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.
I will take an in depth look at the contradictions and myths that men have created of women as outlined by Beauvoir. I will examine the social constructs of women, the influence of male writers, and lastly the influence of literature. Beauvoir begins by stating the men have always been in control, they have always had the “power”. This power was used to keep women in a state of dependency, hence reinforcing dominance over her. Men seek to enslave, to control and to provide for his own existence.
Charlotte's acceptance of Mr. Collins’ proposal is a prime example; “marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want” (p105)1. Austen makes use of Charlotte's character to illustrate the social norms for women of the time. Charlotte's reaction to Collins' proposal is cleverly juxtaposed with Elizabeth's own values and more romantic views on marriage, as she is offered his proposal first; “You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world that could make you so”(p92)2. Elizabeth's concerns are predominately her overall happiness and mental wellbeing, as opposed to her anxieties about her future financial security. These oppositions of values offer the reader a chance to balance their own views on the sanctity of marriage.
Venetian society regarded women as either saints or sinners. They would be regarded as ‘saints’ if they lived their life on their father’s wealth, to whom they owed obedience and domestic labour until married off in which they would then need to love, obey and honour the husband. If they however disobeyed these duties, it was taken very seriously and could lead to the female being disowned and deprived of everything, including a home and a place in society and would
By comparing and contrasting the way the authors use their writing style to achieve their intentions in "The Necklace" and "The Story of an Hour" they focuses on values that connect them in literary styles and in the fight for women’s self-determination. In both of these short stories, all of these elements are present. “The Necklace” and The Story of an Hour´ portray males to be better equipped for real life, while women are represented as lacking such integrity to attain their goals. To cope with their tragic fate of being born female, the heroines in both stories venture inward to escape the reality of life which was not of her own making. The female characters in these stories offer a universal representation of women as being the weaker sex through marriage, and are characterized by having evil intentions for which she is justly´ punished for in the end.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s literature is based on women’s issues. She wrote fiction mainly depicting her social ideas. In her works, she portrays women struggling to achieve personal autonomy, adapting to independence, and challenging accepted images of women. In her novel Women and Economics, Gilman argues that women need to change their identities in society in order to be equal to men and become part of the world’s evolution. In addition, her novel Herland depicts women at their true, full potential in roles equal to men.
Since the husband’s role is to go out and provide a living for his family, the wives job is to look after the home. It may not be considered a public work, but her position within the home is still very vital and important. Her role is a non income producing activity, but ensures the success of the family. Another role for a Christian wife is the raising of her children. Titus 2: 3-5 states that, "Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored," (The Christian Woman", 2004).
As such many women married out of necessity rather than for love. This is supported with the quote "Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance" (Pg. 25). Elizabeth Bennett’s character enables Austen to highlight to the audience the unreasonableness of gender role traditions. Females were not meant to exert themselves, walk unaccompanied or look unpresentable in the presence of others.
Kristine Linde has had a lot of rough times in her life, and now that her family no longer relies on her, she is happier. Because of this, Nora realizes that her marriage is all pretend, and that she needs to live her own life and be herself. Nora and Kristine Linde chose to marry their husbands for intellectual reasons rather than for love. Mrs. Linde married her husband to provide economic security for her mother and her two brothers. Nora chose to marry her husband at the time when her father was getting into trouble for illegal transactions in his business.
He documents a complex woman’s struggle to cope, as she is suffocated by the male dominated society that she has been forced to subject herself to. The following essay will in particular discuss the relationships between the women of Hedda Gabler. Ibsen uses the themes explored in the play to examine and challenge the role of women in society. This is evident through the relationships that Hedda has not only with the male characters in the play but from those that she has with the two other prominent female characters in the play; Thea Elvsted, the delicate love interest of Ejlert Lövborg and Aunt Julie the benevolent aunt of Hedda’s new husband Jörgen Tessman. Both women are contrasting representations of Hedda.