Critical Analysis Of A Pair Of Silk Stockings

1204 Words5 Pages
A Pair of Silk Stockings: Through a Feminist’s Lens Feminism is the theory that states that men and women should be equal politically, economically, and socially. Feminist literary theory is concerned with the impact of history and gender on reading and writing. It is evident that the feminist literary theory applies throughout the short story, A Pair of Silk Stockings. The protagonist of the story is Mrs. Sommers who is portrayed as a typical married woman of the early 1890s and she strives to gain personal freedom and identity just like any other woman. Women’s opinions are silenced by the rules, norms and perspectives of the dominating patriarchal society. They have lost their individuality as a human being. This story is about a very unusual day in the life of an extraordinarily virtuous woman who, having otherwise sacrificed life and limb for her family for years had enough self-respect and self-esteem left to take advantage of a fleeting fortuitous circumstance and temporarily break out of the box of her usually studious and exemplary way of life. The story takes place in the early 1890s, when the society was dominated by patriarchy. The role played by men and women in the society were poles apart. Men worked in the public sector, while women were in charge of the private sector. Women were completely dependent on their husbands for…show more content…
Sommers is a static character. In the beginning, she is a caring and loving mother. During the climax, her id conquers her superego and she becomes self-centered, but at the end of the story, she is back to where she was, being a devoted mother and wife to her family. Mrs. Sommers represents a woman who has been oppressed by the world of marriage. She is forced to fit in the social norm of being a proper mother and ‘woman’ that she has no time to explore her individuality because she lives in a patriarchal society. Men were the breadwinners of the society while women worked in the private sector, namely, in
Open Document