From Virginia Ambler to Dorinda Oakley: A Comparative Study of Femininity Models in Ellen Glasgow’s Novels

Abstract

The reading that I propose in this study examines the role of Glasgow as a feminist writer and tries to contribute to the process of re-reading this author initiated by critics in the last decade of the past century and to remark her contribution to this movement. This author grew up with a divided heritage between the tradition of the Old South and the contemporary changes of the New South which resulted in her ambivalent attitude regarding topics such as race or even gender. However, in this study I argue that Glasgow sketches in her early phase two opposing models of femininity that are developed in her later works according to a transition from the conservative model of the southern lady to a more progressive one embodied in the new woman. In this manner the author would complete her initial project of revolt at two different levels: against women’s oppression and against the tyranny of the sentimental novel in the South by providing a realistic portrait of women since the ante-bellum period to the beginning of the twentieth century. The corpus selected is formed by three novels that belong to different stages of Glasgow’s production, covering three decades. The Battle-Ground, one of the author’s early novels, was published in 1902 and here she introduces two opposing models of 2 femininity through the Ambler sisters. The exploration of their development as well as their outcome in the story will result in the outline of future models of womanhood. Virginia (1913), the second of the novels studied, has consolidated as one of the major studies of the southern lady. The last one, Barren Ground (1925), is Glasgow’s most acclaimed and studied work. The election of this third novel as part of the corpus intends to link the new type of woman depicted here with the previous antecedents both in terms of similarity and difference thus highlighting the evolution of the author.

A lectura que propoño neste estudo examina o papel de Glasgow como escritora feminista e tenta contribuír ao proceso de relectura desta autora iniciado por críticos na última década do século pasado e para destacar a súa contribución a este movemento. A autora creceu cun patrimonio dividido entre a tradición do Vello Sur e os cambios contemporáneos do Novo Sur, que deron lugar á súa actitude ambivalente con respecto a temas como a raza ou incluso o xénero. Glasgow bosquexa na súa primeira fase dous modelos opostos de feminidade segundo unha transición do modelo conservador da dama do sur cara a unha máis avanzada encarnada na nova muller. Nesta forma a autora completaría o seu proxecto inicial de revolta a dous niveis diferentes: contra a opresión das mulleres e contra a tiranía da novela sentimental e ofrecendo un retrato realista das mulleres do Sur desde o período prebélico ata comezos do século XX. O corpus seleccionado está formado por tres novelas que pertencen a diferentes etapas de A produción de Glasgow que abarcou tres décadas. As primeiras novelas, publicáronse en 1902 e aquí introduce dous modelos opostos feminidade a través das irmás Ambler. A exploración do seu desenvolvemento tamén o seu resultado na historia dará lugar ao esquema dos futuros modelos de muller. Virginia (1913), a segunda das novelas estudadas, consolidouse como unha das principais estudos da dama do sur. O último, Barren Ground (1925), é o máis importante de Glasgow obra aclamada e estudada. A elección desta terceira novela como parte do corpus pretende vincular o novo tipo de muller representada aquí cos antecedentes anteriores en termos de semellanza e diferenza destacando así a evolución do autor.