ADALYA JOURNAL ISSN NO: 1301-2746

CRISIS OF GENDER EQUALITY IN ANNE BRADSTREET’S THE PROLOGUE

Dr. R. Gomathi M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.,

Associate Professor

PG and Research Department of English

Pachaiyappa's College

Chennai - 600 030.

Ph: 9840095469

Email ID: drrgomathi67@gmail.com

Gender discrimination is nothing new. It has all along been an age old practice. During
the period of monarchy also, the society has been a patriarchal one. The king has been always
held in high esteem and he can sway according to his own likes and dislikes. He is considered as
the ‘ultimate’ and no one can dare to question him. But alas! The position of the queen is simply
pathetic. Today she may be the favourite of the king but even the very next day she can become
one among the many favourites and a little later become reduced to nothing. The inner and
private chambers of the king are filled with numerable wives and it is left to the king to select his
‘heart throb’.

Whatever be the direction of the globe – east or west or north or south, the rights and the
social status of the women are always suppressed. It is the male ego that always dominates the
society. The chauvinistic men have indeed considered themselves as ‘supreme beings’ and
literally toyed with the emotions and sentiments of the women. The men have held their head
high with pride and have looked down upon the women as if they are elements of pity and prey.
The society has indeed groomed them in such a manner that they always felt like standing on a
high pedestal, towering high above the women in all respects. They are strongly glued to their

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idea of treating women as ‘inferior beings’ and hence cannot part themselves from such whims
and fancies.

Anne Bradstreet has lived in a puritan society which has always kept the social and moral
liberties of women in constant check. The religious oriented puritans have always been of an
opinion that women are dangerous beings for each and every woman seemed to carry atleast an
iota of Eve’s sin in them. The temptation of Eve and her yield to Satan has been considered as a
great and unpardonable offence and so all the women are considered as carries of that sin. Thus,
the men of the puritan society have a natural sense of disgust towards the women.

The women of the puritan society are very well made to understand the responsibility of
their ‘big role’. The ultimate goal of the puritan women is nothing but marriage. The puritans are
of the opinion that marriage is nothing shorter than ‘a boon from the blues’ and that it is a
precious gift from God. Every woman is expected to understand the importance of being a wife
and her wifely duties towards the husband. The woman’s world spins around her home and her
family. She need not perform any feats crossing the threshold of her home. All her talents and
skills should be performed inside the walls of her house. The puritan husbands have only wanted
their wives to be submissive and obliging. The famous feminist critic Elaine Showalter in her
book A Literature of Their Own remarks about the mental attitude of the patriarchal society,

…the middle-class ideology of the proper sphere of womanhood, which developed in

post-industrial England and America, prescribed a woman who would be a perfect
Lady, an Angel in the House, contentedly submissive to men but strong in her inner
purity and religiosity, queen in her own realm of the Home. (14)

The puritan wives are real ‘wonders’. They could very well manage their household
duties in a remarkable manner. They are kept busy the whole day running from this corner to that
corner to perform their duties in a dutiful manner. They have been taken for granted and their
performance is constantly under scrutiny. The chauvinistic husbands are only too ready to give a

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slap but not a pat on the shoulder in appreciation. From dawn to dusk, the duties and chores
assigned to them have been limitless and yet they have managed the show very well. They are
‘ever ready’ wives waiting to receive and serve their husbands round the clock as if they have
been appointed as ‘on duty’ doctors. Yet, it is a pity that their performances are not recognised
and to add on fuel to the fire, the wives are considered as mere properties by the puritan
husbands. As Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar say in their book The Madwoman in the Attic: The
Woman Writer and the Nineteenth – Century Imagination, “women in patriarchal societies have
historically been reduced to mere properties”. (12)

In this scenario, Anne Bradstreet has sprung like a fountain throwing out her droplets of
poems. It has been indeed a tough battle for her to combat against the chauvinistic and
dominating male society in order to exhibit her literacy skills and talent as a poet. Anne
Bradstreet did not tuck her head and feet inside her shell as a tortoise to escape from the stones
flung at her by the indifferent society. She has stood firm and has steadily developed her wings
to take off her flight as a poet. Inspite of the traditional and conventional attitude of the society
towards the women of her time, Anne Bradstreet clearly valued knowledge and intellectualism.
The poet has been an independent thinker and it is no exaggeration to call her as an early
feminist.

Francis Bacon, the father of English Essays, says in one of his essays, “Of Studies” that
“reading maketh a full man”. Moreover, reading makes one become authentic and authoritative
over an information. It is education that radiates one’s life. It simply acts as a beacon of light in
the lofty forest of thick darkness. It acts as an eye opener and elevates man to greater heights of
bright and broad daylight. Luck has favoured Bradstreet and her education has paved way for
varied advantages. It has made her confident and has allowed her to write about politics, history,
medicine and theology. Books have always fasinated her and she has a good number of her
favourites treasured in her personal library. Even as a young poet, Bradstreet has written five
quaternions, epic poems of four parts each that explore the diverse yet complementary natures of

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their subject. The main focus of her poems is based on her keen observations of the worldly
happenings around her. The chief concern is on domestic and religious themes.

Anne Bradstreet’s poem The Prologue vividly underlines the criticism of the male
dominated society over the accomplishments of women. In fact, the puritan men of her society
have been the least willing to accept or recognise the literary skills of the women. The poet
indirectly slashes at the arrogance of men by posing to be humble. She begins the poem by
saying that only men poets and historians are the fit persons to sing the glorifying victories of
war and to sing about the celebrities like the kings and captains. It is something much above her
skill to talk about the new founded cities. Echoing the lines from the poem,

“For my mean Pen are too superior things;

Or how they all, or each their dates have run,

Let Poets and Historians set these forth.

My obscure lines shall not so dim their worth.”

Bradstreet also feels that the muses are also literally partial towards men who bask in the
warmth of favouritism. The muses seem to favour men which makes Anne feel jealous. It is
obvious that the poet is a simple, humble and wonderful human being. She is honest and
straightforward. Like any other normal human, she is envious of the men whose poetic skills are
specially blessed by the muses. At the same time, her sublime nature does not hesistate to offer
felicitations to the eminence of the great poet Bartas. She sincerely wishes that she too has been
benevolently blessed by the muses:

But when my wond'ring eyes and envious heart

Great Bartas' sugar'd lines do but read o'er,

Fool, I do grudge the Muses did not part

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'Twixt him and me that over-fluent store.

Anee Bradstreet in her poetic lines gives a very low profile of herself. Her lines express
utmost humility and modesty. One cannot expect a rhetoric or high flown bombastic language
from an ordinary simple school boy; neither can one produce sweet melodies from a musical
instrument with broken strings. Similarly, her poetic skill is like that of a foolish lad and that of a
broken instrument. Such is her blessing of the muses! Nature has made it irreparable and no art
can mend it. Also, she cannot compare herself with the fluent, silver-tongued orator. The same
greek has been initially a person who lisped for speech. He strived hard to attain his height in the
art of speaking. The poet says,

“By Art he gladly found what he did seek,

A full requital of his striving pain.

Art can do much, but this maxim's most sure:

A weak or wounded brain admits no cure.”

The poet whips or rather slashes the tongues which sway this way and that way to spit
nothing but bitter words. The men are too egoistic to accept and approve the growth of women
poets. They are of a strong and unshakable belief that women are not fit to be creative especially
in the field of literature. According to the puritan men of their society, the very very few women
poets who sprang to existence were of sheer luck. They happen to exhibit the stolen property as
their own. Such is the harsh opinion and accusation of the male dominated society. It has been an
accepted rule that women are more prone to household work and their fingers are more suitable
for sewing than writing poetry.

“I am obnoxious to each carping tongue

Who says my hand a needle better fits.

A Poet's Pen all scorn I should thus wrong,

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For such despite they cast on female wits.

If what I do prove well, it won't advance,

They'll say it's stol'n, or else it was by chance.”

The most ironical aspect is that the greeks treated women as goddesses. It is not only the
greek mythology that holds women in high esteem and equate them to supernatural muses, but it
is also the same with Indian mythology. The various deities especially the women goddesses are
celebrated with pomp and show. They are decked with pure silks, rich jewels and decorated with
colorful flowers. The men who do not consider women as their equals or counterparts and who
even in their wildest dreams cannot offer them social liberty in any form simply prostrate before
the goddesses with begging bowls wanting their needs to be fulfilled. They literally plead for
health, wealth, prosperity, long life, education and so on. But in reality, the men cannot digest the
literary growth of women.

“But sure the antique Greeks were far more mild,

Else of our Sex, why feigned they those nine

And poesy made Calliope's own child?

So 'mongst the rest they placed the Arts divine,

But this weak knot they will full soon untie.

The Greeks did nought but play the fools and lie.”

At one point of time, the poet is simply frustrated. She goes to the extent of feeling that it
is futile to wage war with men who always seem to excel in their skill. Somehow, they are able
to stand in the forefront with colours and laurels. Anne Bradstreet confirms the eminence of men
and only requests them to also acknowledge the small contributions of women poets. Although it

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appears as a sincere plea on the surface level, the poet definitely uses a sarcastic tone. The vein
of mockery runs through the poetic lines:

“……………………………..

Men have precedency and still excel;

It is but vain unjustly to wage war.

Men can do best, and Women know it well.

Preeminence in all and each is yours;

Yet grant some small acknowledgement of ours.”

The poet further continues the tone of sarcasm even in the last stanza. She is not
expecting any sort of extravagant praises or olive crowns. The puritan men poets need not be so
harsh enough to hurt the fine feelings of the women poets. It is high time they confront the
realistic situation and accept the ‘good goings’. William Wordsworth has rightly said that “the
child is the father of man”. It is not a steadfast convention that only elders will be right; they
alone are fit to teach the younger ones. Sometimes, the elders can also learn their lessons from
the little ones. Similarly, the men should have big open minds to let in fresh thoughts and ideas
and truths. Women should not be taken for granted; their talents and skill also need to be
recognised. Anne Bradstreet gives a low profile of her poetic skills. The device of the usage of
‘subtle sarcasm’ drives home her intention effectively. The highlight of her tongue in cheek
remark is in the last two lines of the poem:

“This mean and unrefined ore of mine

Will make your glist'ring gold but more to shine.”

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The puritan society did not patronise Anne Bradstreet as a poet nor has it been ready to
give her a pat of appreciation for her poetic skills. Life has been really tough for her in such a
situation. The society did not in any way allow her to live her life in the full measure. It is only a
mere existence and such is the condition for all the women of the puritan society. The puritan
religion did not advocate the openness of the relationship of a man and a woman. The intimacy
has always been within the closed doors and even small traces of it could not be exhibited in
public. It is a sort of strained and choked relationship. The puritan religion and society repeatedly
preached the sermon that a woman’s important relationship is only her devotion to God. The
expression of personal emotions may mar or deviate the holy thoughts of God. It is a hard and
steadfast rule that this strict moral code will certainly help women to find their redemption and
salvation.

In this choking atmosphere, Anne Bradstreet has had her survival. Her poem The
Prologue speaks out her anguish for not being recognised as a poet just for the simple reason of
she being a woman. Her puritan society saw to the curtailing of the rights of women; they have
been allowed to perform their ‘wonders’ inside the house in the form of domestic chores. The
men have felt proud in having their women under their control. They have felt as if they are
giving them a safe custody and secured life. Thus, the women have been kept in golden cages
under the glittering title of ‘housewives’. They have been bounded by silver chains of familial
relationships. The wings of the birds are ruthlessly cut off and made them flightless. Their whole
life begins and ends in the golden cage. The silver chains and the golden cage may appear
shining, but the women birds’ life has become rusty.

Everything and everybody under the creation of the Immortal is wonderful. Man and
woman stand as evidence of two supreme creations of the great maker of the universe. Infact,
God made Eve by removing one of the rib bones of Adam. This very clearly and emphatically
indicates that Eve is a part and parcel of Adam; every woman is so of every man. Inspite of all
this, the gender discrimination is painfully existent in the society. There is a right for everything
and everybody. But the poor women folk seem to suffer and have no provisions to claim their

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rights. Slowly and steadily everything is coming to a solution and one can see the day break.
Shelly has been absolutely apt in his Ode to the West Wind “If winter comes, can spring be far
behind?”. True to his line, situation is improving for the better.

WORKS CONSULTED

1. Bradstreet, Anne. The Works of Anne Bradstreet in Prose and Verse. New York: Hard
Press Publishing, 2012.

2. Gilbert, M.Sandra and Gubar, Susan. The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer
and the Nineteenth – Century Imagination. New Haven: Yale, 1979.

3. Gordon, Charlotte. Mistress Bradstreet: The Untold Life of America’s First Poet. New
York: Little Brown and Company, March 2005.

4. Lall, Ramji. Bacon’s Essays. New Delhi: Rama Brothers, May 1990.

5. Showalter, Elaine. A Literature of Their Own: British Women Writers from Bront to
Lessing. Princeton: Princeton, 1977.

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