Feminist Ideology in Roxana The introduction of the novel within the Restoration time period sparked a literary revolution involving the ways in which readers and writers alike were able to experiment with the concept of identity, and begin to examine the possibility of individuals functioning outside of their traditional societal roles. One narrative in particular, Defoe’s The Fortunate Mistress, works to challenge the prevailing roles of women in society by considering the possibility of a woman who is able to fully disconnect from the standards of patriarchal society through the dominance of her finances, sexual freedom, and overall operate apart from her conventional roles. Literary critics have touched upon ideas of feminism within The
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She has been abandoned by her husband, and left only a small sum of money to take care of her five children without the proficiency to provide for them financially. By confiding in her audience that she was able to see her ruin, “hastening on without any possible way to prevent it,” Roxana is able to illustrate the extent of her helplessness in the marital role of mother and wife, as well as the realistic possibility that other women may encounter within the era (Defoe 17). Women did not have access to the same education as men, and as a result of this were in very little control of their finances since their role primarily revolved around maternal functions rather than property. As a result of this, Roxana is unable to oversee her finances, and was left with no choice but to starve alongside her children without any power to change their situation to save them, or …show more content…
In this case, poverty serves to work as a stronger incentive than her social role. Honor and purity are supposedly held to the highest standard within her society, but Roxana rejects these notions and replaces them with the option to be self-sufficient rather than waste away. The rejection of her marital roles is one of the key aspects that labels Roxana as a feminist character, and her new perception continues on throughout the remainder of the
She has been abandoned by her husband, and left only a small sum of money to take care of her five children without the proficiency to provide for them financially. By confiding in her audience that she was able to see her ruin, “hastening on without any possible way to prevent it,” Roxana is able to illustrate the extent of her helplessness in the marital role of mother and wife, as well as the realistic possibility that other women may encounter within the era (Defoe 17). Women did not have access to the same education as men, and as a result of this were in very little control of their finances since their role primarily revolved around maternal functions rather than property. As a result of this, Roxana is unable to oversee her finances, and was left with no choice but to starve alongside her children without any power to change their situation to save them, or …show more content…
In this case, poverty serves to work as a stronger incentive than her social role. Honor and purity are supposedly held to the highest standard within her society, but Roxana rejects these notions and replaces them with the option to be self-sufficient rather than waste away. The rejection of her marital roles is one of the key aspects that labels Roxana as a feminist character, and her new perception continues on throughout the remainder of the