The wife of Bath’s tale is the struggle of who has the bigger pants in the relationship. The wife in her relationships feels empowered and enjoys having the control of her husbands. When power is held over someone else than they also have control, the Wife of Bath’s prologue and tale, one could even view the contradictions on the way she has lived her
‘Maybe you better go along to your own house now. We don’t want no trouble’ this shows that the workers were cautious of being caught with Curley’s wife and sent her on her way to avoid conflict. Curley treasures his wife and if she were caught in any trouble, even if it was her fault, she’d be seen as innocent. Finally, Steinbeck also presents women as attractive and confident. The quotes ‘If he ain’t, I better look someplace else, she said playfully’ and ‘Hi, Good-lookin’.’ These show all the workers think Curley’s wife is attractive and she knows this, so she’s being confident with them.
She feels as though she has ownership of him simply because he chose to give his love to her in the beginning of their relationship. At one point she begins to tell him exactly how she wants him to look for her, having no concern of what he wanted for himself. Once her anger takes over there is really nothing that can stop her. Jealousy can be a very dangerous thing and when beauty is involved people seem to feel entitled. In some cases people are used in relationships.
Compare the ways in which The Ruined Maid and one other poem of your choice explores female characters WOMEN ARE SEEN AS OBJECTS • ‘We played at courtly love’ – suggestion that marrying her is all a game and she is their prize. • ‘toy, a plaything, little women’ – no emotional connection to her, once she is wedded and bedded she is just,’ a bit of fluff’. • Isn’t allowed to work but just look pretty, ‘we never do work when we’re ruined’. • ‘one’s life is pretty lively when ruined’ – sarcasm if told what to do – be with men RUINED FOR OPPOSITE REASONS – MARRIAGE • Before she was married she had a status, she was higher up, ‘out of reach’ • After she was married she loses her status because she is no longer worth striving for, ‘I became’ enjambment • She is seen as beautiful, ‘a damsel and the peach’ – something sweet and sensual • Now no beautiful imagery, ‘only a bit of fluff’ something so disregarded and unnecessary’ - needing to be disposed • Oppositely she is ruined and disregarded because she chose not to marry. • ‘You aint ruined’ – sense that she is envious that the other farm girl can be no naive (could remind herself of her).
On the oppose side of the marital spectrum, Zeena regularly professes her hypochondria to her husband. However, in response to the sledding accident, she “seemed to be raised right up just when the call came to her” (Wharton 131). This ironic “miracle” proves Zeena’s addiction to martyrdom, emotionally dependent on first her illnesses, then to her vocational role. Although professedly unhappy, she relies on her marriage for a sense of purpose. In an examination of the constancies, it seems as though both wife and husband, woman and man, are reliant upon both one another and their marriage to function
Awakening Essay Freedom In The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Edna Pontellier is bound to a life of perfection and social status. Her husband, Leonce Pontellier controls her life and expects her to do everything he asks. Leonce’s expectations aren’t unreasonable because in that era wives were suppose to make their husbands look good, which meant tending to everything and doing whatever their husbands requested. Edna has an “awakening” and realizes that the strict social life is not what she wants. Being free and in control of her own life is what Edna craves.
Only when he went away, and she was desperate for order did she consider marrying Tom, who was “worthy” as he had the proper background, wealth, and the approval of her parents. Daisy is portrayed as a relatively weak-willed women, who “wanted her life shaped now; immediately- and the decision must be made by some force- of love, of money, of unquestionable practicality”. (151) It could be said that while Daisy was in love with both Tom and Gatsby, her main affections lie with money, ease, and material luxury and she would be with the man who could offer all those things. In a world where men are the dominant
Mrs. Kobylinski Essay 22 February 2015 Mathilde Compared To Della In The “Gift of the Magi” author O.Henry writes about Della a woman who sacrifices something to make her husband happy. In contrast “the Necklace” Author Guy de maurassart tells a story about Mathilde Loisel a selfish woman whose husband cared so much about her he was willing to do anything to make her happy. A similar is they both are poor and have little money. However Della tries to make the most of her money and Mathilda spends all the money they have. Della is selfless and caring about her money but Mathilda is selfish and self-centered with her money.
She does this when Walter was out drinking, feeling sorrow because of Mama not giving him a penny to help his dream of opening a liquor store. She finally sits down with him and gives him he insurance money he was looking for. Not only that, she also exclaims, "I'm telling you to be the head of this family from now on like you supposed to be" (107). Before, Mama would make all the decisions of the family and decide what's right and not let Walter be a part of it. Now she develops the family by making Walter feel proud about being able to run the family the way he wants it.
The Wife of Bath believed differently than other women, and men for that matter, of this time period. She believed that “A woman wants the self-same sovereignty over her husband as over her lover and master him, he must not be above her.” She was well experienced and knew exactly what she wanted out of life, love, and men. Having already had five husbands “at the church door,” she has experience enough to make her an expert. She sees