A Misunderstanding in a Male Dominated Century

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Recommended: How to apply the theory of An Hour by Kate Chopin on feminist theory

At the beginning of the nineteenth century women were considered inferior to men. An average woman at that time, according to Stephanie Muntone from McGraw-Hill Professional, was not permit- ted to vote or hold office. By law, she had few rights to her own property or her own earnings. She could not take custody of her children in the event of divorce. There were few colleges or professions open to her. When our founding fathers established this nation they declared that everybody was created equally. However, at best, they were a second-class citizen in a republic founded on the principles of liberty and equality. The women fought back, as they should, because nobody should be oppressed because of their gender. They rebelled, withdrew, and raised awareness of the more than obvious mistreatment and unfairness of this situation. Because of this, the argument developed that the women were being disobedient. As recorded in history, during the 1920’s, you had the Sacco-Vanzetti murder case in Boston, you had the "Denver Mint robbery", you had the Ku Klux Klan, and you had Al Capone, the most powerful and prominent gang leader in the 1920’s. The acts these people committed were disobedience. But people obviously thought women, protesting for the equal rights that were given to them in the Constitution were just as bad as the criminals. Kate Chopin, an author, wrote The Story of an Hour during this time of struggle for women. Her story reflects this time period in a way that helps readers understand the dynamics of this movement in American History and how women were emotionally affected by gender differences.
Women being rebellious and standing up for themselves could be caused by the emotional state of their relationship with guys. ...

... middle of paper ...

...nd they certainly did not quit and let men walk over them. They made sure people heard their voices, they reached out and made a point that they were just as capable as men. They were not being disobedient, they were standing up and making sure they were not lost in a society that was clearly run by men. You cannot fault the women, it was the men’s fault for thinking that women were not capable. There is a difference in helping a woman do certain things and being polite and then running a society where they cannot do anything, where they are not capable of doing anything. Edith Wharton was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize. Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly alone across the Atlantic. Dr. Sally K. Ride was the first woman to be sent to space. Just because they are physically different does not mean they are not as capable of achieving powerful goals.

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