"Thus, temporal context is critical for perception, including the perception of causation. The brain “chunks” or segre- gates perceived events according to its ability to package information in time, and such packaging, I propose, can be achieved by neuronal oscillators (Cycles 9 and 11). 
Here is another illustration of a “logical illusion” in which the brain falsely re- constructs the order of events. You are driving on a highway and a deer crosses the road. You slam on the brakes and avoid a collision. The mental reconstruction of the events is as follows. You noticed a deer (cause) and realized that it would be dangerous to hit the animal. So you decide to avoid it, push the brakes, and turn the steering wheel (effects). Laboratory replication of such real-world actions offers a different explanation. A deer appeared (first event), you braked (second event), and then you recognize the animal (third event). This sequence is proposed because reaction time to an unexpected event is less than half a second, whereas conscious recognition requires the recruitment of a large number of neurons in a large, distributed complex brain circuit, which takes longer than half a second.17 The false logic emerges from the difference between external time and brain- reconstructed time."
Rhythms of the Brain page 10

The brain's ability to perceive time is a process that extremely inherent to human existence, but so rarely understood in its full capacity. It is a process related to prediction, inference, forecast, and deduction in regard to calculating outcomes based on past knowledge. Time is recorded in the brain in order to aid in survival of human beings by learning from the past, and predicting potential danger or success. However, it is easy to apply causal relationships to situations that have discrepancies between external time and subjective time registered in the brain, as described in the quote above. This circumstance raises questions in regard to registering time through the accumulation of past experiences rather than the actual series of events. Additionally, in situations with multiple causes, how can a single source be identified? Many events occur in neuronal oscillations as numerous parts of constantly changing parts, making it impossible to decipher the actual causes. The brain's chunking mechanisms would fail in these circumstances, but are there ways for humans to train their minds to avoid these pitfalls? Could knowledge of the common mistakes in perception allow humans to avoid lapses in judgement in regard to time? Or is the brain essentially an organ that will function to recollect time in the same way? Also, could these lapses in the judgement of elapsed time be related to memory, such as the flaws of memory studied by Proust? The brain's complexity and mystery has been studied for ages, and will continue to be studied for centuries to come.

I have been researching for my paper and have found a few sources such as Unnatural Affections: Women and Fiction in the Later 18th Century by George E. Haggerty that have given me additional information about the 18th century. However, I am having trouble deciding on a thesis because of the numerous ways that I could approach Fantomina and gender roles in relation to the emotions curiosity and desire. I was thinking of focusing on desire alone and contrasting Fantomina's with Beauplaisir's, but I currently do not have enough critical sources in order to support my theories. I am thinking that I should set up a time to discuss this over office hours as soon as possible.

"Most of us unthinkingly regard it as a given: consciousness is what makes us what we are, what makes us human. It just happens. But cognitive scientists are aware that many organisms survive perfectly well without consciousness in the human, self-conscious sense, and so they ask, What is consciousness for? I am sure that this would strike most of us as a very odd question. However, you will be relieved to hear that the answer is a positive one. For example, the neuroscientist Antonio Damasio's answer to the question is that the 'devices of consciousness handle the problem of how an individual organism may cope with environmental challenges not predicted in its basic design such that the conditions fundamental for survival can still be met.'"

The Whole Mind page 89

"Mr. Collins was not left long to the silent contemplation of his successful love; for Mrs. Bennet, having dawdled about in the vestibule to watch for the end of the conference, no sooner saw Elizabeth open the door and with quick step pass her towards the staircase, than she entered the breakfast-room, and congratulated both him and herself in warm terms on the happy prospect or their nearer connection. Mr. Collins received and returned these felicitations with equal pleasure, and then proceeded to relate the particulars of their interview, with the result of which he trusted he had every reason to be satisfied, since the refusal which his cousin had steadfastly given him would naturally flow from her bashful modesty and the genuine delicacy of her character."
Pride and Prejudice chapter 16

"By buying and selling luxury items and services with the explicit aim of enhancing pleasure and reducing pain, men and women pursued happiness in the manner that both Locke and Hobbes described- as a 'continual progress of the desire, from one object to another, the attaining of the former desire still but the way to the latter.'"
Happiness: a History page 206

In the first quote, Jane Austen gives an example of the language used in regard to happiness in the 18th century. This moment, taking place after Mr. Collins has explicitly described his plans to keep Elizabeth happy with his substantial income and inheritance, exemplifies the concept of happiness described in Happiness: a History. The couple has a "happy prospect"according to Mrs. Bennet, who throughout the entire novel is concerned with marrying her daughters to men of wealth. In accordance with the 18th century concepts of happiness, Mrs. Bennet believes that her daughters will live long happy lives as long as they have suitable funds to satisfy them. Collins also is depicted as having "equal pleasure" in the matter. These two characters have entirely disregarded the lack of emotional fondness between Elizabeth and Collins as a result of the belief that happiness is gained from material gain, a topic supported by popular opinion in the 18th century.

Honors Option Blog Post:

“A woman could enhance her social status usually only by marrying. Women were often accused of undue social ambition, as were prosperous tenant farmers and anyone else who threatened, in the words of one observer, ‘to mingle every man with the class that is superior to him, and… to support a gay and splendid appearance utterly inconsistent with their station and circumstances.’ The upper classes liked to ridicule or pity the poor for their lack of social graces, but heaven help the man or woman who made an attempt to learn those graces. The reason for the hostility was simple: the appearance of gentility was often most of the substance of gentility.”

Daily Life in 18th-century England By Kirstin Olsen pages 15-16

"Certainly, my dear, nobody said there were; but as to not meeting with many people in this neighbourhood, I believe there are few neighbourhoods larger. I know we dine with four-and-twenty families."

-Mrs. Bennet

"Oh! certainly," cried his faithful assistant, "no [woman] can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with.  A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half-deserved."

-Miss Caroline Bingley

            The first quote above describes the strict stratification of social classes in 18^th century England, relating directly to Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice. In the novel, the Bennet family contains five young women who are out in society and in search of suitable husbands in order to maintain and enhance their place in society, due to the fact that statutes of inheritance of property dictated their meager wealth sent to a distant male cousin. Additionally, their mother has a pattern of eagerly seeking out proper husbands in a manner which could suggest she is “of undue social ambition” as mentioned by Kristen Olsen. The second quote comes from a speech of Mrs. Bennet’s that was given in response to a comment of the wealthy Mr. Darcy.  He stated that the country lacked the social qualities of the city, but Mrs. Bennet proclaims that he is blatantly wrong. However, she has overlooked the fact that Darcy has much higher standards for the people that he associates himself with. As well, Miss Bingley personifies the upper class sense of entitlement to ridicule all members of inferior social classes. The third quote mentions her depiction of a suitable upper class woman. Her requirements are lengthy and strict social graces that would only be possible to learn in a wealthy upper class. They lack, however, the critical independent thinking that defines Elizabeth Bennet in her role as a revolutionary woman who, though entirely vulnerable to poverty without a husband, maintains her values in direct contrast to her mother’s attitudes. The complexities and intricacies of the 18^th century social roles are exemplified in the characters of Miss Bingley and Mrs. Bennet, and are contrasted with the radical idea of an independent woman such as Elizabeth Bennet.

Thesis: Eliza Haywood's Fantomina, or Love in a Maze explores the damaging implications of 18th century depictions of curiosity and desire in women, as well as the absence of these implications for men. These themes are present in the descriptive language used throughout Fantomina’s corruption by a curiosity that becomes intense desire and shameful pregnancy, as well as the blameless sexual exploits of Beauplaisir.

The following are a few quote that I have begun to analyze and would use in my paper, but are in no way permanent or complete:

             “Therefore thought it not in the least a Fault to put in practice a little Whim which came immediately into her Head” In contrast to the later Fantomina who is full of curiosity and desire, she is initially depicted as an entirely innocent “Stranger to the World.” The above quote depicts her as not having any idea of the possible repercussions that follow indulging a curious whim. Her innocence is reasserted through the language of curiosity landing upon her. She has not actively sought out this state of mind, but is almost depicted to be a victim of its happenstance choice to land in her mind.

        Fantomina's plans to partake in experimenting with her curious whim "excited a curiosity in her to know in what manner these Creatures were address’d.” This quote, once again, depicts her innocence through the language in regard to the word creature. This word gives her curiosity a studious and scientific quality, suggesting that she is purely testing an innocent experiment rather than indulging in a potentially seductive fantasy. However, Fantomina’s curiosity is described as gaining the ability to give animation to an internal facet of her being. This is the beginning of a shift towards internal satisfaction of curiosity, rather than an innocent and passing whim.

        “She was naturally vain, and receiv'd no small Pleasure in hearing herself prais'd, tho' in the Person of another, and a suppos'd Prostitute.” In the quote above, Fantomina is listening to the adorations and praises of the men who wished that they could spend the night with her. This is the first example in which her curiosity has been described as giving pleasure, and this a great amount. Curiosity has become an indulgence to her conceited and proud cravings, and these are depicted as being natural to her character. Additionally, this is the first account of Fantomina’s personality being described to stray from innocence. It suggests that the girl’s curiosity has awoken the vain desire to be praised for her physical beauty.

        Fantomina shifta from receiving “no small Pleasure” to finding “a vast deal of Pleasure in conversing with him in this free and unrestrain'd Manner.” The language depicting the amount of pleasure she is receiving is becoming much more blatant and unrestrained, mirroring Fantomina’s actions. Her goals have shifted from being simply the testing of a social scientific experiment towards attaining pleasure from interacting with a man. The freedom that Fantomina is described to be experiencing has come from her curiously breaking from her role in society, and she is enjoying it immensely.

Quotes for the week:

"Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley's attentions to her sister, Elizabeth was far from suspecting that she was herself becoming an object of some interest in the eyes of his friend. Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticise. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she hardly had a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware; to her he was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with."

Pride and Prejudice Chapter 6

“It may mean that our enjoyment of fiction is predicated- at least in part- upon our awareness of our 'trying on' mental states potentially available to us but at a given moment differing from our own.”

Why We Read Fiction page 17

Thesis: Eliza Haywood's Fantomina, or Love in a Maze explores the negative implications of 18th century depictions of curiosity and desire for women, as well as the absence of these implications for men. These themes are present in the descriptive language used throughout Fantomina’s corruption by a curiosity that becomes intense desire and shameful pregnancy, as well as the blameless masculine sexual exploits of Beauplaisir.

I was hoping that by shifting my thesis and paper to cover more of the gendered nature of desire in this period that I would avoid rewriting my first paper and could actually use more of the information I have gathered. In order to plan my paper I have gathered my literary quotations and placed them in an order that seems appropriate, followed by a few of my notes.

·      “Therefore thought it not in the least a Fault to put in practice a little Whim which came immediately into her Head”

·      “having at that Time no other Aim, than the Gratification of an innocent Curiosity.— She had no sooner design'd this Frolick, than she put it in Execution”  

·      “young, a Stranger to the World,”

• · Innocent, external, experimental curiosity
• ·      “excited a curiosity in her to know in what manner these Creatures were address’d.”

o   Use these to depict her initial innocence

·      “She listen'd to 'em all, and was not a little diverted in her Mind at the Disappointment she shou'd give to so many, each of which thought himself secure of gaining her.”

·      “She was naturally vain, and receiv'd no small Pleasure in hearing herself prais'd, tho' in the Person of another, and a suppos'd Prostitute.”

o   Has begun to internalize curiosity and shift towards pleasurable goals of desire

·      “And she found a vast deal of Pleasure in conversing with him in this free and unrestrain'd Manner.”

• ·      “she in a Hackney-Chair hurry'd home to indulge Contemplation on the Frolick she had taken”
• ·      “She fearful, – confus'd, altogether unprepar'd to resist in such Encounters, and rendered more so, by the extreme Liking she had to him.”

·      “Strange and unaccountable were the Whimsies she was possess'd of, – wild and incoherent her Desires, – unfix'd and undetermin'd her Resolutions, but in that of seeing Beauplaisir in the Manner she had lately done.”

·      “it was only he whose Solicitations could give her Pleasure” No one else, zero religious concern

·      “Her Design was once more to engage him, to hear him sigh, to see him languish, to feel the strenuous Pressures of his eager Arms, to be compelled, to be sweetly forc'd to what she wished with equal Ardour, was what she wanted, and what she had form'd a Stratagem to obtain, in which she promis'd herself Success.” Clearly indulgence in unrestrained, instant sexual satisfaction

·      “and remembring the Height of Transport she enjoyed when the agreeable Beauplaisir kneel'd at her Feet, imploring her first Favours, she long'd to prove the same again.”

o   Has become purely desire and indulgence

In women, any curiosity, even in an innocent individual, is shown to have the ability to become an intense desire.

·      “THEY pass'd the Time of their Journey in as much Happiness as the most luxurious Gratification of wild Desires could make them”

·      “The Passion he profess'd for her, was not of that humble Nature which can be content with distant Adorations: – He resolv'd not to part from her without the Gratifications of those Desires she had inspir'd” – His discontented desire is her fault

·       “His wild Desires burst out in all his Words and Actions” –undeniably he allows desire to guide his choices

·      “BUT he varied not so much from his Sex as to be able to prolong Desire” –expected in society for men to stray and be inconsistent

·      “His Stay at Bath exceeded not a Month; but in that Time his suppos'd Country Lass had persecuted him so much with her Fondness, that in spite of the Eagerness with which he first enjoy'd her, he was at last grown more weary of her, than he had been of Fantomina” Though he initially was extremely intent on being with her, his desire has once again failed to last

·      “being tir'd of her Conversation, he was willing to be at liberty to pursue new Conquests; and wisely considering that Complaints, Tears, Swooning, and all the Extravagancies which Women make use of in such Cases, have little Prevailence over a Heart inclin'd to rove, and only serve to render those who practice them more contemptible, by robbing them of that Beauty which alone can bring back the [Page 268] fugitive Lover” –women are blamed for becoming less attractive to men who cheat by becoming upset

·      “This, indeed, must be said of Beauplaisir, that he had a [Page 278] greater Share of good Nature than most of his Sex, who, for the most part, when they are weary of an Intreague, break it entirely off, without any Regard to the Despair of the abandon'd Nymph. Though he retain'd no more than a bare Pity and Complaisance for Fantomina, yet believing she lov'd him to an Excess, would not entirely forsake her, though the Continuance of his Visits was now become rather a Penance than a Pleasure.” – this man is respected in society because he remains in contact with Fantomina out of pity for her female emotions, while most would be expected to abandon her. Suggests that nearly all men flee from woman to woman, with their desire quickly causing them to discard of each woman carelessly in search of a new exciting encounter. Only the good ones will remain in any slight contact with their pitiful ex-lovers.

·       “O that all neglected Wives, and fond abandon'd Nymphs would take this Method! – Men would be caught in their own Snare, and have no Cause to scorn our easy, weeping, wailing Sex!” Reiterates that men are inconstant in their devotion and that women can only fight this by manipulating the fleeting nature of male desire.

Desire is an acceptable and expectable trait in men, but is a shameful dishonor in women.

·      “She found the Consequences of her amorous Follies would be, without almost a Miracle, impossible to be concealed: – She was with Child”

·      “and little fearing any Consequence which could ensue from such an Encounter, resolv'd to rest satisfy'd till he was inform'd of every Thing from herself”

·      “All the Pity and Tenderness she had been for some Moment before possess'd of, now vanish'd, and were succeeded by an adequate Shame and Indignation”

·      “he never had a Thought which tended to her Dishonour.”

·      “a Parent she had dishonour'd in such a Manner”

·      “I cannot live, and bear this Shame!”

·      “Is this the Gentleman, (said she,) to whom you owe your Ruin?”

·      (not sure how to use this one) “Oh! no, (resum'd the trembling Creature,) he is, indeed, the innocent Cause of my Undoing”

·      “The Blame is wholly her's, and I have nothing to request further of you, than that you will not divulge the distracted Folly she has been guilty of.”

·      “as soon as [Page 291] her Daughter was in a Condition, sent her to a Monastery in France”

o   ends in her total shame and exclusion from society, while he remains respected and deemed innocent.

Eliza Haywood's Fantomina, or Love in a Maze compares, contrasts, and explores a possible transition between 18th century depictions of curiosity and desire.

I am still working on which specific methods Haywood uses in order to accomplish these goals, but I think there is a definite ability to find similarities, differences, and describe the transition suggested to occur between curiosity and desire in Fantomina.

“Dismissing then those pretty feminine phrases, which the men condescendingly use to soften our slavish dependence, and despising that weak elegancy of mind, exquisite sensibility, and sweet docility of manners, supposed to be the sexual characteristics of the weaker vessel, I wish to shew that elegance is inferior to virtue, that the first object of laudable ambition is to obtain a character as a human being, regardless of the distinction of sex; and that secondary views should be brought to this simple touchstone.”

Page 264 Excerpts from “A Vindication of the Rights of Women”

“'Tis the gross Lust of Hate, that still annoys,

Without Distinction, as gross Love enjoys:
Neither to Folly, nor to Vice confin'd;
The Object of thy Spleen is Human Kind:
It preys on all, who yield or who resist;
To Thee 'tis Provocation to exist.”

Page 189 "Verses Address'd to the Imitator of Horace" by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

Another interesting consideration of the passage of time in Tristram Shandy:

“Though this has taken up some time in the narrative, it took up little more time in the transaction, than just to allow time for Phutatorius to draw forth the chesnut, and throw it down with violence upon the floor -- and for Yorick, to rise from his chair, and pick the chesnut up.  Though this has taken up some time in the narrative, it took up little more time in the transaction, than just to allow time for Phutatorius to draw forth the chesnut, and throw it down with violence upon the floor -- and for Yorick, to rise from his chair, and pick the chesnut up.” p288

The quote above from Tristram Shandy is yet another allusion to the concept of time in this novel by Sterne. The reader has considered the strange chronology of this sequence of events, as well as a series of flashbacks and divergences. The precluding, slightly vulgar, scene of chaos was detailed at great length and with details and slight tangents. In addition, this quote leads the reader to consider the length of time necessary to describe the circumstances and true nature of the experience, but it makes them consider the length of time that they have spent attempting to understand it. In doing so, Sterne raises a many complex questions about the ability to record the sensations and details necessary to relay the full truth of an experience, the readers understanding of time passing in the text, as well as their own actual time required to read it. It seems that a constant suggestion that life is constantly moving at a pace much too swift for man to record it in any real way without neglecting details that Sterne and Tristram clearly believe are essential. These are patterns and concepts that are multilayered and extremely complex in attempting to understand, but Tristram Shandy delves into the topic with this approach, forcing the reader to consider the elapsing of time from many new points of view.

This week while reading Tristram Shandy and studying memory, I had trouble finding two quotes to specifically compare and discuss.  However, I noticed that the pattern of conversation used by Sterne could clearly be compared to Models for the Memory.

“—And so to make sure of both systems, Mrs. Wadman predetermined to light my uncle Toby neither at this end or that; but like a prodigal’s candle, to light him, if possible, at both ends at once.” Page 390 Chapter XVI Tristram Shandy

“ The proof of a good memory lies not in the simple retention and regurgitation even of large amounts of material. Rather, it is in the ability to move it about instantly, directly, and securely that it is admired.” Pages 21-22 Models for the Memory

            As described in the second quote above, Augustine believed that quality memory entailed a type of deeper understanding than the working memory valued today. If an individual’s memory was at the level of rote repetition, it would be considered animalistic as suggested in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. Sterne’s writing Tristram Shandy depicts a character who, in telling a story, is frequently distracted by tangents and random thoughts that interrupt the story telling process. However, whether the break from one thought is one paragraph long or several pages long, Tristram usually continues the thought later in the novel. The quote above is the continuation of the thought first mentioned in the beginning of the prior Chapter XV. The ability to continue these thoughts after large gaps of tangents seems to portray Augustine’s concept of a true memory, with the ability to speak of the topic forward, backward, and beginning at different points. His chaotic structure, while preventing the structure of any true plot, is a fascinating portrayal of the mind’s memory progression while in a constant conversation with the reader.

By considering the focus of a character’s attention, could a reader’s interpretation of a novel be drastically altered?

            “Some people were more liable to be upset or disgusted than others. Without caution, a reliance on personal and literary documents made by (potentially) hyper-sensitive individuals might lead to an exaggeration of the prevalence of nuisances and susceptibilities to annoyance and disturbance.”

The City in a Hubbub pages 1-2

“…so that I was doom’d, by marriage articles, to have my nose squeez’d as flat to my face, as if the destinies had actually spun me without one.”

Tristram Shandy page 29

 “..He will moreover have various

            Accounts to reconcile:

            Anecdotes to pick up:

            Inscriptions to make out:

            Stories to weave in:

            Traditions to sift:

            Personages to call upon…”

Tristram Shandy page 26

            In order to understand a novel, one must consider many different aspects of the author’s intentions in portraying the character’s attention. The first quote describes the complexity in interpreting history based on human experience alone. This complexity lies in the variation of human attention, such as a negative individual’s exaggerated irritation or an excess of compassion in the opinion of a doting mother. Authors can manipulate this variation in focus in order to portray a character’s true nature. In the novel Tristram Shandy, the main character speaks in a very dramatic, self aware manner. He speaks as if his life, in its entirety, is a tale of doom and destiny. The narrator’s constant focus on himself and his tale implies that he is giving his account of events in the manner that suits this type of individual, perhaps denying other valid interpretations. This gives the reader an understanding of his own personal identity and allows the reader to view the rest of the novel through this lens of understanding. Additionally, the author mentions directly that history can only be interpreted with the complex interpretation of numerous accounts and cultural biases, suggesting that the reader should consider the point of view of the novel itself. In considering the portrayal of a character’s attention in a novel, the reader can grasp the true meaning intended by the author.

How have authors prevented readers from disliking characters in literature with invasive character flaws, such as the misguided obsession belonging to Arabella in The Female Quixote?

“Many writers, for the sake of following nature, so mingle good and bad qualities in their principal personages, that they are both equally conspicuous; and as we accompany them through their adventures with delight, and are led by degrees to interest ourselves in their favour, we lose the abhorrence of their faults, because they do not hinder our pleasure, or, perhaps, regard them with some kindness for being united with so much merit.”

The Rambler page 2

“If the gentleman was surprised at this address, he was much more astonished at the beauty of her who made it: her stature; her shape; her inimitable complexion; the lustre of her fine eyes, and the thousand charms that adorned her whole person, kept him a minute silently gazing upon her, without having the power to make her an answer.”

The Female Quixote page 99

            The first quote above describes a facet of literature present in The Female Quixote, one that allows the reader to have a positive perception of an imperfect character. As mentioned in the quote, writers humanize their characters by giving them both positive and negative traits. In doing so, readers view the characters to be more similar to human beings and can enjoy their troubles and accomplishments with a human understanding of their natures. Their flaws can be disregarded with consideration of their qualities. In the case of Arabella in The Female Quixote, her appearance is one of the qualities that are used to balance her intensive obsession with ancient romantic novels. After addressing a stranger in an extensive, dramatic manner that would be proper only in ancient romances, she receives the pleasurable description quoted above. An understanding of Arabella’s innate belief that reality is one in nature with romantic novels is paired with an extremely flattering description of her appearance. This structure gives the reader a sense that the character is neither solely good or bad, and can even lead the reader to view her trials with a perspective of fond concern.

“At four years of age he took her from under the direction of the nurses and women appointed to attend her, and permitted her to receive no part of her education from another, which he was capable of giving her himself.”

The Female Quixote page 6

“Like the Dutch, raising their dykes against the sea’s predatory advances, the (?)es in this book use their obsessions to block out the world’s dangers. What are these dangers? The troubling answer is that they are all the powerful in that they cannot be located.”

Introduction page 4

            The desire for steadfast protection from unknown dangers is a common human tendency that is amplified in obsessive circumstances. As mentioned in the quote above from the Introduction, the possibilities of danger gain their strength in their utterly unpredictable nature. In lacking the knowledge of specific menaces to fear, one will imagine extreme danger in every situation. In order to prevent these limitless dangers from harming the focus of one’s attention, one will “raise their dykes against the sea’s predatory advances.” In other words, one will take extreme measures to guard the focus of their obsession from any potential harm. In The Female Quixote, the Marquis was undeservedly disgraced and banished from court, and was in a “secret discontent.” As a result, he took up a brief courtship of a beautiful woman of good sense, married her, and moved to the country where he planned to spend the rest of his life, away from the cruelty of society. When his wife died in childbirth, his affection was transferred to the new babe. However, as a result of his negative experiences with society and the loss of his wife, his daughter and their isolation from the dangerous world becomes his sole obsessive focus. The quote above reveals his rejection of society and hesitation towards any external influences, even in the forms of nurses or teachers. Marquis would rather to be the sole influence in his daughter’s life than risk her being harmed by the innumerable potential dangers that exist in society. The man uses isolation from the outside world as a shield against further harm in their lives.

Where does responsibility lie with individuals who are entrapped by the influence of love?

“Miss Flora retired to her chamber, indeed, not to employ herself in the manner she pretended, but to give a loose to passions more inordinate and outrageous, than it would naturally be believed could have taken possession of so young a heart.

But it is now high time to let the reader see into the secret springs, which set her wicked wit in motion, and induced her to act in the manner she had done.”

Miss Betsy Thoughtless p219

“Love, like the grape’s potent juice, but heightens Nature, and makes the conceal’d Sparks of Good, or Ill, blaze out, and show themselves to the wond’ring World! It gives an Energy to our Wishes, a Vigour to our Understanding, and adds to the Violence of our Desires, but alters not the Bent of them.”

Reflections on the Various Effects of Love p114

Love has corrupted the common sense and good intentions of mankind throughout history, but where does the responsibility of individuals who act under this passionate spell exist in literature? In Miss Betsy Thoughtless, the main character’s cohort, and roommate, betrays Betsy as a result of her broken heart. Flora’s actions were extraordinarily calculating and malicious, but occur while under the influence of an encompassing jealousy and shattered emotional state. In the second quote, a simile compares the potency of love to that of wine. Love, like alcohol, adds enthusiasm to ordinary feelings. Does this compulsory power sway mankind’s liability while under the control of love? Could those who act under these impulses be considered innocent due to temporary drunken passion? Or would they be held responsible for these malicious actions? In the case of Flora, she has many motivations for her spiteful actions. Betsy is often vain and imprudent about her suitors. Flora desires these men, but is neglected while the men chase after Betsy. Her constant heartbreak is easily empathized with by the reader, suggesting that perhaps Betsy deserves the distress that is caused by Flora’s plotting. Or could one argue that Betsy, herself, was acting as a girl under the influence of overwhelming love and attention? The obscure nature of responsibility in regard to actions of love is a complex topic of interest.

In what ways can curiosity affect the human psyche as well as society as a whole?

 “…Elite and ignorant curiosity: both threaten the status quo. Curiosity resists control, both as appetite and as a material object.”

Introduction page 5

“Never had she been in such a Dilemna: Three of Four Times did she open her Mouth to confess her real Quality; but the influence of her ill stars prevented it, by putting an Excuse into her Head, which did the Business as well, and at the same Time did not take from her the Power of seeing and entertaining him a second time with the same Freedom she had done this.”

Fantomina page 3

            Fantomina by Eliza Haywood is a tale of a woman who pursues the man of her desire by disguising herself in a series of different personas from diverse social classes. In each form, she becomes the focus of his affection and then she takes a new appearance when he begins to search for a new love interest. The girl considers revealing the truth of her identity in the quote above, but is unable to do so as a result of the excuses in her mind that urge her to continue the scheme. This is an example of the power which curiosity holds over the human psyche. The character’s logical thoughts are dismissed by her curios desire to continue her scandalous ploy. As well as portraying the authority held by curiosity in the mind, Fantomina’s adaptation of several different identities in various social classes reveals the ability of curiosity to disrupt the status quo. This woman represents the true flexibility of social stratification and the ease at which one can traverse the classes. As stated in the primary quote from the Introduction, curiosity resists control as both a passionate human emotion and as an entity that can change the way society functions.

“I was lying in my bed, or Hammock, awake, very well in Health, had no Pain, no Distemper, no Uneasiness of Body; no, nor any Uneasiness of Mind, more than ordinary; but could by no means close my Eyes; that is, so as to sleep; no, not a Wink all night long, otherwise than as follows: It is as impossible, as needless, to set down the innumerable Crowd of Thoughts that whirl’d through that great thorow-fare of the Brain, … ever since I had seen the Print of a Foot in the Sand.”

Defoe, Robinson Crusoe; Pages 141-142

      “Always on the move, avaricious curiosity never paused to savor any single experience, even the most perfect of its kind; this is ‘why the sequence of chords pleases us more than the continuation of the same chord, even if it were the most melting in all of music,’ as Mersenne put it.

Daston, Wonders and the Order of Nature; Page 308

                  Defoe’s character Robinson Crusoe is a man of great curiosity, as portrayed in this quote. This point in the novel is part of a new episode in Crusoe’s life on the island. He has been alone but for the company of his tamed creatures throughout the last ten or so years, and by chance one day comes across one solemn human footprint in the sand. This evidence of other humankind sends Crusoe into a panicked state, during which he fortifies his home, crops, and livestock from the observation of the mysterious being who left their mark upon his beach. However, after his numerous safety precautions are in place, he remains unsatisfied and unable to quiet his thoughts. The metaphor comparing his brain to a “great thorow-fare” portrays the mind as a large roadway in which an excess of crowded thoughts travel in all directions, and each thought with its own destination and unique journey. This image is similar to that of the mind being in constant motion in the quote taken from Daston. Crusoe has spent time and energy putting into place every possible defense, but he remains thoroughly intrigued with this footprint to the extent that he is unable to sleep. As Daston mentions, he is unable to enjoy his moment of safety and general well being due solely to the fact that he is curious about this unknown being. Daston’s quote contains the words of another individual, who compares the sequence of thought in the curious mind to the sequence of chords played in a song. It is clear that Crusoe’s mind is a constant curious blur of thought, moving from one idea to the next in a way that makes sense of Mersenne’s words. Crusoe’s curiosity is much like a sequence of musical chords, never ceasing to enjoy one single experience, but preferring to question and ponder long into the night.