Gertrude Bell
A Radical Women Book Club Discussion
For upper class Victorian women, their choice of husband was pivotal to all that came after. The quality of their future—their health, wealth, influence and happiness—all rode on their marriage partner.
Gertrude Bell very much wanted a husband and children—but her first pass through 2 ½ London “seasons” produced no noteworthy suitors. It wasn’t until she traveled abroad, moving in diplomatic circles, that she started to see how she might craft an interesting life of family, intellect and influence.
She fell in love.
But her father—the man she loved and respected beyond all others—said no to their engagement, finding the young man quite unsuitable (he had no fortune; his junior diplomat’s salary was too small to support them both; and he’d accrued some substantial gambling debts).
Gertrude rather meekly acquiesced. A bit shocking, given the strong personality that emerged as she matured. But an Imperialist to the last, she obeyed authority and that included her father.
What do you suppose would have happened had she married Cadogan? He was known to be “arbitrary, strong-willed and intolerant of any interference in his wishes”.
Would she have become a dutiful diplomat’s wife, sublimating her desires into his career or perhaps become a worthy professional partner?
Would they have fought like tomcats after the initial glow wore off and accomplished nothing of significance together?
And perhaps most importantly, would she have gone on to become “a Person” in her own right, eventually becoming instrumental in the birth of what is now Iraq?
How would her destiny have been re-cast?
Discuss!
Cheers,
Rochelle