Through times of inequality and
oppression, literature has worked as a “window of expression” for female
authors to express their thoughts on the issue regarding sex. This hold true
for Alice Munro and Mavis Gallant, who, in each of their short stories, featured
a female character obviously subject to a feminine critique. Although Prue and
Jeannie, each protagonists of Munro’s Prue
and Gallant’s My Heart is Broken,
play a role an agent of the authors’ feminine intentions, they convey totally
different versions of feminism regarding the relationship to their surroundings
and their ways of dealing with the outside world.
Munro and Gallant establish a polar opposite
relationship between their main protagonists and the world around them. Prue is
a well-liked character who is active, vivacious, and considerate of others,
whereas Jeannie seems to be a social misfit who barely “carries on” her life at
the construction camp. At first glance, I found it quite difficult to identify anything
wrong with Prue. After a period of contemplation, however, I found out the trap
I had fallen into – the trap of male-dominance. Swayed by the positive
descriptions, I initially failed to grasp the uncomfortable truth lying under
Prue’s friendliness. As much as she was being friendly, Prue has been hiding
her true self for the sake of the community she belongs to. Prue, the one who “never
takes herself too seriously” and is free from “any real demands or complaints,”
may have “maturity,” “maternity,” and “real troubles” deep within.
We readers can get a sense of covertness in Prue’s
manner, as she complains about nothing but her name when she has deeper
concerns which are exposed to the readers through her habitual stealing of Gordon’s
possessions. Trying to fit in to the circumstances, Prue is not honest to her
feelings (towards Gordon, which she clearly has, although she may not be
entirely devoted to him) and thus continuously takes Gordon’s little keepsakes (which
she associates with Gordon) and “more or less forgets about [them]” just to
make it easier for her to forget about Gordon himself. Even when it is clear
her “good friend” Gordon regards Prue as a backup plan, she tries to assess his
words in the most positive way, never blaming him for being ambiguous over
love. Munro’s intention is revealed through Gordon’s perception of Prue as an
object he can acquire whenever he wants to and Prue’s submissive attitude
toward love as well as other aspects of life. They are in line with second-wave
feminism in that although Prue is of equal stance with Gordon, de facto inequality
exists in Prue’s thoughts and actions. With this in mind, I was left to
sympathize with Prue’s submissiveness.
Conversely, Jeannie from My Heart Is Broken hardly fits into the society
she recently moved to, and unlike Prue, she never tries to make herself fit.
Such disparity in female protagonist’s attitude is a reflection of the
different trends feminism. Gallant aims at feminism on individual level rather
than setting a universal notion of feminism, which is a central idea in third-wave
feminism. People around – perhaps with the exception of Vern who happens to be an
extremely supportive husband – view her as a pitiful creature. Associated with
Jean Harlow, the famous sex symbol, by her annoying neighbor, Jeannie is
condemned of her misbehaving and loitering around instead of doing house-chores
– even when she has been raped by another man.
Apart from being viewed as a hopelessly dependent
being who can only survive with the support of her husband, Jeannie is blamed
for her own victimization – for behaving like a slut. Why Gallant chose rape as
her literary topic can be clearly understood in the context of the recent
Slutwalk Movement of the third-wave feminism (although this story was written
far before the third-wave), a protest to stand for victims of rape who are accused
of their “sluttiness.” However, although she retains her individuality instead
of acting in favor of others, Jeannie still shows certain level of passiveness
in that she doesn’t really try her best to defend herself; she acts calmly and
simply tries to let go of her misfortune. Perhaps Gallant intends to encourage
women to stand up to male-dominated authorities instead of chickening out, at
the same time poking fun at patronizing authorities such as Mrs. Thompson, who
as a matter of fact, is making her didactic speech based on what she heard while
taking her doll for a walk!
