Miss Ogilvy Gets Lost Finding Herself

Miss Ogilvy Finds Herself, by Radclyffe Hall, is a unique tale of a female Lieutenant who

finds herself lost after the war: sitting at home desparately seeking action, purpose, and the

proximity to young girls in the battlefield. I really appreciated learning about Radclyffe Hall’s

background because I could see parallels in the way Miss Ogilvy is described, how Hall would

have felt as a lesbian in that era, and the way Hall incorporated her personal beliefs like

reincarnation to build the story. The characteristic that sets Miss Ogilvy apart from the

stereotypical or average woman of the time is her self control. Every one of her actions such as,

“she had this trick of rocking on her feet in movement of controlled agitation”, and “her hands

were thrust deep into her pocket”, screamed that she was raised to have more control over herself

than her sisters or the housewives of the era. She also had to be very in control of her emotions

because being openly lesbian wasn’t accepted by society. Even if she did fall in love with a girl

there was no sense in getting caught up in her emotions because often times former members of

her unit would come for a visit only to tell her “I’m not-I’m going to be married.”(7) We’re all

wondering what that girl was not going to do but more importantly Miss Ogilvy still finds herself

drifting in a sea of uncertainty.

I read an interesting article about family dynamics and how they specifically affect the

oldest daughter and found an interesting quote: “The oldest daughter is the most oppressed and

depressed.” That would ring true considering that Miss Ogilvy’s sisters became her responsibility

along with the obligation of taking care of the family finances, which has traditionally been a

male duty. While Miss Ogilvy only dislikes the role when her sisters mess everything up while

she’s away at war, she otherwise greatly enjoys and prides herself in the freedoms she receives

from going above and beyond the societal expectations for women. I believe her already
masculine tendencies help her have confidence on the battlefield and lead her to cut her hair in a

severely short style. Enraging and annoying her whiny sisters was just icing on the cake.

I understand the connection between the tribesman and Miss Ogilvy to be reincarnation.

That would explain Miss Ogilvy’s preference for younger ladies as the tribesman had a beautiful

young “love” as he affectionately called her. Despite one person in my discussion group trying to

convince me that the tribesman and tribe woman consummation scene was actually a rape and

that is why Miss Ogilvy prefers the company of a gentle female rather than men who have a

reputation of being somewhat aggressive, I believe this is a love story, much like Romeo and

Juliet. The tribesman falls in love with the chief’s daughter, they conduct a secret affair, and

while basking in post coital bliss he is axed in the head by her father. Miss Ogilvy had to go back

to that island to re-experience her one true love and to get rid of the “sense of complete

desolation.” (16) The last scene is critical because even though she has passed on to her next life,

she found her inner peace and the key to a whole new world. The title itself “Miss Ogilvy Finds

Herself” backs up the notion that she was once different, and now she has gone and found not

only her physical remains (which were rudely disturbed) but also her values, spiritual calmness,

and true love.