Mood: ‘Woman’, Mumford and Sons
Write On: Women
The subject for this blog has a different genesis. Sometimes what I choose to blog about is random and there is that in this one, as well, but…
I have been making good progress on my book the last week and more. It takes place in the 16th Century with some fantasy elements folded into the weave of it. Part of that time in the British Isles and Greater Europe was the tradition of arranged marriages, and I am at the part of my writing where I deal with that institution. Granted, I see it through the eyes of this present day and how distasteful it has become, along with its use of women as, more or less, chattel. I have found that in many cases, a young boy was used as such, too, insofar as making a connection to a powerful, or more powerful family. Sill, though, it was the male who tended to be ‘in charge’, but for rare situations.
Of course there were matriarchies in Africa, China, India, the Philippines and a few other countries and women had a greater part of the power, and there were the occasional Queen of England, but for the most part, Western Civilization has been a Patriarchal society. And yet…
Oh, How Far We’ve Come
It was always my intention to deal with the subject of feudal society and women, even if a sort of glossing-over way. In the story, I follow the main protagonist as he travels to reclaim his life before he was wrenched from a good marriage 20 years ago, where there was love and a child on the way. This is done through flashbacks parallel to his journey to his wife, so by the time he wins his family back his whole story is told. In the final part, the same is done for his wife as she recounts what her life was like after his being ‘shanghaied’. As part of a rich household and under the guidance of her eldest brother, this deals with arranged marriage.
As is my wont personally, I prefer a stronger and independent woman, and that is reflected in the character of the protagonists wife, hence the conflict in that life of being chattel after a marriage based upon love. This has begun to and will be a fascinating Triumph of Will to write, and I look forward to the writing.
The somewhat interesting thing, to me anyway, is the timing of this part of the writing: last weekend, the Independence Day weekend for the US. I am always fascinated by History, be it Ancient or Contemporary. It is the more or less regular study of it that has fostered my belief that Human Nature is not a good Nature; we war and kill and steal and take non-consensual sex every day of humanity’s existence. However, we always seem, even with all the setbacks encountered, to improve things, such as abolishing slavery, granting more Rights rather stifling or taking them away and so forth.
With my interest in the Revolutionary War and the the eventual emancipation of the Colonies from tyranny, I always remember the women of the Revolution, but most especially Abigail Adams. Ask most people what life was for a Middle Class woman at that time and you will likely get the response that they were expected to be ‘barefoot and in the kitchen, taking care of the children’. To be fair, this is essentially correct, but for true understanding of what that meant.
While John Adams was away fighting for the birth and freedom of a new nation and making a name for himself and his ego, Abigail was in control of the farm at Braintree, running the day-to-day operations of such a. Farm, in charge of the purse strings and making sure animals were taken care of, sold or purchased as needed, harvesting and getting product to market AND taking care of the children. And her intelligence? I believe she was smarter that her husband and most of the Founding Fathers. In fact, I consider her a Founding Mother of the country.
Since her time, there have been great strides in equality, not only of the sexes but of races. This is never to say that there is yet more to be done. Human Nature being what it is, there will likely never be more we can do.
Oh, How Much More We Can Do!
I dabble in a more fantasy-based writing, now, with real elements of history thrown in. Or maybe it’s the other way round. 🤷♂️ As such, the sky is the limit, I figure. I do wish to include historical elements, though, and some of that is uncomfortable history that it seems the weak-of-mind take personally these days, but in doing so show they have no concept of the understanding of what came before so we may know to avoid it or them in the future. (As an aside, giving laws to the states to decide and vote on was one of the wisest things the Founding Fathers did, not allowing one Party or possible tyrant to force their will on the Country.)
That said, seeing where we were 200+ years again to where we are now with women’s rights, let alone other rights, what an incredible history! What amazing things will we do together in the future? What can’t we do together for a better Future? We will Need to work together to insure a Future and a better one, at that.
I wonder if we can do it….
