Narrative Rapport: A Feminist Lens of The Parvenue by Mary Shelley

Narrative Rapport: A Feminist Lens of The Parvenue

Mary Shelley’s short story, "The Parvenue" has innumerable and complex themes and motifs on the surface upon an initial reading, such as class, feminism, familial and romantic relationships, societal issues, and mental health. It’s up for interpretation from many perspectives, with varying degrees of criticism or pity for the narrator. But close study and understanding of Shelley’s intentions with her choices of rhetorical devices reveals that her intentions are to provide a sympathetic view on girls’ and women’s experiences, an often overlooked facet of the century that she brings attention to. She reveals the complex challenges they faced by shedding light on her narrator's intentions and regrets. Mary Shelley’s "The Parvenue," shocks readers into an feminist and sympathetic reading experience upon the utilization of specific punctuation and emotion driven diction in introductory and concluding asides from the narrator to depict her as a victim rather than perpetrator of her own unhappiness. 

Shelley utilizes rhetorical devices in the form of questions, as well as diction, to allow Fanny to open her short story with a dramatic introduction that directly addresses the reader, creating an intimate and personal reading experience that builds trust and a relationship with the narrator. The reader becomes drawn in with the powerful statement, “Why do I write my melancholy story?” (Shelley 262) followed by more reflective questions that foreshadows the central theme of the story as an exploration of female identity. The story is more than just wondering where she went wrong, it is a visceral, soul-searching question of what is the point of the entire endeavor that is her life that had been frustrating due to the pressures put on her as a young woman through marriage and her role in her family. The ambiguity of the statement that is punctuated with a question mark and the choice of the word “why” poses a question and make the reader actively engage in the narrative as a confidant figure to Fanny. She proceeds to ask more questions, “Am I evil-minded—am I wicked? What have been my errors, that I am now an outcast and wretched?” (Shelley 262). The reflective tone emphasized by the repetitive questions foreshadows the meaning of the story to be ambiguous and a practice of reflection rather than a direct recounting of the narrator's life that would be more up for interpretation and criticism on behalf of the audience. By adding the term “melancholy,” Shelley develops the narrative voice as plaintive and reminds readers that Fanny is young and perhaps not at fault as they continue reading the story; They are more inclined to engage with the text with empathy and trust upon detecting Fanny’s self-aware and conscious tone. The reader instinctively sympathizes with a narrator who is not narcissistic, the narrator will be less likely to be suspicious of the narrator’s reliability or potential embellishment of the story. Strong diction such as “evil-minded” and “wicked” further emphasizes the questions as a deeply personal view into her inner-conflict and headspace before allowing the readers to continue. The emotionally raw and persuasive tone through choice of words by Fanny also serves to complete this purpose. Readers become participants in the protagonist's journey by becoming strongly invested, curious, and genuinely concerned for Fanny, making the story more immersive, introspective, and thought-provoking. The use of rhetorical devices and literary devices in the form of the repetition of questions and powerful diction is relevant to set the stage for readers to view Fanny’s personal growth journey with the intended lenses of compassion as she navigates her marriage, family life, and societal expectations. 

Shelley fills the last passage of the story with more rhetorical and stylistic devices in the form of exclamation points and metaphors to conclude the narrator’s painful recounting of her youth cut short in the face of an unsympathetic 19th century setting. Fanny reflects on her journey once more in the conclusion, circling back to the narrative style of the introduction. She breaks the flow of her storytelling to metaphorically face and confide in the reader once more, “Oh! my home, and recollections of my youth, where are ye now? envenomed by serpents’ stings, I long to close my eyes on every scene I have ever viewed” (Shelley 272). She recalls a beginning passage regarding the joy and peace of her youth, prompting the reader to remember and join her in feeling the pain and reminiscence while she rhetorically asks herself where it all went. The exclamation of “Oh!” contributes to the expression of her frustration while the metaphor of “serpents’ stings” further adds to the grief and paints a vivid image in the reader's minds, drawing an empathetic response from her audience she directly addresses. She hyperbolizes by saying, “ I long to close my eyes on every scene I have ever viewed,” to express that she is drawn towards a depressed and regretful view on how her life has turned out, and later in the passage, states, “I desire to die” (Shelley 272). The cyclical style of the narrative voice at the beginning and end further conveys the theme of self-reflection and convinces the reader to feel more tenderness and concern for Fanny, who contemplates her actions and regrets. Through such elements, Shelley once more reminds the readers like she did in the introduction of her purpose to characterize Fanny as a young adult who is not at fault for how her marriage turned out. Shelley ensures that readers do not put Fanny to blame by creating a conversational and confessional tone, punctuated by exclamations and questions, and cries of sorrow and guilt. By delving into Fanny’s headspace and building a relationship between the reader and narrator, she humanizes and brings her to life, encouraging readers to share her feminist view that does not put Fanny to blame.

The Parvenue recounts the story of Fanny’s failed marriage and ultimate decision to choose her family over her spouse, a choice that changes the trajectory of her life and causes a lot of self-doubt within her. Shelley utilizes literary devices such as punctuation to create stylistically repetitive questions and exclamations, as well as metaphors and diction to create an honest and emotional tone in the introduction and concluding passage’s asides to establish strong rapport. By doing so, she conveys her purpose of the story as a feminist work, not as a criticism of greed or karma for attempts to climb the social ladder. Although the narrator continues to fall into the gender stereotypes by being self-deprecating through her critical self-view, it serves to highlight the ways in which she breaks out of the boxes in the story by choosing her family over her husband; She sticks to her true values, despite the urge to regret such decisions that contrast societal expectations. Thus, such candid conversation sprinkled with careful stylistic choices in specific passages emphasizes "The Parvenue" as a compelling feminist work that encourages compassion when exploring the complexities of a young woman's experiences in a society rife with constraints.

Works Cited

Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. “The Parvenue.” Tales and Stories, Gregg Press, Boston, 1975, pp. 262–273.