Explore gender in H.G. Well’s Ann Veronica.

Ann Veronica’s gender confines her to the private sphere and limits her opportunities. Her academic performance is better than her brother’s, but her father will not let her continue her studies at Imperial because a university education ‘unsexes’ a woman. He does not value her intelligence because it does not conform with society’s feminine ideals. Whereas, he values her looks which improve her chances for an advantageous marriage. This shows that she is confined to a feminine stereotype as a beautiful object. Her father also forbids her from going to the Fadden dance because events like this attract immoral people and could tarnish her reputation. This prompts her to runaway to London as ‘I want to be a human being; I want to learn about things and know about things and not be protected as something to precious for life, cooped up in one narrow corner.’ As her father’s daughter Ann Veronica is confined to a narrow and unvaried existence and has no autonomy. Her desire to be a human being implies that her public self does not reflect her private self. She is performing a role that has been assigned to her by society not acting on her own thoughts and feelings. Therefore, her decision to leave home is based on her desire to escape this narrow female role and reconcile her private and public self so she is whole.