DONALD
ROSS
210L Lind Hall, (612) 625-5585
rossj001@tc.umn.edu
Department of English, University of Minnesota
"Dreams and Sexual Repression in The Blithedale Romance,"
Publications of the Modern Language Association, 86 (1971), 1014-17.
Coverdale's reaction to Zenobia's sensuality, and the suppression of
his sexual desire form the central plot of The Blithedale Romance. He
describes her in rather explicit fleshly terms, especially in the
early chapters of the novel. Despite Zenobia's frequent efforts to
fend him off, he cannot stop pursuing her and trying to meddle in her
life. The bulk of evidence supports the notion that his confession of
love for Priscilla is a dodge. Parallel to these activities,
Coverdale discusses at length the nature and source of his emotions,
and thoughts. He concludes that his dreams and his feeling that the
world is unreal and insubstantial come spontaneously and mysteriously
from his "secret mind"-a mental faculty beyond his conscious
control.
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