Gender Stereotypes In Lord Byrons The Corsair - 1426 Words

Much like in his real life, Lord Byron did not follow typical norms or gender stereotypes in his writing of â€Å"The Corsair.† He was known for being someone who challenged and went against typical expectations of a man at that point in time. During his childhood and formative teen years, he experienced many dramatic, romantic relationships with people ranging from his alleged half-sister to other boys he met at school. Needless to say, Byron was not concerned with what was expected of him, he chose to live life based on his instincts. Byron’s view of the world is translated into his writing, and is very apparent in â€Å"The Corsair,† a poem which he published in 1814. His unique perspective strengthens his writing for multiple reasons. First,†¦show more content†¦Throughout the entire poem, we see Conrad use this mysterious, quiet power to his advantage because he cannot rely on his body, the way that many men do. Byron appears to be weaving parts of himself into Conrad’s character, developing Conrad as a character while at the same time, reflecting on himself. Medora, Conrad’s wife, adopts and reflects characteristics of a stereotypical housewife. She lives at home and waits for Conrad’s return. She spends her time singing or walking around thinking about Conrad, she does not seem like a very independent woman, which is how many women of Byron’s time were viewed. Since she does conform to typical feminine ways and clearly does not rebel against the image of a woman of the time, Medora functions in two ways throughout the story. First, she serves as a comparison between the typical woman of that time and Gulnare, who is a hero and much more masculine than the typical woman of the time. Medora’s presence in the poem serves to emphasize Gulnare and make her stand out even more. Secondly, she functions as proof of Conrad’s lack of loyalty and love. Medora is deeply in love with someone who cannot express that he feels the same way. â€Å"Till his heart heaved beneath her hidden face. He dared not raise to his that deep-blue eye, which downcast droop’d in tearless agony.† (345, Byron) After returning from a long journey,