Hawthorne and Feminism

Aside from Hawthorne’s commentary on collectivity versus the individual, did he also use the Blithedale Romance to discuss feminism and women in the 19th century. I think Hawthorne uses the two main female characters, Zenobia and Priscilla, to discuss his views on women. Priscilla and Zenobia are polar opposites, while Priscilla is meek, timid, and easily manipulated, Zenobia is strong willed and opinionated. It is as if Hawthorne wrote these characters in such a way that Zenobia is the embodiment of the feminist ideal and Priscilla is a representation of the misogynistic view of women at this time. However, Zenobia does give up her feminist views for a time when she is under Hollingsworth’s spell. This part, for whatever reason, reminded of the lyrics of a Bobby Caldwell song “What You Won’t Do For Love”, mainly the part where he sings “What you won't do, do for love/You've tried everything/But you won't give up/In my world only you/Make me do for love/What I would not do” I thought these lyrics, however abstractly connected with Zenobia’s willingness to change her staunch feminist for Hollingsworth.

However, when Zenobia and Priscilla leave Blithedale, her feminist beliefs return. I was struck by Zenobia and Coverdale’s conversation in the drawing room before she and Priscilla depart with Westervelt to a mysterious location. Zenobia scorns Coverdale for using the “stale excuse of duty”, she mentions that she has heard it before (presumably from men). In contrast, Coverdale questions Priscilla about returning to Blithedale and she states that she has no free will and will return when she is asked, not on her own accord. I believe Hawthorne intentionally placed these two very different exchanges right next to each other. In addition, Priscilla does not even know where she will be going with Westervelt and Zenobia.

While reading, I was trying to figure out where Hawthorne stood on the issue of feminism. In my opinion, I don’t believe he is a misogynist. Considering his history with Brook Farm and his support of collectivity, I think he is supportive of strong women and equality between the sexes.

I’m not much of a feminist at all, to be honest I never even notice that sort of thing unless it is glaring obvious, maybe this is why I found Zenobia fascinating. I can only immediately recall a few instances in my life where I felt treated differently because of my gender. Once when I was about 16 or 17 and my mom forced my sister and I to help her peel potatoes. I sarcastically asked why she hadn’t asked my brothers to help her and she gave me the dirtiest look ever. Then she launched into her speech that she gives every so often tell my sister and I that because we were women we would have to learn how to cook so we could do this for our families. I always ignore her, considering her views have a great deal to do with her growing up in Ghana, West Africa in the ‘60s and ‘70s where gender roles are more rigid than they are here.