Is Female Passion Dangerous, or Is It a Form of Empowerment?

Is female passion dangerous, or is it a form of empowerment?

Historians and critics often look upon the 18th Century as "The Age of Reason". However, it may be more accurate to say that the century was marked by two main impulses- reason and passion. This notion is explored most explicitly in Austen's "Sense and Sensibility" . However, it is interesting to consider the issue of female passion in texts that do not so overtly deal with the topic and are more ambiguous in nature. Defoe's "Roxana" provides a tale of a woman who has sold her virtue, at first unwillingly for her survival and later for her status and wealth. This is difficult to deal with in light of the copious amounts of didactic conduct literature of the period. As the text suggests "A woman ought rather to die, than to prostitute her Virtue and Honour, let the Temptation be what it will" . The "Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure", or "Fanny Hill" as it is often known, is superficially very similar- a naпve young prostitute that rises to respectability. Conversely their characters could not be more different, and the distinctions between them raise important questions of female passion and its consequences.

It is probably necessary in order to consider female passion to ascertain what is meant by the term. Vivien Jones suggests that for passions we should "see sexuality" . This is interesting in terms of Roxana, as the perhaps modern day expectation of passion in its sexual sense is absent, juxtaposed with her curious lack of maternal instinct for her eleven children. Hunter refers to Roxana's curiosity as intellectual, social and physical . Despite this, her inherent coldness seems to ultimately make her incapable of passion, yet she employs the products of such to her advantage. Fanny fits more easily into this idea of female passion, with her swooning and violent fits of passion.

" 'My life!- my soul!- my Charles!'- and without further power of speech swoon'd away, under the oppressing agitations of joy and surprise."

A medical dictionary, some five years prior to the publication of "Fanny Hill" refers to "hysterica"- hysteric passion which "Reason, Experience, and the Authorities of the greatest Physicians, concur in pronouncing Matrimony highly beneficial in removing hysteric Disorders". Female passion is therefore seen as dangerous and it is necessary to constrain and repress it.

However, although Fanny Hill is an openly sexual, passionate character I would argue in some ways it is a conservative text. Despite its obvious scandalous, sensational content, Fanny still manages to abide by traditional roles assigned to women in the 18th Century, upheld and encouraged by the conduct literature. The scene that describes Fanny and the other girls of Mrs. Cole's performing provides parallels to a polite dance at a ball.

"As soon as he had disengag'd, the charming Emily got up, and we crouded round her with congratulations, and other officious little services; for it is to be noted, that though all modesty and reserve were banish'd the transaction of these pleasures, good manners and politeness were inviolably observ'd: here was no gross ribaldry, no offensive or rude behaviour, or ungenerous reproaches to the girls for their compliance with the humours, and desires of the men..."

Even though the girls are outside traditional moral and virtuous boundaries through their profession, they behave as though they were in polite society. Similarly, it seems although Fanny cannot fulfil the requirements expected of her in her chastity, she does in other aspects such as her fidelity, honesty and obedience. The paradoxical character of Fanny in these terms, presents a great threat to contemporary society, as Fanny has a place in society. Fanny 'rewins' her domestic life and lover in the end, travelling from a lower-class prostitute to a virtuous married lady.

This can not be said of Roxana. At the beginning of the novel everything is satisfactory. "I wanted neither Wit, Beauty or Money..." Her state actually worsens throughout the narrative showing a linear progression of events, contrasted with the cyclical nature of Fanny's life. Shinagel claims Defoe's sudden, rather required ending to the novel implies "clearly the novel did not turn out the way he intended it... The repentance theme is never developed by Defoe and the closing pages deteriorate noticeably with the ending coming as a penitential second thought rather than evolving out of the action." This is obviously debatable as the repentance theme arises throughout the novel, implying without it Roxana will never be happy.

Perhaps from this we can see some kind of guidelines of what kinds of female passion is acceptable. Female passion (it is suggested) should be constrained within the bounds of matrimony. Defoe claims in an essay two years after Roxana, "more Encouragement to matrimony" by the Law should be made. Women's primary role as mothers and wives is frequently reiterated, implication that women's sexuality is deviant, unnatural and surplus to requirements. Conversely it was common belief that orgasm facilitated conception, so enjoyment similar to Fanny's sexual empowerment was acceptable but only when constrained in this way. Fanny Hill does experience some constraints under Mrs. Cole's guidance, which suggests female passion is dangerous when unleashed. Fanny's incident with the sailor is outside Mrs. Cole's "safe haven" and she is reminded:

"But when I got home, and told Mrs. Cole my adventure, she represented so strongly to me the nature and dangerous consequences of my folly, the risques to my health, in being so open-legg'd, and free of my flesh, that I not only took resolutions never to venture so rashly again, which I inviolably preserv'd; but passed a good many days in continual uneasiness lest I should have met with other reasons, besides the pleasure of that recounter, to remember it..."

Of course there are economic reasons for Mrs Cole to dissuade Fanny from these adventures but there is also the notion that within this utopian space the girls inhabit, they are protected. Yet conversely, they are restrained but for their own good. Similarly Lousia's encounter with the "Idiot" highlights that when she strays from her own protected territory, her passion is not as convincingly idealistic. Some recent critics have seen Mrs. Cole's commune for the girls as "a never-never land of well-bred gentlemen and elegant whores... presided over by good fairies who are madams"