To what extent do you agree that the women in Cousin Kate are heroic?

In today's lesson we discussed the question "To what extent do you agree that the women in Cousin Kate are heroic?" and what our opinions on this question were.


Persona

• She faces injustice but manages to come out on top. She does this by showing society that she isn't the traditional idea of a "fallen woman" as she stays strong and resists the negative views of society.
   Facing injustice - Neighbours look down on her "Call me an outcast thing"
                                            - Lord discarded her for other woman "Chose you, and cast me by."
   Comes out on top - Has son of Lord when Kate cannot have children "I've a gift you have not got, and seem not like to get"
   Not a fallen woman - Has son which is more important which gives her power and control "Your father would give lands for one to wear his coronet."
• She experiences an emotive journey which creates sympathy for her as she is a victim. However, she still holds her head high after all the criticism from society - "Call me an outcast thing"
  She has a son who she is proud of "my pride" despite the views of society and becomes strong and powerful over the Lord and waits for her victory "would give lands for one to wear his coronet"

Kate

• Kate has moral high ground for she doesn't have sex before marriage and so society look highly and proudly of her "He bound you with his ring" "The neighbours call you good and pure"
• Gains status by marrying a Lord (social climber) shows that poorer, more innocent people are rewarded. "He saw you at your father's gate" "He lifted you from mean estate"

However

• The women in Cousin Kate exhibit women's material desires Kate falls in love with the Lord's property and ring "Your love was writ in sand" "He'd not have won me with his land"
  Persona also exibits women's material desires despite her denying that she would have been "won" by the Lord's land, at the end of the poem she is awaiting her revenge where she will claim the Lord's land due to mothering his son. "would give lands for one to wear his coronet"
• Kate breaks family bonds for a man
• Man retains control "wore my like a silken knot, he changed me like a glove" "He bound you with his ring" 
• Women are bitter - the two women are divided over a man which portrays women's bitchyness but also how men are often the cause of fall outs.
• The poem focus's on women's bad points, e.g. bitterness, naivety, giving in to temptations. However, it doesn't show any good points of women and so makes it seem as though this represents all women.