The Picara: From Hera to Fantasy HeroineCourtesan and criminal, thief and trollop, warrior and wanderer--the picara embodies the continuing archetypal pattern of a woman's autonomy. She is the sly sharpster in Defoe's heroines such as Roxana and Moll Flanders. With an ancestress like Becky Sharp, the picara evolves into Scarlett O'Hara before finding a comfortable niche as the female hero in fantasy written by women. The Picara traces the development of this character, from an autonomous woman in a harsh patriarchal society to the female hero of the modern fantasy novel. |
Contents
Chapter | 1 |
Chapter Three | 42 |
Chapter Four | 62 |
Sexuality and Children | 88 |
Chapter | 112 |
Wanderer and Warrior | 136 |
Chapter Eight | 161 |
Chapter Nine | 186 |
Chapter | 202 |
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Common terms and phrases
accepted adventures Amazon Amber appears aspect autonomy avarice bawd becomes called Celestina century character child claims clothes color contrast Courage courtesan created criminal critics daughter death deception Defoe disguise dress early economic English escape example existence fantasy picara father female feminine figure follows forced French gives goddess green hero heroine husband individual inferiority isolation Italy kill lack language later Lazarillo leaves less literary literature living lover male marriage marry Mary means Moll moral mother nature never novel origins person physical picaresque powers prostitute protect provides reason repentance role Roxana Scarlett seldom serves sexual shows skills social society soldier sometimes Spanish stealing story tale tapestry thief virginity wandering wants warrior wealth wearing woman women York young