FEMALE VICTIMHOOD AND SUICIDE IN THE NATURALISTIC NOVEL By Maria Luisa S. Saministrado A thesis submitted for the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English The University of Newcastle Australia February 10, 2015 P a g e | ii STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY The thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference has been made in the text. I give consent to the final version of my thesis being made available worldwide when deposited in the University’s Repository**, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. **Unless an Embargo has been approved for a determined period. P a g e | iii CONTENTS Page TITLE PAGE i STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ii CONTENTS iii ABSTRACT v ACKNOWLEDGMENT vi PREFACE vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1 2 LITERARY NATURALISM 17 Beginnings 17 Naturalism in the Novel 20 Critiques of Naturalism 30 Definitions 34 Social Reforming Nature of Naturalism 38 Continuing Influence of Naturalism 39 3 THE WOMAN IN THE NATURALISTIC NOVEL 42 THE UNMARRIED WOMAN IN STEPHEN CRANE’S 45 MAGGIE: A GIRL OF THE STREET 4 THE UNMARRIED WOMAN IN EDITH WHARTON’S 75 THE HOUSE OF MIRTH 5 THE MARRIED WOMAN 100 THE MARRIED WOMAN IN GUSTAVE’S MADAME BOVARY 101 6 THE MARRIED WOMAN IN KATE CHOPIN’S 134 P a g e | iv THE AWAKENING 7 SUICIDE AND THE FEMALE PROTAGONIST 165 Maggie’s Suicide 167 Lily’s Suicide 173 Edna’s Suicide 175 Emma’s Suicide 179 8 RECONCILING NATURALISM AND SPIRITUALITY AS 185 DEFINED IN GAUDIUM ET SPES Man as a Social Being 188 Man and the Spiritual 190 Human Dignity 192 Suicide and Self-preservation 193 Human Will and Freedom 196 Atheism and Anti-clericalism 198 Marriage and Family 202 Human and Social Culture 206 9 CONCLUSION 209 BIBLIOGRAPHY 218 P a g e | v ABSTRACT This literary study explores the female condition in four naturalistic novels, namely, Stephen Crane’s Maggie: A Girl of the Street, Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth, Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, and Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary. The purpose is to reconsider the context of “woman” in this genre by extending from dialectical views with positive and negative connotations towards a reimagining of the “female” with some degree of agency despite claims of “determined conditions” in naturalism. The study’s examination of the heroine’s interplay with “forces” in society illustrates that as exemplified in my chosen novels, these “forces” do not demonstrate total control of an individual’s fate. In exploring the female condition in the novels, the study goes through three steps: namely, examining the condition of the female protagonist in society, analysing the relation between suicide and the role of free will, and investigating the role of the spiritual dimension within the frame of Gaudium et Spes for issues raised in the novels. In relation to the female condition, the study incorporates important issues on female disempowerment and displacement namely, commodification, conspicuous consumption, consumerism, and rugged individualism culled from Marxist-Feminist criticism, Foucault’s and Beauvoir’s concepts on power or free will, and discourses on spirituality within the frame of Gaudium et Spes to clarify issues on marriage, family, human dignity, and self- preservation raised in the novels. It is found that the female protagonist’s non-conformism and defiance of societal “forces” are expressions of willpower that compromises self-preservation and continuity. Despite the socio-cultural disadvantages experienced by the female protagonist, her tragic fate is the result of her choice that suggests a clamour for spiritual regeneration. Her misdirected passions and quest for individuality and self-fulfilment imply a need for something more, which links to the spiritual dimension of her nature. Spirituality within the tradition of Gaudium et Spes highlights the good of the human person with the acknowledgment of divine will, the same aspiration (with emphasis on social awareness) that naturalism conveys for humanity, with its lens however on individual will. Hence, the criticism on naturalism’s reductionist treatment of the non-physical and intense focus on the physical social realities actually point to the same aspiration that Gaudium et Spes projects – the betterment of the human condition and humanity as a whole. P a g e | vi ACKNOWLEDGMENT This is to express my gratitude to the following people for their inspiration and full support in the completion of this PhD Thesis in English. Specifically, I would like to thank my supervisors, Dr Brooke Collins-Gearing and Professor Hugh Craig for their professionalism, guidance, and time. Their professional supervision styles, knowledge of literary criticism, and readiness to help are worthy of emulation. I thank them so much for the regular meetings, shared reading resources, patience, and generous time for this thesis. Special thanks also goes to Dr Jesper Gulddal Sorensen for his guidance during the first phase of my research project until my confirmation. My sincere gratitude also goes to the confirmation committee, Professor Alistair Rolls, Dr Boey Cheng, and Dr Josephine May for their invaluable comments and suggestions during my confirmation thesis meeting. I would like to thank the University of Newcastle and Xavier University for the opportunity given me to study in Australia. Specifically, I would like to thank Fr Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ, former president of Xavier University, for approving my application to go overseas. My primary purpose in studying for a second degree in PhD is to fulfil the Philippine CHED requirements for vertical articulation for tertiary faculty as well as pave the way for Xavier University to offer the PhD in English Program in the future for the MA teachers in Mindanao. P a g e | vii Preface I am an educator from a Catholic University in the Philippines where I teach Language and Literature courses. With the maxim, “Veritas Liberabit Vos”, our university aims for the total formation of the person through the course offerings from our various departments so that, all undergraduate students are required to enrol in Basic Courses (such as Religious Studies, English Language and Literature, Philosophy, Sociology, Economics, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Physical Education, and the like) for the first two years of their university training. The university mission is not just concerned with the intellectual, social, and physical development of the person, but also his or her spiritual formation. We require Religious Studies for our students because we are a Catholic University. We want their Christian spirituality enhanced. Since our orientation as Catholic educators is linked with such spirituality, its integration in the teaching of literature enriches our aim for the spiritual advancement of our students. We regard the physical, social, intellectual, and spiritual development of our students equally important for their wellbeing so that they can function as “men and women for others” in society. One of the rationales of my thesis is that literary criticism through my analysis of the human condition and role of agency in naturalistic literature can be a venue for a deeper examination of spirituality, in this instance through the framework of Catholicism. In this study, my analysis of the novels suggests that naturalistic literature, although known for its incongruities in its depiction of harsh realities, has an implicit aim at social awareness made possible through better understanding of issues on gender inequalities and other forms of displacement for the improvement of human conditions in society. The conservative orientation of Philippine Universities and Colleges, particularly with regard to curriculum offerings, contributed to my rationale for examining naturalist literature. Literary naturalism is less explored in Catholic universities. When I was an undergraduate and graduate student, I had limited exposure to literary naturalism particularly the novels in this genre. My orientation is more focused on the standard forms of literature i.e. Shakespeare’s works, Romantic Literature, Metaphysical Poetry, Greek Mythology, British Literature, American Literature, and Philippine Literature in English. Although three of the naturalistic novels under study are categorised as American Literature, they are not taught or assigned in universities perhaps because they are not popular or considered standard literature suitable for students in my country. I thought that an exposure to naturalistic literature with its choice of controversial subject matter and themes might sound somewhat radical in consideration of our orientation, but it can serve as an eye opener for P a g e | viii the traditional mind especially in its treatment of women and their position in patriarchal societies and agenda on social awareness. The addition of naturalistic novels to our curriculum will help facilitate learning more about what are known in the Philippine educational system as Significant Human Experiences (SHE) in literary studies and thereby promote literary appreciation and criticism through the reading of literature untethered by cultural prejudices and preconceptions. This suggests that a work of art like naturalistic fiction must be judged not only on the technical analysis of critics but also on how its meaning or implications through the Significant Human Experiences (uncovered in the context) can move its readers. Not all naturalistic literary texts feature suicide. However, one of the social realities conveyed in the novels under study relates to suicide. The theme of suicide is controversial within the Philippine cultural context. The main reason is that we are a predominantly Catholic country, and we consider that suicide carries a stigma. It is not an open theme for discussion. It is perceived as anathema to life, a divine gift. The religious and the faithful consider life on earth important for the continuity of future generations.