What’s Up With The Veil?!

Many of us are familiar with Nathaniel Hawthorne, and have read his famous work Young Goodman Brown. His story that people may be less familiar with (or at least I was) is The Minister’s Black Veil. Right away, the title signals that this is an odd story. The story tells of a small community that is centered around its church. One day, the minister of the church, Mr. Hooper, appears before his community wearing a black veil over his face. He does not comment on the veil or explain its purpose, but instead acts as if he does not notice it is on his face at all.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Hawthorne

Weird right? But wait, there’s more!

Although the people of the community are ridiculously freaked out by the veil, they refuse to just ask the minister about it. Seriously, the veil creeps them out to such an extreme extent that they can barely even look at their beloved minister, let alone talk to him. The people wonder whether the minister is wearing the veil “to hide [his face] from the dread Being whom he was addressing” in his sermons, which made the garment even more ominous because it made it seem like he had something to hide from God (OpenAmLit).

What does the black veil mean?!?!

The closest we get to an explanation from Mr. Hooper is that the veil “is a type and a symbol, and [he is] bound to wear it ever, both in light and darkness, in solitude and before the gaze of multitudes, and as with strangers, so with my familiar friends. No mortal eye will see it withdrawn. This dismal shade must separate [him] from the world” (OpenAmLit). He also adds that “there [will be] an hour to come…when all of us shall cast aside our veils” (OpenAmLit). This is all he gives us, and he keeps the promise he makes with the veil, not even allowing it to be removed on his deathbed.

I believe that the minister is using the veil as a symbol of the physical image that people portray to one another every day. The facade that everyone puts on for the public in an attempt to hide their inner selves. Whether they are hiding their true opinions, personalities, or sins, everyone is usually hiding something, but they project a public image that makes it seem like they have nothing to hide. By covering his face, the minister is attempting to show his true self, flaws and all, to his community. Most of all, he’s trying to show his true colors to God. Only in death will his veil be “removed,” and then God will be the only one to see his face. The people of his community are so uncomfortable with the veil because it eliminates a person’s public image and puts their inner self on display, which is something that they don’t do.

This reasoning is just my best guess for what the veil could possibly mean, if it means anything at all. Regardless of its mysterious meaning or purpose, by wearing it, Mr. Hooper is doing a disservice to his community. As a minister, the people look to him for answers. He is the person that gives them an explanation of God’s ways. To do something so out of the ordinary and not explain his reason for doing it, the minister is being selfish. His people look to him for answers, and he refuses to give them, deciding instead to teach them a cryptic lesson via the black veil.

In the end, it really doesn’t matter what the black veil means because its meaning is never shared, reducing the veil to simply a representation of the minister’s selfishness.

Interesting quote by the man himself… Photo courtesy of QuotesEverlasting via https://flic.kr/p/fq8h33

Just Another Pet: The Wife in Poe’s “The Black Cat”

Last week, my American Lit class began to tackle more familiar forms of literature, starting with the darkness that is Edgar Allan Poe. I’ve read Poe multiple times before, as most students (and pretty much all English majors) likely have. I noticed something different while reading Poe’s The Black Cat this time around. The wife depicted in the story is nearly invisible, and is ultimately treated like an animal.

If you’re not familiar with The Black Cat, here’s a quick summary: the narrator becomes a raging drunk and takes his frustrations out on his wife and multiple pets after stumbling home from the bar. One night, his cat (a.k.a. “the black cat”), who loves him dearly, becomes the subject of his violence and the narrator carves the cat’s eye out. Gruesome, I know, but it gets worse. He later hangs the cat from a tree, killing it. After that, the man’s house catches on fire in a strange occurrence, and then another black cat (that also only has one eye) starts following the narrator around. The narrator is so freaked out by this new black cat that he tries to kill it with an axe one day, but his wife stops him. So, he kills her with the axe instead. Then hides her body in the wall of the basement, where it is later discovered by the police because the narrator accidentally walled the black cat in with his dead wife, and the cat’s screeching gives him away.

Lovely story, huh? Poe’s a dark one for sure, but nevertheless entertaining.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edgar_Allan_Poe_crop.jpg

However, the most fascinating part of this whole story to me is that though the narrator’s wife is mentioned several times, she never speaks. Ever. The narrator’s wife is nothing but another pet to him.

After he falls victim to the “Fiend Intemperance” (a.k.a. becomes a drunk), the narrator notes that he “not only neglected, but ill-used” his pets (OpenAmLit). He “use[d] intemperate language” towards his wife and “offered her personal violence,” as well (OpenAmLit). So, he not only exposes his wife to the same abuse as the animals, he abuses her even worse!

As his mental state continues to become more unstable, the narrator let “sudden, frequent, and ungovernable outbursts of a fury” overtake him (OpenAmLit). Of which he says his “uncomplaining wife, alas! was the most usual and the most patient of sufferers” (OpenAmLit). Like the animals, the wife is uncomplaining, as if she doesn’t have a voice. According to the narrator, she submits to his violence as if he is the master of her, just like he is the master of the animals. His treatment of her lumps her in with the rest of the household animals, as if she is just another pet.

This becomes even clearer when the narrator goes to kill the black cat with an axe, and his wife stops him. He “buried the axe in her brain” instead, killing her without a second thought, just as he did to the first cat (OpenAmLit). He also notes that “she fell dead upon the spot, without a groan,” showing that she was uncomplaining til the very end, blindly trusting her husband, just like a loving pet would (OpenAmLit).

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Cat_(short_story)

By equating the wife to the animals in the story, the narrator (or Poe) is implying that the wife is no more important that the other pets. She faces the same (or worse) abuse from the narrator, is loyal to and trusting of her husband (like pets are to their master), and never speaks a single word. To me, that shows that her value is depicted as being the same as the value of the cat.

Which is an interesting thought to consider on a wider scale…were all wives essentially considered as just another household pet during this time period? Expected to be “uncomplaining” and loyal to their masters/husbands? And if so, why did it take so long for the women’s rights movement to get going?

At any rate, no matter how long it took, stories like these make me grateful for all the work that has been done and is continuing to be done by feminists…because I certainly would not be able to handle being treated like a pet. Especially if that meant that my husband could kill me with an axe without a second thought…

 

A Brief Casting of “Charlotte Temple: The Movie”

If you haven’t read Charlotte Temple by Susanna Rowson before, you most definitely should. Especially if cheesy romances are your thing! There’s lots of swooning, illicit love, kidnapping, and abandonment…just what every girl dreams of!

Basically, Charlotte Temple is the story of a fifteen year old girl (Charlotte) that is seduced by an older man (Montraville) and dragged from England to America with him. While she assumes his intentions are to marry her, he chooses to knock her up, fall in love and marry another woman, and then abandon Charlotte and his illegitimate child. Oh! Then Charlotte gets so depressed that she dies. Isn’t that a wonderful story?

My opinion of the content of the story aside, Charlotte Temple is an interesting read because, at the very least, it opens your eyes to the culture and roles of women in the late 18th century. After seeing a movie trailer inspired by the novel that was acted out with Barbies (which is fantastic and I highly recommend, you can see it here) and a class activity in which we tried to tie characters in the book to modern-day actors, I’ve decided to do my own complete casting for the main characters of Charlotte Temple. Enjoy!

Charlotte: Elle Fanning

Photo courtesy of Stelle Rocio Souza via https://flic.kr/p/nygShf

Charlotte is described as a “tall, elegant girl” with “a pair of lovely eyes of [blue]” (OpenAmLit). Upon first seeing her, Montraville also calls her “the sweetest girl in the world” (OpenAmLit). So, I picture Charlotte as being a fair-featured, pretty and innocent-looking girl, and Elle immediately jumped to my mind as the perfect fit.

Montraville: Leonardo DiCaprio

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leonardo_DiCaprio_June_2014.jpg

Alright, so there’s not much description of Montraville in the story besides the fact that he “was a Lieutenant in the army” and was “generous in his disposition, liberal in his opinions, and good-natured almost to a fault; yet eager and impetuous in the pursuit of a favorite object, he staid not to reflect on the consequence which might follow the attainment of his wishes” (OpenAmLit). As much as I wanted to make Montraville a creepy old dude, I figured that he’s have to be handsome to seduce a pretty young girl. I chose the lovely Leo because I think he is old enough to be a creepy age of someone that’s interested in someone as young as Elle, and I think he would be amazing for the scenes where Montraville gets super conflicted and weepy.

Belcour: Tom Hiddleston

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tom_Hiddleston,_Loki_(3).jpg

Like Montraville, there’s pretty much no physical description of Belcour in the novel, besides that he is Montraville’s “brother officer” (OpenAmLit). However, Belcour is pretty much a scumbag. He takes advantage of his best friend and Charlotte for no other reason than because he can. That’s why I chose Tom Hiddleston (specifically in his look from Thor) because he just looks like a villain, especially with the dark, long hair. I would expect Belcour to look like an evil bastard and Hiddleston portrays that look well.

Miss La Rue: Olivia Wilde

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivia_Wilde

Apparently, giving  characters little to no physical description is a recurring theme with Susana Rowson. With Miss La Rue, we get more description of her personality, in that she was the kind of woman that “possessed too much of the spirit of intrigue to remain long without adventures” (OpenAmLit). She also screws over Charlotte completely for her own selfish gain, uses men for their money, and ignores her when she is in desperate need of help. Basically, she’s not a nice lady, but she’s probably good-looking, considering how many men she is able to attract. I though Olivia Wilde would be a good fit, because she is beautiful, but also looks like she could have a dark side.

Mrs. Beauchamp: Amy Adams

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Adams

Mrs. Beauchamp is the shining light in this story. She is described as being “mild and engaging” and when she saw Charlotte so depressed and “the melancholy so conspicuous in her countenance…her heart bled at the reflection” (OpenAmLit). She is the one character that befriends Charlotte out of the goodness of her heart and gives the young girl a companion in her lonely life. She seems like a genuine person, therefore I chose Amy Adams. Amy can come across as a well-intentioned sweetheart, just like Mrs. Beauchamp.

Mr. Temple: Jude Law

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jude_Law_at_TIFF1.jpg

Mr. Temple “had a heart open to every generous feeling of humanity, and a hand ready to dispense to those who wanted part of the blessings he enjoyed himself” (OpenAmLit). He is depicted as an extremely kind-hearted man who lives selflessly. I think that Jude Law would be able to bring that pure kindness to the role, as well as have the ability to portray the devastated, worried father role easily.

Lucy Temple: Cate Blanchett

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cate_Blanchett

Lucy Temple is described by Mr. Temple as being “fair as the lily, but sorrow had nipped the rose in her cheek before it was half blown” (OpenAmLit). I picked Cate Blanchett for her role because she has similar features to Elle Fanning (her onscreen daughter) and seemed like she could portray the caring mother figure quite well.

Captain Eldridge: Michael Caine

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Michael_Caine_-_Viennale_2012_e.jpg

And last, but certainly not least Captain Eldridge (a.k.a. Charlotte’s grandfather) would be played by Michael Caine. Captain Eldridge is a kind man whose life was afflicted with great tragedies in the form of the loss of his wife and son, and the consequent loss of his fortune that forced him and his daughter (Lucy) into poverty. At one point he is described as “wip[ing] off a tear which he was afraid would tarnish the cheek of a sailor,” illuminating his vulnerable yet strong nature. Michael Caine came to my mind for this character because of his grief-stricken performance in the burial scene of The Dark Knight Rises. So much sadness, just like in Charlotte Temple.

So, there you have it. My complete casting of the main characters of Charlotte Temple: The Movie. Do with it what you will–make a movie perhaps?

Judith Sargent Murray: Women Have Worth

Last week I was able to get a peek at the works of another early American feminist (yay!), Judith Sargent Murray. JSM was not only an advocate of women, but also a poet, playwright, and essayist. She often combined her multifaceted writing talents to address women’s issues. In her poem/essay combo piece, Desultory Thoughts Upon the Utility of Encouraging a degree of Self-Complacency Especially in Female Bossoms, Murray argues that young women must be taught to value themselves, as young men are taught to do, so that they can grow up to have aspirations. The way in which females were raised to see themselves was the complete opposite of the way males were taught to see themselves, and Murray advocated for a change so that women could become more than just housewives.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia via https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/John_Singleton_Copley_-_Portrait_de_Madame_John_Stevens.jpg

In this poem & essay, Murray brought up ideas that I had never though about before. I guess being raised in the 20th/21st century, it had never occurred to me that women were, at one time, raised to not have any self-worth. As I child, my parents complimented me on my my accomplishments and pushed me to be all I could be. Historically, this hasn’t always been the case when raising a female child, though.

Girls were not taught to have any value in themselves and therefore never had any goals other than to be married. As Murray notes, “Ne’er taught to “rev’rence self,” or to aspire, / Our bosoms never caught ambition’s fire;” (OpenAmLit). Young girls were solely raised to make good housekeepers and mothers so that they could be useful to a man one day. Therefore, the only time young women saw worth in themselves is when they were attached to a man. It was so rare for a woman to be praised (or even acknowledged) for her accomplishments, that “whence arise the sweet perfume of adulation, and when she can obtain the regard due to a merit, which she supposes altogether uncommon” (OpenAmLit). 

This is a pretty sad way to live, but this practice does make a lot of the gendered “norms” of this time clearer to me. The reason women didn’t fight for gender equality or start a mass movement before the late 1800s was because they were raised to believe that they were not worthy of anything other than a man’s attention to their appearance. Or as Murray puts it, “to be fit only at best, to be hung up as a pleasing picture among the paintings of some spacious hall” (OpenAmLit). She goes on to push that women have the power to change this way of thinking, and her essay encourages parents to compliment their young daughters often for both their beauty and their accomplishments. She urges them to “leave no charm undiscovered or unmarked, for the penetrating eye of the pretended admirer, to make unto himself a merit by holding up to her view; thus…destroy the weapons of flattery, or render them useless, by leaving not the least room for their operation” (OpenAmLit). 

Photo courtesy of Jamie via https://flic.kr/p/7EJyBH

By giving a young woman the tools to build her own self-worth,  she can be raised to not be fooled by the first man that attempts to use flattery to seduce her. Also, she won’t feel the need to attach herself to the first man that comes along because she will have enough value for herself to hold out for a partner that makes her happy (or that she loves, imagine that!). As a result of a woman’s increase in self-worth, the power balance of romantic relationships (which were often vessels of oppression) shifted more towards the female. Murray is trying to make the point that even a slight shift can make a difference!

I absolutely adored reading Murray’s writings (On Equality of the Sexes is fantastic, too…she tackles the issue of equal education for both men and women) because it not only opened my eyes to how oppressive society was to women during this time, but also discussed the importance of self-worth for young women. Struggles with self-worth and self-confidence is something that I think is still very prevalent in our society today, especially among young women. With the bombardment of images of perfect women and the pressure to fit into the ideal notion of “being a woman”, establishing confidence in oneself seems to get harder and harder. In this way, I think Judith Sargent Murray’s poem and article are a relevant read for young women today. At some points, reading this was like having someone tell you that you’re beautiful, but also intelligent and wonderful. And who doesn’t need to hear that every once in awhile?

Gif courtesy of blue feather via http://weheartit.com/entry/23671440/via/blue_feather