Eliza Haywood’s “Fantomina: or, Love in a Maze” explores a woman’s intrigue with love, extramarital affairs, and sexual fulfillment through the use of deception. The protagonist is hesitant to reveal her true self, fearing the consequences it may have on her actual identity. The title itself gives insight into the narrative’s focus. In the 18th century, when this story takes place, women faced significant social restrictions, including limitations on socializing with individuals from different social classes.
One man exerted control over every aspect of a woman’s existence. Society upheld the belief that men held power while women were categorized as virgins, wives, or widows. The protagonist, an inexperienced noblewoman whose identity remains undisclosed, ventures to London. Observing from the balcony of a playhouse alongside her affluent peers, she becomes intrigued by the prostitutes on the lower floor who are adept at attracting and manipulating men. To explore this newfound skill without inhibitions, she disguises herself as a prostitute at the playhouse.
On the main floor, she attracts men and meets a man named Beauplaisir who does not recognize her despite their previous encounter. Disguised, she discovers that the freedom granted by her disguise grants her a power she never possessed as a “Lady of distinguished Birth” (Haywood, 1). Engaging in her newfound freedom, Haywood’s protagonist displays her power over Beauplaisir through interaction and control. Though Beauplaisir enjoys conversing with the attractive young prostitute, he desires to engage in sexual activity with her.
Despite her lack of sexual experience, the woman in the story attempts to postpone the man’s request by assuring him that she will meet him again on the following night. She believes it would be wise to avoid similar situations in future occurrences. However, her yearning to engage with Beauplaisir is so overpowering that she cannot resist it. Haywood clarifies that she is ready to jeopardize everything for another opportunity to converse with him, disregarding any cautions from her own judgment. This demonstrates that the woman’s desire for Beauplaisir is so intense that she is even prepared to relinquish her virginity just to be in his presence.
The speaker argues that the loss of her true identity is justified because she believes that having his love is worth it. Under the alias of Fantomina, she begins to manipulate and pursue Beauplaisir out of her desperate love for him and desire for instant gratification. The power she gains from seducing him fuels her enjoyment, enabling her to continue luring him in. When Beauplaisir’s desire wanes, Fantomina devises a plan to reignite it. It is only Beauplaisir’s advances that bring her pleasure, and while it may have satisfied her pride to see others desperate and dying for her, it does not fulfill her deeper affection. Evidently, the love in their relationship stems solely from Fantomina. She transitions from pretending to be a prostitute to feeling dejected over losing her virtue, ultimately becoming fixated on acquiring Beauplaisir’s love at any cost. Unable to bear being in control of him, Fantomina follows him to Bath.
Fantomina desires an enduring relationship filled with heartfelt conversations and ongoing affection. However, she realizes that Beauplaisir only seeks physical intimacy. To sustain Beauplaisir’s interest, she assumes different personas and conceals her true identity. She creates a new persona named Celia with the explicit goal of winning back Beauplaisir’s attraction. As Celia, she utilizes her newfound sexuality to establish a consistent romantic bond with Beauplaisir. By adopting the role of a respectable country girl housemaid working at the residence where Beauplaisir stays on his way to Bath, she elevates her social status from that of a prostitute.
Beauplaisir’s appearance and personality were transformed upon seeing the protagonist. His intense desires manifested through his words and actions, as he called her a little angel and cherubim while vowing to fulfill his cravings. He passionately kissed her lips and breasts, embraced her fervently, and refused to release her until he had completely satisfied himself. The protagonist’s decision to disguise herself as a servant for the second time holds great significance, as it grants her more freedom in comparison to her previous role as a “distinguished” young lady.
Celia willingly submits to Beauplaisir without resistance, behaving like a willing servant. In reality, she manipulates Beauplaisir into thinking that he seduced her, giving her the advantage to plan and act in her own interests. Moreover, she understands Beauplaisir’s traits and thought process. The protagonist in Haywood’s story understands that she must allow Beauplaisir to believe he has control and make herself sexually available to him if she wants to keep him close.
As her final identity, Incognita, holds the most power between the various personas and remains mysterious to Beauplaisir. Despite her great desire for him, she also wants to maintain control over the game she has created. Incognita lacks a distinct identity and is not defined by her appearance. In a passionate letter to Beauplaisir, she showcases her exceptional education and proper manners.
By not revealing her identity, appearance, or true nature, she employs a strategy to entice Beauplaisir. This intrigues him immensely, as he yearns to discover who she truly is and finds himself deeply captivated by her. During their intimate encounters, she opts to conceal her face entirely, meticulously highlighting other aspects of her physicality such as her graceful figure, charming demeanor, and elegant neck (21). This tactic of concealing her true self accentuates her allure and intensifies her sexual appeal, ultimately granting her considerable power and allowing her to achieve the pinnacle of her sexuality.
Throughout the entire text, there are various feminist elements, some more distinguishable than others. The protagonist’s actions are solely a result of being compelled by a society dominated by men. Haywood conveys the idea that women possess equal intellect as men and have the agency to establish and control sexual relationships for their own pleasure. In fact, the title of Haywood’s narrative provides insight into the story itself. Similar to navigating a maze, individuals typically select a path and continue along it until reaching a dead end. Subsequently, they may venture onto a new path in an effort to reach their ultimate objective.
The main character in the story assumes different personalities in an attempt to maintain the attraction of Beauplaisir. However, when he loses interest, she switches to a new persona and pursues a different approach to fulfill her desire of being consistently loved by him. Haywood refers to this as her “[taking] another course” (9). Consequently, I perceive Haywood’s punishment for her protagonist’s improper behavior as her mother sending her to a Monastery in France, which traps her in the complex web of love that she herself created, resulting in her having a child.
Works Cited
Haywood, Eliza’s “Fantomina: Or, Love in a Maze” can be found in The Longman Anthology of World Literature, Vol. D, 2nd Edition, edited by David Damrosch and David L. Pike, published by Pearson in 2009. This literary piece can be found on pages 569-586.
