Thursday, March 29, 2012
Furthermore..
Elaborating more on my discussion questions from Wednesday, I've come to a revelation. yes it took me the entire book to figure it out, but better late than never! This entire book is a satire, turning all the other books we've read this semester upside down. Instead of women living in the shadow of a man's society, Cranford is a woman's town. Any less men, and they could have painted everything pink. Because men play such a small role in this setting, we as readers are able to see a more humorous side to how ladies conduct themselves. (seriously, eating an orange in private?) I think Ms. Gaskell was trying to poke fun at how serious people took such ridiculous social expectations seriously, like frivolous hats, for instance. Again, I might be way off, or way late, but that's my theory.
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I also like to think of the book as poking fun at how serious people take themselves. I think Gaskell does a really great job at kind of dramatizing the frivolous things that are stereotypically pegged to women.
ReplyDeleteI do think Gaskell is making fun of British society; she clearly thinks that some of the rules of society are silly and should be challenged. I also think that Gaskell is a fan of the human condition because even though the ladies do struggle with some of the mores of society, they ultimately show that they are compassionate and willing to help each other. They even came up with this idea without the help of a man!
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that Gaskell is poking fun at the serious treatment of frivolous matters, I also think she realized the importance of that seriousness. If a society doesn't have some kind of outlet for emotions and opinions such as how people feel about fashion or how one eats an orange, arguments about more detrimental things would be started.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I now want to paint a town entirely pink.
I have learned from this book that I want a turban. I kid.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this book is a satire of British society. The hats are definitely a huge tip-off. There's also a cat hacking up a piece of lace that is later worn with pride. There's no questions about it; Gaskell is poking fun.
In the end when the women band together to help Miss Matty, though, true colors are bright and Gaskell's hope for women finally comes across the page.
Great post and terrific comments!
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