COVE

Gertrude's Commentary: 

A few days ago, I got a letter ordering us to do some business taking photos for a nearby studio at St. John's Wood. When I arrived alone, I met a man named Sydney Darrell who made me feel completely uncomfortable. I couldn’t help feeling like he was disappointed in me because he was constantly glaring at my boots and wispy hair. I definitely was not who he was expecting to do business with, and I didn’t know why he seemed so disappointed. I guess people aren't used to doing business with a woman, but he seemed uninterested in my work before I even took the photographs. He didn’t even give me a chance to start working before he made me feel uncapable of satisfying him. This experience reminded me of this page from Aurora Leigh, because he didn’t even give me a chance to prove myself before he doubted me. Ever since my experience with Mr. Darrell, I have had a hard time feeling confident in the business’s growth and myself. I kept thinking I had made the wrong choice by doing something different, but this page reminded me that I just need to prove how good we can be. Many people are going to doubt us at first because it is new to see women in business, and we have to expect and overcome this treatment by proving ourselves time and time again.  I know soon enough we will make a reputation for ourselves and all women in business and prove that we are just as capable of creating good work.  

Editorials Commentary: 

Elizabeth Browning's, Aurora Leigh, is a nine-book novel created in blank verse form. The novel covers many controversial topics about social issues regarding women, such as women struggling to have artistic and economic independence from men. This page seems to be important to Gertrude because it shows her that she is not alone. This page speaks about how women are doubted before they get the chance to show what they can do. Lines 6 and 7 of this page say, “...she must prove what she can do before she does it,” and line 21 and 22 says, “He doubts, is whether we can do the thing with decent grace, we’ve not yet done at all..” In these lines, Browning is conveying the message that men believe women are not capable of the same things as men. This shows the issues present during the Victorian Era for women’s lack of possibilities. Education and job opportunities for women were less accessible, but Gertrude shows that even when a woman does make it into the business world, business is tough because of Victorian society’s view on woman capability. Gertrude shows that her business suffers from society's view on her capability because Mr. Darrell doubts her before she gets the chance to show what she can do. On another note, it is impressive that Gertrude gets inspiration to prove herself and her business after this experience rather than giving up. This says a lot about her and other successful Victorian women’s character because after all the challenges they have to undergo, the biggest challenge is Victorian society’s doubt in women being capable.  

Browning, Elizabeth Barrett, and Gardner B. Taplin. Aurora Leigh. Academy Chicago Publishers, 2014. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=nlebk&AN=1065763&site=eds-live. 

SuperSummary, www.supersummary.com/aurora-leigh/summary/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw38-DBhDpARIsADJ....