In order to be able to fully understand Chopin’s message, readers must envision the tradition of the Victorian society in which Kate lived. This was a society that clearly defined the gender role. Looking at Louse Mallard, one of the characters in the book, the author uses a woman who suddenly discovered a new life after the death of her husband. Ironically, Kate depicts Louise’s independence as a doomed fantasy because such freedom was actually unrealistic for the 19th Century woman. In this book, Chopin clearly outlines the importance of a woman’s identity other than her main role as a man’s wife
Jane Austen came up with many literary innovations which differed her from her predecessors. Barbara Hardy even calls her a possible creator of the modern novel. One of the differences between Jane Austen and her predecessor is the way how they wrote about the private world and the public world. The novelists before Austen had kept the balance between the two worlds but Jane Austen created a way, in which these two worlds can be lived together (Hardy 11-14). It is the social background that plays a significant role for Austen’s heroines as their mistakes are influenced by their social companions.
Jane Austen’s Persuasion demonstrates true-to-life examples of how both women and men accept their “role” in society, accept and expect it. Gender inequality can be defined as a lack of equal treatment between sexes, and the imposition of norms put in place by society (According to definitions in the English Encyclopedia). In Persuasion, the female characters Mary, Anne and Elizabeth are all involved in the complex concept of marriage. Anne, the only daughter that has not married, is faced with pressure by
Jane Austen’s romantic novel Pride and Prejudice displayed the battle that women had when it came to being a feminist. Caroline Bingley, one of the characters in chapter eight said, “A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages…. ; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions” (“Pride and Prejudice - Chapter 8”). Stoker successfully explores the oppressive nature of society when it comes to the idea of the New Woman. Dracula was a novel that exemplified the many fears and desires in the 19th century society.
Perhaps one could recognize for her work to the toon of feminist characterization, as Austen uses female heroines as the main character of Emma and notable others such as Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park. Equally riveting, Austen uses various literary elements to depict the social hierarchy that is unchangeable sans the blood of aristocracy in your veins. Additionally, Austen attempts to reinvent masculinity with characters like Mr. Knightley and Frank Churchill. In combination with all of the above, Emma’s progressive ideas stand the winds of change, making it a model for writers throughout the ages and encapsulating all of the trending socio-political tendencies of Austen 's lifetime. Aristocratic by fate and bumptious by nature, Emma’s character is a challenge to the traditional values of the time.
Freedom of Spirit in an Ambivalent Society – With Reference to Edith Wharton’s Select Novel K. Kalpana Karthi, Assistant Professor of English, PSG College of Arts & Science, Coimbatore Edith Wharton’s fiction which emerged during the period of Post-World War I is a social analysis, based on Culture, Class and Morality. Her characters reflect the ambivalences prevalent in the environment, sometimes as antimodernists and often as liberal cultural critics. They stand evident, acknowledging that the past was not utopian and the present and future are mired in unpredictable political and social follies. The paper is attempt to study how her female protagonists struggle in this unstable and oscillating society which evade ethics and responsibility to embrace the easy solutions of scapegoating, evasion, cynicism and denial of truths and facts. Her novels depict how women fit themselves into this society either by rejecting or by accepting the changes to construct their emancipated New Selves.
They are shaped to perform their domestic role. In American literature, Daisy and Edna can be seen as transitional fictional women from object to subject position. Feminist critics emphasize that the reason of Edna and Daisy’s suicide is the social controls. American womanhood is defined by freedom, independence, and
Introduction During the renaissance period, women were supposed to be seen not heard, they were expected to look beautiful at all times (Amanda Cloud, 2012). Though women were inferior to men, women in different classes had different roles. Low class women were expected to be housewives and take care of everything to do with the house. Upper class women may have had servants and workers working for them but the women were still expected to take care of the house hold (Pat Knapp / Monika von Zell, 2007). In this essay I am going to examine the significance of female characters in portraying the major themes and other social and political issues as treated in the Romeo and Juliet novel, The Lion and The Jewel, and the novel Olivia Twist.
She knows that a change in the role of a woman is possible only through education. And the inflexibility of age old customs that are not so friendly towards women folk can be moulded only with the help of education. There are other issues like marriage and with it come motherhood and relation with in-laws and the change of identity of woman. Then there are conflicts based on class, caste, marginalization and traditional values of older generation. San Diego Union Tribune claims Sister of My Heart as “Magically affecting ... her intricate tapestry of old and new worlds shines with a rare luminosity.” She has presented women in variety of avatars; women as wife, lover, mother, sister, daughter and finally as a human being with her own mind and identity who aspire to adept themselves with modernity along with the connection with their roots.
„Bruised Hibiscus“ – Coping with Hegemonic Masculinity Since time immemorial women are suppressed and exploited by men, a process that is based on social conventions and which sociologists define as hegemonic masculinity. And the feminist consciousness for equality exists as long as the discrimination itself. Concerning successful movements, feminists often refer to sisterhood as the driving force in this struggle. Historically, only major movements seem to be successful. Hence, my goal is to examine on the basis of Elizabeth Nunez’ novel “Bruised Hibiscus” to what extent sisterhood can be promising for individual women and to what extent its success is influenced by hegemonic masculinity.