Lady Delacour’s Resentment of the “Ideal Woman” Standard in Edgeworth’s Belinda

Authors

• Kayla J. Baur, CUNY Queens CollegeFollow

Document Type

Working Paper

Publication Date

Fall 2021

Abstract

Maria Edgeworth’s nineteenth-century novel Belinda (1801) follows the tale of seventeen-year-old Belinda Portman who is sent away by her notorious match-making aunt to lodge with the reputable Lady Delacour in the hopes of having her find a suitable husband. Women must take great care to present themselves as worthy, respectable damsels during the process of finding suitors, which means they must associate with respectable crowds and show society they are capable of becoming the “ideal woman”. An ideal woman during this time is expected to simultaneously fulfill her obligations as an obedient wife, an attentive and nurturing mother, and a humble member of society. Belinda aspires to meet this standard, but the woman meant to guide her, Lady Delacour, does not meet this criterion of the ideal woman. Lady Delacour prefers the public over the domestic sphere, and engages in witty repartee that some would see as at odds with the moral seriousness of the domestic life that is expected of her.  The maltreatment of her husband and estrangement from her only daughter, Helena, is motivated by the loss of her children and belief that disease has limited her lifetime — motivation which is unbeknownst to them for most of the novel. Lady Delacour's shortcomings in meeting this standard of the ideal woman become most apparent in chapter nine when she and Belinda discuss a letter sent by Helena. The contents of Helena’s letter -- especially her praise of Lady Percival, her latest caretaker -- subtly positions the lifestyle and disposition of Lady Percival as a model for the ideal woman, which Lady Delacour openly resents because she does not meet this model herself. Ultimately, she chooses to ignore the harsh truths hiding behind her resentment because it is easier than admitting them outright.