Amatory Fiction

September 25, 2008 cutie10

            First of all I would like to say that I really enjoyed the readings this week under Amatory Fiction.  The reading that I most enjoyed and will discuss in this posting is ”Fantomina” by Eliza Haywood. “Fantomina” features “A Young Lady of distinguished Birth, Beauty, Wit and Spirit” who disguises herself as a whore in order to talk to men more freely (Demeria, 713).

                 In the beginning of the narrative it is evident that the young woman is inexperienced with men. While being disguised as a whore, her first encounter with Beauplaisir goes further than she had originally planned and she loses her virginity. However, as the young woman continues to deceive Beauplaisir she becomes more confident with men, and discovers he own sexuality.

            Although the young lady enjoys taking on the different roles and deceiving Beauplaisir, she becomes so immersed in the charade that she doesn’t realize that she too is being played. It is only after Beauplaisir responds to the various letters written by the young woman that she realizes her plans have backfired: “TRAITOR’ cried she, as soon she had read them” (Demeria, 723). For some reason the young woman is shocked to discover that Beauplaisir is cheater and a liar even though she was well aware of the fact that he was sleeping with multiple women!

            Although the narrative features a young woman who discovers a way to break free from the social conventions that restrict her, she eventually gets burned as her involvement with Beauplaisir leads her to become pregnant and later sent to a Monastery. She is unable to fully break the restraints of society and seems to be punished for her actions, while Beauplaisir goes on his merry way. Talk about unfair!

 

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2 Comments Add your own

• 1. Miriam Jones  |  September 25, 2008 at 4:13 pm

  I think we are going to have a lively discussion about Haywood’s text, given the diversity of opinion on your blogs!

• 2. Andrew Chiasson  |  September 25, 2008 at 7:03 pm

  I agree with you about Beauplasir getting off the hook so to speak. He was so “blind” and lost and it seemed unfair that the smart, intelligent woman was handed a punishment. But, at the same time Fantomina was without rules and structure.

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