The Female Quixote

Romance novels are a motif in The Female Quixote. Despite Arabella’s father’s best efforts, she discovers the world of French romance novels after her mother’s death. There is a forbidden quality about these worlds, which portray heroic heroes and pure princesses. They operate according to rules and ideals that are agreed upon by everyone in them. The good are rewarded for their good deeds while the evil are punished for their evil deeds, creating a simple system of moral values. For a little girl who has lost her mother and cannot comprehend her grief, these organizational principles are a compelling version of reality. The romance novels, therefore, represent a young girl’s attempt to rework the world around her into something that makes more sense, where loss and violence are not senseless and chaotic but the product of meaningful action.

As such, these romance novels provide escapism for Arabella. She seeks out her novels at difficult moments, taking comfort in the order and sense that they provide for her. Similarly, she uses the principles of romance novels in her attempts to interpret the world around her. When confronted with an issue or a challenge, Arabella filters the idea through these novels’ principles.