Man of Feeling -vs- Woman of Feeling...

The title, Man of Feeling is significant. The term "a man of feeling" is contradicting in relation to the typical 18th century male. Just based on the other novels that we have read, Harley is different from the other male characters. He is emotional and it is seen throughout the novel. His emotions aren't held back. Usually, females were the overly emotional characters and Mackenzie goes above and beyond that stereotype through his writing. Books like that could have created a new genre, the powerful female -vs- the man in touch with his "sensitive" side. Reading this novel made me think of The Rover by Aphra Behn. She was one of the most famous female writers of her time and she wrote beyond the standard; women didn't just sit back and take orders from men, they manipulated men, they tricked men, etc... Just like, Man of Feeling, Behn broke the mold. The title alone, Man of Feeling, helps the reader know what to expect. The title creates questions because how could there be a man who is lead by his feelings? If Mackenzie chose to write A Woman of Feeling, he would have stuck to the standard of the times. Mackenzie decided to change it up a bit and the story is a success. I enjoyed reading a story that wasn't "typical".