Domination of the Innocent Female in Eliza Fenwick’s Secresy :: Essays Papers

Domination of the Innocent Female in Eliza Fenwick’s Secresy Eliza Fenwick’s novel Secresy portrays the image of an innocent female that is kept locked up and out of the social world; the problems that arise when this innocent female attempts to break out of this social location reveals the major oppression of the female society in the late 18th century. Females are kept in their own social sphere through oppression by males, and when secluded females enter into male spheres they cannot endure this change and end up severely damaged or dead. Eliza Fenwick’s Secresy shows the seclusion, oppression, escape, and death of Sibella, the innocent female. Eliza Fenwick’s Secresy clearly shows a seclusion of the innocent female, Sibella. Sibella’s seclusion from society is a prevalent theme in late eighteenth century literature; a theme of â€Å"public men† and â€Å"private women† (Stafford 138). The idea is that men are expected to be part of more social locations than the domestic and controllable women. Many â€Å"proper† female writers at the time felt that women should not be a part of a â€Å"worldly† society as Wakefield firmly stated â€Å"it is inadmissible for women to mix in the public haunts of men,† and women should not risk their â€Å"delicacy, reserve, and moral purity† by venturing into a â€Å"worldly† society (Stafford 139). Women should not be a part of this male society and the only â€Å"safe place† for young women is â€Å"domestic privacy†; secluding themselves from the haunts of the â€Å"worldly† society and protecting themse lves from the faults of â€Å"public† men (Stafford 139). Sibella is fully secluded from society; she has very little outside contact and is almost a pure example of â€Å"domestic privacy.† Not having a â€Å"worldly† education, Sibella is kept in seclusion and does not understand social workings; she therefore relies on her only friend to reveal the workings of the world to her. Caroline Ashburn is Sibella’s only friend and is fully exposed to a â€Å"worldly† society from the beginnings of her life; therefore, she is not innocent in the sense of Sibella’s location and can deal with the male society. Caroline reveals the world to Sibella and exposes Sibella to her own oppression by the dominant male figures in her life. The revelation of Sibella’s oppression to herself begins a process of rebellion against her oppressors in an effort to enjoy a â€Å"worldly† society. Sibella is considered irrational by her oppressor, her Uncle Valmont.