The Strength Of Feminine Role C. Talbot s Christina Of...

Mother May I? : an Analysis of the Strength of the Feminine Role in C. H. Talbot’s Christina of Markyate Feminism is often perceived as a ludicrous belief where women do not shave and they preach that they are being mistreated; but that would be how the patriarchy sees it. The patriarchy would have people believing that women are irrational and weak, but the story of Christina of Markyate would argue the opposite. Christina has many women in her life, including herself, that show the power and strength of the female. One of the first women that the reader is introduced to is Christina’s mother Beatrix, who in a way, represents the patriarchy and herself as a strong woman. Beatrix acts as an evil stepmother because she wants her daughter to marry or at least no longer be a virgin, â€Å"she would not care who deflowered her daughter, provided that some way of deflowering her could be found†¦ would put no term to her malice, and as she could not break her daughter’s will, tried to gain satisfaction from the shameful sufferings she inflicted on her† (Petroff 144). On the one hand, she represents the patriarchy because she will do anything she can in order for her daughter to be under the rule of a man; in other words, a proper and good girl who is submissive and a wife. However, she also shows her power as a woman because she is violent and aggressive towards her daughte r and is strong in her convictions. Because Beatrix takes charge of Christina and acts as both a mother and