English: The Epistolary Novel - Essay Example

English: The Epistolary Novel The epistolary novel, are text composed of letters between characters and various novels from the period used letters to illustrate the characters interactions and thoughts (Graf, E., 2005). It is a study of life. In the 18th- 19th centuries, travellers uses this form to communicate with their friends, family and other travellers. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu’s contribution in English Literature has influenced the people in many ways. During her stay and travel in Turkey with her husband being the Ambassador, she was able to produce the “The Turkish Embassy Letter” which became a novel and a tool in studying the literature in the 18th century. Lady Mary Montagu has written number of letters for her daughter, sister, abbe conti and Lady Mar. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu came from a well known family. She is among the aristocrats during her time. This essay will analyze the style of writing and its significance. Her letter to her sister lady mar, to Sarah Chriswell, a letter to abbi conti and the letter about the woman in hamman are among the one being evaluated and discussed in this essay. Lady Mary Montagu was able to produce 52 letters with only few of them were published because she doesn’t want them to be published. The letters were presented to the public one year after her death. It was thru her daughter that they were able to collect her works and published it publicly. As you go along with the paper you will be able to realize the significance of epistolary writing in the 18th century particularly in the Turkish Embassy Letter. The Turkish Embassy Letter Lady Mary Wortley Montagu’s Turkish Embassy Letter is written in epistolary form that described the Turkish culture and habits. It is highly self conscious due to its feminism and orientalism. Her letter was done in a feminist manner since she was focused on the different women in Turkey. Lady Mary Montagu was able to anticipate that those who will be focusing on what she wrote would be mostly men particularly the letter about the hammam. Since, during that time letters about women are being sexualized. That is why her writings are considered as feminist. During the 18th century gender was important in the society as to who will be dominant. In Lady Mary Montagu’s writing she was aware of the position of women particularly in the way they wear as described in her letter to Lady Mar. Gender roles are shifting in every period, in relation to all kinds of factors (war, for instance, or economics, or notions of morality), gender is often a major focus of thought and writing, in popular culture and in theory. It was considered that Lady Mary Montagu’s epistolary novel as highly self conscious due to its feminism because of the following reasons: on the way she wrote her letter, she is someone who is interested in analyzing and understanding gender as a system of cultural signs. And she is also particular on the gender system structure. On her letter she was able to show that masculine is always in the position rather than the women. Lady Mary Montagu’s writing is also orientalism. Orientalism is "a manner of regularized (or Orientalized) writing, vision, and study, dominated by imperatives, perspectives, and ideological biases ostensibly suited to the Orient." It is the image of the 'Orient' expressed as an entire system of thought and scholarship (Sered, D., 1996). Lady Mary Montagu at the Turkish Bath Lady Mary Montagu’s letter about the hamman shows her feminism. Assuming that most of her reader would men especially about the women in hammam, she is very conscious in writing it. The letter wants to show that the female has its own liberty and they can experience it only in the Turkish bath. But the masculine society would sexualize it. Upon entering the hammam Lady Mary Montagu shows in her writing how the Turkish women enjoys the freedom they are experiencing inside. The clothes they are wearing which usually show their position in the society are being removed to show the equality of every woman inside. Even the aristrocrat who belongs to elite family are inside the hammam enjoying her time away from her husband. Some (especially men) misinterpret her writing about the nude ladies in hammam. The masculine community thought that it was done by Lady Mary Montagu to please the men. What she wanted to show in this letter is the need of freedom for women during her time and the future. Arguments about the gender’s supremacy are still in debate today. However, the women today are given much more freedom as compare to her time before. This epistolary was able to show the reader of Lady Montagu’s letter that the men and women must be treated equally. In the 18th century the females are dressed and approached as subordinate to men, which is the message of this letter. As the time goes by several analysis and study about the letter was done and the provisions and laws are being formulated to protect the rights of the women. This contribution of Lady Mary Montagu has benefited a large number of women. Lady Mary Montagu as she enters the hammam wears a dress that was described in the letter as the way her husband dresses her. She was being convinced by some of the female there to undress and join them. She was reluctant as she described it to her letter. She wanted to show her reader that she is still respectable no matter what. As observed by Aravamudan she continues by showing the women her undergarments and letting them believe them the work of an overprotective spouse, “she allows the Turkish women to interpret her cultural limitations, about which she may not want to complain directly” (Aravamudan, 180).  Lady Mary Montagu’s Letter to Sarah Chriswell This letter is one of the biggest contributions of Lady Mary Montagu to the medical society. The letter includes proof to show her claim that it is true and correct. The inoculation to heal smallpox has helped a number of people who was influenced by Lady Mary Montagu’s letter. It is written in a manner that is easily to understand with. The woman who done the inoculation to others with smallpox maybe fictional. As to what I observed the women she was referring to was her and those that she was able to help are her children. The letter maybe the creation of the imagination of Lady Montagu but it can also be true. This epistolary has become successful and the practice of inoculation continues not until the creation of antibiotics by Jenner. To the Abbot Conti, 1 April 1717, Adrianople The epistolary about the culture of different society is the focus of the letter addressed to Abbot Conti. Lady Mary Montagu was conscious in her writing showing her orientalism character. The letter includes the religions, the abusive action of those in position and the culture of different people in the society. Lady Mary Montagu is very conscious in what she writes. She treats every matter in a way that will not offend anyone. The letter is mere study of the orient particularly the muslim. Lady Montagu shows in this letter the oriental muslim who wears this black covering and letting only the eyes that is evident. The person who studies about the orient is called the orientalist and those who want to say something about them are the orientalism . Since Lady Mary Montagu writes about the life of a muslim in her letter to Abbot Conti shows the orientalism writings of Lady MOntagu. I think her letter to Abbot Conti had helped the muslim society to enlighten the government concerned about the life of a woamn muslim. This epistolary letter is important especially when addressed to their official who needs to check the status of woman in the orient. Also in her letter to Abbot Conti she described something which is not a good site to see. During her travel in Belgrade she saw someone mistreating someone. The way she describe the event is somewhat cruel to the citizen. This letter is addressed to the military that are abusive of their position. She wrote this letter in a manner that she will not offend anyone but will serve as an eye opening to this treatment. She is certain that the letter will be read by those people who concerned with this. She is very conscious in writing this in a way that she should show evidenced or proof of the incident. Lady Mary Montagu shows her concern to the poor in helping them thru her writing. Lady Montagu thru this letter was able to help the poor in surviving the poverty. Letter to Lady Mar Lady Mary Wortley Montagu has a sister named Lady Mar, she was able to send several letter to her. One of her letter described the way she dresses during her stay in Turkey and in the Middle East. She was able to differentiate them from one another. In this letter Lady Mary Montagu is very conscious on what she wears. In this letter she wanted to present herself to her sister as somewhat respectable and should be look up. The description of every piece that she wears was properly described. It was in this letter that she was able to make notice that the British women are much liberated than the Middle East women. The letter represents the three countries the Britain, Turkey and the Middle East. By means of her writing she was able to show who among the three countries has given the liberty. It is thru this letter Lady Mary Montagu was able to show her feminism. The women in the Middle East wear a dress that covers the identity of the women. This shows the dominity of the men over the women in this country. Lady Mary Montagu wanted to show Lady Mar in this letter that the liberty of the woman can be shown on the dresses that they wear. This epistolary show, that it is the woman who is being used as a symbol of their country. They were dressed the way their society dictated them to wear. The Significance and Effect of Epistolary Novel The effects of this epistolary novel in English literature have helped the novelist and other traveller writers to demonstrate their writing in a manner that will educate as well as helped others. Although epistolary writing are sometimes confusing because of the shift of point of view there are still who believes that it is best to write using this method especially for travellers writer. The significance of this writing is that you will be able to show or express your grievances in the concern persons thru this style of writing. In the Turkish Embassy Letter, Lady Mary Montagu was able to stress out the feminism, orientalism and liberty in her writing. Although it is not directly address to the government or others concerned it was thru the epistolary writing that she was able to tell the government and other concern of what she feels or thinks. Reference Aravamudan, Srinivas. Tropicopolitans: Colonialism and Agency. Raleigh: Duke UP, 1999. http://courses.wcupa.edu/wanko/LIT400/Turkey/sources.htm#Arav April 20, 2007. Graf, Ellen, M. The Historical Significance and Function of Letters in Shaping American Identity, 1790-1865 June 2005 Ohio State University, April 20, 2007 https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/1811/339/1/thesis.pdf Lady Mary Wortley Montagu on Turkey, Turkish Embassy Letter (1763)http://courses.wcupa.edu/wanko/LIT400/Turkey/LadyMary.htm April 9, 2007 M. L. Pratt, Impe7ial eyes: travel writing and transculturation (London, Routledge, 1992). Secor, A. 1999 Orientalism, gender and class in Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's Turkish Embassy Letters Volume 6, Issue 4 pp375-398. Arnold Publishers. http://www.swan.ac.uk/visualanthropology/projects/004_Montagu/orientalismGenderClass.htm April 9,2007 The Letters and Works of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu By Mary Wortley Montagu http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC02456280&id=p7VRpkNRLZcC&pg=PA340&vq=countess+of+mar&dq=lady+mary+wortley+montagu#PPA341,M1 The Works of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu http://www.luminarium.org/eightlit/montagu/marybib.htm April 18, 2007 What is Feminism (and why do we have to talk about it so much)? October 15, 1997 http://www.colorado.edu/English/courses/ENGL2012Klages/1feminism.html April 20, 2007 Vancouver, G. The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century: Topics Voyages of Exploration, The Norton Anthology of English Literature,2003 http://www2.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/18century/topic_4/vancouver.htm April 7, 2007 Read More