE BOSTONIANS: Analyzes Henry James's critique of late nineteenth-century feminist movements and the perceived collapse of traditional gender distinctions.
Gender Anxiety: James’s Conception of Sexual Difference: Discusses James's essentialist view of gender and his fears regarding the erosion of traditional sexual roles.
The “Emasculated Man” and the Reign of the Feminine Voice: Explores Basil Ransom's reactionary stance against the perceived "feminization" of society and the decline of masculine authority.
Ambiguity in James’s Language: Examines how the term "sentiment" is used as a tool of ambiguity within the novel's ideological landscape.
The Defender of Sexual Difference: Analyzes how patriarchal figures maintain hegemony through the suppression of women's public and private rights.
Women torn between the Private and the Public Life: Investigates the character of Verena Tarrant and the pressures she faces when navigating conflicting social expectations.
The "New Woman" as Consummate Professional: Discusses the portrayal of Doctor Prance and the complexities of women's professional aspirations in a male-dominated world.
A Troubled Union: The Silenced Woman in Marriage: Details the ultimate subjugation of Verena within the traditional structure of marriage.
INTRODUCTION TO JANE EYRE: Introduces Charlotte Brontë’s focus on the individual psyche and the struggle for independence long before the tensions depicted in James's work.
The Emancipation of Women: Highlights Jane Eyre's transition from an object of male desire to a self-defined subject with personal autonomy.
The Sentiment of Pride or Desire for Independence?: Explores Jane's internal battles against the repression of her self-esteem by authority figures.
The moral Predicament of Jane Eyre: Addresses the conflicts between Jane's desire for personal happiness and her strict moral code.
Controlled by Men: The Instrumentalization of Jane: Analyzes how Rochester and St John Rivers attempt to use Jane for their own ambitions.
Marriage based on Equality: Discusses the requirements for a relationship based on mutual integrity and spiritual equality.
CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the findings, arguing that while James highlights the social construction of gender, Brontë emphasizes the primacy of the individual's conscience and equality.
Keywords
Henry James, Charlotte Brontë, The Bostonians, Jane Eyre, Gender Roles, Feminism, Patriarchy, Sentiment, Sexual Difference, Autonomy, Victorian Literature, Marriage, Agency, Self-Respect, Masculinity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic work?
This work explores the representations of gender dynamics, the concept of "sentiment," and the struggle for individual agency in the novels The Bostonians and Jane Eyre.
What are the central thematic fields?
The core themes include patriarchal control, the "New Woman" in professional settings, the moral dilemma of the individual against societal expectations, and the definitions of equality within marriage.
What is the main objective of the analysis?
The objective is to compare how Henry James and Charlotte Brontë interrogate gender ideologies and social norms, specifically how their characters negotiate the path toward or away from independence.
Which research methods are employed?
The text employs a literary-analytical approach, using close reading of character development and the authors' use of specific vocabulary to contrast social critiques in Victorian and late nineteenth-century literature.
What does the main body address?
It provides a detailed examination of characters like Basil Ransom, Verena Tarrant, and Jane Eyre, analyzing their ideological positions, their moral conflicts, and the power structures governing their lives.
Which keywords define this study?
The key concepts include Gender Roles, Patriarchy, Autonomy, Sentiment, Agency, and the comparison of the two novels' literary contexts.
How does James view the "decline of the sentiment of sex"?
James perceives it as a problematic breakdown of traditional, gender-based social equilibrium, which he fears will lead to an "emasculated" or "mediocre" society.
Why is Jane Eyre’s refusal of Rochester considered a subversion of patriarchy?
Jane’s refusal acts as a subversion because it prioritizes her individual moral integrity and internal law over the subservient role expected of her as a mistress, thereby demanding equality before marriage.
- Quote paper
- Dr Sabine Mercer (Author), 2005, Nineteenth-Century Morality and "The Decline in the Sentiment of Sex". Henry James’s "The Bostonians" and Charlotte Brontë’s "Jane Eyre", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/295212
