The essay provides a reading of Charlotte Lennox’s The Female Quixote (1752) considering it as a sort of synthesis of two different attitudes: on the one hand, it certainly represents a satirical picture of contemporary society, providing a sharp criticism of the eighteenth-century world of fashion; on the other, this satire is based on an implicit revaluation of what should be the very object of contempt, namely the romance and its world of heroic values. What might appear at first as a thorough condemnation of the romantic world, turns out to be, on closer scrutiny, a much milder criticism of its premises, especially in connection with the question of women’s role, rights and potentialities. The essay thus demonstrates that the way Lennox tackles the problem of quixotism reveals her intention to criticize a social reality which is prejudicial and disadvantageous to women. The novel also turns into an occasion for celebrating the power of female language and writing: Lennox implicitly suggests that in literature, and particularly in fiction, women can find the very space where they can give free rein to their aspirations and dreams, thus pointing at creative writing as a fundamental step towards self-assertion and independence.
"A Portrait of Quixote as a Young Woman": Charlotte Lennox's The Female Quixote
FERRARI, ROBERTA
2005-01-01
Abstract
The essay provides a reading of Charlotte Lennox’s The Female Quixote (1752) considering it as a sort of synthesis of two different attitudes: on the one hand, it certainly represents a satirical picture of contemporary society, providing a sharp criticism of the eighteenth-century world of fashion; on the other, this satire is based on an implicit revaluation of what should be the very object of contempt, namely the romance and its world of heroic values. What might appear at first as a thorough condemnation of the romantic world, turns out to be, on closer scrutiny, a much milder criticism of its premises, especially in connection with the question of women’s role, rights and potentialities. The essay thus demonstrates that the way Lennox tackles the problem of quixotism reveals her intention to criticize a social reality which is prejudicial and disadvantageous to women. The novel also turns into an occasion for celebrating the power of female language and writing: Lennox implicitly suggests that in literature, and particularly in fiction, women can find the very space where they can give free rein to their aspirations and dreams, thus pointing at creative writing as a fundamental step towards self-assertion and independence.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
