“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Evoked Female Identity During the 1960s in America, where phallocentrism is still ruling society, many social problems caused younger people to be unsatisfied with reality and to become rebellious. In Oates’s story, the character of Connie is affected by patriarchal oppression. Oates gives Connie an independent identity while using her mother and sister as opposite characters to reflect her uniqueness and to let the reader understand the female identity. Connie's mother and sister portray typical females under patriarchal oppression. In the case of Connie’s mother, she rejected Connie’s attitudes because it often went against the patriarchal society's code of conduct.
Instead, a cleaner named Zulema from the social services comes to her house every week to clean for her. Zulema always tries to persuade Doris to move to Stafford house which is an old people’s home, but Doris despises the thought of Stafford house, ‘I don’t want to be stuck with a lot of old lasses’, this is humorous as she is an aged old aged lady herself, just like the people in Stafford house. She doesn’t consider herself as one of those ‘old lasses’. It’s as if throughout the play she is making gradual steps in deciding to die. She regrets not having children because her husband has died and now she feels isolated and lonely, as she doesn’t know many people anymore.
However, no matter how much she wants to be independent from her family, Connie relies on the adults in her life for discipline and attention. The relationship between Connie and her family isn’t the best. Like most typical families with teenagers, they don’t get along real well. Connie’s mom, who was once as pretty as Connie, constantly scolds her for admiring her own good looks. Her mom wants Connie to be more like June, Connie’s older sister.
Gilman shows this when the woman of the story says “I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and here I am a comparative burden already”. She also shows that woman at this time didn’t really do anything for themselves, “Nobody would believe what an effort it is to do what little I am able - to dress and entertain, and order things”. The woman in the story is believing in the social norm and what her husband belittles her to be. She feels that she is a burden to her husband because she dislikes the wallpaper and continues to complain about how much it bothers her. He refuses to change it making her blame herself for not being able to cope with the “dull” and “flamboyant” yellow wallpaper.
These areas were the plot device, what each represented in modern culture, and what each was symbolic of. She then spoke about the different family dynamics of each film/novel. She also showed us a slide on her PowerPoint presentation that had a play on names from the Star Wars story. She broke down Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader's names. She showed the following about their names that was true for the story plot.
However, beneath her facade, Jeanette begins to realize that her father doesn’t have the strength of character to stay sober. By the section’s end some of Jeannette’s naiveté has faded. She matures enough to be able to distinguish between the ‘good’ times and the ‘bad,’ instead of the thrilling adventure her parents try to convince her she is living. She knows all families do not live as hers does. Character: Rose Mary: It is hard to take pity on Rose Mary because at this point in the novel she becomes very self-centered.
She had been receiving letters from her ex-husband saying "How are you and the boys? Bet they’re getting big," (1, Medicine River). The clear absence of the father has caused Rose to become independent and have to raise her children by herself, as well as support her kids with no financial aid from a husband, an uncommon front for a woman in a time where men dominated. In addition to the independence and self-reliance of Bertha and Rose, Louise, a female who lives in Medicine River with Will, possesses these same characteristics. She has found a way to succeed at a job in a time when it occurs very seldomly for women.
The Awakening During the time in which “The Awakening” was written, the expectations of women and the limitations of law allowed them little or no independence. Women were expected to perform the social role of a doting wife and mother. As one of these women, Edna has little or no opportunity to express herself in the ways that she wanted to. It’s as though she is trapped in world where she doesn’t belong and can’t find any escape. She feels obligated to her husband and children.
At times she wanted to give up and accept the will of the regime, but her memories and her humanity wouldn't let her. Through the Night chapters, that the readers only perceive her, resisting Gilead’s ideology, which exposes her true self and her own values. It is her only escape from the strict regime. Offred is a mostly passive character, good-hearted but complacent. She inwardly resists the puritanical society, but is not courageous enough to untangle herself from the chains of marginalisation and inequality.
Her main positions are the living room, bedroom, and kitchen. Linda lives with her husband Willy. Happy, their son lives at their house also, while Biff came back home to visit. Linda was focused in becoming the best "housewife" she could be. She took accountability and care for her family and was concerned both with how their family managed themselves as well as how they appeared to their neighbors and other peers.