Quotation: “But the second problem is that the stock story obliterates the very different story of all those-men and women-who do not fit the narrative: the working woman, rather than man, who is also a mother, and who does not have a wife at home to raise the children and keep the home running; the worker of either sex who is not married; the gay or lesbian worker with or without children but who does not have a “spouse” or significant other of the opposite sex; the single parent; or for that matter even the married man who shares equally with his working wife the burdens of home maintenance and child raising” (West 211-212).
Comment: West’s discussion of the stock story made me think of the novels we’ve read and how they each had aspects that went against the standard stock story ideals (i.e., male-centric, women as objects/homemakers, etc.). In Bronte’s novel, we see Helen attempting to make a living as a single mother. Ruth focuses on another single mother. Mr. Meeson’s Will and The Type-Writer Girl show us a glimpse of a more “modern” woman by featuring (initially) single women who have their own agency to find jobs, live alone, etc. Augusta even breaks the trope of having a “breadwinner” husband, as her fame as an author and her actions during court led to financial gain for her and Eustace. Juliet’s own agency and confidence within her life and romantic relationships also go against the stock stories of male-dominance/leadership. With each generation and the growing ideals of “modern women”, these novels show the ability to go against stock stories, such as the one pointed out by West.
Question: Although we see examples of women-centric narratives that go against stock stories, they primarily focus on white, heterosexual women (though there are varying social/economic classes). It makes me think of the narratives of minorities (POC, LGBTQ+, etc.) that have been lost or have not gained nearly as much traction or popularity as the works mentioned above. People of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community definitely existed during the Victorian era, and while educational opportunities were defined by economic and social factors, I’m curious if there are any first-person narratives by minority authors that reflect the same ideals posed by the authors we’ve studied this semester.
Yes, but often under pseudonyms (e.g., Michael Field) or as we read of Oscar Wilde, his works were taken to be autobiographical and used against him as evidence in his trial. Virginia Woolf’s Orlando and other works about androgyny come to mind. Chances are that works associated with the Decadent movement or Bloomsbury would be relevant.