It can be said that in this novel we encounter two types of female identity.

Edith is a protagonist in this

novel, and most of female identity representations are constructed through her reflections and
observations and Edith herself notes that she is a different character from other women presented in the
novel, in chapter 9: “Some women raise altars to themselves <…>. And they are right to do so. Although
I doubt if I could carry it off.”(p. 122). Characters such as Iris Pusey, “a charming woman, so entirely
estimable in her happy desire to capture hearts, so completely preoccupied with the femininity which had
always provided her with life’s chief delights” (p.39), her daughter, even Monica manifest their female
identity through their outer appearance, ability to capture and maintain people’s attention, their explicit,
demonstrative femininity and well-thought way on how to behave. Edith amazingly summarizes, at least
that appeared to me, when she talks to Monica in chapter 10: “I'm talking about the ultra-feminine. I'm
talking about the complacent consumers of men with their complicated but unwritten rules of what is due
to them. Treats. Indulgences. Privileges. The right to make illogical fusses. The cult of themselves. (p.146)
This reflection, even though, dismissed by Edith, makes allusion to some women in the hotel that do
show those traits and needs, and this is how that type of female identity is represented and constructed.
However, Edith’s character offers a different view of female identity as it seems that main components of
being whole are love and, in a sense, marriage.
As the reason why Edith was sent to this exile was for her decision not to marry Geoffrey Long, it shows
that a part of female identity is her marital status. Edith herself reflects on that in chapter 9, when she
notes that “It is high time I forgot my hopes, the hopes I was born with, and faced reality. I shall never
have that for which I long with my inmost heart. How could I? It is too late.”(p.118). However, when she
realized she is simply not ready to marry that seemly Geoffrey, her behavior was condemned by Penelope
and Mrs. Dempster for her lack of moral values and maturity but most importantly, for he lack of “decent
feminine sensibility”, which is a trait a woman should possess. Edith was always reminded of how lucky
she is that Geoffrey was so kind as to marry her and Penelope noted that it was her last chance, as in a
success in life. According to Penelope and Mrs. Dempster, marriage is seen as something what she as a
sensible, normal woman ought to achieve and this chance not taken means that she has no future ahead.
This signals that marriage is of great importance still and it defines a woman, makes a woman whole.
This is once again confirmed by Mr. Neville, when he says that “Unmarried, I’m afraid you will soon
look a bit of a fool.” (p.165). A need to conform to an identity of a woman makes Edith to consider this
union and perks that it would provide to her: “The lure of domestic peace was obviously too great for one
of my timorous (fearful) nature to resist. But I shall settle down now. I shall have to, for I doubt if I have
anything more to look forward to.” p. 181. However, we all know how that turned out for her.
The significance of being a married woman can be observed by a scene where Edith contemplates her
marital bedroom. She realizes that she might not be writing anymore, as she would be a wife first: “But
then she would not be writing. Perhaps she would never write again. She would have that life that she
supposed other women have: shopping, cooking, arranging dinner parties, meeting friends for lunch.” (p.
123). Even though being a writer is a huge part of what Edith is, she is willing to sacrifice it in order to be
like the “other women”.
A big part of female identity as presented by Edith is love. She expresses a generalized view of what
women expect when she talks to her publisher: “And anyway, if she's all that liberated, why doesn't she
go down to the bar and pick someone up? I'm sure it's entirely possible. It's just that most women don't do
it. And why don't they do it?' she asked, with a sudden return of assurance. 'It's because they prefer the
old myths, when it comes to the crunch. They want to believe that they are going to be discovered, looking
their best, behind closed doors, just when they thought that all was lost, by a man who has battled across
continents, abandoning whatever he may have had in his in-tray, to reclaim them. Ah! If only it were
true,'…” (p. 27) However, it seems that she herself is still expecting something similar to happen, even
though previously she was talking passionately about that tortoise and hare myth, further in the novel she
admits that she cannot live without love when she speaks to Mr. Neville in chapter 7, p. 98: I cannot think
or act or speak or write or even dream with any kind of energy in the absence of love. I feel excluded from
the living world. I become cold, fish-like, immobile. I implode. My idea of absolute happiness is to sit in a
hot garden all day, reading, or writing, utterly safe in the knowledge that the person I love will come
home to me in the evening. Every evening.'
She seems to have had constructed her identity for David as faithful, reliable, no-fuss woman, with her
gentle observations, readily available source of serenity and pleasure, as a harsh contrast to his wife
Priscilla, who was an intriguing, loud woman. Edith reflects on this in chapter 7: “For that is how he saw
me, she thought, and out of love for him that is how I tried to be.” (p.114).
Edith again offers an insight of female identity represented in this novel in chapter 6:“I have been too
harsh on women, she thought, because I understand them better than I understand men. I know their
watchfulness, their patience, their need to advertise themselves as successful. Their need never to admit
to a failure. I know all that because I am one of them.“.
Those diverging representations of female identity are joined in this quote, when Edith stresses caution,
patience and need to be seen as successful is what unites these to differing female parties in this novel.

Writing and relationships with men is what makes Edith whole. – Females
Men are egotists in this novel. Neville is used to expose Edith, outset, motivate her actions, like a tool to
portray her character and life experience, justify her choices. – Men