Philothea (1834)

AUTHOR: Child, Lydia Maria

KEYWORDS: animals, animal magnetism, etiquette, food, race, suffrage, women's rights

SUMMARY (Bryn Skibo, edited Deborah Madsen)

In this text Lydia Maria Child puts into action the principles of modesty and pragmatism that she advocates in her non-fiction books. The marriage plot concerns two young Athenian women, Philothea and Eudora. As the story opens, Philothea (blond and fair) and Eudora (darker skinned with black hair), wait by the walls of the city for their love interests, Paralus and Philaemon, respectively, to return from court, where their potential marriages are being decided. Philothea’s father forbids her marriage; Philaemon has no parents but is considered a foreigner and is barred from marrying an Athenian. Meanwhile, Eudora was bought as a child by a sculptor and is considered to be a slave, though she is not called such. While waiting, Eudora mentions attending a sporting event at the home of Aspasia, a woman who believes that women should be allowed to show off their beauty and talents in public. Philothea disagrees strongly, only wanting to show her attributes to those she loves. She is also characterized as being dutiful, considerate, and respectful. Eudora was encouraged by the sculptor to attend events hosted by Aspasia, which have altered her character. Aspasia is a flatterer and an entertainer, but she stays always on the correct side of respectability. Her home is a popular social hub, though Philothea considers it inappropriate for young women.

The focus of the text is Child's exploration of feminine values and behaviors; however, early in Chapter 1 Paralus is described as being lithe and athletic, with a remarkable beauty that is almost feminine. His beauty is ascribed to his Pythagorean diet, which excludes all “animal food”:

Paralus, far from being effeminate, was distinguished for his dexterity and skill in all the manly sports of the gymnasium; but the purity of his complexion, and the peculiarly spiritual expression of his face, would have been deemed beautiful, even in a woman. The first he probably derived from his mode of life; for, being a strict Pythagorean, he never partook of animal food. The last was the transparent medium of innocence, through which thoughts and affections continually showed their changing forms of life (n.pag.)