“Any woman who is sure of her own wits, is a match, at any time, for a man who is not sure of his own temper.”
From this passage, we can infer than Marian is suggesting the necessary, submissive role of a wife in the Victorian Era. First, she writes, “Any woman who is sure of her own wits”, which has two main ways for interpretation. These two interpretations could also be put together to form one, which is what I believe is the most plausible. It may simply mean an educated woman, someone who has had access to books and teachings. It may also indicate a woman who talks back, or is more clever than a woman should be. Then, she states, “a man who is not sure of his own temper.” Here, readers can infer that she means a man with a bad temper who is unaware of it—-until brought out by his wife. The whole quote put together by “is a match, at any time” implies that Marian is fully aware of a woman’s place in this time period. A clever woman will be put in her place by her husband, possibly by use of violence. Marian is also saying that educated, clever women get beaten more, because they feel superior to most wives—-they may even be smarter than their husbands. Marian’s tone seems rather calm about this matter, but even so, this passage implies that Marian is hinting at her concerns about Laura and Sir Percival’s relationship. It appears that she is worried that Sir Percival is beating Laura behind closed doors, or perhaps even using sexual violence, to get her to obey him. As readers have seen throughout the novel, Laura is a smart, educated woman, but one would not expect her to talk back. However, something tells us it probably does not take much for Sir Percival to lose his temper.
When I first read the quote, I thought this paper would be taking on a more feminist reading of the text. However, I think the argument is intriguing and I would love to see an expanded version of this argument with historical texts supporting the assumptions/interpretations of smarter women receiving more beatings. While I’m not sure I fully agree with the argument being made, this post really made me think of the multiplicity of ways this text could be read and to look for the more subtle meanings that may be hidden behind the text.
When I first read this quote I did not put together the significance or fully comprehend it until after reading your post. I very much agree with this analysis and the fact that, ‘A clever woman will be put in her place by her husband’ means that the husband, in this case sir Percival, diminishes another individual the moment their power is swayed or threatened. However, I feel as though we have seen very few instances when Laura is outspoken or witty towards Sir Percival, which makes me wonder what Sir Percival’s reasoning behind his possible abuse is.
I think this is an excellent reading of this powerful quote! I definitely agree that Marian is noting her place as a woman and is expressing women’s boundaries in relation to Laura and Sir Percival’s marriage. I do also believe that this quote demonstrates the different way Marian views Sir Percival and the Count. She is not intimidated by Sir Percival because his short temper highlights his irrational and more hysteric side, which Marian is able to compose. In the Count’s presence she is more vulnerable, however, because his intrusive, suave nature makes her feel like the more irrational one in the situation.
I read “is a match” along the lines of “is well-matched”: an assertion of Marian’s confidence in her ability to stand up against Sir Percival. In contrast to her concern about her discernment of Count Fosco’s ambiguous motivations, Marian is confident that her own surety of wit can see easily through Sir Percival’s transparent anger. This reading of the passage supports a reading of Marian as confident in her capability as a woman to handle her and Laura’s situation, even in the absence of male protector-figures.
I think you’re right-I think this passage hints at Marian’s concern for Laura’s relationship in the sense that she is worried about Laura being the subject of physical and sexual violence from Sir Percival. But I do not think that there is textual evidence that clever women get beaten more. I agree with your literal interpretation of the passage, but I do not know that I agree that as a reader I can infer as much from this passage.