“The Lady of Shallot: A Feminist Message in the Victorian Era” Symbolism is a key component that many authors use in order to send a message to their readers. Tennyson used The Lady of Shallot to send a feminist message in Victorian times. This poem was written in 1932 at the beginning on the Victorian Era. During this era a lot of society norms changed, including the role of women transitioning to being present in both the public and private spheres (Gehrman 1). This piece was written about a lady in medieval times and has a mythical setting, but these things are all apart of the symbolism that Tennyson was using to get his message about feminism across. Tennyson was using this poem to tell people of the Victorian Era that a women’s role
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Like the island their ideas are secluded and not as open as ideas were becoming in the Victorian Era. Women during this time were often trying to achieve “ideal” victorian womanhood, which meant remaining in the private sphere if she did not it was thought that the Victorian existence would break down (Gehrman 2). When women thought about stepping into the public sphere they also thought about the consequences that would occur if they did. In part two of the poem it talks about how the lady works night and day at her loom and how she has heard rumors about what will happen to her if she leaves her loom. This points out that many women wanted to step into a different “role” in society, but had heard the stories about what had happened to other women that had tried and been ridiculed or worse. Plus during this tim period it was often the case that: “the victim could be blamed not only for her own fate, but the fate of her oppressors as well”( German 2), so it was often the case that women never tried to change anything even when they were tempted to. In the poem the phrase “Shadows of the world appear” (Tennyson 2:48) is used as a symbol for the temptations that the lady sees through her mirror, encouraging her to leave her loom …show more content…
He shows this when he talks about Lancelot approaching her dead body and finally looking upon her and saying: “She has a lovely face;/God in his Mercy lend her grace,/The Lady of Shalott.” (Tennyson 1166. 169-171). The way that Lancelot brushes off her death and not making much of it other than saying that she has a lovely face shows that they didn't want to make a big deal out of her stepping into the public sphere because it could cause other women to want to follow in her footsteps and make the leap. This draws attention to the fact that: The fate of this Lady of Shallot graphically illustrates the impossible situation of “the true woman.” For even when women as a class remain passive and obedient within their designated sphere, they frequently suffer unhappiness, ill health, violence, poverty, or even death at the hands of those assigned to protect them. (Gehrman
Like the island their ideas are secluded and not as open as ideas were becoming in the Victorian Era. Women during this time were often trying to achieve “ideal” victorian womanhood, which meant remaining in the private sphere if she did not it was thought that the Victorian existence would break down (Gehrman 2). When women thought about stepping into the public sphere they also thought about the consequences that would occur if they did. In part two of the poem it talks about how the lady works night and day at her loom and how she has heard rumors about what will happen to her if she leaves her loom. This points out that many women wanted to step into a different “role” in society, but had heard the stories about what had happened to other women that had tried and been ridiculed or worse. Plus during this tim period it was often the case that: “the victim could be blamed not only for her own fate, but the fate of her oppressors as well”( German 2), so it was often the case that women never tried to change anything even when they were tempted to. In the poem the phrase “Shadows of the world appear” (Tennyson 2:48) is used as a symbol for the temptations that the lady sees through her mirror, encouraging her to leave her loom …show more content…
He shows this when he talks about Lancelot approaching her dead body and finally looking upon her and saying: “She has a lovely face;/God in his Mercy lend her grace,/The Lady of Shalott.” (Tennyson 1166. 169-171). The way that Lancelot brushes off her death and not making much of it other than saying that she has a lovely face shows that they didn't want to make a big deal out of her stepping into the public sphere because it could cause other women to want to follow in her footsteps and make the leap. This draws attention to the fact that: The fate of this Lady of Shallot graphically illustrates the impossible situation of “the true woman.” For even when women as a class remain passive and obedient within their designated sphere, they frequently suffer unhappiness, ill health, violence, poverty, or even death at the hands of those assigned to protect them. (Gehrman