The Feminine Gentlemen in Whartons The Other Two Literary Criticism of The Other Two Mr Waythorn masculine hysteria Jirousek homosexual and homosocial underpinnings ID: 398844
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Slide1
“Womanish Sensibility”
The Feminine Gentlemen in Wharton’s “The Other Two”Slide2Slide3
Literary Criticism of “The Other Two”
Mr.
Waythorn
“masculine hysteria” –
Jirousek
“homosexual and
homosocial
underpinnings” –
Kiran
-Raw
Alice
Many theorists see Alice as duplicitous or shallow
“shallow as a mother” – SweeneySlide4
Mr.
Haskett
“
subdued and apologetic
” (Wharton
507)
Waythorn
muses, “It was a pity for [his] peace of mind that
Haskett’s
very inoffensiveness shed a new light on the nature of those illusions. A man would rather think that his wife has been brutalized by her first husband than that the process has been reversed” (507). Slide5
Mr.
Varick
Mr.
Varick
exclaims to
Waythorn
, “Lord—I was beginning to feel like a
pressed flower
” (502).
Waythorn
describes, “He poured slowly, his ruddy profile bent over the task, and one beringed white hand
steadying the lid of the coffeepot; then he stretched his other hand to the decanter of cognac at his elbow, filled a liqueur glass, took a tentative sip
, and poured the brandy into his coffee cup” (503). Slide6
Mr.
Waythorn
“
unstable sensibilities
” (500)
“He hated the
womanish sensibility
which made him suffer so acutely from the grotesque chances of life” (506). Slide7
Alice
Haskett
/
Varick
/
Waythorn
?
“The irony of this feminization
weakens these men of their control
; the lack of control on the side of the men, by contrast, highlights the role of Alice.
Alice is able to manipulate or use these men to her advantage, while still keeping her reputation intact and reaping the benefits of these marriages.Slide8
“Because
her self is her only resource
, Alice functions as a
commodity
who ultimately goes to the highest bidder”
(Pennell 38)
She keeps
her
distinct femininity
; she is very beautiful and seemingly modest, but she also loses other parts of stereotypical femininity, such as being highly emotional and completely submissive.
How does Alice control these men?Slide9
If all women were to fulfill the gender stereotype of the perfect submissive and obedient wife they would
lose their freedom and individuality
.
Mrs. Alice
Haskett
/
Varick
/
Waythorn
may be considered manipulative and a gold digger, but she does illustrate it is
possible to be feminine without fulfilling the gender stereotypes that diminish her personal freedom and control. Instead of condemning her for her ingenuity, she should be applauded for finding a way to succeed in an environment that does not allow many options for women.
Why does this matter?Slide10
“Womanish Sensibility”
The Feminine Gentlemen in Wharton’s “The Other Two”Slide11
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