ScholarWorks@동국대학교

초록

Most critics seem to be in agreement that in A Simple Story Elizabeth Inchbald tries to subvert the oppressive patriarchy epitomized by the character of Dorriforth, and view Miss Milner just as a victim of the harsh male-dominant society. However, Inchbald’s view on gender problem will become clearer when we look into her play, Wives As They Were And Maids As They Are. In its “Remarks,” she points out a common characteristic of the main characters, Miss Milner and Miss Dorrillon in both works: a woman of “no thought.” Miss Milner is often described as an “unthinking woman” by the author for her behaviors toward Dorriforth, which means it is unlikely that Inchbald intends to portray her as a victim of oppressive patriarchy. At the end of the novel, the author attributes the cause of her tragic life to her “improper education.” Like Miss Milner, Miss Dorrillon also enjoys herself in the social pleasures of London, and is rebellious against any patriarchical restrictions to her pleasures. After all her indulgences, she learns a moral lesson when she was released by her father from jail and at the final scene says, “A maid of the present day shall become a wife like those—of former times.” Through the similar main characters in her novel and play, Inchbald is sending a moral message to young women to behave themselves, which is far from subversive of patriarchy.

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