To George Sand: A Desire & Recognition Gender Dismissal

The highly controversial pieces by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, To George Sand: A Desire and To George Sand: A Recognition, are masterfully crafted works that pay homage to the bravery of one French female novelist. These works are Browning’s recognition and admiration for a female writer who was not afraid to go against the normal societal roles for women. Browning seems to marvel at the fact that George Sand assumed a man’s name, wrote the way she preferred to, and lived her life as she saw fit, and Sand’s technique encourages Browning to do the same.

To George Sand: A Desire begins with a clear contradictory statement concerning what society holds as traditional identifiers of the two gender roles. Browning made her odd statement with authority: “Thou large-brained woman and large-hearted man, / Self-called George Sand!” (Lines 1-2). This declaration is strategically placed at the beginning of the poem, in order to convey the anti-conformity, feel of her message. Browning uses this short piece to acknowledge the obvious, incredible strength it took for a woman to write according to her preference, and stand in the fire long enough to create great literature.

The second poem about George Sand serves as a call to liberation from things that are considered womanly or feminine. Browning admires Sand’s courage to be different: “And break away the gauds and armlets worn” (Line 3). Sand has refused to take on the traditional role of a wife and mother in domestic captivity, and Browning respects and appreciates her bravery for stepping out and being a good example of a bold and fearless woman. George Sand was fixated on destroying the old-fashioned roles, and she further proved this point by assuming a masculine name. Browning identifies the true wish that Sand has: “Till God unsex thee on the heavenly shore” (Line 13). Both women believe that if gender did not exist and everyone was the same sex, then the judgment passed on Sand’s lifestyle and writings would have been far less severe.

A Desire shows that Sand had the will power to be different in a traditional society, and A Recognition shows the strength Sand had in order rise from the ashes after the world tried to burn and disappear who she was as a writer. Both works displayed the resilient nature of George Sand, and they also revealed the beautiful gift that Browning has for interesting comparisons and contrasts.

In conclusion, both poems about George Sand are Browning’s way of paying tribute to a bold and daring female writer for her risky literary genius. A Desire conveys the dismissal of what we expect gender characteristics to be, and it recognizes Sand’s plight to continue writing in a less than customary way. A Recognition depicts the falling away of womanly things, and the unsexing of Sand in order to ensure her writing is judged on a fair playing field. These works are very empowering, and Browning did an excellent job accentuating the dynamic characteristics of this valiant, French novelist.

Bisclavret Killing Gender Roles

The story of Bisclavret by Marie de France deserves an extensive look into the under tones of anti-feminism. The typical feminine characteristics that literature and ideals reflect have been domestic, emotional, weak, nurturing, etc. This writing does not reflect any of those motifs, and it challenges one to question what things should or shouldn’t be attributed to each gender. The plot summary of this story is the author’s masterful way of bringing certain issues with gender roles to the forefront. So the question is, “Is Bisclavret an attack on the traditional gender roles”?

This story is definitely an attack on the role of women and their portrayal. The wife defies most of the traditional things one has come to expect from a woman. She shows an utter disregard for the men in her life. The focus of the wife seems to be on manipulating the men in her life until she is satisfied and content. Bisclavret makes a very heartfelt confession to his wife: “Dame, I become a bisclavret / in the great forest I’m afoot” (Lines 63-4). The wife takes full advantage of his sincere confession, and she pumps him for the necessary information to destroy him. The only emotion that the wife shows is worry for her own well-being above anyone else’s.

The relentless questioning that the wife put the Lord through is also a testament to an unfamiliar characteristic of feminine behavior. Women were not known to question their husbands, and the Lord expressed that he did not want to reveal all of the information to her, but she was persistent. After her continuous questioning didn’t get her the results she wanted, she played the guilt card: “Sire, more than all the earth I love you. Why / hide, why have secrets in your life?” (Lines 79-81). One would expect the wife to cease her questioning after the Lord refused to tell her, but throughout the entire story she challenges her husband and every stereotype of what a woman does.

The wife did not waste any time constructing a plot after she learned why her husband disappeared during the week. The wife set out to find a man who had shown interest in her previously. She quickly initiated a back-up plan: “She told in detail how and where / to find the road and clothing cache; / and then she sent him for the stash” (Lines 122-4). Women were thought to be domestic and nurturing, but the wife was the exact opposite with her skillful plotting and manipulation techniques.

In conclusion, Bisclavret is definitely a huge challenger of the typical roles that women have been known to play. The wife shows herself to be relentless, ruthless, and calculating. These are not the typical feminine characteristics that have been present in the past. The wife destroys all of the preconceived notions of how a woman conducts herself, and she shows that women can manipulate things to achieve their ultimate goal the same way a man could.