As exemplified in Pride and Prejudice with characters like Mrs. Bennet and her child, Lydia, many ladies put money above love when it came to the subject of marriage. Perhaps the behavior of women in this time period is a question of nature vs. nurture. For females especially, society dictated class distinctions and parameters for retaliatory ridicule, while bringing emphasis towards honing “womanly” talents in lieu of formal education and opportunities. If a lady were to step out of the bounds of appropriate behavior, she would disgrace herself and most likely her family, thereby cutting them off from benefits that might otherwise shine upon accomplished personas. Mrs. Bennet’s least favorite daughter, Elizabeth, seems to be made of strong moral fiber and respectfully does not sink to the (often) poor matrimonial standards of her peers.
It was her virtue that defined whether she was to be esteemed or denounced. Women were expected to embody, “chastity, courage, tenacity, and unquestioning acceptance of the prevailing hierarchy- unto death if necessary.”(p.100) This literally meant that suicide was a desirable recourse in order to protect the woman’s virtue or that of her husband’s. A woman’s loyalty to her husband was paramount. A story is told of a young girl who’s betrothed was slandered so her family arranged another marriage, but instead of allowing herself to be married to another man, she hung herself in order to stay true to her rightful husband. This demonstration of loyalty was deemed worthy and right, instilling a complete dependence of a wife on her husband.
When the mentor, Miss Moore, enters the picture, Sylvia is unimpressed to say the least. “This lady moved on our block with nappy hair and proper speech and no makeup” (Bambara p. 456) the opening line continues, “and we kinda hated her...” (Bambara p. 456) Sylvia bluntly states and continues to belittle Miss Moore. Sylvia is upset that this woman with proper speech, obviously an education, has come into her home. Miss Moore plans things for these children to do, things that bore Sylvia. The assumption is that these activities are meant to teach the children to better themselves, but Sylvia already thinks she is perfect.
David Hernandez #8 September 25, 2012 ENC 1102 Essay one: On Women in Chopin and Glaspell Women suffer from numerous hardships in life. These problems can range from domestic dilemmas to not having equal rights. In the past, these issues were worse due to undermining women. Kate Chopin and Susan Glaspell depict these issues very well in their literary work. In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and Trifles by Susan Glaspell, the audience can further understand how terrible life for women was.
Women’s reality, such as Gilman’s, in this time period was being a submissive wife with few rights in society. This fictional story, appears to be more reality than fiction. The Yellow Wallpaper is a feminist text used as a cry for help of all the oppressed women from nineteenth century. Women’s repression was a problem that impacted the lives of those who lived in this time period. This story expresses a concern of the role women, particularly within the aspect of marriage, maternity, and domesticity.
In “A Rose for Emily” and “The Rocking Horse Winner” Faulkner and Lawrence present the theme of love in a twisted manner. Although both of these stories are about love, they are about two very different kinds of love: Emily Grierson is in a romantic relationship with Homer Baron, while Paul’s love is maternal for his mother. Both stories do however, give a macabre view of love, as they each end with the deaths of the protagonists. Although both stories illustrate love as a source of pain and anguish, it is Emily that presents a more twisted view of love, as she is in control of the decisions that she makes in her life. Conversely, Paul’s story is actually tragic in nature.
In the introduction to Global Woman, Ehrenreich & Hochschild (2002) refer to this trend as “the globalization of traditional female services” (p. 5). Some of the women, particularly the sex workers, are forced to live in a state of slavery. Others are tricked into becoming prostitutes, without understanding what they are really getting into. Some women choose to migrate to a developed nation so they can work as a nanny or maid. This appears to be a better option than slavery or sex work; however, the domestic workers also face hardships such as language barriers, exploitation, low wages, the abuse of their employers, and the ongoing fear of being sent back to their home nation.
Monika Roncová, 2bpAnSv Gender roles accepted and confronted by women in the Anne Brontë’s novel The Tenant of Wildfell Hall The Victorian era has been discussed by many authors and critics from 19th century to present day, in terms of status of women in the society and marriage and the role of female gender. Most of the popular Victorian Classics deal more or less with the inequality of the two genders which can suggest us their (if not author’s, than at least women’s around him) desire to change this social contrast. Novelist Anne Brontë, sister of probably better publicly known Emily and Charlotte doesn’t have a great story of love and romance for her readers. She moves forward and looks at the acts of courageous woman Helen Huntingdon, trapped in misfortunate marriage. I would like to present some views on how Anne and Helen confront the traditional Victorian ideals.
Authors Rhonda Unger and Mary Crawford state that “stereotypes occur when individuals are classified by others as having something in common because they are members of a particular group or category of people” (107). For centuries the female gender has been suppressed by sexist stereotypes. These stereotypes have thus categorized women into distinct gender roles. Author Gwendolyn Lewis, in her article “Changes in Women’s Role Participation,” divides the role of women into four categories: “Women in the modern societies are found simultaneously in many different roles; the predominant roles for women are now, as in the past, those of wife, homemaker, mother and worker” (137). In Their Eyes Were Watching God, author Zora Neale Hurston, supports and defies the stereotypical role of a woman.
Negron 1 Negron 2 March 2013 Silenced Abuse in Modern Day Relationships Relationships can either be fulfilling or demeaning. Although some relationships can be abusive, some women may still have a love/hate relationship with their partner. While reading the Story of an Hour, and The 1950’s guide to being a Good Wife, I noticed a pattern of behavior that women of that time followed. I also thought about my own experience in a past relationship. I have discovered that, after reading the material, that even present day women, like past women from the 1800’s and the 1950’s, including myself, have silently suffered while still loving our partners.