The Natural Feminine in Romanticism: A Commentary Essay -- Gender F

After Bethany and Sarahs presentation, Nature as Woman, I was interested and confused - as were they, I think - by the multiplicity of contradicting views of nature as it relates to gender. According to dominant views on Romanticism, access to nature required a distinctly feminine perspective. Paradoxically, this feminine perspective, entitled ycleped sensibility was to be taken utilized most effectively by men, yet it rested on feminine emotion as a more pure receipt to nature (Fay 5). According to G.J. Barker-Benfields The Culture of Sensibility the sentimentalizing process involved the temperance of a certain manliness that is uncouth and savage (288) unless moderated by a feminine influence, then woman was to use the so-called natural gifts of her sex to lend culture to her more robust and virile counterpart. On first glance, this moderation of manly characteristics appears to lend legitimacy to feminine root wordls however, this discernible liberation of the feminine illum inates two very serious problems. First, as Barker-Benfield points out, feminine ideals atomic number 18 privileged, but only as they serve to improve upon man woman is not idealised in her own right. In this service of a masculine purpose woman was to be fashioned by men rather than by herself (288). Second, the obviously legitimisation of feminine ideals can appear progressive but, as a result, ultimately serves to authenticate an idea of natural femininity that is, in the opinion of many a feminist, a repressing patriarchal social construct that lacks any real biological referent. Thus it is very fitting, - but not the least bit subtle - that this artificial idea of femininity should be directly applied to Nature herself. If, as Betha... ...constantly striving and failing to solidify and naturalize its gender assumptions. In the end, gender and patriarchy itself are proven unstable and fundamentally paranoid. Works Cited Bethany and Sarah. Nature Being Represented as Woman. R omantic Travellers. 10 Feb. 2005. David S. Miall. 18 Feb. 2005. http//www.ualberta.ca/dmiall/Travel/index.htm Fay, Elizabeth A. A Feminist establishment to Romanticism. Malden Blackwell, 1998. Privett, Anne. Appropriating Nature Gilpin, the picturesque and Landscape Gardenting. Appropriating Nature A Presentation for English 409. 10 Feb. 2005. Khaghan Parker, Anne Privett and Luke Ingberg. 18 Feb, 2005 2006. http//members.shaw.ca/weaters/index.htm Mulvey, Laura. Visual Pleasure in Narrative Cinema. Literary possible action An Anthology. Ed. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Malden and Oxford Blackwell, 1998.