Women faced economic social and freedom of rights barricades. Men's interests and efforts were towards the important people; themselves. We see this when the narrator is genuinely concerned about something strange in the house. John shows no empathy or support towards his own wife. Alternatively john responds by telling her it "was a draught, and shut the window" (Gilman 34).
The use of a possessive apostrophe emphasises the point even further that she belongs to him and he controls her, although she can try to push the boundaries of society's rules and expectations, he will always be there to stop her as she is dominated by him. Much like many women in 1930's America who had a lack of importance as they were male dominated. Women held little respect during this era, they had no choice, no voice and no right to vote, they were categorised along with the insane and children. In the
Furthermore, women gained support for the feminist movement through the social media. Betty Freidman’s, The Feminine Mystique, described the melancholy lives and dissatisfaction that women led because of the restrictions put on them by the male-dominated community. Friedman says, “A woman is handicapped by her sex, and handicaps society, either by slavishly copying the pattern of man's advance in the professions, or by refusing to compete with man at all.” (Friedman 56). This means that women gave up the fight before they even gave it a chance and men took advantage of that. This acclaimed book ignited a dormant fire inside the oppressed women and feminism swept the nation during the 1960s.
When we are primarily introduced to her we can sense she may cause trouble among the men. She is described as having “full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up” it is clear that she craves attention and the only way she sees she is able to receive it is by acting shamelessly around the men. She is unhappy in her marriage and although she flirts with the other men what she wants is not an affair or a relationship but companionship. Loneliness is a theme often associated with the migrant workers in America during the 1930s, but Curely’s wife is in fact the person who experiences it most. She is the only woman on the ranch, which makes her different from the rest.
Steinbeck makes the reader conflicted on how they feel about her throughout the novel until and after her death. At the start of the novel our first impressions of Curley’s wife is shared with the other men on the ranch; in a negative way. The reader dislikes her as she is interpreted as being flirtatious, craving attention and provocative. Our first reference of her is at the start where the ranchmen talk about her. “Well I think Curley’s married…a tart.” Steinbeck used the word tart, as it is an undermining term to say that a woman is promiscuous at that time.
She knew this about herself and was highly criticized for it. This means that she failed to be objective in several instances.A few good poems to use to capture her struggle with relationships might be these: "Mirror","By Candlelight" ,"Mary's Song". "Daddy" by Sylvia Plath is by right considered a magnificent poem about daughter's relationship with a father. Also it can also be read as an allegory of female yielding and final revolt in a men's world who have been responsible for all the disasters and wars
This desire arises because of her constant loneliness which she puts up with after her husband's tragic death. From that point on her life, she goes sliding down a slippery slope. Blanche goes on a search for guys who would fulfill her desire, yet she never gets an adequate amount, so she moves on. This only perpetuates her suffering and dirties her name and reputation. After she has nowhere to go, her desire brings her to her sister's doorsteps.
All that chaos contributed to the male chauvinism we see in our current society. Women had to handle that change without any moral support. It is also important to remember the important role women took in both world wars. A “Jury of Her Peers”, demonstrates how hard marriage was for all women who did not enjoy their relationships. Women in those types of relationships were treated as objects instead of being valued as women of freedom which represent intelligence, compassion, love and beauty.
The Discrimination against Women Identities Throughout history, female were considered lesser beings and nothing more than the property of their husband. In the short story, Blank Spaces by Joanna Cockerline, the acknowledgment of female being inferior creatures in comparison to men is highlighted. Struggle against misfortunes, Elizabeth is oppressed by the social inequality due to the fact that she is a girl. In Blank Spaces, the social inequality implied by the narrative severely impacts Elizabeth’s career hierarchy, character traits, and life experiences. Like many feminist writer, Cockerline focuses her emphasis on how social norm discriminate women by inhibit their job opportunities.
For example, in John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums”, he reveals that in the patriarchal society of the 1930s women serve more as a decoration and have little purpose in the world; he does so through character, symbolism, and point of view. First, Steinbeck’s characters help display the theme of sexism through two types of men and an oppressed woman. Elisa Allen is a strong, passionate women living an unsatisfying life with a desire to escape her life, yet can not leave due to societies thoughts about women. Society looked down upon a woman’s desire to go on an adventure and see the world or to start her own business. With the thought that her life could change, Elisa becomes a new woman by bathing “until her skin was scratched and red.