Finding a gentleman caller for Laura becomes Amanda’s driving force because she places too much importance on it “It’s terrible, dreadful, disgraceful that poor little sister has never received a gentleman caller” (1305). Amanda does not bother to ask Tom and Laura what they want out of life. Instead, she makes up her mind – her illusion - about what is best for them and then expects obedience. Laura never asks to go
“It came into my head that I cannot run away. I am who I am wherever I am”. Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman is about a 14 year old girl who's father, the lord, wants to marry her off to a rich old man with lots of land. Catherine wants to just get away from the lady life and escape, but is always held in place by her pregnant mother, and her always nagging nurse/maid Morwenna. In Catherine, Called Birdy, many women gave Birdy advice but she never really listenened to them, but when she did, she made a decision that changed her life forever.
"By day and by night his tyranny grows harsher... lets no daughter go free to her mother... lets no girl go free to her bridegroom." (George, I, 3-4). Women, on the other hand, play many more roles than men in this classic and make subtle, but key decisions to greatly change the course of the story. Take Ninsun, the mother of Gilgamesh, for example. She plays the role of the loving, caring mother and also that of the wise counselor that provides guidance.
The Midnight Twins By: Jacquelyn Mitchard Meredith and Mallory Brynn are identical twins - born on different days. Meredith was born at 11:59 P.M. on December 31st and Mallory was born at 12:01 A.M. on January 1st of the next year. Merry and Mally share many of the things that other twins do like a special language, sympathy pains, and telepathy. No matter how much they share with each other and how identical they look, they do have differences. Merry is the head cheerleader and Miss Popularity whereas Mally is all business.
After being suffocated by the images of this absolute world, Mrs. Breedlove strives to acquire the white’s life style. While in her employer’s house, Mrs. Breedlove role plays as the household’s main woman because this is the closest she will get to living this fairytale life. Mrs. Breedlove also shows how little she values her family by “neglect[ing] her house, her children, her man” (127). She demonstrates the strain in her mother-daughter relationship with Pecola by allowing the little white girl she looks after call her Polly. Pecola does not address her mother in this casual manner.
“My boyfriend and all my relatives do not want me to become a stewardess,” repeats the girl and she does not even try to make her dream come true. Culture’s gender stereotypes imposed by the society girls live in, have an enormous influence on their lives. The conception of the Good Girl presented by Lucy Gilbert and Paula Webster in their essay “The Dangers of Femininity” clearly describes the proposed model of girls’ behavior. Good Girl should dedicate her life to other people, in particular to her husband. Being always ready to help she is obliged to forget about her own wealth.
She finds a deep down strength and courage in herself that leads her to want to find out what type of person she really is, and what she wants out of her life. Nora Helmer is a delicate character that had been pampered all of her life, by her father and by her husband. In every sense she is typical housewife. She is financially dependent on her father earlier and on her husband later. She never leaves her house, mostly because her husband is afraid of the way people talk.
“A Broken Tradition” The short story “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan is about contrasting ideals as the title suggests. A mother and daughter, Jing-mei, disagree consistently as they are divided by old traditions and new age cultures. Jing-mei’s mother has an ideal goal set for her daughter and what her daughter should achieve. Jing-mei resents her mother’s ideals about old traditions and new opportunities. This causes Jing-mei to do less than her best throughout her life as she grows into a Chinese woman of America.
Evidently Lady Bracknell values society and its values, saying, “Never speak disrespectfully of Society,” but she goes totally against these values by playing the role of her husband in her daughter’s life (hypocritical). In addition, the conversation between Lady Bracknell and Jack is controlled completely by Lady Bracknell. She is asking all the questions – in charge of the flow of the conversation – she is pushing/forcing everything she wants to know out of him. Evidence for this is ‘Mr Worthing! Rise, sir…’ this supports my statement above and conveys to the audience the power (authority) Lady Bracknell possesses over Jack.
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).