A UTOPIA OF TWO: SUPERIOR COUPLES IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY NOVEL.
Item
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Title
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A UTOPIA OF TWO: SUPERIOR COUPLES IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY NOVEL.
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Identifier
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AAI8515651
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identifier
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8515651
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Creator
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PLOTNIK, META.
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Date
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1985
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Literature, English
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Abstract
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Many 19th Century English novelists rejected the romantic ideal of a male-female relationship and created instead a "superior couple" based on equality and open communication. This talk becomes an ongoing dialectical exchange that supports both emotional and intellectual growth. These novelists predate psychoanalysis in their belief in the power of sympathetic listening. Their couples are characterized by an unromantic meeting, a series of encounters where they are essentially alone, an unconventional proposal scene, and eventually separation from common society in a utopian retreat. Both the man and the woman are placed in a contrasting negative relationship to help delineate the more elusive positive aspects.;In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen presents Elizabeth and Darcy as equals in terms of intelligence and personal qualities. Their conversation moves from drawingroom repartee to philosophical discussion to intimate sharing. At the end they distance themselves somewhat from society and serve as models to their immediate family. In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, Jane and Rochester speak explicitly about the importance of equality, and Jane desires and gains financial independence. Talk is unquestionably a fundamental activity and pleasure. In Middlemarch, George Eliot gives her superior couple a strong social sense by having Dorothea and Ladislaw seek ways to serve society. Eliot describes the limitations of Dorothea's "toybox education" and shows how Ladislaw contributes to her intellectual growth. The most powerful contrast is Dorothea alternatively expanding and constricting as she moves from Ladislaw to Casaubon.;In Far from the Madding Crowd, Hardy demonstrates through Gabriel and Bathsheba the essential connection to nature and the integration of love and work. Jude and Sue, in their more experimental relationship, confront a range of problems which finally defeat them. Hardy sees conventional society and marriage as thwarting their happiness. For D. H. Lawrence, society is unregenerate, and the male-female relationship is the basis for creating a new society. Ursula and Birkin come to repudiate possessions, work, family and country. Lawrence also explores the problematic nature of language. Lawrence expresses the most radical view of societal change but sees the "superior couple" as central.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
