Fantomina and other works
So Ive read some of the other blogs and many seem to think of Fantomina as a powerful female figure who meets a bad end. Although I have to agree that she gets the best of Beauplaiser (sorry about the spelling) most of the time my question throughout the whole story was why would she want to? The man treats her miserably in ALL of her personas and yet she is still desperate to have him. She thinks that shes so smart because she trick him into only cheating on her with her but never seems to question why she would want a man so treacherous. Then in “The Tea Table”Brilliante tells a story in which Clemina (who is lovely and honourable, and who most people think favourably of) falls in love with Beraldus who is decietful and cruel and treats her miserably. She finds out about his betrayel of her, and discovers how cruelly he has manipulated her affections, watches as he publically denounces any affection for her and claims to love someone else yet she is still so affected by her feelings for him that she tries to kill Lamira. WHY? Her remaining love for him is never questioned. After the story is told Amiana comments that women must be more careful over whom they choose to trust but never doubts that Clemina would still want to be with someone who treated her so badly. The fact that this is true in both stories baffled me, especially considering it was written by a woman who (judging by some other social commentary on acceptable women’s conduct) seems to have no problem placing women in roles and characters that do not fit in with the traditional view of women. What I couldn’t understand is if Clemina and particularly Fantomina are supposed to be strong, powerful female figures, then why is it that they are powerless to end (or even question) thier love for men who treat them miserably?
