The Female Martyr of Nineteenth Century Literature :: Literature Literary

The Female Martyr of Nineteenth Century literature The literature of the nineteenth cytosine is abundant with stories about tykeren dying, partially because it was mutual for people to die young. One of the most popular forms of the dying sister in literature is the martyr, who is almost al looks female. During the nineteenth century, white custody held virtually all of the power in American society. The only way female book of factss could baffle power was through transcendence in stopping point, that white males already had power and thus had nothing to gain by dying. The image of the pure girl who sacrifices herself for the sake of another seems very convinced(p) at first glance. However, this figure perpetuates the notion that girls should be selfless kind of than portray selflessness as a desirable characteristic for any(prenominal) morally upright human being, it is portrayed as a sufficient characteristic for women. The female is supposedly the mora l center of society, so she is the character who sacrifices herself for others. The martyr figure is a role model for all comfortably girls to follow, while boys have brave heroes to look up to. Barbara Welter notes the end of a young girl was so celebrated as a triumph of beauty and innocence that a whole ritual grew up around it (11), but she doesnt fully explain why the death of a young girl was so captivating to Americans of the time. The martyr is the prototype woman who will sacrifice herself for others, and in death she attains more sizeableness than she ever could in life. The only way a woman could obtain any substantial degree of power in nineteenth century America was if she was dead. Because a martyrs worth is only proved in death, this figure is the perfect role model to promote the discriminatory ideologies of that society because it encourages women to be good but denies them tangible power. My Heroine My Heroineis a song about a seven year-old gi rl who dies while protecting a baby. The author praises the chela for her constancy at school, and reports that she is never careless, never dull. Of course, the child wouldnt be a proper martyr if she wasnt in like manner as sweet as any seven years child youll meet.