This is shown through the elements of conflict (character vs. society), character, and symbolism. For instance, the conflict of character vs. society plays into par with both, “The Story of an Hour” and “The Yellow Wallpaper”, when you look at how both men and society in both of the short stories has control over women. For many years, women have attempted to find their place in society, although it is extremely difficult when males are usually seen as being the ones who control their wives. “The Story of an Hour” hints that Mrs. Mallard’s husband, who is possibly a typical husband of their day, dominated his wife. The lack of freedom in both stories lead to a tragic ending, especially in the “Story of an Hour”.
Our culture believes women should be dependent on men and this forms a belief that women need men to survive. Society is plagued with the maltreatment of women such as domestic, verbal and physical abuse, violence, and rape. In the workplace for example women are forced into low paying jobs, and make on average seventy percent of what their fellow males earn (Canadian Labour and Congress). Women also suffer in the sense that two thirds of the world’s illiterate people are women, and morality rates for females are
Atwood’s portrayal of a dystopian society criticizes the present day attitudes towards women and the exaggerations depicted in the novel can be the result of the inequality between men and women today. The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel that covers the backlash of feminism. It depicts how common attitudes towards women are brought down in an extremist way. “In order to offer women “freedom from” they must give up their “freedom to”... the only offered alternatives to rape and exploitation.” (Prattas 5) In the novel, the Pre-Giledean society was considered to be a dystopia for women where they feared physical and emotion violence. The current Giledean society is to protect them from such fear and is actively promoted through re-education centres run by Aunts.
The fact that Curley's Wife, on a ranch, is 'heavily made up' indicates the fact that she is lonely, as on a ranch there is need to wear such heavy make up, and the only purpose it serves it to attract attention from the other men. Her husband Curley also seems to isolate her, taking away her right to companionship, a key theme in the novel, despite the fact she is married, showing itinerant workers are not the only ones lacking companionship. Adverbs are used by Steinbeck to show Curley's Wife's dangerous nature when around the other characters. The adverb 'playfully' is used to describe the way she talks to George and Lennie, showing the way she tries to get the attention of the men, despite her marriage to Curley. However she does not know that Lennie, unlike the other men, cannot control his actions as the other men can, and this eventually results in her and Lennie's deaths.
Rossetti shows us she resents men and the power they have over women and also the weakness and few liberties that women have in this period. Rossetti chooses a first person narrative in this poem so the narrator can address her questions and laments to Kate. We are taken through an emotional journey with the maiden where we are told what happened to her. This explains her initial anger at Cousin Kate. The maidens Questions in the first stanza express her anger and confusion at the experiences she has had to endure.
Steinbeck uses Curley's wife's character to depict the inferiority of women. He also uses her to inform the reader of the dire range of choices for women of that era. Steinbeck creates the character of Curley's wife to show the reader that life as a house wife is dull and repetitive. He does that by making Curley's wife not fit into the expected mould of a married house wife. She is a lonely character constantly searching for attention, even if it is from ranch workers, cripples and the coloured.
By utilizing the Handmaids as a representation of the females in the Gileadean society, the author exposes the flaws of an anti-feminist society through objectification and the absence of agency. The Handmaid’s Tale illustrates women who are strongly objectified by men. An example of how Handmaids are objectified is through their names. The women are named after their assigned Commander; their name which consists of two parts is constructed with the prefix, ‘Of’, followed by the suffix of their Commander’s name. The main character’s Handmaid name is Offred, meaning that she is property of Fred.
The characters in the novella refer to her as ‘Curley’s Wife’. They use Curley’s name, her husband, to define her identity. This shows that she is Curley’s property and possession. The role of women at the 1930’s was really poor and women were treated less equally. John Steinbeck uses this to show what women were like at that time.
Then the quote continues and states: “You will find them, [women] a set of harpies, absurd, treacherous, and deceitful—regardless of strong obligations, and mindful of slight injuries…” (86). The bluntness of this statement about women would not have come from a man seeking a wife during this time. The female villain of the novel, Mrs. Hammond exemplified these awful characteristics throughout the story. The author, Rebecca Rush was probably surrounded by women, during this time, willing to stop at nothing to secure their future. As the quote continues, “and when your integrity has been
Alluding back to this quote, Wharton exposes these feelings for what they really are when Ethan's wife, Zeena, leaves him home alone with her caretaker, and cousin, Mattie for a couple days. In spite of this, Gabriel rebelled in a slightly different way. To expand, Gabriel didn't really appreciate his wife, Gretta, and often thought of leaving her. Yet, he stayed; for if he left, Gabriel would face the ultimate punishment, social isolation. Therefore, he caused turbulence with himself, because he was going against his true feelings to satisfy his lust and desire for a companion.