As we talked about in class, at the time of Revolution and the social agitation in the area, there is a difference in discourse and language that the government and political figures would be trying to prevent from being seen or read by the common citizen. While the discussion of it went many ways, some saying that she had no read strategy behind her political voice, also that in times of turmoil, the government would see anything written as a threat, but in my opinion, I think simply living in this time, being an English citizen and a woman in this time of trouble would naturally sway her voice to a particular point of view.
I find that even when I am writing about something completely unrelated to politcs or feminist problems, my views ultimately creep out simply because of the time I live in and the situations that surround me as a woman in my time. I feel that as an educated, intelligent woman, she has a voice, whether she intentionally meant for it to be heard through this novel or not, we do not know, but it is a voice that is being heard.
I agree that Radcliffe's voice and perceptions of her time were echoed through out the novel; and I also believe that this would have occurred regardless of her intentions. But what I find fascinating is the simplistic, and non-overt way that she went about it (specifically, her thoughts on the political system can be seen in form, rather than content). It's quite clever, in my humble opinion, especially given her station in society as a woman.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your point of view. It's amazing that if this book had been published just five years earlier it would barely even be thought of as a political novel. She was just writing from her point of view, which happened to run into the French Revolution. It's amazing what a difference a few years could have made.
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