Thread: BFP Book Club
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Old 08-27-2018, 11:33 AM   #16
dark_crystal
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In chapters 4-6 we see the aftermath of Collins the maid's betrayal, the arrival of Collins the pony, Stephen's first hunt and triumph, the arrival of Mme. Duphot, the start of her fencing lessons, and the departure of Mme. Duphot.

Having read ahead this portion is like a period of calm between two storms-- one named Collins and one named Angela. We don't have to deal with either one in these chapters, which makes for an idyllic interlude.

In this section we see Stephen being permitted to ride astride and to learn gymnastics and fencing. The only thing she is not allowed to do is to cut her hair.

She is allowed to hold her gender in a neutral position and find pride in the strength of her body and mind while being mostly protected from value judgments about the appropriateness of that strength. She is only ever faced with her differences when she is participating in the social life of her county or when she is faced with her mother.

What i am struck with here, and will continue to notice in the chapters that follow is how LUCKY Stephen is. She is a tragic figure marked for suffering, but lets imagine a similar child born to a farmer in their village. Stephen is an aristocrat with an understanding father who will soon have an understanding governess, as well. Did Radclyffe Hall write Stephen as an aristocrat because she was an aristocrat, or because without that status the book would have been too tragic to get through?

kittygrrl contrasted Well with Stone Butch Blues, but the comparison i keep making is with E.M. Forster's Maurice.

In Maurice the protagonists were aristocratic, but the character of Alec represents a commoner who is dealing successfully with his difference-- would female commoners have that much success? We will see a few of these later in the novel, but i contend that most were not doing as well as Alec seems to.
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