"Oh misery!": Wordsworth's Representation of Female Wanderers in Lyrical Ballads

Abstract

This dissertation explores Wordsworth's experimental representations of women in light of the marginalized experiences they are compelled to undergo. They are represented as having marginalized identities, indicating how female figures are far from gaining an acknowledgment of their humanity and sympathy for their suffering from society. These images refer to the poet's purpose of challenging his readers ethically by posing questions that are hard to answer. In this study, I find it appropriate to analyze the intertextual reading between the poems due to its significance in highlighting Wordsworth's poetic genius that depicts women in an innovative and experimental approach. Chapter 1 focuses on how the female character Martha Ray in "The Thorn" is portrayed as a gothic subject with an eerie existence. The aim is to demonstrate how males' prejudiced beliefs against this female figure dehumanize her. In Chapter 2, I explore the protagonist's voice in "The Mad Mother", which is represented in a dramatic monolog depicting a disordered mental state with an excessive maternal passion. This leads readers to a deceptive perplexity, prompting them to question their biases against those with mental disorders. Chapter 3 explores "The Complaint of a Forsaken Indian Woman". This poem presents the titular character as a figure with a universal human instinct to live rather than suffer stoically. The poem introduces the Native American culture as barbaric and degraded because it ignores the sufferings of women. Therefore, these poems throw up questions rather than merely provide easy resolutions, thereby encouraging readers to critically consider an ethical response to these issues.