A-Z Characters & Transformation: The Queen Who Transforms Yet Remains Herself

Extreme transformation is attractive--but careful transformation is more believable. In my master's program, New England Studies, Anne Hutchinson may have attracted more attention (Look how she stood up to the patriarchal system!) but I always found Anne Bradstreet more interesting. In truth, I don't think it is that hard to "buck" the system--though it can be unpleasant when the system doesn't budge and a person gets squashed instead (Anne Hutchinson was exiled). 

Survival and adaptation within the system is far more difficult. Anne Bradstreet married and raised kids and led the life of a Puritan woman within her milieu--and she also wrote poetry and got published. 

Anne Bradstreet reminds me of Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen starring Helen Mirren. The queen doesn't decide half-way through the movie to tout disestablishmentarian. She doesn't abandoned her identity, doesn't give up her royal title. She also doesn't perform one of those classic "yell at everyone" scenes for them being jerks. 

She believes in her role and obligations. She believes in the grandeur of the monarchy she represents. She also worries about its possible obsolesce. She adjusts. She adapts to a specific set of circumstances. 

(And she's played by Helen Mirren.)

Consequently, one of my favorite parts of the film is when she returns to Buckingham Palace and forces herself to inspect the flowers for a dead woman who poured scorn on her and her office. 

As she turns to the crowd, a young child extends flowers. Queen Elizabeth assumes they are for the memorial but no, the child replies, they are for the queen. 

As she moves along the row, the woman at the rope courtesy to her, at first mostly older women but, as she proceeds, younger ones too. 

At the same time that she is adjusting to unusual circumstances, she is shown respected for the person she is supposed to be but for the person she actually is.