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Gaurav Sharma
Candidate number- 002149-0085

Failure of Miss Julie as a feminist figure in August Strindberg’s Miss Julie

Name- Gaurav Sharma
Candidate Number- 002149-0085
Session- May 2015
Word Count-2007
Written Assignment-1498
Reflective Statement-389

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Gaurav Sharma
Candidate number- 002149-0085

Reflective Statement
The Interactive Oral was based on the themes, ideologies and use of modern
theories book “Miss Julie” by August Strindberg
...
We analysed the play and the character of each individual using the
Marxist, Freudian, Feminist, and Darwin’s theories
...
The suppression of women in the
economic and industrial sectors of a nation was discussed
...
By using different perspectives
to deduce the significance of each character and the play as a whole, we could analyse
it with a much broader spectrum
...
Freud’s psychoanalytical theory was used to
investigate the factors that led to her suicide
...
Thus it was Miss Julie’s
conscience and nature that led to her death
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She was not strong enough to make her own decisions
and was easily overpowered by Jean’s overpowering and dominating personality
...
Marx suggested that it was not
ethical and against the implications of societies for a person of the aristocratic class to
mingle with a person of lower stature in society
...

The next approach showed how the feminist ideologies adopted by Miss Julie from
her mother’s character influenced her to revolt against the patriarchy
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Eventually it was established that it was Miss
Julie’s personality that killed her
...
It further helped to refine our initial ideas of the play and its characters
and thus helped improve my overall understanding of the play
...
Miss Julie, the
protagonist figure in Miss Julie, is deeply affected by the gender divide that was prevalent in
the nineteenth century because of the effects of her mother’s character on her since a young
age
...
She
believed in reversing the stereotypical roles of the members of society to disrupt the hierarchy
that she though was being enforced by men
...
But her irrational and absurd views resulted in their
failure as they could not be enforced on society
...

Miss Julie failed in establishing her feminist views as they were not supported by the
gender and class system of Sweden in the nineteenth century
...
Even though they were gaining
strength with their views and ideologies, it could not be sustained due to their lack of
economic strength
...
Darwin’s work in biological determination stated that the biological differences
between men and women dictated their behaviour and this difference in behaviour dictated
separate gender roles in
...
The economy and society
stated that women should work and take care of the home and hearth
...
This
therefore failed the feminist agenda or project
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Reaching the top of the social ladder
would have caused anarchy in the class and gender system
...
When Jean
invites Miss Julie to accompany him to Switzerland on the condition that she pays for the
trip, her lack of financial independence shows how repressed women were in society
...
The
fact that she had to rob her own father for money portrays how the economic system denied
women any capital
...
Thus Miss Julie could not portray her beliefs when she was so
dependent of her father
...
If gender roles were subverted or if women
began to get money, they would start changing their position in the society and this would
threaten to topple the conventional systems of the time
...
It was effortless for men to evolve from their class type, but
was almost impossible for women to do so
...
There was a drastic change in his tone and the way he spoke to Miss
Julie
...

Don’t you see: I could have made a countess of you, but you could have never made me a
count”(20)
...
Jean also refers the stereotypical role of men in society
stating men were the only way women could achieve a higher stand in society
...
Therefore she could not assert her position
as a feminist figure since the socio-economic situations left her no scope to portray her
ideologies to the world
...


Miss Julie’s ideas of feminism were those of women’s domination in society and not of
equality which were against liberal feminism
...
Liberal feminism's primary goal is
gender equality in the public sphere -- equal access to education, equal pay, ending job sex
segregation, better working conditions -- won primarily through legal changes1
...

She believed that feminism would result in freedom from the hierarchy and power politics
controlled by the men
...
Thus her ideas weren’t realistic and pragmatic
...

Jean-“Listen to me”
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The new superiority of women in
society would have led to a new patriarchy where women would be considered superior
...
This would result in an unbalanced society full
of disruption and chaos
...
Thus
her ideas give a fantastical and unreal quality
...
The commanding and disrespectful tone in which she speaks to Jean

1

http://womenshistory
...
com/od/glossary/a/Liberal-Feminism
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A strong parallel between Miss
Julie and her mother can thus be seen as both had the same desires and eventually both died
due to the failure of these desires
...
Her ideas of feminism were anti-humanist and were thus difficult to bring out
...
”(8) shows

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her anti-humanist behaviour as she offends and dehumanizes Jean
...
Her beliefs were
anti-feminist and could therefore not be depicted or practised in reality
...
Therefore she denied herself
feminity and by doing so, she was dehumanizing herself which was not liberal
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Miss Julie’s submissive, weak and easily influenced nature resulted in her inability to
portray her ideas
...
She could thus not establish her independence due to the influence of Jean’s
dominating personality
...
Miss Julie ultimately gives in and is
overpowered by Jean
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I have to get
down, but I’m afraid to jump
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” (27), shows Miss Julie’s desire to
descend from her social class
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By submitting
herself physically and mentally to Jean, she can no longer command him
...
Her social superiority is lost after her sexual
affair with him and she is forced to obey him
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Gaurav Sharma
Candidate number- 002149-0085

The sexual affair obliterates Miss Julie’s dominance over him
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At this stage she was ready to accept anything Jean
told her
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Tell me what to do, and I’ll obey like a dog
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Save

my honour
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Miss Julie’s weak and submissive nature is portrayed here
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Ironically, it is Miss Julie herself who caused the failure of her feminist ideologies as she
orders Jean to command her to sacrifice her life
...
She failed to assert her dominance
over him by submitting herself completely to him
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Eventually it is observed that her character is weak and
vulnerable and that she could never sustain herself as a feminist figure
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Miss Julie
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Edwin Bjorkman
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p
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languageinindia
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pdf 8 September 2014
 http://www
...
com/index
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google
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in/books?id=7idLl_suBzYC&pg=PA2217&lpg=PA2217&dq=
phd+papers+on+august+strindberg+miss+julie&source=bl&ots=4ahVRUs5AO&sig=
Ly7SHQbiamxan5af8LeDxvb2Rq8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=66pLU_mIoTBrAfYn4Bw&ved=0CG8Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=phd%20papers%20on%2
0august%20strindberg%20miss%20julie&f=false8 September 2014

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