Housework was a very important task and women were supposed to take great joy in it. Upper and middle class girls were taught from a young age the skills they would need in order to keep a happy, healthy, peaceful home. While the outside world and working force were definitively male, the home was considered to be a feminine place. The outside world was evil and full of sin and wrongdoing, but the home was a moral haven (MacKethan). Husbands went to work in the corrupt world of industry, so they were meant to come home, decompress, and once again become attuned with their compassionate side.
The Innocent Envy Kaymond Carver’s “Neighbors” begins with a comparison between two couples and their lives. In the comparison, it is clearly seen that there is a different relationship between two families; the economical gap between two couples make the life of Stones’ life not other than dreaming of Millers’ life that is “fuller and brighter life” (17) to them. The absence of Millers on a vacation gives a chance to experience their neighbor’s sparkling life as they have the key to water the flowers and feed the kitty. On account of that they have longed such a wonderful life, they try to do whatever they are able to do in that period. This behavior is caused by the economical cliff between these families.
4) “Persona”, a movie by Ingmar Bergman, portrays the weakness and strengths of a person’s identity. Portrait is a poem written by Judith Wright which investigates the different aspects of identity. The poem regards the persona so excited and enthusiastic about her marriage and her new housewife duties because she was loved and needed. The persona in the second stanza then reveals that her passion for this life disappears as her heart is unsatisfied for she believes she is only loved by her family because she was needed to keep the house and keep their lives in order. The topics of identity she analyses are the effect of years and time, the transformation of identity, and that identity is an image; a portrait.
Jody convinced her to start this new and exciting life with him and to eventually become the mayor’s wife in Eatonville. To Janie, Jody is young and ambitious and seems able to offer her something new, attention, something that Logan fails to provide her. She is willing to give up the life Nanny has invested in her with Logan Killicks in hopes of a new adventure from Jody Starks. Janie wants something more than just financial stability, she wants true love and with hope from the charismatic charm of Jody, she feels like she’s found
Elisa puts all her energy and time into perfecting the chrysanthemum garden and her house working skills, even though she would rather be doing more exciting things. Elisa wants to be noticed for her skill and the hard work she does. She also wants to be able to do more then she does while being as successful as her husband.
When reading the short story, From a Secret Sorrow by Karen Van Der Zee, Faye experiences a sense of love and dissatisfaction. The intensity of the emotions in this story is commonly relatable and predictable, making this story not only powerful but a form of formula fiction as well. The events that occur to Faye, quickly leads the reader to the themes of love, dissatisfaction, and the happy ending that is easily predicted. Although Faye’s conflict is resolved very fast, and typical of a happy modern day romance story, it allows the reader to feel a sense of comfort, Bad things happen to good people, but if you have love there is hope. Faye is a fragile woman who is recovering from a traumatic accident.
Redefining Truth in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried By: Rose Monahan May 2011 The Pennsylvania State University In an interview with Tobey C. Herzog, Tim O’Brien discussed the merits of truth by saying, “You have to understand about life itself. There is a truth as we live it; there is a truth as we tell it. Those two are not compatible all the time. There are times when the story truth can be truer, I think, than a happening truth” (120). Many literary scholars have struggled with the “truth” in one of O’Brien’s most famous works, The Things They Carried, a collection of twenty-two tales on the Vietnam War that stand alone just as strongly as they tie together.
Dee only wanted to lord over them her superior intelligence and education, therefore boosting her own ego. Dee does not hide her shame for the way that her mother and Maggie live by writing “no matter where [they] “choose” to live, she will manage to come see [them]. But she will never bring her friends.” Dee's harsh criticisms are not just pointed at her mother and Maggie as can be seen when the narrator points out “When [Dee] was courting Jimmy T she didn't have much time to pay us, but turned all her faultfinding power on him. He flew to marry a cheap city girl” (Walker 105). Notice the emphasized word flew.
Looks Can Be Deceiving People always try to look for the best in each other, but subconsciously we are judging them. It is a natural instinct we use to ensure our own survival, as Edwin Rolfe and Lester Fuller said “Don’t Judge a book by its cover”. Soon people in the story “The Possibility of Evil” by Shirley Jackson, will know to think twice. The story starts with Mrs. Adela Strangeworth, a friendly old lady who loves her home for being the sweet little town it is. She is a respected member of the community, beloved by everyone.
20-21). He is scared of her matrimony “bring her a house “(L. 73) he wants her to get married. He is not scared of her being healthy a “great gloom” is talking about her intellect and the choices she needs to make for her own good and future get married be beautiful but not to a certain extent to where that is all you have going for yourself have the surrounding people see you more then just a beautiful person (L. 8). He wants her to be smart and have a happy life. The health was the last thing for him to ask for he didn’t overlook it he just didn’t associate it with “great gloom” (L. 8).