8/12/2019 Essay 2 the Lady of Shalott

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Profesor Jos Francisco Fernndez Snchez

LARIOCASTELLN, Ana MaraLi!era!"ra In#$esa IIIFrida% &&!hMarch '(&&

The Lady of Shalott)% Lord Tenn%son

The Lady of Shalott is a narra!i*e +oe )% Lord Tenn%son in -hich he !e$$s "s !he Ar!h"rian$e#end of !he Lad% of Sha$o!!.

This +oe is f"$$ of ia#es. Fro % +oin! of *ie-, !he irror and !he dress she is -ea*in#are !he os! i+or!an! ones, )eca"se !he irror is her /!ic0e!1 !o $oo0 o"!side !he -indo- and !he-e) re+resen!s -ha! !he irror ref$ec!s fro !he -or$d. F"r!herore, !he% are a$so !-o rec"rren!s%)o$s in "ni*ersa$ $i!era!"re. The irror, and no! 2"s! !he irror, )"! a$so !he ref$ec!ion i!se$f,reinds e !he %!h of Narciss"s or Sno- 3hi!e4 and !a$0in# a)o"! !he -e) !he ia#e of Pene$o+e-ea*in# -hi$e she -ai!s for Od%sse"s coes in!o % ind. There are, of co"rse, differences, )"!,in % *ie-, Lad% of Sha$o!! is a ne- Pene$o+e, e*en ore "n$"c0% !han !he firs! one, )eca"se !he

Lad% of Sha$o!! $ac0s freedo, ean-hi$e !he 5ree0 -as ore or $ess free. She -as 2"s! a +risonerof -ai!in#. 6o-e*er, !he Lad% of Sha$o!! is no! free in an% -a%. She is no! 2"s! $oc0ed in a !o-er,she can no! $oo0 o"!side. I can no! decide -hich ac!ion is ore cr"e$. 3e can a$so #o in!o !heaazin# $and of in!er+re!a!ion and see !his $ac0 of $i)er!% no! 2"s! +h%sica$$%, )"! +s%cho$o#ica$$%.And !o #o f"r!her, $e! see -oen of !he +as! ref$ec!ed in Lad% of Sha$$o!7s $ac0 of freedo. For a#es-oen had no ri#h!s, no +ro+er!ies, no one%, !he% had !o fo$$o- *er% s!ric! r"$es of )eha*io"r,!he% -ere $i0e o)2ec!s in a -or$d r"$ed )% en. Ta$0in# in a e!a+horic -a%, !he% -ere, af!er a$$,

+risoners in !heir e*er%da% $i*es, $i0e Lad% of Sha$o!!. The% sa- !he -or$d !hro"#h /!he irror1 of!heir fa!her firs! and !heir h"s)and $a!er. The% did no! see !he -or$d direc!$%, $i0e Lad% of Sha$o!!.3ha! -i$$ ha++en if !he%, -oen in #enera$, and Lad% of Sha$o!! in +ar!ic"$ar, see !he o"!side -or$d-i!ho"! !he he$+ of !he irror8 The irror -i$$ )rea0. This )rea0 of !he irror can a$so s%)o$izes!he )rea0 of r"$es )% -oen. 9"! are !he conse:"ences +osi!i*e or ne#a!i*e8 Lad% of Sha$o!! dies

)eca"se des+i!e !he c"rse, she $oo0s direc!$% o"!side, in !he sae -a% -oen -ho )ro0e !he r"$es-ere +"nished. 5oin# )ac0 !o Lad% of Sha$o!! herse$f, )rea0in# !he c"rse eans dea!h !o !his-oan. 3h% does she )rea0 !he c"rse af!er $o! of %ears +risoner of herse$f in !his !o-er8 9eca"se ofa an, Sir Lance$o!. 3hen she $oo0s )% !he -indo- /she $ef! !he -e), she $ef! !he $oo1, she $ef!e*er%!hin# d"e !o a an. The a++ari!ion of Sir Lance$o! eans !he end of !he s!or%, !he end of $ife.9"!, -as she )e!!er -ea*in# and -ea*in# fore*er $oo0in# !hro"#h a irror -ha! is ha++enin#o"!side8 This is no! a $ife, !his is $i*in# )eca"se of $i*in#. There are no dis!rac!ions, no f"n, noha++iness for her. I !hin0 Sir Lance$o! is !he /0e%1 !o her freedo. ;nfor!"na!e$%, in !his casefreedo eans dea!h, )"! d%in# is 2"s! ano!her -a% of #e!!in# freedo, !he on$% -a% a*ai$a)$e !o

her. Jose+h 9ris!o- dedica!es a -ho$e cha+!er !o !his +oe in The Cambridge Companion toVictorian Poetry a)o"! The Lady of Shalott. This cha+!er is -ri!!en )%

?@ 5erhard Jose+h c$ais !ha! / The Lady of Shalott is !he Bic!orian +oe !ha! hasos! readi$% $en! i!se$f !o !he insin"a!ion of /!heor%1 es+ecia$$% of !he Derridean andLacanian *arie!%. 6e sho-s ho- !he +oe can )e read as a /+ara)$e concernin# !he

+ro)$ea!ics of iesis1, as a fa)$e a)o"! /!he radica$$% a!!en"a!ed 7eer#ence7 of!he se$f, dri*en )% a na*e )e$ief in "nedia!ed +resence, in!o !he -or$d1, as /ana$$e#or% char!in# !he si#nifier7s drif! !ho"#h !he a)%ss, iso$a!ed fro i!s si#nified, i!s

a"dience, and !he in!en!ion of i!s sender1, and e*en as /a +ara)$e of recen! $i!erar%his!or% char!in# !he drif! fro a Ne- cri!ica$ ana$%sis of a"!hored 7-or0s7 !o a +os!s!r"c!"ra$is! readin# of a"!horia$$% "n)o"nded 7!e=!s71.