The “Judges” Are Watching: Stifling the Woman For as far back as history there has women have always struggled to rise above the expectations that they can only be wives and mothers. Society conditions women from a young age; teaching that girls play with dolls and boys play with trucks, that “ladies” do not lift up their dresses in public and that Daddies go to work while Mommies take care of the children. Regardless of how progressive or feminist a family is, a woman will still encounter stereotypical gender roles and biases in society. Although laws restricting women from leading lives equal to men have been changed there are still social boundaries that many women could -but choose not to-cross. Today women can take a stand for equality, but no one has figured out the best way to take action.
The theme in the story illustrates societal and parental expectations when it comes to being a girl and how the narrator eventually gives in to these expectations. For example, the grandmother tells the narrator, "girls don't slam doors like that." (Munro 52) The narrator thinks, "A girl was not...joke on me." (Munro 52) She realises that she is expected to fulfill the duties of a girl by helping her mother in the kitchen. As a result, she tries to fight these stereotypes by slamming doors and working outside with her father.
Besides, 'wringing of hands' and 'ceiling without a star emphasize her concerns to her child and explicit her disappointment towards this horrible world. Disappointment here actually describes a sort of vulnerable status of women in some specific situations relating closely to their children. Furthermore, Plath's Mirror also reveals women's disappointment, but which is different, from aging and her sense of loss. The subject matter, mirror, is personified, symbolising women's constant desire to remain young. .
Being always ready to help she is obliged to forget about her own wealth. Helping is her paramount destination. Sometimes girls feel as if they are alone in this world and they can do nothing with the pressure of gender stereotypes, as soon as all their actions will be considered as inapplicable for the standards of society. A girl should stop for a moment and think of what she can undertake in order to reverse the situation. There are three effective ways of avoiding having culture’s gender stereotypes derail girls’ dreams: a search for the supporters, a careful explanation, and an attempt to go through the personal experience.
A Woman’s Duality By Maya Asfour Edna’s self reserved character and the propensity to mask her emotions had a lot to do with her mother’s death when she was at a very young age in addition to not being close to either of her sisters, and that all the girls she befriended happened to be of a self contained type. Edna decided to take her place as a married woman with dignity, thus sacrificing her needs to attain the demands of society. But even though she does not attend to her needs they exist inside of her, causing her to question and desire while her body does what others expect her to do. Madame’s Ratignolle compassionate gesture at the beach provokes Edna to realize that she was brought up to be a reserved woman. The gesture also inspires Edna to speak openly and freely and by doing so Edna feels intoxicated as if she tasted “the first breath of freedom” [VII Chopin].
She makes a show of not taking her mother’s advice by saying things like, "Don’t be so old-fashioned, Ma […]. I’m my own person." This woman likes to think that she’s in charge of herself. All the same, she continues to look for her mother’s approval, especially in romantic relationships. She claims that she doesn’t want her mom’s opinions about Rich, but desperately wants her mother to like him.
(scribbles something on paper). Now, Lady Capulet, A noble lady is supposed to always act indifferent towards others, as you have just done now. She takes care of the children, but she never coddles them and leaves there upbringing to the nurses. For you to show me this, you have to imagine that Juliet is is saying that she will not marry the person you want her to marry. What will your response be?
While this woman depicted in the wallpaper is in the light, the view of society, she doesn’t move or rebel; equally, when the woman is in the dark, alone, she resents society and the “bars” it places in front of her. In this case, the “bars” are in the form of the stereotype and role society determined for woman; furthermore, society prearranged that every woman was to be the homemaker: cook, clean, raise children, and care for the man of the household. Other
Maggie selflessly insists that her sister can have the quilts (128). Maggie is also not a very strong character; instead she stays in the background most every situation that she can. For example, Dee and her friend rapidly approached the house in their car. “Maggie attempts to make a dash for the house…” but her mother quickly takes hold of her, making sure that she does not escape. Maggie was very uneasy around her sister; her mother tells her anxiousness in regard to Dee’s visitation: “Maggie will be nervous until after her sister goes: she will stand hopelessly in corners, homely and ashamed of the burn scars down her arms and legs, eyeing her sister with a mixture of envy and awe” (119).
We might know the Marthas’ names but the Handmaids’ real names are never used. They are labeled Of-someone which shows how they belong to their Commanders and have no real identity of their own. This labeling itself is a method of control on women as the women are constantly reminded that they are not identified by names but by labels and that they have no identity of their own. Gilead is a society where on the surface, it promotes solidarity between women. The Aunts teach the Handmaids at the Red Centre about how women are now protected and respected.