Mrs. Dalloway by Virgina Woolf

"So she would still find herself arguing in St. James's Park, still making out that she had been right-and she had too-not to marry him. For in marriage a little licence, a little independence there must be between people living together day in day out in the same house; which Richard gave her, and she him. (Where was he this morning for instance? Some committee, she never asked what.) But with Peter everything gone into. And it was intolerable, and when it came to that scene in the little garden by the fountain, she had to break with him or they would have been destroyed, both of them ruined, she was convinced."
(Woolf, 8)

Through Woolf's use of language, the reader can infer Clarissa's thoughts on marriage and independence. Throughout the beginning of the novel, Clarissa speaks of her independence, and how she does errands and other necessities alone. This is very taboo for the time period, but also allows the reader an insight on who Clarissa is as a character as well as Woolf's opinions. When Clarissa is expressing her concern on being with another person for a prolonged amount of time, and stating that this could ruin a relationship; "a little independence there must be between people living together day in day out in the same house; which Richard gave her, and she him. (Where was he this morning for instance? Some committee, she never asked what.) But with Peter everything gone into. And it was intolerable, and when it came to that scene in the little garden by the fountain, she had to break with him or they would have been destroyed" (Woolf, 8), the reader can infer that both Clarissa and Woolf have a different outlook on marriage than the social norm for that time. Clarissa wants independence, and does not care for sharing her life with another. By the opinion of Clarissa, the reader also gets a sense of the social commentary that Woolf is making.

The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy

"There could not be the least doubt that gentle Grace was warming to more sympathy with, and interest in, Giles Winterborne than ever she had done while he was her promised lover; that since his misfortune those social shortcomings of his, which contrasted so awkwardly with her later experiences of life, had become obscured by the generous revival of an old romantic attachment to him. Though mentally trained and tilled into foreignness of view, as compared with her youthful time, Grace was not an ambitious girl, and might, if left to herself, have declined Winterborne without much discontent or unhappiness. Her feelings just now were so far from latent that the writing on the wall had thus quickened her to an unusual rashness."
pg. 100

In this excerpt of Thomas Hardy's "The Woodlanders", the author once again portrays Grace in a negative light. Throughout the novel now, the reader can sense the sexism that is not only seeping from the novel itself, but the time period. The paragraph states that Grace is only interested in Giles due to it being an old romance, almost as if the chase was the most important part to her. Yet, this portrayal is never seemingly wrong when a man is in the midst of it all. " Grace was warming to more sympathy with, and interest in, Giles Winterborne than ever she had done while he was her promised lover; that since his misfortune those social shortcomings of his, which contrasted so awkwardly with her later experiences of life, had become obscured by the generous revival of an old romantic attachment to him.". This quote perfectly describes the situation at hand, and furthering the fact that now Grace is seen as non-ambitious and careless when denying a man's advances as well. This allows the reader to indicate that Grace does not have much say in who she is or the choices she can make. 

The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy

"It would have been very difficult to describe Grace Melbury with precision, either now or at any time. Nay, from the highest point of view, to precisely describe a human being, the focus of a universe—how impossible! But, apart from transcendentalism, there never probably lived a person who was in herself more completely a reductio ad absurdum of attempts to appraise a woman, even externally, by items of face and figure. Speaking generally, it may be said that she was sometimes beautiful, at other times not beautiful, according to the state of her health and spirit."

In this excerpt of Thomas Hardy's "The Woodlanders", the author describes the character of Grace as well as he ever will. This paragraph of text describes Grace as her best self, as the novel truly tries to degrade her from the happenings around her. The best part of Grace is still her beauty and that makes her an exquisite human being, yet there is no saying of who she is as a person. This allows the reader to indicate the misogyny that is happening during this time. The state of her spirit is regrading who she is as a person, and that is when the author states she is at other times, not beautiful. Although this paragraph seems to be praising Grace Melbury, it is truly a contradiction from the subtle disregarding of her person. This only foreshadows the happenings of Grace, and allows further insight into the time period.