A deliciously gruesome re-telling of a good girl gone bad tale, Delarivier Manley's The Wife's Resentment engages with 18th-century notions of female identity, sexuality, and criminality, using a subtle mixture of counter-arguments to successfully flip the early conventions on their heads. Through her (very appropriately named) heroine Violenta, Manley examines the lack of options and loss of power women of the 18th century faced in a unforgivingly patriarchal society that punished them for straying from the societal dictates of modest and chaste femininity. Violenta's fall from a reputed paragon of feminine virtue and subsequent turn to violent measures is portrayed as a fatal consequence of a flawed social system rather than, as was the belief of the time, a violence innate to the female body. Manley is, very clearly, refuting the accepted ideals of feminine passivity and the defenseless position in which a blind execution of such ideals leaves women. However, rather than launching into an explicit diatribe against the repressive societal standards women of the 18th century were subject to, Manley's novel employs a more subtle approach in highlighting the contradictory foundation upon which 18th-century concepts of femininity and female sexuality were based. The text presents a society in which the stringent regulations of femininity and sexual chastity were upheld, and in so doing, traces the logical consequence of a belief in and implementation of arbitrary societal constructs that at their very foundation are contrary and illogical: the creation of heroines driven to extreme acts of violence that must be considered heroic rather than repugnant as they are a defense of those same societal constructs upon which the value of a female is precariously balanced.
The first of the contradictions Manley addresses appears in relation to the economics of an 18th-century woman. Specifically, Manley highlights the disparity between the belief that a woman's sexual chastity was priceless and the extent to which this supposedly invaluable entity was treated as a bargaining tool, a material representation of the value of a "proper" woman.
Manley was a very quiet, humble, and curious man. ... Manley also tells us that he thinks a lot. ... Manley was very interested and fascinated by Hulga's artificial leg, which is very ironic. ... Towards the end of the story, however, we see how Manley Pointer really is behind closed doors. ... Hopewell sees Manley carrying his Bible from a distance and believes he's still a good man. ...
Freeman, wife of the hired hand. ... As we first meet Manley Pointer he is trying to sell Mrs. ... Then in what I believe to be just another attempt to gain sympathy, Manley tells Mrs. ... Yes Manley Pointer is the exact opposite of "Good Country People."" ... Manley Pointer reveals his true character, that of a sleazy, but cunning atheist. ...
Freeman and Manley Porter all treat Joy/Hulga in a manner that can evoke feelings of pity. ... Manley and Joy/Hulga arrange to meet the following day. ... Manley wants to know where her wooden leg joins on to her real leg. ... She pleads with Manley to give her leg back but he refuses. ... Manley packs his valise, grabs the artificial leg and starts to leave. ...
The story begins in medias res, morning preceding Hulga's pre-arranged rendevous with Manley Pointer. ... As Manley finishes his unsecessful sales pitch, he cateches up with Hulga on his way out. ... Her air of superiority has become replaced by a literal and figurative defense on Manley. It is here at this carefully planned point, that Manley revelas his true character. ... - ( ) As Manley decends down the ladder and out of sight, we see Hulga wrenched with the anguish of trickery not only from Manley's devices, but also from her own. ...
Manley Pointer exploits this weakness as soon as she opened her door. ... Hopewell blinds from being suspicious of Manley. ... Manley Pointer puts Hulga into a position where she feels in control. ... Manley is the only character in the story that has no apparent weakness. ... At the conclusion of the story when Manley is passing by Mrs. ...
Dexter Manley falls into this category. Manley grew up in the Third Ward in Houston, Texas. ... At twenty eight years of age Manley publicly admitted that he was illiterate. ... Manley is currently serving a two year prison term in Humble, Texas for cocaine charges. ...
Technical description of Gerard Manley Hopkins" poem: The poem in designed as an English and Italian sonnet. ... In Gerard Manley Hopkins" poem the speaker appears to be a devoted religious man. ... The speaker in Gerard Manley Hopkins" poem and the poet himself has a very close metaphoric distance between them. ... In Gerard Manley Hopkins" poem the speaker is addressing God with some of the most asked questions in the religious world. ...
This is Manley 2 plenty of time to complete the assigned work. ... The majority of these rules are not taught in high Manley 3 school, leaving many students heading into college oblivious of the repercussions of plagiarism in college. ... Manley 4 Another major reason students resort to plagiarism is due to outstanding pressure that is placed on students to excel in their classes. ... For individuals Manley 5 under intense pressure, plagiarism is often seen as one of his or her only resorts for succeeding. ...
Mischaracterization of True Nature Some methods of judging character can sometimes lead to a mischaracterization of true nature. In this short story "Good Country People," Flannery O"Conner eloquently illustrates how a person's true nature can be hidden, misinterpreted or misjudged. What appears...
