As Jean Muir arrives she toois aware ofthis and she 'meekly sat down without lifting her eyes'.
On her first meeting with Sir John, on learning that she is a governess and not a friend of Bella's his whole demanour and attitude changes instantly.
When she liesabout her parentage, claiming to be Lady Howrads impoverished daughter -his attitude once again changes, even though previously he 'had secretely looked down on ' on her and her 'lowliness'.
Jean Muir is fully conscious of this class divide and its restrictions. Her power lies in her awareness of the restrictions , her self-reliance and the actions she takes to overcome the obstacles
POWER
Power and independence were major issues for the women's movement in the nineteenth century.
Power is certainly a mojor theme in Behind A mask. This is echoed by Jean Muir at the beginning of the novella: ' I'll not fail again if there is power in a woman's wit and will'
Role-playing or the wearing of a mask - permititng to hide her true identity - is the central metaphor of power.
Jean Muir's power lies in the knowledge that she inhabits a patriachal world and that she is doubly marginalized, not only because of her gender but alsobecause of her class - and in her determination to overcome these obstacles through any means at her disposal. As an actress and one who plays her role well , she uses this skill to her advantage. She does nothowever deceive herself: 'Come the curtains are down and I may be myself for a few hours.
In both 'Girl' and 'The New Dress ' women are seen to see themselves as others perceive them. Jean Muir controls her image and proyects the puvblic image she wants others to see. She takes an active role. She is completely independent and in control.. In this lies her power .
SUBVERTING THE FEMININE ROLE
In this story Alcott's character, Jean Muir, works at subverting the 'feminine' role by role-playing or acting to each character as they would like her tobehave but also goes beyond this as she is very much in control and her acting has a final objective : marriage (=security, money, status, power)
Marriage is a trade, Jean Muir know this and is determined to get the best trade she can.
In an age where women of her class were restricted to certain types of work, marriage, and behaviour the author through Jean Muir breaks all the man made rules and wins. Jean Muir is allowed to break through class barriers to a financially secure future - through marriage to Sir John and as Lady Coventry - albeit through sheer strength of character, determination (as she had failed previously) and deceit.
Jean Muir works on two levels; she exploits tradtional feminine behaviour in public, but at the same time her behaviour is very unfeminine in that she is active and in control. She does not merely await her future as does Lucille.
Alcott sets her story in a domestic setting , contrasting the domestic setting against Muir's unfeminine behaviour
Marriage as a trade:
Jean Muir recognises this and works with the system to get a fair trade: 'the other may be better, and I will have the best'
Behind A Mask or The Power of A Woman is subversive of patriachal culture and it is anti-romantic.
It portrays the power women can take for themeselves by turning the tables on society's gendered rules. By over-playing and manipulating feminine stereotypes it reveals the artificiality and the restrictive practices of society towards its female members.
GENERAL
Alcott was a strong advocate of women's rights and her stories are political in that they serve to highlight feminine concerns.
The relationship between the tittle and subtitle is significant. It is the power to beat the system at its own game through acting and role play. A woman cannot be herself in society.
Mask:
The need for masks (make-up, costumes) is imposed by society, as it asigns gender expectations and restrictions: age, beauty, social class.
Many key themes and issues present in Behind A Mask are also present in 'The New Dress' and 'Girl'
Alcotts Little Women emphasize self-sacrifice and devotutuon to duty whereas her more ‘sensationalist’ novels examine and criticize the Victorian ideal of feminity as unrealistic and false.
Her subversive stories defied nine-teeth century values of womanhood and femininity.
For victorian women the opportunity of employment was limited to roles sanctioned and contained by domesticity (governess, teacher, lady’s companion, maid)
Sensational writing provided an outlet for female rage and expression
They made a powerful appeal to female audiences by subverting the traditions of feminine fiction. By writing and reading these types of novels readers and writers could pretend to be femme fatales - a woman that own herself and her sexuality. She uses power for her own gain and to undermine patriachy.
Alcott was wearing a mask of propriety - took advantage of her pseudonym (A M Barnard) as the wrting of such novels came with a risk to reputation and character.
Her novels are sensasionalist not because they are gothic or romantic exploring the emotions that go with this but because her stories challange and contradict the role of female domesticity, or little women.
These novels are populated with strong, asertive, idependent almost modern women. Women do not play the expected role of victim but are instead assertive heroines who use whatever powers they posses to succeed at all odds. They are conscuious of the mask they are wearing, and the power that not being themselves gives them.When thay are what society considers pitiful : poverty, femininity, youth - they realise they must use these weaknesses to their advantage and hide whatever cannot be used
They cannot claim power aoutright so they do so in subversive ways.
ROLE PLAYING (2)
Jean Muir reveals through her letter to her friend Hortense her deceptive manipulations for her host family, deceptions many people would find immoral, if not evil.
From the first line the reader is aware that the ability tohide behind a mask is a woman’s power. (as the title and subtitle predict)
Jean Muir has lost some her most powerful assets: her youth and her virtue. The role of victim is something she refuses to play instead she controls and hides these facts. The reader is admited behind the scenes whereas the other characters are not - if her employers were aware of her true face they would not have offered her employment.
In her first encounter with the Coventry’s Jean is already on stage and in control, and her performance is aimed at the Coventry’s prejudices.
Even the apparent disadvantage of appearing twenty-five is an advantage of r Jean. When she claims, ‘I should like to appear older, she shows that she is not a gold digger, as they might suspect her to be one.
With her disclaimer about her age, Jean proves to the Coventry’s that she is not concerned with her beauty, the one asset of a poor and powerless girl.
Her professed wishaed to be older indicates to them that she has accepted her role and is ready to live a chaste and nun-like existance as befits the woman of low status and little financial means.
Jean is aware of the social stereotype of the governess and both conforms and rejects it.
We are told several times that Jean has a ‘soft, sad voice ‘ and that she is ‘meek ‘ , ‘resigned’ All the traits a governess is supposed to exhibit. But in order to also captivate her audience Jean faints. Thus surrounding herself with an air of mystery that is not boring and attracts the attention and sympathy of all.
Throught her stay Jean manipulates the emotions of its inhabitants both men and women through their expectation of what a poor governess should be. She is especially careful with the men in the household and portrays herself as demure, beautiful yet uniterested in marriage and the financial security that would provide.
Having caight a hint of each character she tries ‘her power over them’
During the times they believe Jean to be unaware of their scrutiny is when she ironically plays the more public roles. Ie: when Sir John sees her throw her arms across the table and breaks out ia a ‘passion of tears’ - he is quite unconscious that a scne is being inacted and that he is being manipulated. Jean’s role here is that of the fragile damsel in distress and Sir John repsonds later by rescuing her. She appeals to his vanity by allowing him to believe that as an older man he can stillplay the role of the white knight and is considered more attarctive than her other youg suitors.
But Jean Muir is not what she appears to be . She is a ‘haggard, worn, and moody woman of thirty at least’ . This is no innocent young governess.
Alcott illustrates that in a patrichal world where women in relation to men have no status and is powerless - she must capitalize on any asset that she does posess. They must be adept at playing the different roles expected of them, be it bride, mother,...
