Silence, Solace, Resistance and Recognition: Charlotte Wood’s Stone Yard Devotional Through “Woman as Other” by Beauvoir

Abstract

This paper examines Charlotte Wood's Stone Yard Devotional in light of Simone de Beauvoir's assertions regarding “woman as the Other” in The Second Sex. By analysing the novel's withdrawal into a convent through the lens of Beauvoir's concepts of alienation, immanence, transcendence, and recognition, this study emphasises how silence, solitude, and belonging are redefined in Wood's work. The initial section regards silence as a form of alienation enforced by patriarchal systems. The subsequent section analyses space and solitude, rethinking Beauvoir’s idea of immanence as a source of comfort and healing, instead of confinement. The concluding section explores how recognition is attained beyond male-centric reciprocity through nature and a sense of belonging. The article aims to explore how Stone Yard Devotional adds complexity to Beauvoir’s framework by proposing that silence as recognition and belonging as resistance can serve as processes for spiritual renewal and the development of selfhood.