Sexual politics in The Rover:
1- Subversion of sexual politics through Blunt and Lucetta (maybe
cut?)
2- Breeches part- subversion of sexual politics
3- Subversion of the virgin-whore dichotomy through Angellica
4- Willmore’s ability to transgress this subversion of sexual politics as
the Rake, causing Angellica to lose her power
5- Warning of Carnival for females through Florinda
In ‘The Rover’, Behn presents a subversion of sexual politics through
the manner in which Lucetta holds power over Blunt, serving as a
means to comment on the Spanish dominance of the English cavaliers
following the Spanish Armada, given the political constancy of Anglo-
Spanish tensions throughout the 16th and 17th century.
- Behn uses the inversion of sexual politics, in which males would be
expected to hold the power over their female counterparts, through
Blunt and Lucetta to express attitudes regarding the English cavaliers
following the Armada.
- The fact that "Blunt undresses himself" is particularly significant in his
feminisation as it inverts the stereotypical trope of a discovery scene,
which would conventionally consist of a male gazing upon an
undressing female.
- The fact it is Lucetta gazing upon Blunt inverts this typical power
dynamic- Lucetta's gaze replaces the male gaze to demonstrate the
masculine dominance and sexual power she is able to exert over Blunt,
who is emasculated in his vulnerability to her gaze having relinquished
any control he may have possessed by undressing himself.
- The feminisation of Blunt is furthered by his inability to dominate
setting over Lucetta- despite his proclamation of "I locked the door",
Blunt is still able to be robbed of all he possesses. His perception that
the room is secure is contrasted by the trapdoor Lucetta uses furthers
the inversion of the power between them, as she juxtaposes Blunt in
her ability to utilise space, furthering his emasculation.
- The fact that Blunt is able to be robbed and humiliated by Lucetta, a
Spanish wh+re of contextually lowly status, completes the sense of
emasculation. This extends to the other English cavaliers given Blunt is
robbed of the gold he carried on their behalf
- Through Phillipo's reference to "a quarrel...with old Bess...since eighty
eight", Blunt's robbing is passed as a "justified theft" to reclaim Spanish
defeat in Armada 1588. The fact that the pairing of a Spanish ***** and
1- Subversion of sexual politics through Blunt and Lucetta (maybe
cut?)
2- Breeches part- subversion of sexual politics
3- Subversion of the virgin-whore dichotomy through Angellica
4- Willmore’s ability to transgress this subversion of sexual politics as
the Rake, causing Angellica to lose her power
5- Warning of Carnival for females through Florinda
In ‘The Rover’, Behn presents a subversion of sexual politics through
the manner in which Lucetta holds power over Blunt, serving as a
means to comment on the Spanish dominance of the English cavaliers
following the Spanish Armada, given the political constancy of Anglo-
Spanish tensions throughout the 16th and 17th century.
- Behn uses the inversion of sexual politics, in which males would be
expected to hold the power over their female counterparts, through
Blunt and Lucetta to express attitudes regarding the English cavaliers
following the Armada.
- The fact that "Blunt undresses himself" is particularly significant in his
feminisation as it inverts the stereotypical trope of a discovery scene,
which would conventionally consist of a male gazing upon an
undressing female.
- The fact it is Lucetta gazing upon Blunt inverts this typical power
dynamic- Lucetta's gaze replaces the male gaze to demonstrate the
masculine dominance and sexual power she is able to exert over Blunt,
who is emasculated in his vulnerability to her gaze having relinquished
any control he may have possessed by undressing himself.
- The feminisation of Blunt is furthered by his inability to dominate
setting over Lucetta- despite his proclamation of "I locked the door",
Blunt is still able to be robbed of all he possesses. His perception that
the room is secure is contrasted by the trapdoor Lucetta uses furthers
the inversion of the power between them, as she juxtaposes Blunt in
her ability to utilise space, furthering his emasculation.
- The fact that Blunt is able to be robbed and humiliated by Lucetta, a
Spanish wh+re of contextually lowly status, completes the sense of
emasculation. This extends to the other English cavaliers given Blunt is
robbed of the gold he carried on their behalf
- Through Phillipo's reference to "a quarrel...with old Bess...since eighty
eight", Blunt's robbing is passed as a "justified theft" to reclaim Spanish
defeat in Armada 1588. The fact that the pairing of a Spanish ***** and
