During Shakespeare’s time, the societal norms that cultivated women were very precise. Women were held to high standards both look and act in a specific way, but did society ever take it too far? Many poets during Shakespeare’s time wrote traditional blazon sonnets, ones that compared women to the most wondrous things life has to offer; gems, jewels, plants, and stars. Such beautiful comparisons were made, but the women were made out to be so unrealistic. Women had become a collection of objects rather than human, but Shakespeare shed some light on the matter at hand and presented a new way of thinking.
During the feminist movement beginning in the late 1700’s many women took stance to stand up for women’s rights that as women they weren’t getting and therefore caused this movement to carry on through present day. However, in literature during this time author’s would write books using women as props almost as men had dominance over women and women had to do everything that the men asked of them. "Women who had been told that they had it all—nice houses, lovely children, responsible husbands—were deadened by domesticity, she said, and they were too socially conditioned to recognize their own desperation" (Women’s movement). Women had once been told they had it all until the late 1700’s when men began to dominate over women and control what
Frailty, during the 1930s, the year the poem was written, was often used to represent womanhood. However, Cumming challenges this negative stereotype affiliated with women by acknowledging this fraility as a powerful praise to the woman. The speaker expresses that his lovers’ weak motions include “things which enclose me,” or which he “cannot touch because they are too near” (l. 3-4). The speaker is not declaring that these things are actually enclosing him. Instead, the feelings that are generated within the speaker by this woman’s alluring glance are so powerful that he feels enclosed by them.
Lastly, the author induced voluntary thoughts from the readers regards to this matter. In the last paragraph, the author questions the readers that may sound obvious and even stupid to some degrees: “Are women persons?”. Obviously women are human, and it may seem as if there is no need to answer this questions. But, all the disfranchisement and inequality that prevailed at that time, limited the human rights of woman. Thus, this rhetorical question was intentionally manipulated by the author to emphasize the apparent ironic situation, thus stressing the need for the change.
The poem can be considered a blazon traditional sonnet although it presents the tradition in an unconventional way. The typical way a blazon sonnet presents itself is through the broken-down description of a woman’s qualities. Women are usually highly praised and they are made to appear so out of reach; they become unobtainable even by the poet themselves. Women are portrayed as a collection of objects rather than human which accentuates the idea that they are so unattainable because no woman like them actually exist. The idea that beauty is what defines, and what controls a man’s love for a woman, is not depicted in Shakespeare’s sonnet, My Mistress’ Eyes.
In Lady Gregory’s earlier drafts, Grania is protrayed the conventional innocent female, who is dependent on males, and who wants to remain in a secure environment. However, Gregory began to focus on Grania 's “...precise recognition of the common root of jealousy and egotism that unites Finn and Diarmuid.” (Waters 14). Grania’s epiphany reflects Lady Gregory’s personal response against the cliches regarding femininity. This recognition, is a key element in Grania’s transformation in the final version as a heroine. Later in the play, Waters suggests that Grania becomes an authority figure.
They additionally challenged the loss of legitimate and political rights. What is further outstanding amid this period was its accentuation on another perfect for marriage. The ladies ' rights activists uncovered their disappointment of conventional marriage and rather supported relational unions in view of affection, camaraderie, balance, and ladies ' self-governance. In the novel Hardy shows
This similarity was done on purpose. Rich wanted to not only bring attention to herself by using a very popular persons title, but to also emphasize that men are hindrances on her writing ability. During this time Rich was known for her feminist writing. This poem explores the role of female poets in a male dominated society. It highlights how women have been forced to conform to the standards and practices of dominating male poets.
The Hunt for ‘Individuality’ in ‘The Better Man’ Abstract Anita Nair, a post-colonial novelist, writes for the women’s emancipation. She deftly handles the issues faced by the women of today and aids them to arrive at a decision when they meet the same problems. The present day women like to assert their individuality and no longer wish to be suppressed by the male dominated society. In The Better Man the search for identity is not by a woman but by a man, Mukundan Nair. Hence it is clear that Anita Nair is not a feminist but a champion for those in distress.
These novelists shatter the myth that women find fulfillment in marriage and portray an honest picture of women who aspire, attempt and strive to be their true selves. They create women characters’ who struggle hard against the social setup to acquire an identity and individuality of their own. They are able to come to terms with themselves and the social reality around them by seeking a realizable goal within the accepted codes of society. All three are against being dubbed as feminist writers. But they do present their own brand of feminism in very subtle ways.