Fantomina follows a feminist agenda with its protagonist lusting after a man and being in control of most of the sexual encounters that occur with him. Despite Haywood’s use of feminist ideologies, Fantomina is not a text about a heroine who is sexually liberated, but is a text about a woman who is asserted to gender and social stereotypes. “A young lady of distinguished Birth, Beauty, Wit, and Spirit,” Haywood capitalizes each word to emphasize who this character is to show that she is from a higher social class. A young woman is at a playhouse and notices men acquainting themselves with a particular woman. “She was young, a Stranger to the World, and consequently to the dangers of it,” shows that the protagonist is unfamiliar to this setting,
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The protagonist is now regaining control over a situation she was not in control of earlier in the story. She is the one who controls all the encounters with Beauplairsir and she wants herself to be perceived. She even realizes when they are writing letter to each other, he prefers when women are sensible and innocent. Although Beauplaisir was able to find pity and comfort the protagonist’s third transformation, the widow; he is still writing to Fantomina and wants to see her again. There is even a switch in the power dynamic where Beauplaisir is signing his letters as, “Your everlasting Slave.” The protagonist is enjoying and begins to feel very confident about her schemes. “O that all neglected Wives, and fond abandon’d Nymphs would take this Method!” She is now pitying women who cannot the same as her because of it is not acceptable for women to be free with their sexuality at this time (Haywood, 11). There is a contradiction in how the character feels about sexuality and what she is doing. The protagonist is continuously changing herself to seek love from a man who ignores her when feels satisfied. The protagonist is careless and only pursues desire, but does not think of the consequences that can occur during her pursuit. Her own body betrays her and she is pregnant. The protagonist’s mother sends her to a monastery, where she is now confined from her own
The protagonist is now regaining control over a situation she was not in control of earlier in the story. She is the one who controls all the encounters with Beauplairsir and she wants herself to be perceived. She even realizes when they are writing letter to each other, he prefers when women are sensible and innocent. Although Beauplaisir was able to find pity and comfort the protagonist’s third transformation, the widow; he is still writing to Fantomina and wants to see her again. There is even a switch in the power dynamic where Beauplaisir is signing his letters as, “Your everlasting Slave.” The protagonist is enjoying and begins to feel very confident about her schemes. “O that all neglected Wives, and fond abandon’d Nymphs would take this Method!” She is now pitying women who cannot the same as her because of it is not acceptable for women to be free with their sexuality at this time (Haywood, 11). There is a contradiction in how the character feels about sexuality and what she is doing. The protagonist is continuously changing herself to seek love from a man who ignores her when feels satisfied. The protagonist is careless and only pursues desire, but does not think of the consequences that can occur during her pursuit. Her own body betrays her and she is pregnant. The protagonist’s mother sends her to a monastery, where she is now confined from her own