Gender boundaries Flashcards
“bloofer lady”
- lucy perverts maternal expectstions
- “white figure” connotes purity, which is deceptive just like the vampire brides.
- “held something dark at its breast” is a peversion of motherhood. Significant because motherhood was viewed as zenith of womens emotional and spiritual fulfillment.
- contrasts minas maternal instincts
Mina has mans brain and womans heart - voluptuous wantonness
- wheras mina has a mans brain and womans heart, lucy has a womans brain and a mans heart as she is lustful. men were viewed as incapable of controlling their sexual urges and therefore it was the eomens responsibility to do so.
- lucys sensuality is clearly a transgression of the gender boundary as women were viewed as incapable of experiencing sexual gratification. Because women were deemed responsible for a mans sexuality, lucy exerting her sexuality can be interpreted as lucrative and manipulative.
- This transgression of gender boundaries is seen as sinful.
” yet come again”
olivias’ interactions with cesario subvert the traditional gender framework.
it is portrayed as comic because of the dramatic irony. Shakespeare is avle to portray a situation of serious gender role subversion as humorous because olivia is not really acting this way towards a man. It is a genre convention of a tragicomedy.
olivia also has power over her uncle, someone who is an older man.
this subversion of power is associated with the 12th N celebrations from which the play is named.
olivias length of terms and use if imperatives “come again” “ be not afraid” “ i bade you never speak if him again”
Furthermore, Olivias interest in love is capricious and signifies moral weakness.
viola
Viola is played by a boy who is playing by a girl who is playing a boy- comedic. Dramatic irony.
Not only does the disguise itself transgress the gender boundary physically, Viola transgresses the emotional gender boundary by being pragmatic and independant which were qualities not associated with women.
femininity used as a disguise for masculine attributes
- ” and the lovely blood stained mouth”
lovely connotes femininity
juxtoposing the graphic immagery of the premodifying adjective “blood stained” which connotes beastliness and violience (not classically feminine attributes).
violas disguise and her relationship with orsino
violas disguise allows her to have a relationship with orsino that she would not otherwise be able to have.
violas physical disguise to survive
- the fact that she has more power as a low status male than a high status female, oppression of women
- dramatic irony that arises as a result of her disguise.
violas personality disguise- adopting a more masculine personna (lil context)
- imperatives used… “conceal me”
- the sharp wit “no good swabber, I am to hull here a little longer”
- women were denied acess to education, violas intelligence connotes tutoring which infers her high status pre shipwreck
Shakespeares depiction if women in twelth night
witty (maria and viola) and determined (olivia in her pursuit of love)
female agency
displayed by violas ability to survive alone without male protection. didplayed by olivias control of her own love life and defiance of sir tobys attempts of control. lucys and the female vampires utilisation of their femininity to attempt to woo and trap male victims. munas headstrong and pragmatic approach to the vampire attack, her skills in shorthand and her support of her male counterparts in times of vulnerability
” covered my face with my hand to hide tears of bitter disappointment”
Harkers lack of control crosses a gender boundary- domestic imprisonment
parallelism between olivia and orsino- Olivias masculinity
“To her in haste. Give her this jewel. Say/My love can give no place, bide no denay.” Orsino
“ yet come again;for thou perhaps mayst move that heart which abhores, to like his love” Olivia
Female agency vs female manipulation
- olivia and viola act alone
- lucy and 3 female vampires act under the power of dracula
