Self identity
Most people have their own self identity, but sometimes, their self identity was suppressed by people around them or social context. In the book Poor Things, Bella Baxter, as a newborn adult, gradually discovered her lost self identity and expressed her regained self identity with free will.
When she was Victoria, she was not independence at all. She was controlled by her father. Her father arranged her trip, even her marriage with Blessington. In her first marriage, she was controlled by her husband. She was expected to bear everything, even her sexual urges. Being depressed, she decided to end her own young life and even her unborn child. After she returned to Britain, her father still tried to control her again. He persuaded her to give up her new identity and be the compliant Victoria again.
However, when Victoria became Bella, her childish vision of her worldview gave her courage to change the view of her and the rest women at that time. She is sexually curious and voracious and interested in men. She eloped with the rake Duncan Wedderburn, travelling around the Continent and cohabitating with him, and then drove him to madness. With her adventures going on, she travelled from Odessa to Egypt to Paris. Finally she decided to return to Britain and precipitated a confrontation with her first husband. Although she had a new life and new personality as Bella, the shadow of past Victoria was always surrounding her. Her past life and first husband still got entangled with her. She cannot be a complete new Bella, unless she cut off all ties to her past life. After she completely broke the relationship with her first husband, she completely became Bella, other than Victoria. At that time, she found her own self identity.
Godwin, as a friend and a teacher of Bella, taught her the real state and attitude of woman. He told her to be an independent self, rather than being controlled by anyone else. He also informed Bella the truth that people in Britain were taught to be tools in order to alert her not to be the tool of a man, whoever the man is. Under Godwin’s education, Bella heard her internal words. She became an independent individual and did whatever she wanted to do. Finally, with the help of Godwin and her second husband Archibald, she became a doctor who worked on women’s health. For Bella, Godwin was a God. When she called Godwin “god”, it revealed the dual meaning of their relationship. God was a nick name for Godwin, which meant they had intimate relationship. Besides, Godwin was Bella’s genuine god. He was Bella’s creator. He gave her not only a new brain but also a new mind.
Furthermore, at the end of the book, the story has a dramatic change. She left her grandchildren a letter which told them not to believe her husband’s words. She provided a totally different description about her experiences. At that time, she expressed her self—identity again.
Discovering one’s self identity is important for everyone. When we found our own identity, we’d better hold to it and express our self identity to others. The book Poor Things provides us an overview about Scottish culture and politics at that time. It reveals the state of women in Victorian time. It seems like that Gray told a fantastic story about Bella, but in fact, he attempted to share his perspective that women also have equal right to be and express themselves as men. Even today, Bella’s spirit of seeking for self identity still inspires women who lost their own self identity. It is not only a science fiction but also an inspiring story about the process of a young woman discovering her inner self identity.
When she was Victoria, she was not independence at all. She was controlled by her father. Her father arranged her trip, even her marriage with Blessington. In her first marriage, she was controlled by her husband. She was expected to bear everything, even her sexual urges. Being depressed, she decided to end her own young life and even her unborn child. After she returned to Britain, her father still tried to control her again. He persuaded her to give up her new identity and be the compliant Victoria again.
However, when Victoria became Bella, her childish vision of her worldview gave her courage to change the view of her and the rest women at that time. She is sexually curious and voracious and interested in men. She eloped with the rake Duncan Wedderburn, travelling around the Continent and cohabitating with him, and then drove him to madness. With her adventures going on, she travelled from Odessa to Egypt to Paris. Finally she decided to return to Britain and precipitated a confrontation with her first husband. Although she had a new life and new personality as Bella, the shadow of past Victoria was always surrounding her. Her past life and first husband still got entangled with her. She cannot be a complete new Bella, unless she cut off all ties to her past life. After she completely broke the relationship with her first husband, she completely became Bella, other than Victoria. At that time, she found her own self identity.
Godwin, as a friend and a teacher of Bella, taught her the real state and attitude of woman. He told her to be an independent self, rather than being controlled by anyone else. He also informed Bella the truth that people in Britain were taught to be tools in order to alert her not to be the tool of a man, whoever the man is. Under Godwin’s education, Bella heard her internal words. She became an independent individual and did whatever she wanted to do. Finally, with the help of Godwin and her second husband Archibald, she became a doctor who worked on women’s health. For Bella, Godwin was a God. When she called Godwin “god”, it revealed the dual meaning of their relationship. God was a nick name for Godwin, which meant they had intimate relationship. Besides, Godwin was Bella’s genuine god. He was Bella’s creator. He gave her not only a new brain but also a new mind.
Furthermore, at the end of the book, the story has a dramatic change. She left her grandchildren a letter which told them not to believe her husband’s words. She provided a totally different description about her experiences. At that time, she expressed her self—identity again.
Discovering one’s self identity is important for everyone. When we found our own identity, we’d better hold to it and express our self identity to others. The book Poor Things provides us an overview about Scottish culture and politics at that time. It reveals the state of women in Victorian time. It seems like that Gray told a fantastic story about Bella, but in fact, he attempted to share his perspective that women also have equal right to be and express themselves as men. Even today, Bella’s spirit of seeking for self identity still inspires women who lost their own self identity. It is not only a science fiction but also an inspiring story about the process of a young woman discovering her inner self identity.
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