Free Essay Sample: Introduction to Women Literature in the 18th Century

Women literature in the 18th century was mostly restoration comedies. Later, a change in style was experienced. Thus there was an evident style of dramatic representation of women and femininity. Women literature was concerned by dramatic aspects that focused on female gender femininity but later changed to restoration appeals as portrayed by many female authors (Kramp 54). Engaging women in sexually explicit activities was seen to alter through engaging the society through willfully participating bawdy heroines that unabashedly engage in some explicit sexual affairs. Later, women literature incorporated unambiguous chaste heroine who are portrayed to engage in some sorts of self-serving activities. There are various shifts in women literature concerning cultural expectations. Present day readers of literature encounter diverse and divergent heroines.

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The Birth of Women Literature, Social Changes and the Challenges that Brought About the Changes

The birth of women literature in line with 18th century was affiliated to femininity. Jane Austen portrays to be an exemplary study of the conflict that affects and surrounds females and their exploration of the dichotomies.

Example of Women Authors and their Work from 18th Century

Jane Austin and Mary Shelly are two authors whose work were written in the 18th century and portrayed to be concerned with various monstrous counterparts. The authors can generate various heroines and monstrous counterparts. Mary Shelly was inspired to write her novel when she was 18 years old on January 1, 1818 (Kramp 54). Romantic movements inspired her book while at the same time it aimed at establishing a science fiction.

Introduction to Jane Austen and Mary Shelly, their Education, Life, Major Works, and Writing Style and their Family

Mary Shelly's major work was Frankenstein that is an infusion that involves elements of the Gothic novel amid several other romantic movements. Frankenstein is also known as Modern Prometheus. It is a narration that outlines the story of Victor Frankenstein who is portrayed to be a young scientist that is described to be concerned with the hideous sapient creature about unorthodox scientific experiment (Spivak 145). The story is based on the historic German castles that affected the modern woman.

On the other hand, Jane Austin was able to create several pieces of literature like Elizabeth Bennet, Pride, and Prejudice which is an analysis of the unspoken heroine and taboo od the restoration comedies. Heroines of romantic comedies stand out this making Elizabeth and Fanny to stand out to be direct contrasts. In Austin's novels, there are various ideas about behaviors, thoughts, interactions, and drives in character analysis of the fictive novels by Austin.

The novel is portrayed to conform to and to form rebel against the set dominant cultural ideas of their time. The life of Austin is described to have been in line with quiet rebels amid focusing on cultural ideals of a proper lady. According to Austen (39), Austin is portrayed to be a woman writer and a proper lady since, during the time, the acceptability of women into the novelist culture was technical. Austin faced personal; struggle with acceptability into the society as she focused on the examination of the tests Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park (Austen 41). Austin was destined to go against cultural stereotypes concerning feminine ideal.

The Influence of their Life on the Society and Other Writers

The influence that Austin's work brought on other writers was portrayed to be an eye-opener to the oppression and stereotypic challenge that women pass through. Her writings empowered other women to rethink about feminine touch and to came up with a feminine awareness campaign in multiple literature texts (Austen 39). Mary Shelly also offered a chance for the society to realize that the society was concerned with focusing on hideous sapient life that was oppressive on women based on the need for feminine touch.

Comparative Analysis between Mary Shelly and Jane Austen

Austin's work focus on restoration of the relevance of femininity. On the other hand, Mary Shelly's art and ideology were concerned with the aspects of unmasking the theme of conversation that exists among companions as she focused on her future companion and lover. Both Gothic novel, horror fiction, and science fiction were the concepts that Mary Shelly used in airing out her ideas (Spivak 145). On the other hand, Austin focused on the social definition of a proper lady concerning 18th-century cultural property and codes (Kramp 54). Vanity and general lack of passion are the ideas that Austin outlined concerning the issues that affected the freedom of women.

Works Cited

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: CRW Publishing Limited, 2003. Print Dabundo, Laura, Jane Austen, and Laurence W. Mazzeno. "The Feminist Critique and Five Styles of Women's Roles in Pride and Prejudice." Critical Insights: Pride & Prejudice (2011): 39-53. Literary Reference Center. Web. 9 Apr. 2013. https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1030&context=honors_proj

Kramp, Michael, Jane Austen, and Laurence W. Mazzeno. "The Domesticated Conflict and Impending Social Change of Pride and Prejudice." Critical Insights: Pride & Prejudice (2011): 54-69. Literary Reference Center. Web. 12 May 2013 https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1030&context=honors_proj

Spivak, Gayatri C. "Critique of Imperialism"." Postcolonial Criticism (2014): 145. Retrieved from https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/37565438/Literary_Theory_-_An_Anthology_Blackwell_Anthologies_by_Julie_Rivkin___Michael_Ryan.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1540863557&Signature=uZXfbUphgP9sdJKCxCgF9Te4FBU%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DLiterary_Theory_-_An_Anthology_Blackwell.pdf#page=859