Fantomina - Eliza Haywood

Fantomina, which means "love in a maze" is a very interesting story about a woman who changes her identity and takes charge over her man, Beauplasir's. It was fun to finally see a woman manipulating the man in this story, rather than the other way around which is much more common. Although this story focused a lot on sex, I believe that the overall message was about the power that Fantomina had over Beauplasir. Beauplasir has absolutely no idea that Fantomina is the same person just dressed up differently, which makes him end up looking like a fool for leaving her in the first place.

Fantomina had four identities, a prostitute (Fantomina), a maid (Celia), a widow and a rich woman (Incognita). She wanted to prove that men were after sex and only sex and she did a great job at doing that by manipulating Beauplasir. But, little did she know, she wasn't careful enough and became pregnant.

"She found the Consequences of her amorous Follies would be, without almost a Miracle, impossible to be concealed: – She was with Child..."

Her mother was so upset that she was pregnant before marriage. Her mother decides to confront Beauplasir and that is when Fantomina is forced to break the truth to Beauplasir of her little tricks she has been playing. Her mother hears all of this and does not feel bad for Fantomina at all. She immediately sends her off to a monestary in France.

Of course this is awful for Fantomina being that she is noticeably pregnant going to a monestary, where that is not accepted AT ALL. Poor Fantomina.

I really enjoyed how Fantomina showed how powerful a woman can be over a man, even though there was an unfortunate ending for her.