The Masculine Dismissal Of A Women's Quest In The Odyssey, A Room Of One's Own, And Northanger Abbey

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if some god batters me far
out on the wine-blue water, I will endure it,
keeping a stubborn spirit inside of me,
for already I have suffered much and
done much hard work..." (The Odyssey 9. 12-16)

So the hero of The Odyssey displays the manifold ability to overcome beings
of all kinds, one after the other. Always he comes to fore as the master,
and by his extraordinary greatness, leaves all others behind him. From
Odysseus, the readers can learn to conquer life. But there is an issue of
uncertainty within the Greek-value system, for it places far greater
emphasis upon successful performances in the external world than of inner
consciousness of right and wrong. The outside domain thrusts the hero into
countless situations that are difficult to endure. But Odysseus "rich in
ingenious ideas" and even richer "in devices to gain end" (9. 53-55)
realizes that he is no longer free, but must be eminently tactful when
necessary. The male journey is a struggle ...

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leaves it as she must,
to rejoin her sister downstairs, and in unlocking the door, she
paradoxically confines herself to the prison of her own home. Now death is
her only salvation. Instead of "soaring free like the birds" (The Story
of An Hour 31), Louise escapes the only way open to her. But this women,
similar to so many of her time, is an atypical heroine, and her adventures,
are contrary to the typical male heroic.
Consequently, this era of repressive spirit provided material
for female authors to discuss the anger that has been sealed off by men.
By the end of the 18th century, the novel came to be seen as a powerful
educational tool for young women. Woven into the ...

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