After meeting Zeena Ethan Frome is caught between 2 woman, one that can provide him with love and compassion, and his wife, who he relies on for economic support. In the book, the woman are the ones to make the decisions, and men were usually portrayed as weak. Edith Wharton’s exposure to knowledge about the cruel social status of individuals due to the war during the 1900, and her view of gender roles in society influenced her novella of Ethan Frome and forced it into a naturalistic perspective. The poor economic status of the characters in the novel, and the weak figure of Ethan Frome, leads to the cruel ending of the novel, encouraging the idea that our destiny can not be changes, and that outside forces control our outcome. Edith Wharton included the harsh economic status of Americans during the 1900, by basing her novel on the war.
Of mice and men is essentially a microcosm of the socio-economic problems faced throughout the great depression in America. The only definitive representation of women throughout the novella is Curley’s wife. Steinbeck was quite cruel in the way he portrayed Curleys wife in the novel, not even giving her a name or identity – this is because he is trying to get across to the reader the patriarchal society that this was. Curley’s wife appears three times in the book; the first time is in chapter 2 where the reader gets the initial impression that she is a “tart”. The second time we see her is in chapter 4 where we gain knowledge of her temperamental side.
· If Lord Capulet had not tried to force Juliet to marry Paris on thursday then she would not have gone in such hysterics to Friar Lawrence threatening to kill herself and them he may not have come up with such a drastic plan which missed out important details (tell Baltizar, make sure Rome gets the letter...)First we see him as the wise and charismatic, charming man who prevents Tybalt fighting Romeo at his party and graciously talks with various guests, then later as the firm, ruthless father who would see his daughter marry against her will rather than have his rule questioned... I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday, Or never after look me in the face: Speak not, reply not, do not answer me; My
Public vs. Private Perception Inside a society people are constantly being labeled. Members of a society will often judge a stranger based on a first time encounter, and unfortunately, their opinion will stick for life. People realize this judgmental nature inherent with others, and they try to conceal their true character with an alter ego that is more acceptable to society. This duality in human character is expressed in Hawthorne’s masterpiece “The Scarlet Letter.” “It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and enclosing her in a sphere by herself,”(51) is an example of people repelled away from Hester, because they judge her as a lesser person.
In Trifles, the women come to a realization that they must bond together against their clueless husbands to see justice done. In the Yellow Wallpaper the narrator frees herself from her jail and jailer and builds herself an alternate reality, free in her own mind from what is oppressing her in spite of her actual captivity. However different the authors tell their stories, both expose male superiority to be an illusion and its inevitable by-products of estrangement and loneliness to be very real. A feminist critic reading these two stories would immediately recognize the author’s attempts to portray the male
As a result of her husbands control, the woman develops and obsessive attachment to the wallpaper which masks the walls of her bedroom. Gilman composed the short story to make determined statements about feminism and individuality to oppose the male authority that ruled over her during her lifetime. Gilman does this by describing the narrators decent into madness, which is caused by many factors, all being linked to her husband. It’s immediately apparent in “The Yellow Wallpaper” that the woman allows herself to be inferior to men, in particular her husband, John. This ultimately leaves the reader with many questions about 19th century male-female relationships and perhaps insanity.
Whether in Plath’s case it’s through her father, husband, life in general she seems to feel. For Larkin he shows how other people become victimised but he also shows it in the aspect he feels a victim from life. He is not happy with his life so is a victim to circumstantial unhappiness. They show victimisation in different posnas whether it is the authors showing themselves as the victim or the posna being another individual. In Daddy Sylvia shows us the theme of victimisation by showing how she herself feels like a victim from her father.
“Seeing” is a major symbol throughout the story, and when analyzed so much more can be understood about the characters, and the theme of the story. The name Seymour, but pronounced “see-more” tells the reader that he interrupts society in a different more realistic light. He did not always have this view point, but during the war he was exposed to life or death situations, and had to live on the bare essentials. Upon coming back to the United States he realized that people were very materialistic, and lived what he thought were fake lives. Muriel is more concerned about her appearance than her husband’s emotions, and reads women’s magazines while Seymour reads poetry.
A look at every theatre is a reflection of the cross currents of the society for which it was written. Moliere’s A Physician in Spite of Himself is a period piece that depicts, like other theatrical offerings the ludicrous situation in which Sganarelle finds himself. It does not only deal with the home front and the several troubles that husbands and wives (Sganarelle vs Martine and Lucas vs Jacqueline) go through but also portrays the eye gauge with which the woman is seen. As for Lucinde the rich landlord’s daughter who is denied the freedom of marrying the man of her choice, we find in the whole situation, a scenario where it is not the woman/girl child’s right to love who she wants. Like most African society where such choices are made for the girl child, which usually results in the breakdown of law and order at the home front, Geronte insists that her daughter be married to Horace, a wealthy merchant’s son while Leandre-Lucinde’s heartthrob faces the threat of losing Lucinde because he has no inheritance.
Does love have a barrier? These questions arise personally after reading the novel ‘The Awakening’. To quote E. Jones, “Moral attitude towards others is substituted for an attitude of love”(5). The quote describes more of Edna who is a mother and a wife to one of the wealthiest Creole men in New Orleans, and during her time period having a family is part of societal expectations. Edna’s character abandons her role as a mother and wife; she breaks moral values and standards because of the intimate love affair she shares with Robert, therefore leading to the struggles she faces in the novel where she failed.