In her historical fiction novel A Million Nightingales, Straight illustrates the plight of the antebellum female as she struggles to overcome the societal constraints of subservience to a dominant male power. This dominant power takes the form of the socially prescribed role of father, husband, and owner in Straight’s depiction of a young woman’s struggle to maintain her strength and integrity. Succumbing to the wishes of her well-intentioned parents, Cephaline endures physical and mental agony in order to secure a favorable marriage.
Patriarchal Ideology
In her discussion of patriarchal ideology, literary theorist Lois Tyson “suggests that there are only two identities a woman can have. If she accepts her traditional gender role and obeys the patriarchal order she is a ‘good girl’; if she doesn’t she’s a bad girl. These two roles . . . view women only in terms of how they relate to the patriarchal order.”
In correlation with Tyson’s illustration of traditional gender roles, Straight’s teenage character Cephaline embodies the characteristics deemed undesirable by the 17th century patriarchal male. She displays an independence of mind that threatens the dominant position of potential husbands. Although her intelligence offers no threat to Cephaline’s father, as she does not question or challenge his authority, Cephaline’s mother recognizes her daughter’s strength as an obstacle to her daughter’s ability to achieve a desirable marriage.
The Antebellum Female
Physically, Cephaline is plagued with thin, dingy hair and severe acne. Attempting to cure her daughter’s physical ailments, Cephaline’s subjects her daughter to harsh medical and beauty treatments. In one scene, Cephaline’s blemished face has been coated with egg whites and face powder, while her hair has been curled and then coated with a black dye.
At the sight of her, Cephaline’s cousin exclaims, “you are not a child any longer but a lovely young woman! We will bring my husband’s cousins tomorrow.” Cephaline’s altered appearance indicates she is now ready to be matched with an eligible gentleman. However, Cephaline’s reaction does not mirror her cousin’s joy. Cephaline recognizes that she is being bartered as a commodity, and Straight describes how Cephaline “stared at her mother, and her mother stared back.”
Succumbing to Patriarchal Ideals
Cephaline understands that her mother’s desire to create beauty derives solely from her desire to match Cephaline with a husband. For Cephaline, this implies a decorous human bartering system; similar to the system of slavery practiced during the time period. Therefore, based on physical characteristics and the monetary worth associated with her physicality, Cephaline will ensure her place outside of one man’s household (her father’s) and within another man’s (her future husband).
However, Cephaline’s narrative does not end with a good match and a happy marriage. Straight’s novel takes a tragic turn when Cephaline’s mother becomes obsessed with creating a physically perfect and marriage marketable daughter. As a result, Cephaline is subjected to an extreme acne treatment that results in the loss of her life. Her death further illustrates the female’s struggle to maintain her identity and the ultimate loss resultant of Patriarchal expectations.
Source
Straight, Susan. A Million Nightingales. New York: Pantheon Books, 2006.
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