Gender and Sexuality

Eliza Lynn Linton’s “The Girl of the Period” is an exemplary piece for demonstrating the attitudes towards the progressive woman. She would doubtfully describe the women she speaks of as progressive but her belief that the aspirational demi-monde would see the consequences and the error of the lifestyles they pursued and return to the archaic ideal of domesticity and innocence became less likely as time proceeded. Linton saw a woman’s desire for luxury and fashion as a sign that women were losing their virtue and they were no longer content to be “what God and nature had made them.” It seems to be Linton’s belief that denying the monotonous role that god had intended is an attitude that is shaping women to pursue a life full of vice and luxury rather than love and virtuous companionship. When a woman would focus more on her appearance it was considered an act to initiate temptations and sinful desires of the flesh. In modern times it is considered a societal norm to wear make-up and pursue a life of luxury; however In the 1800’s there were some who saw such freedoms as a decline in womanhood and an act against God’s intentions. Linton is an exemplary product of such beliefs that women should live a life of pure monotony, domestication, and they should not strive to attract negative attention. She believed that England  had once prided themselves on their modest, pure, and righteous English girls, were rapidly spiraling downward by becoming idolizing the common demi-monde for her fashion and luxury , which was a style that was gaining popularity during her time. Such attitudes demonstrated the belief that the girl of the period desired a man for his money over his heart and would only chose the path of marriage for her own pursuit for luxurious commodities. She believed that this classification of a woman was followed by the desire to marry a man’s carriage, title, and back account rather than the man himself.  She strongly believed that women were changing into what many believed to be a personal transformation that was derived from the idolization of the fashionable “demi-monde”  and by such a clouded pursuit and lack of virtue, she would render herself  unsuitable and undesirable for matronly affairs. A woman’s unholy desire to grasp public attention through fashion and the visible display of beauty led to male interest in her physical appearance rather than her domestic traits. Such examples of unnecessary and undesirable actions includes;  letting their hair be seen beyond the confides of their bonnets or wearing dresses below the shoulder blades, applying wax and greasy substances to her hair as a form of unnatural style, and trimming down her bonnet and adding lace or other decorative objects to attract attention. These actions were seen as suggestive towards partaking in the sins of the flesh. Many women who actually partook in such “sinful” actions were known for their lack of obedience and often cast out of society and even by their own family due to the condemnation placed on the family name.

In Arthur Symons’ poem “La Melinite; Moulin Rouge” He demonstrates the beauty of artistic talent used in a dark setting of immorality. His poem is about a popular dancer at the Moulin Rouge who was described by Symons as a person with impeccable talent and beauty being used for all the wrong reasons. When he refers to her dances as the “dance of shadows” he suggests that her form of dancing holds a sort of dark element. Even though Symons refers to the dancer La Melinite as a rose he still suggests there is a type of audacity in displaying a woman’s feminine features for the entertainment of men for a price through his use of dark diction such as his term “dance of shadow.” Such actions and beliefs from Symons is an example of how he was a product of his time and culture. These ideas and rules for what is socially acceptable was formulated through religious beliefs and teachings that demonstrated what was right, wrong and sinful through religious viewpoints,  thus causing such places as the Moulin Rouge to be considered a hopeless place indulged with the very pleasures that were considered sinful through societal perspective. In comparison to the movie  Memoirs of a Geisha that I have chosen to analyze is another prime example of the artistic roles played by women that did not follow societies ideals. The Moulin Rouge in Paris, France is a synonomous concept to “Okiya” or Geisha houses in Japan. Much like those at the Moulin Rouge, Geishas were considered artists with the talents of dance and song but were also seen in a negative light in the 19^th century when many prostitutes would pose as geishas to attract more clients. The original Geisha’s in the 1700’s were men and the art didn’t become more woman oriented until the late 1700’s. Just like the concept of the demi-monde in Linton’s “The Girl of the Period” and the Moulin Rouge in Arthur Symons’ poem, Geishas would never marry. Geishas were paid courtesans by the wealthy that would act as a companion to any paying client and would entertain their clients through the art of dance, music, calligraphy, and grace but they differed from the actual ideal of a demi-monde due to the fact that they were not paid for lustful pleasures until there was a really high bid for a meiko or young geisha who was paid to be a man’s unofficial wife or companion and she was paid to give up her innocence. Popular Geishas received many luxurious gifts for their entertainment services on top of the money paid such as expensive Kimonos or silk dresses. Geishas and the dancers at the Moulin Rouge were both known for their artistic contribution and their avoidance of marriage or committed relationships. Society would look down upon these artists for their sinful temptations and their desire for wealth and luxuries. If we were to look at such events in a contemporary perspective, we would notice a lot less censorship and a significant amount of acceptance and respect for such artistic displays. A modern version of the art of a geisha or the performances at the Moulin Rouge can be witness across the country through popular shows such a Burlesque. The art of Burlesque demonstrates the same concept of sexual temptation through the display of flesh but in a contemporary, bolder sense. What was considered scandalous back in the Victorian era that was discussed by Eliza Lynn Linton has progressed into a less censored version that corresponds with our contemporary though and culture. The negative outlook on painted faces and proper style of dress has evolved to a more liberal outlook. Fashion now plays a major role in society and has become a major aspect of contemporary culture all over the world. The negative perspectives of dance has become a major cultural enjoyment rather than a societal condemnation based on the regulations of God.

The societal perspective on Gender and Sexuality as a whole has progressed and changed throughout the years and demonstrates a more liberal outlook on what is considered sinful and unacceptable by society on a religious level. With religious influence fading more and more in our culture, we see a decline in negative attitudes and perspectives towards ideas that would normally cause gasps in disbelief.  Although religious influence has not completely vanished it has become more and more apparent that there is a decrease and censorship and a more contemporary, positive outlook on what was once socially unacceptable. Through advancements in fashion and through new forms of art such a Burlesque it can be said that the ideas presented by Linton in “The Girl of The Period” and the negative outlook towards The Moulin Rouse in Symons’ poem suggesting that there is some type of dark power taking part such events has now been seen as art and expressionism. If we look back on the era of the Geishas it was believed that one did not need to show much skin to create temptation, but regardless it was still their expectation to create a form of temptation to increase profits. Much like the art of Burlesque to day but with more of an inverted perspective; instead of showing little skin they focus and the art of the human body and increase profits by performing while showing most, but not all of their skin. An even more progressive element to the art of Burlesque and other form of contemporary dance is the amount of male performers. Male performers have become more common, even though they are still more women than men but in opposition to the past you would rarely find men performing in the Moulin Rouge, or becoming a Geisha in the 1800’s after the complete decline of male Geishas. With this contemporary comparison in mind we can see a more positive an progressive outlook on the roles of women and their rights to their own appearance and deciding what is acceptable for themselves.