wieland

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Wieland by Charles BrockdenThe novel Wieland by Charles Brockden Brown is highly considered to be the first gothic novel which was produced by an American. It includes elements of murder, suicide, irrationality, and seduction. We can see all this through the main protagonist Clara. She narrates the story of her family. Clara has been raised in a rich environment with liberal outlooks of religion and human nature (Brown, 23). The society, however, is highly patriarchal. This paper aims to discuss how Clara surpasses and expresses the 18th-century gender formation.
Clara is very independent, being a woman in the 18th century in America. She was brought up in a more calm and relaxed environment by a female relative. (Brown, 21). The emphasis of her education is enlightened thinking as opposed to a religious one and it is designed to fit her interests. Her life is driven by the knowledge and the freedom she possesses as opposed to other modern women. Just like her brother, she inherits her father’s property, and she lives in the outskirts at her own home. She has a character that can be described as balanced, brave and sensible. She has the traits that define 18th-century woman. She has a disposition that is inclined to madness, fixation, extremes of sensations and hysterics. All the assertions that she makes concerning her been nonchalant may prove to be false since she has her own home on her brother’s possessions (Brown, 21).

Institutions like family and church have complete power over her since they are highly patriarchal. However, the institutions are inherently blemished. Although Clara might have advantages over the other women, she is still a second-class citizen in this male-dominated society.
In conclusion, Clara is an accurate depiction of an independent woman in the 18th century. She is enlightened and has a liberal attitude. But since the society is male-dominated, some institutions like church and family have complete power over her. Although she owns property as opposed to all the other women, she cannot be equal to the male counterparts in the patriarchal setup.
Work Cited
Brown, Charles Brockden. Memoirs of Carwin, the Biloquist. The Floating Press, 2011.Retrieved from http://brockdenbrown.cah.ucf.edu Accessed on 16th November 2018