As
I have now realized after weeks of blog posts, I tend to have very dramatic and
often exaggerated reactions to the novels we are reading. It is safe to say
that my reaction to Adeline Mowbray was
no different. The further I get into the story, the more I wonder, who exactly
is the villain and who is the hero? Are we supposed to side with Adeline or
Mrs. Mowbray? It seems fairly clear that Mrs. Mowbray is not only a terrible
mother but also that she’s blinded by her own “genius”. I find myself
increasingly frustrated by her inability to practice the theories she holds so
dear. The whole affair with sir Patrick was exhausting and left me wondering
how someone could be so blinded by her own ego. On the other hand, Adeline is very
much an anti-hero. While she is (seemingly) strict about sticking to her guns
and living the life she wants, she is going completely against social norms by
doing so. Her story is not a happy one, and the lesson for doing something
different seems to be grim: her mother disowns her, she is a constant source of
scandal and intrigue, and her partner/boyfriend/keeper (I’m not sure what to
call him) dies. I think I would root for Adeline more if she wasn’t so accepting
of the way her mother has treated her. While Adeline’s situation is pitiable
and more relatable than her mother’s, her constant need for approval from her
mother makes me dislike her.
I agree that Adeline is the tragic hero of the story. Her circumstances are unfortunate and she is unable to get herself out of her tragic situation. Moreover, her tragic flaw may be her constant need for her mother's approval. She cannot do anything without the approval of Mrs. Mowbray and therefore we feel pity for her as a character. I think that this is a statement against a woman's inability to improve her situation with her own will power. We have seen this again and again in the novels that we are reading and I am sure it will come again in novels to come. Therefore, I am not as annoyed with Adeline as I am tired of the lack of agency women have in the novels that we are reading.
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