The Female Quixote Character Analysis

Charlotte Lennox wrote her famous 18th century novel The Female Quixote with the intention of exploring how fiction can be used to describe women’s lives and the societal expectations that surround women. Lennox’s spin on the classic quixotic character who suffers from romantic delusions was the perfect avenue for constructing a satirical novel which prompts the reader to question many societal norms surrounding gender roles. Lennox structures her novel as a series of comic “adventures” of Arabella which bring to light the clash between Arabella’s outwardly beautiful and graceful appearance with her quixotic reliance on romantic whims. Unlike many other 18th century women characters, Arabella feels empowered by her physical beauty due to her …show more content…
Where other quixotic characters, like Don Quixote, are often old, weak, or ill fit for their romantic wishes, Arabella fits the part of a romantic heroine flawlessly. Lennox purposely describes Arabella as having “a most charming Face, a Shape easy and delicate, a sweet and insinuating Voice, an Air so full of Dignity and Grace, as drew the Admiration of all that saw her” with the intention of explaining her great beauty to the reader. (pg. 7). Because of this description, the reader is able to understand that Arabella is not only physically beautiful, but also holds a great deal of elegance and grace which gives her the power to command rooms and draw a great deal of attention. Lennox also strategically makes it clear that the reader is not the only one aware of these attributes, but that Arabella herself also knows her own beauty when she observes “…she could not comprehend, how any solitude could be obscure enough to conceal a Beauty like hers from Notice…”(pg. 7). As Arabella makes this observation, it is clear that her perception of her own body associates her ability to draw attention from those around her (specifically men) with power and