Letter V of volume two is one of the most impactful in terms of political commentary and the subject of sensibility. One of the interesting things about this letter in particular is the portrayal of Verney by Bethel. Bethel views him partially through a political lens, as a traditionalist. Taken in the context of the French Revolution, Verney embodies the sympathizers to the monarchy.
Letter V can be critically divided into two sections, the first being Bethel's account of what happened when he visited Geraldine, and the second being a political commentary about the necessity of the Revolution. Geraldine represents the repression of the people by the old regime, in this case by Verney, and Bethel and Desmond represent the French Revolution. They aim to free her from this overbearing rule in the same way revolutionaries did.
Sensibility is called into question in this letter as well. After Verney has left, Fanny becomes very distraught and relays those feelings to Bethel. He sees her in a different light after he realizes that she recognizes the horror of Geraldine's situation and wants it to be relieved in the same way he does. Not only does this make her more sensible, but Bethel also describes her as more attractive after this confession is made.
The difference in sensibilities between the women, Geraldine and Fanny, and the men, Desmond and Bethel, comes from how those sensibilities manifest. In the women, they manifest themselves rather dramatically. Geraldine and Fanny both become emotional and upset when the misfortune of others is displayed, but this sorrow is a form of sensibility in itself. They are able to recognize the misfortune and it affects them. The men show sensibility differently. After the duel, Desmond is upset with Geraldine's situation and aims to aid her somehow. Instead of merely wallowing, he asks Bethel to take positive action and make strides to help her, which is done. This emotion v. action response is a gender stereotype, but this is how Smith chose to portray the sensibilities of the characters.
I agree with you completely! I'm glad you pointed out sensibility, Geraldine's unfortunate situation and Bethel's response. I do believe this makes her more sensible in his eyes, but I'm wondering if it truly makes her sensible? It's interesting to think about our modern ideas of sensibility when reading this story. I find Bethel's new found adoration of Geraldine to be highly offensive, but I do understand that a desperate women in need of assistance may have been desirable in this time period.
ReplyDeleteI like the comparison of Geraldine, Verney, Bethel, and Desmond to the French Revolution. In addition, you point out gender stereotypes. While I would agree it does seem to be gender stereotyping, I think it would be interesting to view it from someone during there time and see how said stereotyping changes the way that the letters are viewed.
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