Among the phenomena that characterize the period at the end of the 19th century, better known as fin de siècle, the feminist movement can be considered as one of the most destabilizing ones for Victorian society.
The official year of birth of the ‘New Woman” is 1894, when Sarah Grand first uses this term to define what the average male population of the time labelled as: ‘femme fatale, prostitute, suffragette, New Woman, virago, degenerate, Wild Woman, Free Woman”. In her article, ‘The New Woman and the Old”, Grand focuses on an important question that we shall try and answer in this essay: who is the New Woman? But above all, is there a New Woman or is she just a fictional product?
It is interesting to note that the first reaction of writers, critics but also common people to this phenomenon was to consider the New Woman as a fictional product, which lessened the importance of the cultural and social reality of feminism. Indeed, many fictional figures were created and became popular in this period that were completely different from the women that had populated British literature until then. In this essay, we shall focus on She, the very controversial and intriguing protagonist of Rider Haggard’s homonymous novel. We shall try and find out what made her a New Woman for Haggard’s contemporary readers, but also why she is in some attitudes rather an Old Woman, a very typical Victorian ‘angel in the house’ to us.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Women and power: an old fear
2.1 Queen Victoria: a queen in an old system
2.2 The ‘angel in the house’ vs. the New Woman
3. “She”: the ‘angel in the house’
3.1 “She”: a New Woman
3.2 Africa: the fascination and the fear of ‘the Other’
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This essay explores the portrayal of the "New Woman" in Rider Haggard's novel She, analyzing the tensions between Victorian gender ideals and the burgeoning feminist movement. It investigates how the protagonist, Ayesha, functions as both a "femme fatale" and an alter ego to Queen Victoria, ultimately serving as a reflection of late-Victorian anxieties regarding female power, colonial identity, and the stability of the imperial social order.
- The construction of the "New Woman" versus the traditional "angel in the house" archetype.
- Parallels between the fictional Queen Ayesha and the real Queen Victoria.
- The impact of colonialism and the fear of "the Other" on Victorian literature.
- The role of male anxiety in shaping the portrayal of independent women in late 19th-century fiction.
- Haggard’s use of fantasy and exotic settings to negotiate real-world societal conflicts.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
Among the phenomena that characterize the period at the end of the 19th century, better known as fin de siècle, the feminist movement can be considered as one of the most destabilizing ones for Victorian society.
The official year of birth of the ‘New Woman” is 1894, when Sarah Grand first uses this term to define what the average male population of the time labelled as: ‘femme fatale, prostitute, suffragette, New Woman, virago, degenerate, Wild Woman, Free Woman”. In her article, ‘The New Woman and the Old”, Grand focuses on an important question that we shall try and answer in this essay: who is the New Woman? But above all, is there a New Woman or is she just a fictional product?
It is interesting to note that the first reaction of writers, critics but also common people to this phenomenon was to consider the New Woman as a fictional product, which lessened the importance of the cultural and social reality of feminism. Indeed, many fictional figures were created and became popular in this period that were completely different from the women that had populated British literature until then. In this essay, we shall focus on She, the very controversial and intriguing protagonist of Rider Haggard’s homonymous novel. We shall try and find out what made her a New Woman for Haggard’s contemporary readers, but also why she is in some attitudes rather an Old Woman, a very typical Victorian ‘angel in the house’ to us.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the rise of the feminist movement during the fin de siècle and introduces the primary objective of examining Ayesha in Rider Haggard's She as a site of negotiation between the "New Woman" and traditional Victorian femininity.
2. Women and power: an old fear: Examines historical and psychological roots of male fear regarding female power, utilizing Said’s theory of "the Other" to categorize the "femme fatale" as a destabilizing force outside conventional Victorian social norms.
2.1 Queen Victoria: a queen in an old system: Analyzes the paradox of Queen Victoria’s reign, arguing that her position as a female sovereign forced her into a "passive, angelic" public identity that mirrored the struggles of the New Woman.
2.2 The ‘angel in the house’ vs. the New Woman: Explores the literary tradition of the "angel in the house" and discusses how the "New Woman" was perceived as a fictional, dangerous challenge to established marriage ideals and national imperial strength.
3. “She”: the ‘angel in the house’: Challenges the interpretation of Ayesha as solely a "New Woman," arguing that her subservience to Kallikrates and her ultimate dissolution demonstrate how patriarchal authority reasserts itself over female power.
3.1 “She”: a New Woman: Investigates Ayesha’s traits as a New Woman, focusing on her autonomy, her manipulation of nature, and her perceived threat to Victorian motherhood and gender roles.
3.2 Africa: the fascination and the fear of ‘the Other’: Discusses how the setting of Africa functions as a colonial construct, where the exploration and "penetration" of the land reflect Victorian anxieties and the desire to dominate the unknown.
4. Conclusion: Synthesizes the argument that both Ayesha and Queen Victoria served as vehicles for Haggard to engage with real-world anxieties about female agency and the potential destabilization of the British Empire.
Keywords
New Woman, Victorian society, Rider Haggard, She, Ayesha, Queen Victoria, femme fatale, angel in the house, fin de siècle, imperialism, colonialism, gender roles, Edward Said, the Other, feminism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic work?
The essay explores the representation of the "New Woman" in Rider Haggard's novel She and compares the protagonist Ayesha’s status as a powerful female figure with the real-life constraints faced by Queen Victoria during the late Victorian period.
What are the core themes discussed?
The central themes include the shift in gender roles at the end of the 19th century, the cultural fear of female autonomy, colonial anxieties, the literary construction of femininity, and the intersection of politics and fiction.
What is the central research question?
The work seeks to answer whether the "New Woman" in literature was a genuine social phenomenon or merely a fictional construct, and how characters like Ayesha mirror the political and social fears of Victorian men.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The study employs literary analysis and critical discourse analysis, drawing upon post-colonial theory (Edward Said), feminist literary criticism (Gilbert and Gubar), and historical context regarding late-Victorian societal structures.
What is examined in the main body of the text?
The main body investigates the dichotomy between the "angel in the house" and the "New Woman," explores the colonial implications of the African setting, and conducts a parallel analysis of Ayesha and Queen Victoria as powerful women operating under patriarchal scrutiny.
Which keywords define this research?
The core keywords include the New Woman, Victorian society, femme fatale, colonial literature, gender paradigms, and imperial anxiety.
How does the author interpret Ayesha’s transformation and eventual death?
The author argues that Ayesha’s death acts as a symbolic restoration of the patriarchal order, suggesting that her destruction was a necessary narrative move to neutralize the threat that an independent, powerful woman posed to Victorian masculine values.
In what way is Queen Victoria compared to the character Ayesha?
The essay suggests that both figures, despite their geographical and cultural distance, were viewed as problematic by their male contemporaries because they held authoritative positions that challenged the expected submissiveness and domesticity of the Victorian woman.
- Quote paper
- M.A. Margherita Zelante (Author), 2005, She - The New Woman and the Queen, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/54396
