As Jean Muir, the central character in Behind A Mask unfolds, she is depicted as an observant woman with a ruthless and conniving plot to move up in the ranks of society. Entering the Coventry household— members of the English gentry— Jean guises herself as a meek, nineteen year old girl. Near the end of the first chapter, after the Coventry family initially accepts her as an innocent young lady, Jean goes to her room and reveals herself as an actress to the reader, however, at the end of the first chapter. “‘Come, the curtain is down, so I may be myself for a few hours, if actresses ever are themselves’” (Alcott 11). The last part of her statement leads me to question if she is a woman of many faces, even to the reader. However, I thought her physical metamorphosis was very interesting: “…she removed the long abundant braids from her head, wiped the pink from her face, took out several pearly teeth, and slipping off her dress appeared herself indeed, a haggard, worn, moody woman of thirty at least” (Alcott 12).
In every novel we’ve read so far in class, the character(s) have been on a quest, seeking to fulfill a greater purpose in their life. In The Blithedale Romance it was to live the ideal American pastoral life; although, with each character seeking their own hidden agenda. John Rollin Ridge wrote that Joaquin’s goal, in Joaquin Murieta, was to get revenge for the oppressed, which is mainly justice for him alone. And finally, in Alcott’s Behind A Mask, Jean Muir is on her own quest for affluence and financial security in a society dominated by men. Does Jean surrender her own integrity, and/or all of her true identity, while performing in the different parts she takes on through the novel?
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Very interesting post. I hadn't put together the idea that all of our books so far have had a charcater on a quest for greater fulfillment. I was having a hard time digesting Murieta and this put it in a different light, which I needed.
ReplyDeleteThe quest idea is interesting and so is the question of identity, Carissa.
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to say what Jean Muir's true identity even is in order to discuss whether she is compromising her own integrity or not. It seems evident that one of her most distinct qualities is that she really gets her kicks from manipulating everyone she comes into contact with. Though she reaches her goal in the end of the novel, her marriage will certainly limit her ability to manipulate people outside of the home and might even force her into a greater level of submissiveness than she desires. So while I dont believe that she surrenders her identity to reach her goal, it seems more likely that the attainment of her goal is equivalent to the surrender of her manipulative identity.
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