Different Kinds of the Same Language in "The Female Quixote"

          In Charlotte Lennonx’s The Female Quixote, the articulation of language plays as much an important role in Arabella’s adventures as it does to finally get her to undo her fictional romantic thought process that clouds her judgment of reality. That is, throughout the tale we see Arabella’s struggles with talking a different language than everyone else around her—she speaks the language of classic romantic fictional tales, while everyone else around her is speaking the language of everyday real life. Over and over we see Arabella conversing with various characters, yet she is always on a different wave length. All of the characters around her are constantly puzzled by her overly romanticized interpretations of various events, yet she can not fathom their confusion. However, it is not until the near ending to the novel is someone able to effectively communicate reality to her—the Countess is somewhat successful (as the author Lennox notes, this is the first time Arabella is moved) in doing this only by using Arabella’s own romantic articulation of language. Thus, she is only able to get through to Arabella because she is on the same level of communication. Yes, all of the characters speak the same English language, but only the Countess is able to properly articulate reality through employing the same romantic rhetoric that Arabella is accustomed to. The importance of language articulation is especially highlighted by this scenario is Book VIII.

            Lennox highlights the difference between the ways the Countess and Arabella converse with language versus Arabella with everyone else early on in their meeting, as we see the reactions of Sir Charles, Arabella, and Mr. Glanville to the Countess’ ability to speak the same way to Arabella. Sir Charles is frustrated that he can not understand the heroic and romantic greeting Arabella delivers to the Countess upon meeting her. Lennox writes, “Sir Charles star’d at this extraordinary Speech…was concern’d to think how the Lady…would understand it” (324). Mr. Glanville, too, is nervous, but much to his relief, Lennox writes, “Mr. Glanville look’d down, and bit his nails in extreme Confusion; but the Countess who had not forgot the Language of Romance, returned the Compliment in a Strain as heroick as hers” (325). When finally someone is on the same language level as herself, Arabella is also relieved and excited. Lennox writes, Arabella was quite transported to hear the Countess express herself in Language so comfortable to her own” (325). Yet particularly interesting, here, in the midst of this overwhelming encounter, is that everyone is speaking the same English language—it is, however, the articulation of the same language that plays an imperative role for Arabella and her understanding of the world. Because the men can not articulate in the same ways as she, she is not able to understand them. It is not until she meets someone who can make her understand by using her own “Language comfortable to her own” are the early stages of understanding reality able to get across to her.

            Of course, it may be argued that the Countess is not the only character in the tale that speaks the highly romanticized language of literature that Arabella does. Sir George creates a history of his life through this language, and he plays on Arabella’s disillusionment of reality to try to court her. However, it is imperative to note that he is unsuccessful because he over looks important details of romantic literature, and those are the areas where Arabella catches his phoniness. The Countess, on the other hand, understands the classic and romantic literatures, and thus uses the aspects on which they are extolled to show Arabella how they can not logically play out in reality. Thus, it becomes not only important to be able to speak on the levels of highly crafted literature, but also to negotiate through it and reality through the artful articulation—as does the Countess.