Fantomina as a Criticism of Relationships

Fantomina as a Criticism of Relationships

Eliza Haywood’s Fantomina was written during the growth of the moralizing novel in the early 1700’s after the Glorious Revolution of 1688.  During this period, morals were promoted and the previous period’s partying were over.  In Fantomina, Beauplaisir is equally if not less immoral than the character of Fantomina, yet he has no consequences for his actions and Fantomina’s love for him has led her down a bumpy road.  Beauplaisir has no consequences for not having a monogamous relationship, yet Fantomina does.  Haywood’s Fantomina brings morals to question.  Upon first glance it would seem that this novel is in fact moralizing, but with further investigation, it can be argued that Haywood is criticizing morals that promote monogamous relationships.  

In Fantomina, our main character uses a series of disguises in order to pursue Beauplaisir, the man she is in love with.  With each disguise, Beauplaisir makes love with our character Fantomina, thinking that she is a different person every time.  At the end of the story, we learn that Fantomina is with child, and she gets sent to a monastery by her mother.  Looking at this situation through a moralist eye, we can see how this could be a cautionary tale.  One could say that because Fantomina dressed in disguise to stalk a man and have premarital sex with him multiple times has sentenced her to this fate.  The character of Fantomina is immoral for not only having sex with a man, but for hiding her true identity as if that protects her reputation or honor.  Clearly the end of this novel would point to the idea that Fantomina is a moralizing novel, made to warn women of the consequences of having sexual desire or intercourse.  One must, however, take in to consideration the character of Beauplaisir and his immoral actions.

Throughout the novel, Beauplaisir has sex with what he thinks is four different women.  He is unaware that all of the women are actually the same woman.  Through his conception, he is not having a monogamous relationship with Fantomina.  Haywood says, “[w]omen make use of in such Cases, have little Prevailance over a Heart inclin’d to rove, and only serve to render those who practise them more contemptible, by robbing them of that Beauty which alone can bring back the fugitive Lover,” (Hayood, 51).  Here is blatant that Bleaupaisir only intends to rove, and Fantomina can have no persuasion in the matter.  He is never devoted to one person, and has no regard for their feelings when he leaves one person to go to the next.  This is of course very immoral, but Beauplaisir never has repercussions for his actions.  This is a primary example that Fantomina is not a moralizing novel.  If it were, Beauplaisir would suffer for having sexual relationships with so many women.  Because Beauplaisir does not suffer from his immoral actions, this novel actually criticizes monogamous relationships.  This theme is also present with the character Fantomina.

Throughout the novel, Fantomina is completely dedicated to Beauplaisir.  No matter how bored he gets of her, she bends over backward to be with him.  She jumps from disguise to disguise because she is in love with Beauplaisir.  Haywood says, “my dear Beauplaisir, (added she,) your Love alone can compensate for the Shame you have involved me in; be you sincere and constant, and I hereafter shall, perhaps, be satisfy’d with my Fate, and forgive myself the Folly that betray’d me to you,”(Haywood, 47).  Clearly Fantomina is in love with Beauplaisir and if he is “sincere and constant” she will be happy.  She wants to be in a relationship with him, and all the measures she takes to be with him solidify that dedication.  While contemplating her disguise as Celia, we learn that she is truly in love with Beauplaisir.  Haywood says, “she loved Beauplaisir, it was only he whose Solicitations could giver her Pleasure,” (Haywood, 51).  Clearly Fantomina wants to be in a monogamous relationship because he is all she cares about.  Because Fantomina wants to be in a monogamous relationship with him, she disguises herself and pursues his attention.  If she did not love him or care to be in this relationship with him, he would have left and nothing would have come from this.  Instead, Fantomina suffers and gets pregnant and sent to a monastery.  Clearly this is the most monogamous relationship Fantomina can have with Beauplaisir, but she is being punished for it.

Although Fantomina was written during the Glorious Revolution when some novels were moralizing, Fantomina is not.  Instead of promoting monogamous relationships, this novel makes them see negative.  Fantomina gets punished when she does whatever it takes be with only Beauplaisir.  Beauplaisir intends to sleep with multiple women with no responsibility, but does not get punished.  One would think what Beauplaisir is doing is immoral, but he has no consequences.  Clearly Fantomina is not a moralizing novel, but instead discourages monogamous relationships.

Works Cited

Behn, Aphra. Fantomina and Other Works. 1st ed. Calgary: Broadview Press, 2004. 47-51. Print.