In my English lesson this week we discussed in class what a "fallen women" could represent. I suggested that a fallen women could be a women who has fallen into a man’s trap of sex and drugs or seduction, but as i was saying it i realised how feminist i sounded so i hope i didn't give off the wrong impression. On the other hand, other suggestions were mentioned that intrigued me, such as the term could represent a women who has fallen from heaven, therefore a women who is pure and innocent. The reason why we had this discussion was because it linked in with the new poem that we are beginning to analysis known as "Cousin Kate", which is also written by Christina Rossetti.
As we read through and annotated the poem it became clear to me why we were asked to explore ideas of what a fallen woman could suggest as the speaker in the poem is one herself. The feminine speaker "was a cottage maiden", therefore she was once innocent until she became victimised and something, or someone, changed her. Ever since then she has been discarded by society aswe discover in the second stanza that it was a man who "lured" her and convinced her into loving him which made her feel ashamed as she became a fallen women and therefore an outcast (someone who people disapprove of).
The speaker then starts to make the reader become aware of her emotions, which include jealousy towards the more beautiful “Cousin Kate” who has been “lifted” her from her low social status by the man she once loved and, perhaps, she may also feel regret as she wonders “why did a great lord find me out”. However, the ending of the poem is very effective and unpredictable as we comprehend the fact that she is differs from the traditional idea of the fallen women as she has gained a son, who is her “shame” but also her “pride”. She therefore has something that Cousin Kate will never have, which is suggested when it says “and seem not like to get” and makes us feel content for our speaker as although society believes she has committed a shameful sin, she is in control and has the care and love of her son to be gifted with.
I didn't really know what to write but i hope this is okay!
Do you think that the speaker could be, (although obviously trying to represent feminism) bitter about cousin Kate? Because even though Christina Rossetti was all for women's rights and for women to prevail over men, the women still seem to be divided by this man, and they are only in it for the material goods. It says "your father would give lands for one" which suggests that the speaker in the poem is still only using the child as a way to getting more power.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog though molldawg (;
Xxxx