Wife Of Martin Guerre example essay topic

Texts are made to position their audiences in relation to specific values and attitudes. In The novel The Wife of Martin Guerre by Janet Lewis, these values and attitudes however may be presented in various forms and types. For example the strong evident value of morality and religion is portrayed as extremely important and is presented in major turning points of the story. This position's the reader to understand and take on the perspective that religion and moral standards were of high value to people within, Artigues 16th century France.

Although an assortment of values and attitudes appear in The Wife of Martin Guerre, several draw attention to specific values and attitudes for their significance in comprehending the text. Values and attitudes are presented to position the audience in numerous different ways. However these ways can be moulded to situate the reader into assessing the point a certain way or adopting a negative / positive view. For example, when Bertrande's husband, Martin Guerre is struck by his father for not obeying his ruling. This contextually is accepted and seen as a usual way of authority for the family. However this type of value in the 16th century is positioned in the story to give a negative approach to the modern day reader because today's ideologies of harmony and human equality are now highly valued, differing from The Wife of Martin Guerre.

A major issue in The Wife of Martin Guerre is Bertrande conflict with society. Bertrande has issues with herself and about speaking of her suspicion in spite of martins family and the priest telling her to ignore them. - We feel positive towards bertrande because the lengths she has gone to be honest and speak the truth and in our day and age we value that approach to dilemmas. This is positioned to tell the audience that she is choosing the value honesty over society's ideologies.

Positive independence promotes and upholds support for her for "stepping out of the square". All characters are subjected to a form of authority. For example the priest is authority to the church. Women are under constant authority by men and women authority to children and so on.

Although this system is relentless and restricts many individuals, it also ensures security. Nobody was ever confused by this system which perhaps is why it was so rare for people to go outside the system. The Wife of Martin Guerre positions the reader to accept this by showing that their roles in society are solid. "The great peace with his authority created for his household.".. "Because of him, the farm was safe therefore Artigues, and therefore Languedoc the whole world was safe as it should be" (pg 17). These quotes employ values of Patriarchies.

Patriarchies are promoted in the text The Wife of Martin Guerre through the clear home structure. And links back to the idea of authority and its value. As seen in 16th century France, this was a foundation of their lives. However it is positioned to tell us in ways such as violence and domination.

Authority challenges the male domination in a case when Bertrande stands to find the truth in her dilemma, expressing rebellion but today we value this as a form of justice and equality. Ways of positioning audiences can be shown by the author positioning the text to be negative or positive. For example when Martin Guerre leaves in fear of his father and comes "back" after 8 years, Bertrande and his family are overwhelmed with happiness and closure. Bertrande although appears to be more fulfilled and loved, she realises this man however is not Martin Guerre.

Contextually, Bertrande should have put up with this suspicion as advised strongly by her family and her priest. We see she has put up effort to convict this man for his sin (and hers) but her heart was not in it, she loved him for the comfort, passion and authority in which she had been deprived of for 8 years. This is valued today in some ways because she chose the brave, honest way to solve the problem but in context to 16th century France she was cast out, looked down upon because they value laws and religion, to Martin she had committed adultery and that was it. It was looked upon as extremely negative as it went against religion.

The Wife of Martin Guerre is a psychological story, more so than a love story. We read much of feelings; injustice, authority and freedom that make us form strong opinions of these specific values. These where positioned values and attitudes as they where portrayed in a society that is overruled by male authority and harsh judgement. We today, see 16th century context ruthlessly because of the strict authority and rules that is not present of valued in today's society. In The Wife of Martin Guerre the breaking of many traditions is not common, in contrary to today as many traditions are broken that we find it hard to understand their consistence to remain conservative and stick by tradition.

These ideologies and values in The Wife of Martin Guerre perhaps are positioned in many abrupt ways but it is made clear the values and attitudes they uphold and value in their society..