Some of the responses to the "Practice" question on what students will be reading in 2259 raised the issue of historical interest vs. literary quality. Some argue that particular texts (Harry Potter, Twilight) will be preserved in the future because they tell a lot about us and our time, even if they're not all that good they as literature; others suggest that certain works will be preserved because they ARE good literature and any historical insight they convey is secondary to the fact that they offer a valuable reading experience.
People have been reading Dryden's Absalom and Achitophel, pretty much ever since it was written, and including it in collections and anthologies because of its intrinsic merits as a work of poetry. It is, as we say, part of the canon of great literature. Fantomina has only surfaced in the last few decades as a literary work worthy of study and critique for a non-specialist audience (which is to say, scholars have known about it for a long time, but it has only made it into textbooks and teaching anthologies very recently).
Now that you've read Fantomina, do you think that it deserves to be studied largely as a sort of historical document that reveals the past to us, or do you think that it deserves to be studied as a piece of literature, for its intrinsic artistic qualities?
Cite a specific passage/episode/quote from the novel to support your position.
Deadline: Midnight on Saturday (8/29).
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This particular piece by Eliza Haywood should be interpreted as a historical piece of literature because it presents the mind frame and sensibilities of 18th century class culture. Haywood noted early on in Fantomina that the young girl’s inexperience and lack of guidance in a structured society allowed her unabated freedoms and debaucheries. Stating that “she was young, a stranger to the world, and consequently to the dangers of it; and having nobody in town…did everything as her inclinations or humors rendered most agreeable to her (Longman 3082).” Allowing “Fantomina” to go about rendering her “humors” presented a view into how a female in the Enlightenment era was limited in her upward, downward mobility while at the same time indicating the transgressions that she would cause by going against the strict English class structure. It wasn’t until her mother, the rectifying presence for social order, arrived that the young woman’s aliases had to be accounted for in front of Beauplaisir. Marriage between the two lovers would’ve been reasonable since each came from their similar station. However, the fact that the young lady willingly disguised herself to appease her wims out of the social constructs of the class structure made her undesirable. I know that most historical documents are rooted in a systematic fashion similar to dates and facts, chronicles, and diaries. Although the active lives of those historical peoples are not expressed. The written records do not express the emotions, sensibilities, and morality in common everyday settings as does Haywood’s “Fantomina”.
I think that Fantomina can offer readers material for both studies. It is historical in the sense that it offers a window into the Enlightenment period in Britain. Readers are able to grasp the sense of identity and "self" that Fantomina searches for as she grasps for her sexual freedom. The ultimate departure from a traditional female gender role allows us to see the changing role of women in Enlightenment society. However, it is artistic in the sense that there are so many metaphoric symbols within the text and each character has such depth.
When studying a culture, one must examine as many discourses as possible relating to that culture-- not just the prominent literary or historical figures. For example (as much as it pains me to even type this), when studying our own culture, one would have to look at not just the Jonathan Safran Foers, Yann Martels, and New Yorkers, but also the Danielle Steels and US Weekleys in order to reach a more multi-layered understanding of our society and what concerned us as a people. So, I definitely believe that "Fantomina" serves as a glimpse into history, and for that, it should be studied. Deeming it "literature... [with] intrinsic artistic qualities" is something I feel I cannot definitively comment on, as I am unqualified to make a claim in that regard. However, I will say that Haywood does give the reader a compelling story with a depth that allows for a debate regarding the intricacies of each persona portrayed by the protagonist, and the class differences attached to each. In this way, I would say that (in my opinion) it has sufficient literary merit apart from a simple historical document, even with its lean to the more erotic side of things.
Fantomina may represent the historical events that unfortunately unfolded for a actual women during the 18th century. However, there is no actual proof to support this claim only that the author excluded the main character's name. Therefore, I believe that Fantomina should be read as a piece of literature for its artistic qualities. Eliza Haywood's Fantomina does not possess any historical information besides the fact that men prefer chaste women over those that have been used. However, her marvelous writing does express her opinion towards society and how society, even though sophisticated, will treat women the way they do.
Even if Haywood did not write the novel with the purpose of providing social commentary, Fantomina still gives the reader a glimpse into 18th century society. Often times it is not the scholarly works that illustrate a society's values and beliefs most accurately. Instead, it is what people of a certain time sought out for entertainment that can be very revealing. In general, authors create characters they think their readers will be able to relate to, identify with or with which they are fascinated. Even though it is unlikely that many women experienced the same life of Fantomina, the fact that they are interested in hearing her story tells us a lot about the time. This is a woman who was very daring and who was very concerned with her identity. Her attitudes are in line with Enlightenment thought. I think very piece of literature Fantomina included, reveals something about its time, because the literature reflects someone's perception of their time and therefore provides historical insight.
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