She studied women and gender studies as it can be seen by reading her book because of the knowledge she transmits about women’s history and all the stages women went through decades ago. Sara Evans graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, she was recognized as Scholar
In this novel, Julia Alvarez manages to capture and express the true feelings of women which deconstructs the stereotypes through Yo. Feminism is defined as “a political movement that works to achieve equal rights for women and men” (Hirsch 113). For the past ages, women were seen in the society as inferior to men and were greatly excluded from education and the right to property ownership. A British feminist named Mary Wollstonecraft argues, “educational restrictions keep women in a state of ignorance and slavish dependence” (Blake 117). The shattering of classifications and stereotypes, and the subversion of traditional gender roles, and the concept of sisterhood or unity among women are among the main tenets of feminist criticism.
As an example two influential short stories will be discussed in depth in order to shed light into the lives of the two authors and their stories. The short stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935) and Angela Carter (1940–1992) both sideway the same idea; the confinement of women in particular roles and positions in both personal and professional lives, posed on them by patriarchal figures. Toril Moi quotes in her examination of feministic criticism, Sexual/Textual Politics (2002), Elaine Showalter’s idea that “women writers should not be studied as a distinct group on the assumption that they write alike, or even display stylistic resemblances distinctively feminine” (Moi, 2002: 49), which comes across when reading the two stories which are stylistically already very different. It might be so that a feminist reader of both times (there’s some 80 years difference between the two stories) did not only want to see her own experiences mirrored in fiction, but strived to identify with strong, impressive female characters (Moi, 2002: 46), and looked for role-models that would instil positive sense of feminine identity by portraying women as self-actualising strong identities who were not dependent on men (Moi, 2002, 46). The two stories bring out two female characters, very different by position and character; the other a new mother, scared and confused of her own role, and the other a young newly-wed girl, still a child, being fouled by a much older man, mainly as a mark of his authority over women in general.
Depending on the category, a woman can be treated quite differently throughout her adulthood. Ana Castillo’s So Far From God battles and reconfigures these gender roles by writing the life stories of these Chicanas. Individually, Sofi and her daughters, La Loca, Caridad, and Esperanza, decolonize themselves from both the three roles in which society has categorized them and their overall oppression. It is through their close relationships between the women in their lives that they can transform into a kinship of comadres that support and assist each other to resist any hetero-patriarchal forms of oppression. Unfortunately, not all of Sofi’s daughters try to break away from this society.
June is another victim of patriarchal oppression just like Connie’s mother, a typical “house wife”. Both the mother’s and sister’s roles fully reflect how women were treated at that time. They were controlled by males, displayed a lack of confidence and did not have their own independent self-consciousness. Oates used Connie’s independent identity and rebellious behaviors to represent women’s dissatisfaction with patriarchy, but had no courage to make a change. When Oates starts the story by introducing Connie without a last name, Oates created a character with a clear independent identity, while at the same time rebelling against the patriarchy.
Before the 1950's, average American women did not receive a college education, did not have a career, nor were they the bread winners for their households. But after the feminist movement was launched, many women had the opportunity to be equal to men, and to pursue their own independence and careers. In Terry Martin Hekker’s “Paradise Lost (Domestic Division)” and Deborah Tannen’s “Understanding Mom”, both authors show this revolutionary change in the roles and expectations of contemporary women and how these changes impact the dynamics of marriage and divorce. In her 2006 essay, Hekker admits that after her divorce, she wished she had achieved the career skills and education of the younger, modern woman; however, she goes on to say that she does not regret marrying her ex-husband, and that she cherishes her children and grandchildren. (Hekker,416) On the other hand, Tannen reveals that she never wanted the traditional life that her Russian born mother wanted her to live.
The Awakening Society frowns upon women who are trying to be independent and have a free life. Many people tend to look down on women who lived their life in a “dream” and who have awakened from it and acted out this “dream”. During the 19th century any women who did not follow expected social behavior were often looked down on as a disappointment. In the tragic realistic novel, The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, a young American woman of the late nineteenth century seeks to realize her full potential as an independent human being. Adele Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz are two women in which Edna’s options of life paths are exhibited, however, Edna finds both role models lacking.
A Changing Woman The Victorian Era was a time of many contradictions, including the role of a woman in society. Prior to the Victorian Era, a woman’s place was considered to be at home. However, this thought began to change once Victorian feminism began to emerge. Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula, is commonly referred to when talking about vampires and other dark aspects of literature. It is also surprisingly an excellent reference for the emergence of feminism.
When she writes “Oh my dear girls—for to such only am I writing—listen not to the voice of love, unless sanctioned by paternal approbation.”(P. 55), she is trying to tell women to put themselves in a position in which they are not exploited, and listen to their brains and parents rather than their heart and emotions. The story of Charlotte Temple is somewhat extreme in the sense that she was a very naïve and sheltered young woman that didn’t really know what the world was like outside the walls of her home or the border school. She was weak and she was dependent on other people to make the decisions for her. Rowson is also warning the women about other people in their life. The parents have the best intentions for their children, but other people might not.
Too many women have internalized archaic adherence so well that they turn against their own kind. Women, in fact, are far more rigid in compliance with the said social sanctions than men, the actual beneficiaries. This is why female foeticide still makes it in the front pages. That is why mothers feel the greater responsibility in the nurturance of the offspring. “A feminist is most likely to be a lesbian.