After Penelope describes her difficult childhood, the twelve maids also relate their childhoods through a lament. Making subtle contrasts between Penelope and the maids’ childhood conditions, Atwood emphasizes Penelope’s affluence compared to that of the maids. Penelope complains of a murderous father and cold, aloof mother, but the maids highlight her fortuity in being born from such prestigious beings in comparison to their slave parents. The maids speak in straightforward, solemn language, composed of short sentences and phrases, which in turn produce bleak imagery reflecting the gravity of their situation. On the other hand, Penelope maintains a colloquial linguistic style, which develops a more comfortable atmosphere with readers.
We, as the reader, see this as unfair but they see it as normal as during the Victorian times, a husband could put their wife in a madhouse without question. Maud is presented at first as clueless as to what is going on around her but our opinion changes as we get further into the novel. “’and your last mistress’ she went on then, ‘she was quite a fine lady’” here, Maud is deceiving Sue, making her believe that she is ignorant to her plan. The way Waters’ makes the character of Maud act blind to what is going on around her is how she deceives the reader, by making them believe one thing and then revealing the other. Maud makes Sue believe that she is a lovely, kind person to aid her deception.
Bob Ewell has no morals; he discriminates against blacks and even hits his own daughter. Bob Ewell is a horrible father because he is selfish and does nothing to take care of his starving
Mayella’s decision to lie on stand after she swore to tell the truth, was well justified by the loneliness in her life, the fear in telling the truth, and her harsh family and background life. Mayella cares for her unprivileged family while her unemployed father, Bob Ewell, the only adult-like figure in the household, spends the little money their family owns on alcohol, the reason for his abusive behavior towards his daughter. Mayella is secluded from the world because of her status as a Ewell, is constantly afraid due to the abuse she endures from her father, and influenced and hindered due to her family history and background. In a town full of prejudice, Mayella is quickly overlooked as a dirty Ewell, however, looking at the whole picture, it is apparent that Mayella’s actions and family life lead her to be a character worthy of
Jane goes against many traditional female archetypes by developing great psychological, intellectual and moral behaviour that is not typical of a woman growing up during these times. Charlotte Bronte exhibits her understanding of the situations and hardships that everyday women as well as Jane, had to face living in the Victorian oppressive society. In the introductory setting of the novel, Jane Eyre resides in Gateshead; an estate now owned by her aunt and inhabited by Jane, and her spoiled cousins. It becomes clear within the first few pages of the book that she is residing in an incredibly hostile environment. Jane goes into great detail to describe her unfulfilled and discriminated life living with her relatives, and one altercation of many, is highlighted to great significance in the story.
She did not find that a marriage service generated love; she did not enable her husband to recapture his youth through hers; nor could she compensate for that by running his home in the manner of an experienced housekeeper.” This quote illustrates that Elias Strorm was very cruel to her that she died after her second child was born. She was a beautiful, young woman who Elias turned into a very dull person. She always wanted him to be happy and be a good person, but that did not happen, he was just unfair and unpleasant to everyone. To conclude Elias Strorm’s wife is a good supporter of her husband as well as Emily Strorm. The role of women does demonstrate bystanders and supporters of their husbands and family member.
Crooks is the stable buck. He is lonely because he is racially discriminated, he has no family, and he is bullied. When Crooks was in his cabin Curley’s Wife came in and said “Well keep your place then, Nigger” (81). She is racially discriminating him by his color and telling him to keep his place. This affects his loneliness because he has no one to stand up for him.
Mr. Grierson doesn’t allow Emily get to touch with any men, because he thinks that no one could marry Emily. Mr. Grierson makes a big influence on Emily, it leads Emily doesn’t get married for her whole life. Mr. Grierson isolates Emily from Jefferson. “When Emily’s father dies, the physical presence of his influence dies with him, but the effects of his actions remain to wreak havoc on Emily’s future” (6). However, after Mr. Grierson dies, he left nothing to Emily without a house.
Barbie steps out of Stepford No matter the era, in literature, audiences commonly see an essence of societal problems during the time the piece was written. “A Doll House” gives an insight into the struggles of women in 19th century society focusing on sacrifices they may make to obtain respect and happiness. The general idea portrayed by Ibsen is that the woman has “duties to [her] husband and children” (Ibsen 591). This establishes the era-controversial theme that a woman is an individual in her family and in society. Certain elements of this play – the title, conflicts, and character change- suggest that Ibsen is focusing on the conflict between women’s roles in the family, including sacrificial risks, and her role, or lack there of, as an integral part of larger 19th century society.
Though Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre is meant to be a feminist novel which challenges the status of women during the Victorian Age, Bronte puts women in a degraded position, through the portrayal of Jane and her relationships with John Reed, Mr. Brocklehurst, Mr. Rochester and St. John Rivers. At a young age, Jane’s parents died and left her in the care of her Uncle Reed, the brother of Jane’s mother. Jane’s mother was hated by almost everyone of her family, other than her dear brother, because of her marriage to a poor man by the name of Eyre. As the only one who cared for her mother, Uncle Reed adopted Jane Eyre and gave her the best care possible until he died. Afterwards, Jane received only the worst, most pernicious treatment possible from Mrs. Reed, her daughters Georgiana and Eliza, and her son, John.