My Study on the Feminist Elements of "The Dishevelled Maidens" by Hortensia Papadat-Benges

The identity of Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu's characters signals important issues of feminist debate and is part of the European literary context of fictional portrayal of women. The feminine characters of the novel The Dishevelled Maidens are associated with a particularly feminine discourse about loss (of freedom, by marriage) (Lenora Hallipa), about guilt (good Lina, but also Lenora), betrayal (Elena Drăgănescu-Hallipa, betrayed by her father) or isolation (Lenora, Mini), all within the limits imposed to their lives by the social conventions or by the men’s behavior and attitudes. By turns, mainly through the two reflecting characters – Mini and Nory, the feminist – we are depicted the situation of some women, who, by marriage or filiation (recognized – the case of Elena Hallipa, or not recognized – the case of Mika-Lé), lose their freedom, becoming dependent by, and subjugated to men. It is all about material dependency (illustrated by Lenora and by Elena Hallipa), as well as about emotional dependency (Lenora’s case), about enslavement, about the inculcation of the feeling of guilt and about verbal or harmful aggression and ignoring attitudes (that good Lina suffers from), about the social pressure that patriarchy puts on women, as well.

Another feminist issue of current interest, approached by Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu in this novel, is the body issue, and moreover the sexuality itself, which in this case is a perverted one. A pioneer in the Romanian literature also from this point of view, the novelist speaks of such women who breach the social barriers and get “dishevelled” (undo their hair), bearing the consequences that this gesture will have upon their lives. The author suggests that this first attempt to release their freedom is actually a trap, a mistake with devastating implications in these women’s lives. Beautiful and coquette Lenora, good Lina, Mika-Lé, here are only a few “dishevelled maidens” proposed by Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu. The social practices are such instruments of power that inscribe the body of these “dishevelled maidens”, and they come to execrate their bodies and their productions. Through “dishevelling” or through sickness, the body becomes an expression of vulnerability, weakness and defeat. That is why the author feels like rehabilitating her characters through the theory of the spiritual body and through her insistence on the idea of women’s vitality.

To read the entire article click here.