Theme 1: Gender Roles & Patriarchy — Soeur Louise de la Miséricorde

Question 1

What quote from Soeur Louise critiques female value being tied to male desire?

Answer 1

“I have desired, and I have been desired.”

Question 2

What does “I have desired…” reveal about gender and patriarchy?

Answer 2

The speaker critiques the patriarchal structure where a woman’s identity is reduced to her sexual desirability.

Question 3

What context connects Soeur Louise to patriarchal religious doctrine?

Answer 3

St. Augustine’s views on carnal sin in women – earthly desire as the root of female guilt and downfall.

Question 4

What does Gilbert & Gubar say about women’s internalised shame in Rossetti?

Answer 4

“Women are trained to internalise male judgement and turn it inward as self-loathing.”

Question 5

What moment in A Doll’s House aligns with Soeur Louise’s regret?

Answer 5

Act I: Nora is infantilised and sexualised by Torvald, echoing a woman reduced to desirability.