Hedda Gabler – The Whole Life of a Man Ibsen describes Hedda Gabler by saying, “She really wants to live the whole life of a man. But then come her reservations. Things inherited and acquired.” This description of Hedda gives the reader an insight into what Hedda’s ambitions are and why she acts the way she does in situations. Ibsen deals with the feminist issue of lack of freedom that limits women to domestic life, and at the time of the play there was nothing called ‘women’s freedom’ in the social perception that was established by men. Ibsen shows in the play that Hedda wants to be the powerful person in the family and lead a man’s life of power.
Her husbands, all five of them were teased with sex, but they had to provide luxuries that she desperately craved for. The underlying theme of The Wife of Bath relates to power struggles rather than spousal equality in marriage. The Wife of Bath gives an insight into a hard working semi-independent woman of the Middle Ages. She is semi- independent because she is dependent upon her husbands for material goods. "In the words of the Wife of Bath, God has given women three talents- deceit, weeping, and spinning" (Power 118).
Steinbeck uses Elisa’s character to depict the fighting for equal rights. In general, there is an opinion that men and women are not equal, as men work and earn the money, and women take care of the house and children. Women are often trying to destroy these stereotypes by doing hard men’s jobs and trying to be more independent in their decisions. When Elisa says to the tinker “It must be very nice. I wish women could do such things” (354), she tries to express her desire for wanting to be stronger and more independent.
First of all, she has the attributes of an overbearing parent. She pushes her son toward attaining success even when it is against his character and when he is even more unwilling; especially during the election for consulship. It can be said that a mother always wants best for her child but in the case of Volumnia it is ironic that she puts her own ambitions first before her son’s safety and happiness whereas, the audience would expect the latter to be more important. In Act 1 Scene 3, Volumnia’s speech represents that of a mother who thrives on her son’s triumphs. She says that ‘I should freelier rejoice in that absence wherein he won honor than in the embracements of his bed where he would show most love”.
The short story “The Chrysanthemums” favors and differs from the story “The Necklace” in many different ways. Both of these stories are centered upon an unhappy marriage life. The wives of each story are unhappy with the way their husbands seem content with the same lifestyle. In “The Chrysanthemums”, a tinker comes to Elisa’s house at first annoying her with ransom question, but then opening her eyes to realizing she should not settle for being content and try harder to become happy with her life. With the conversation becoming more exciting, Elisa begins to feel appreciated for once and has an immediate attraction for the tinker.
A streetcar named desire presents a sharp critique of the attitudes towards woman and their roles within society at post-war America. Blanche’s and Stella’s dependence on male companions are strong as they depend on men for both their sustenance and their self-image. Self-appearance is Blanche’s dominant characteristic, she believes to win male attraction and acceptance; a female must act and look a certain way. Inequality in sexes is also a big issue within this play as the male figure is seen to over-power the female figures. Stan is shown as the Alpha male; he holds the position arrogantly within his relationship, which sparks tension between the sexes, typically between Blanche and Stanley.
Taking a feminist stance means supporting equality of the sexes; women can do what men do and vice versa. In this paper, I will argue that Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games is a modern feminist novel because the leading protagonist Katniss Everdeen displays qualities of both femininity and masculinity. Even though she is often unaware of herself as a female—oblivious to the attention she receives from District boys—Katniss does experience the emotions typical of young girls—namely involving romance—as well as those of a nurturing mother even though she does not want a family of her own. There is also a masculine side to her, made evident in her skill in both providing for her family and surviving the Games, which proves that women do not have to be limited wholly to traditional feminine roles. After her father
Her love is inauthentic in the way she loves, due to viewing her lover, being godlike, this is inauthentic in the sense that no man is godlike. A woman priding herself over this method of love is eventually disappointed due to her male partner not submitting to her needs. For example the woman’s desire for the man to only care for her, while she expects him to be independent at the same time
and this is shown on the essay when she writes this ”If, by chance , I find another person more suitable as a wife than the wife I already have, I want the liberty to replace my present wife with another one” Really, is sad but is the truth, men do think women’s are objects they can’t take and leave when they want and demand things and expect to received without giving. As I read the essay it was stupid to see that they didn’t realize that all the wife’s duties could also be done by men, like cleaning, working, taking care of the kids, and of course pleasing their wife’s when she
Don Pedro is the prime example of this masculine and primitive patriarchy. Don Pedro fiercely believes that it is he who is in charge of choosing what his sisters did with their life, because of his position of power of his sisters. It was he who chose a life of nunnery for Hellena, which clearly was not what Hellena wanted. Hellena, being the free spirit that she is states “I hope he has some mad Companion or other, that will spoil my devotion,” blatantly expressing her desire to lust and to not be a nun. Florinda on the other hand, is treated like a puppet with her father and brother being the puppeteers of her love life.