| Description |
Many nineteenth-century authors portray women as one-dimensional creatures who are restricted to the realms of marriage, service and domesticity. Charles Dickens is an obvious example. He frequently limits women to a set of stereotypical behaviors by linking them to domesticity and limiting their participation in the novel. Lucie Manette in A Tale of Two Cities is a picture of stereotypical womanhood. She is compassionate and loving, and she inspires those around her to do good. Her character does not progress beyond the defined realm of womanhood. Mrs. Joe from Great Expectations presents a contrast to the goodness of Lucie through her hostility to Pip and her husband yet, like Lucie, she is tied to the world of domesticity. Estelle, a beautiful and poised character whom Pip worships, seems to introduce a different type of woman to the reader in Great Expectations. Although Estelle is thoroughly different from Mrs. Joe, she is still a part of the limited realm of femininity. She is a temptress designed to tantalize men. As a seductress, her character does not stretch or challenge the boundaries of stereotypical womanhood. These characters represent the kind of woman that Dickens depicts in his novels. Although the actions and attitudes of each character are quite different, they all represent a side of the stereotypical femininity that was embedded in nineteenth-century society. |
