Carol Senf even argues that, “The physical abuse that Milicent went
Shackelford 7 through could never amount to the psychological abuse that Arthur heaps on Helen” (Senf 451). Helen is blinded by her blind love of Arthur to see his darker side. Arthur’s personality can be compared to the popular novella of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde. Arthur uses Dr. Jekyll to get Helen to fall in love with him. Once they became married, Hyde is the only side Helen ever comes in contact with. This can be seen every time she must succumb to his will. After one of their frequent arguments, Helen says, “ He greeted me with a transparent smile, but his triumphant satisfaction at having caught me at last, so shone through, that it was quite a failure” (Bronte 189). Helen …show more content…
Within her marriage, Helen was so focused on pleasing and changing Arthur, she forgot to look out for herself. Before their marriage, Helen was so infatuated with Arthur, that it began to change her personality. She began to shape her behavior to what might please Arthur. She left all of …show more content…
Patience and self-restraint were two of the most important characteristics that defined a woman during the Victorian Era. Bronte uses Helen to completely mutilate this preconception. Mariah Frawley describes Helen as being, “Spirited and unafraid to speak to men in her life with
Shackelford 9 frankness.” (Frawley 141). In contrast, Frawley describes Helen’s friend Milicent as, “Always getting trampled and ignored by her unrepentant husband” (Frawley 141). Milicent represents the ideal Victorian woman. She stands for everything Helen in against. As a result, she’s beaten, ignored, and discarded. Contrastingly, Helen stands up for what she believes in, and won’t let anyone tell her otherwise. Furthermore, Helen does not let any man feel, for even a moment,
Shackelford 7 through could never amount to the psychological abuse that Arthur heaps on Helen” (Senf 451). Helen is blinded by her blind love of Arthur to see his darker side. Arthur’s personality can be compared to the popular novella of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde. Arthur uses Dr. Jekyll to get Helen to fall in love with him. Once they became married, Hyde is the only side Helen ever comes in contact with. This can be seen every time she must succumb to his will. After one of their frequent arguments, Helen says, “ He greeted me with a transparent smile, but his triumphant satisfaction at having caught me at last, so shone through, that it was quite a failure” (Bronte 189). Helen …show more content…
Within her marriage, Helen was so focused on pleasing and changing Arthur, she forgot to look out for herself. Before their marriage, Helen was so infatuated with Arthur, that it began to change her personality. She began to shape her behavior to what might please Arthur. She left all of …show more content…
Patience and self-restraint were two of the most important characteristics that defined a woman during the Victorian Era. Bronte uses Helen to completely mutilate this preconception. Mariah Frawley describes Helen as being, “Spirited and unafraid to speak to men in her life with
Shackelford 9 frankness.” (Frawley 141). In contrast, Frawley describes Helen’s friend Milicent as, “Always getting trampled and ignored by her unrepentant husband” (Frawley 141). Milicent represents the ideal Victorian woman. She stands for everything Helen in against. As a result, she’s beaten, ignored, and discarded. Contrastingly, Helen stands up for what she believes in, and won’t let anyone tell her otherwise. Furthermore, Helen does not let any man feel, for even a moment,