AO3 Flashcards
(12 cards)
What legal doctrine in Victorian England made marriage a form of confinement for women?
The doctrine of coverture meant women lost legal rights upon marriage. Isabella becomes Heathcliff’s legal property, showing how marriage entraps women both physically and financially.
What does the contrast between the moors and Thrushcross Grange represent?
The moors symbolise untamed female freedom; the Grange symbolises societal restriction. Cathy’s longing for the moors reflects her resistance to domestic confinement.
How did Taliban laws confine women during the 1996–2001 regime?
Women were banned from work, education, and travel without a male relative. Mariam and Laila’s forced isolation mirrors this — they are literally beaten for leaving home alone.
What symbolic item shows the physical erasure of women under Taliban rule?
The burqa. Mariam finds it suffocating and disorienting, symbolising the enforced invisibility of Afghan women.
How does Brontë show the lack of female solidarity in Victorian society?
Cathy belittles Isabella’s feelings and offers no support. Women are isolated by societal roles and competition for male approval.
What’s the significance of absent mothers in the novel?
Cathy dies young, and Isabella is cut off from her child. The lack of maternal guidance reflects patriarchal disruption of nurturing female bonds.
What warning does Nana give Mariam that reflects internalised misogyny?
“A man’s accusing finger always finds a woman.” Instead of resilience, she passes on fear and shame.
What is the significance of Mariam calling Laila “my daughter”?
It reclaims motherhood and solidarity outside biology — a powerful act in a society that often pits women against each other.
Why does Cathy marry Edgar Linton, and what does this reveal about women’s roles?
She marries for status, not love, saying it would “degrade” her to marry Heathcliff. Brontë critiques the economic nature of Victorian marriage.
What does Isabella’s marriage to Heathcliff reveal about romantic ideals?
It critiques gothic fantasies of dangerous love. Isabella’s abuse shows how such ideals can trap women in violent relationships.
How does Mariam’s marriage reflect real Afghan practices?
Mariam is married at 15 without consent, echoing child marriage practices legitimised by tribal customs and poverty.
How does Hosseini contrast Rasheed and Tariq in their treatment of women?
Tariq respects Laila’s autonomy, while Rasheed uses religion to justify violence. This shows oppression is cultural, not inherently Islamic.
