Henry Adams's "mythological" heroines : "failures" in a patriarchal society /
| Main Author: | |
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| Other Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1990.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | ProQuest, Abstract Link to OAKTrust copy |
| Abstract: | In "The Primitive Rights of Women," Henry Adams created a personal mythology concerning the role that he believed American women should play within their democratic society. However, faithful to the non-participant role that he himself played within the political process, Adams did not publicly proselytize his views to convert American women to his way of thinking. Nevertheless, the opinions he expressed in "The Primitive Rights of Women" resurface in all of his fictional works. The Virgin of Chartres, for example, represents Adams's quintessential mythological heroine in that she embodies all the ideas expressed in the "Rights." To a lesser degree, Madeline Lee in Democracy and Esther Dudley in Esther also serve as mythological heroines. Although we can appreciate Adams's heroines for the full-bodied portraits they represent, we gain a richer interpretation of them in context to the mythology Adams expressed in "The Primitive Rights of Women." Thus, knowledge of Adams's personal mythology in the "Rights" enhances our understanding of the actions performed and opinions expressed by his heroines. |
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| Item Description: | Typescript (photocopy). Vita. "Major subject: English." |
| Physical Description: | vi, 224 leaves ; 29 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references. |