In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Blithedale Romance, Margaret Fuller’s inspiration, Zenobia, is portrayed as a woman who questions the restrictions of what nineteenth-century American society deemed to be the “women’s realm. On the one hand, women’s traditional, socially-acceptable role remains within the female realm. On the other hand, Zenobia represents the more ideal yet socially unacceptable form of womanhood: the assertive, intellectual woman who enters the male-dominated “public” arena. It contrasts Zenobia with other female characters in the novel, such as Priscilla, who conforms to social rules but has a bland and unattractive personality. Blithedale portrays Zenobia’s style of womanhood as more perfect and desirable, despite her existence being condemned, while society chooses to accept Priscilla’s image. Based on this disparity, one could argue that the different depictions of womanhood throughout the novel reflect Hawthorne’s goal in writing the work. This essay discusses the significance of the Blithedale romance concerning the submissiveness of women in contemporary society and the community’s perceptions of women whose goals are in direct contradiction to the prevalent ones.
To directly attack the gender norms that exist in American society and condemn them, much as a society did with Zenobia, for limiting women’s duties. One must keep in mind that during the nineteenth century, the function of women in society consisted of a confining script to better understand Hawthorne’s opposition to the limitation of gender roles (Hawthorne 236). The conceptions of “womanhood” and “the feminine” encompassed a wide variety of obligations and restraints, which, despite being “socially constructed,” were considered to be natural. In the United States, women finally found themselves restricted inside the tight circle of domestic life, and their status, in some ways, one of enormous dependency. According to Carr (139), many areas of the female experience evolved considerably, and this was attributable to the expansion of technology, which, in turn, created a succession of “new social and political beliefs that affected women.
After the Industrial Revolution, enterprise fled the house on an increasingly large scale, which enabled the majority of men to quickly obtain a job in the cities and resulted in the separation of responsibilities between husbands and wives. The clear separation from the household of male enterprise within society” was the cause of the social and psychological repercussions of such a break (Carr 138). This new social construction established a dramatic difference “between the world outside and home life,” which culminated in the emergence of the implicit concept of the women’s sphere. It is a metaphor that historians utilize when women’s involvement in American culture. Since males are generally absent from their homes, the “public” sphere is commonly used to refer to life outside the house. This relationship emerged as society began to form discrete “spheres” for various parts of life. On the other hand, women had the right to engage in what was described as the “domestic” and private domain.
The commodification of women results from a “social process” that “too readily appears to be unseen.” It became the difference “between ‘turmoil’ and ‘peace’; between chance, competition, anxiety, vicissitudes, restlessness, and innocence; calm, moderation, simplicity, and order” when gender spheres pushed for a new and different mentality (Carr 141). This dramatic disparity continued to develop a gulf between men and women, compounded by the fact that parents began teaching sexual roles as early as infancy and, in many cases, as early as birth. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, men accustomed to living a hectic and demanding lifestyle outside of the home believed that it was preferable to marry submissive women so that life at home would be pleasant without exerting power.
Instead of fostering equality between men and women, society believed that it was appropriate to maintain a position of complete neutrality. Women did not have the right to an education or to work in various professions, leaving them with limited options; marriage and motherhood were viewed as the “culmination of womanhood.” It became the “dominant narrative of true femininity” and spawned a “new concept of “feminine” personality,” both of which Hawthorne explicitly attacks in Blithedale. In contrast, this emphasis on parenting developed a deeply established sense of domesticity among women.
The love story is symbolic of the gender-based inequities in our society. As a result of the battles, wars between the sexes ensue, and the oppressed are compelled to succumb. However, some features call into question the fundamental nature and established function of the dominant gender. These are faced with criticism from the more dominant masculine gender, which is generally regarded as fantastic (Carr 139). The guys will use every means possible to impede the attempts of other males who dare to question their superiority. A scenario emerges to illuminate the hurdles preventing equality in such a circumstance. Hawthorne brings to her attention the matters of love that appear too weighty and difficult for her to bear. The hurdles created by the men are directly responsible for her downfall.
Taking a position in contrast to the principles held by men is equivalent to taking a position that is opposed to the conventional norms of a particular community. As a result, it becomes difficult for individuals capable of independent thought to convince the other group members to share their viewpoints. Those whose beliefs and behaviors align with the community are accepted into the group, whereas those with opposing views are rejected and alienated. In the romance narrative, Priscilla is shown as a female character who fulfills her tasks as per the expectations put upon her by her social class (Hawthorne 256). In contrast, Zenobia never ceases to discourage the concepts and ways of thinking linked with women’s feminine essence. As a result, Priscilla, who is submissive, lives a happy and prosperous life in the community, whereas Zenobia, who goes against the flow of society, is executed for her defiance.
The narrative is sexist because it implies that the female protagonists cannot overcome the obstacles they encounter. It also illustrates the dearth of women who are advancing the message of equality in York in order to save men from chauvinism. With the assistance of Zenobia, the author argues that women’s efforts to accomplish their objectives are prone to be sidetracked by several variables of lower importance (Carr 140). It demonstrates to the reader that no matter how powerful a woman may be; she will always exhibit feminine traits. Since women are less resilient than men, it will be challenging for them to overcome gender discrimination because they lack the necessary strength to overcome the challenge.
Consequently, the author crafts the narrative to depict a helpless protagonist succumbing to their anguish. The author portrays Hawthorne as the primary speaker in the novel. Some people believe that the intention was to conceal things and behaviors that are widespread in society. The secret name describes the discontent with disclosing topics about the feminine gender since traditional views will be challenged. It reveals that people cannot confront and accept the subject of gender equality, which is another consequence of this mentality. By guaranteeing that boys and girls have equal chances of surviving and maturing into adulthood, this strategy would aid in reducing women’s discrimination.
Works Cited
Carr, Shelby. “Credulity: A Cultural History of US Mesmerism.” The Edgar Allan Poe Review, vol. 21, no. 1, 2020, pp. 138–141.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Blithedale Romance. Henry Altemus, 1937.