Albion And Marina Analysis
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According to the editor’s notes of Tales of Glass Town, Angria, and Gondol, the story of “Albion and Marina” was Charlotte Brontë’s first love story (510-11). While the piece does contain many of the elements of a pastoral romance, what is more intriguing is the secondary note: “[The characters may have been] possibly influenced by a recent reading by Charlotte of her father’s didactic love story, The Maid of Killarney, or Albion and Flora” (510-11). Viewing the text through a didactic lens not only offers perspective on the characters themselves, but also the ideals revered in 19th century society. “Albion and Marina” specifically models gender and societal expectations through appearance, disposition, and actions. As Brontë begins her description
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Keeping in mind that Brontë is writing through her male counterpart Lord Wellesley, the men are portrayed similarly to other Angrian heroes and later, the hybrid Brontë/Byronic figure. Like the distinction between Duchess Strathelleraye and Marina, the same is done for the Duke of Strathelleraye and his sons, Cornelius and Albion. The Duke of Strathelleraye is portrayed as a hyper masculine patriarch (“great possessor”) whose “mind, achievements, and character” cannot be depicted by a “pen so feeble” as the author’s (56). His description is limited as well, but his control is emphasized: “for more than thirty miles round every inch of ground belonged to him and every man was his retainer” (56). Through these portrayals, the land-owning and inheriting status of men is stressed and almost …show more content…
The artful details of his appearance follow the Romantic tradition of praising Classical beauty (“His form equal in the magnificence of its proportion[s] to that of Apollo Belvedere” and “His nose and mouth were cast in the most perfect mould”), thus literally comparing him to a model of male perfection (56). He also follows the same tradition as many other Angrian figures by being well educated and embarking on a grand voyage to an exotic locale (58). His relationship with Marina enforces gender roles as well, with Marina fulfilling her “angelic” duties through the apparition that Albion conjures. Acting as a moral center to prevent the seduction of Albion by Lady Zelzia, Marina’s extension of herself preserves their relationship and Albion’s
Keeping in mind that Brontë is writing through her male counterpart Lord Wellesley, the men are portrayed similarly to other Angrian heroes and later, the hybrid Brontë/Byronic figure. Like the distinction between Duchess Strathelleraye and Marina, the same is done for the Duke of Strathelleraye and his sons, Cornelius and Albion. The Duke of Strathelleraye is portrayed as a hyper masculine patriarch (“great possessor”) whose “mind, achievements, and character” cannot be depicted by a “pen so feeble” as the author’s (56). His description is limited as well, but his control is emphasized: “for more than thirty miles round every inch of ground belonged to him and every man was his retainer” (56). Through these portrayals, the land-owning and inheriting status of men is stressed and almost …show more content…
The artful details of his appearance follow the Romantic tradition of praising Classical beauty (“His form equal in the magnificence of its proportion[s] to that of Apollo Belvedere” and “His nose and mouth were cast in the most perfect mould”), thus literally comparing him to a model of male perfection (56). He also follows the same tradition as many other Angrian figures by being well educated and embarking on a grand voyage to an exotic locale (58). His relationship with Marina enforces gender roles as well, with Marina fulfilling her “angelic” duties through the apparition that Albion conjures. Acting as a moral center to prevent the seduction of Albion by Lady Zelzia, Marina’s extension of herself preserves their relationship and Albion’s