Character: I love reading and I view it as not only a hobby but as a mental escape from the current reality in which I live. I think fictional literature tends to have more power than the credit it's given, it allows one to cultivate ideas on what a society can look through the lens of fictional characters. Currently, I've taken upon reading some of Sarah Grand's works. I find her progressive mindset and coin of the “New Woman '' as a reflection of who I am and what I believe. As of right now I have been reading her novel “Heavenly Twins” and the first chapter immediately stuck out to me as I empathize with Evadne’s rebellious attitude towards the standards set by her father. Likewise, my father is also a man of the house in the sense that he has a very patriarchy-like mindset and treats my younger brother as far superior than me. Despite my high achievements in school and my successful writing, my father also posed the belief “a woman should hold no opinion which is not of masculine origin,”(Grand). I think Grand also views herself in Evadne and wants to showcase the struggles of a woman and her chance at personal success through this character. Likewise, I deceived my father into thinking that my quiet listening was a form of admiration. In reality I viewed it as a chance to silently gather more knowledge on society, politics and certain topics to which it would have been unlady like for me to make a comment on or insert myself into a conversation.
EDITOR: Sarah Grand is a known feminist writer whom focused much of her work on the silence of women and its effects on progression in society. Her novel “ The Heavenly Twins” followed three women who shared their experience upon facing gender roles and sexualities within their time. Although it was a fictional text, the experience of the girls through the lens of a character, reflected the sentiments of many women regarding topics of sex and sexuality and the restrictions imposed onto them by their fathers. Our character expresses her disappointment towards being left out of any intriguing conversations. Like many patriarchy ridden men of the time, her father saw her as inferior to his sons, and did not want to taint his daughter with unlady-like topics. In the excerpt, one can see Evadne’s similar understanding of these standards, and her quiet rebellion to get answers. She follows her father along who is “flattered by her close attention” not realizing its true purpose. Evande was able to form her mind through his “sayings; and as a direct result of the long, informal, generally peripatetic lectures to which she listened without prejudice”such ultimately helped to become a “more logical, reasoning, reasonable being”(Grand). Through characters such as Evadne, female readers, such as our character, for moments escaped the reality of their own personal situations and could take note of the possibilities of gaining knowledge “in silence”. Although Grand pushed a more outspoken agenda, she recognized the steps needed to reach such a moment and offered insight in how to get there slowly but steadily. Her work was influential to the women of the time and also an awareness to the men of their actions.
Citation: Grand, Sarah. “The Heavenly Twins.” Chapter 1. Gutenberg, 5 Nov. 2020, www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8676/pg8676-images.html.