Freeman, Kimberly. "The "Enormous Fact" of American Life: Divorce in W.D. Howells' "A Modern Instance"" American Literary Realism 36.1 (2003): 65-85. JSTOR. Web. 6 Mar. 2014.
In this article, Freeman delves into the purpose and impact of divorce in William Howells’ A Modern Instance. Freeman argues that Howells’ uses the concept of divorce in the novel to advocate for American Realism in opposition to the “popular sentimental and romantic fiction and scandal-hungry journalism” of the time period (66). The author acknowledges the gender hierarchy between Bartley and Marcia as one of many factors leading to their divorce in the novel, but also claims that Howells’ manipulates the couple’s relationship to show that having high expectations for marriage in addition to the increasing disappointment in marriage itself were causes of the rising divorce rate. Freeman’s examination of divorce in the novel also notes the association between the Midwest and divorce during the end of the 19th century: Marcia must travel to Indiana to go to court, demonstrating the liberal divorce laws in the Midwest at the time and emphasizing the idea of the frontier as the haven for individualism. Though the article digresses to seemingly unrelated concepts in several paragraphs during the middle of the article, the discussion of divorce in A Modern Instance was comprehensive and drew from Howells’ personal philosophies and intentions. In addition to parsing out the specific role of divorce in the novel, Freeman also sheds light on the notion of divorce in general during the late 1800s. (KC)
In this article, Freeman delves into the purpose and impact of divorce in William Howells’ A Modern Instance. Freeman argues that Howells’ uses the concept of divorce in the novel to advocate for American Realism in opposition to the “popular sentimental and romantic fiction and scandal-hungry journalism” of the time period (66). The author acknowledges the gender hierarchy between Bartley and Marcia as one of many factors leading to their divorce in the novel, but also claims that Howells’ manipulates the couple’s relationship to show that having high expectations for marriage in addition to the increasing disappointment in marriage itself were causes of the rising divorce rate. Freeman’s examination of divorce in the novel also notes the association between the Midwest and divorce during the end of the 19th century: Marcia must travel to Indiana to go to court, demonstrating the liberal divorce laws in the Midwest at the time and emphasizing the idea of the frontier as the haven for individualism. Though the article digresses to seemingly unrelated concepts in several paragraphs during the middle of the article, the discussion of divorce in A Modern Instance was comprehensive and drew from Howells’ personal philosophies and intentions. In addition to parsing out the specific role of divorce in the novel, Freeman also sheds light on the notion of divorce in general during the late 1800s. (KC)
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Ganz, Melissa J. "A Strange Opposition: "The Portrait of a Lady" and the Divorce Debates." Nineteenth Century Literature Criticism 232 (2006): 156-74. Literature Resource Center. Web. 7 Mar. 2014.
In the article, Ganz provides a historical and legal context for divorce in the novel in addition to information regarding James’ personal opinions about divorce. In late 19th century England and Italy, women of Isabel’s position were not allowed to file for divorce. Thus, in the novel Henrietta suggests that Isabel seek a divorce in the American courts, as they were much more liberal and didn’t have strict divorce laws; in the western states in particular, women were allowed to file for divorce for many reasons, and both spouses were allowed to remarry afterwards. Ganz notes that James’ initial abhorrence for divorce shifted throughout his life, and thus the novel has both pro- and anti-divorce connotations throughout: Henrietta’s advice to Isabel is clearly in favor of divorce as a remedy for Isabel’s unhappy marriage, yet Isabel ultimately never takes action to divorce Osmond and preserves the institution of marriage despite her growing unhappiness. The article also discusses the decreasing “shock value” of divorce as instances of terminating marriages increased, the impact of divorce on identity and independence, and the portrayal of the ultimate importance of societal expectations over individual preferences. Ganz does a good job of thoroughly explaining the novel’s context, and delves into the parameters and rules of late 19th century divorce before bringing in textual evidence from the novel. The insight into James’ own views also helps readers develop a more distinct ideology that the novel is arguing for (or against…). Overall, the source contains an appropriate combination of context and textual examples and is relevant to both the study of divorce in The Portrait of a Lady and to the nature of divorce at the turn of the century in general.
In the article, Ganz provides a historical and legal context for divorce in the novel in addition to information regarding James’ personal opinions about divorce. In late 19th century England and Italy, women of Isabel’s position were not allowed to file for divorce. Thus, in the novel Henrietta suggests that Isabel seek a divorce in the American courts, as they were much more liberal and didn’t have strict divorce laws; in the western states in particular, women were allowed to file for divorce for many reasons, and both spouses were allowed to remarry afterwards. Ganz notes that James’ initial abhorrence for divorce shifted throughout his life, and thus the novel has both pro- and anti-divorce connotations throughout: Henrietta’s advice to Isabel is clearly in favor of divorce as a remedy for Isabel’s unhappy marriage, yet Isabel ultimately never takes action to divorce Osmond and preserves the institution of marriage despite her growing unhappiness. The article also discusses the decreasing “shock value” of divorce as instances of terminating marriages increased, the impact of divorce on identity and independence, and the portrayal of the ultimate importance of societal expectations over individual preferences. Ganz does a good job of thoroughly explaining the novel’s context, and delves into the parameters and rules of late 19th century divorce before bringing in textual evidence from the novel. The insight into James’ own views also helps readers develop a more distinct ideology that the novel is arguing for (or against…). Overall, the source contains an appropriate combination of context and textual examples and is relevant to both the study of divorce in The Portrait of a Lady and to the nature of divorce at the turn of the century in general.
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