Feminist Concepts In Eudora Welty's Petrified Man

Identity is something that many people struggle with. Who am I? Is a common question American’s struggle with. However, the outside world uses our culture, our society and our background to truly shape what we become. This is an idea that many authors throughout the years have realized this and portrayed it in their writings. In most of the author’s works they explore these challenges faced by their characters to help relate to the general public. Kate Chopin, in “Story of an Hour,” discuss feminist concepts in a pre-suffrage American. Similarly in the short story “Winter Dreams,” by F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the raw truth of the American Dream in the post-World War I era. Eudora Welty, in “Petrified Man,” evaluates who really is the monster,

Mallard struggle between her personal values and the demands of a male-controlled society. After learning of her husband’s accidental death, Mallard has “a dull stare in her eyes, gaze was away off yonder...suspended of intelligent thought” (426). Even though, yes Mrs. Mallard did mourn in the solitude of her own room, her emotions change as she considers what this truly means for her. In this society wives are bound to serve and worship their husbands, now with Richard gone Mrs. Mallard realizes how ‘“free, free, free!”’she truly is (426). Mrs. Mallard had come to the realization that she was no longer bound to be her husband’s slave and suddenly she had her life returned to her; “The vacant stare and the look of terror...They stayed keen and bright” (426). Romance was highly absent in this era most married for money, for stability, or because it was what the parents wanted, Mallard confesses “she had loved him – sometimes” (426). For too long Mrs. Mallard had suffered to please someone else other than herself, now with her husband gone, she could focus on what truly mattered herself. Once this is realized of her independence, she stops her tears, and “she breathes a quick prayer…with a shudder that life might be long” (426). Unfortunately, Mrs. Mallard’s independence is ripped from her grasp when her husband, unharmed, walks through the door. The utter realization of her freedom being taken from her once again kills Mrs. Mallard instantly. The

As she works in a beauty salon in the 1930’s Leota gets all the gossip purely because people believe they can confide in her. Leota has a customer come in who Leota knew “that you was p-r-e-g” (1095). In that time period people did not discuss personal body functions of ladies such as being pregnant, it was seen as disgusting and not meant to be shared with people. By Leota calling out her costumer Mrs. Fletcher this made her in turn feel like a freak when it was a perfectly natural thing to happen to women. Due to Leota being so rude to call out Mrs. Fletcher about her freak of nature, Leota tells Mrs. Fletcher about the real craziness of the world, “we went to the travellin’ freak show yestiddy after work” (1097). Mrs. Fletcher becomes very uncomfortable hearing of all the freaks that Leota makes fun of in her story, such as “twin in a bottle”. Leota only wanting happiness begins to envy Mrs. Fletcher’s relationship with her husband, as they talk Leota compares her husband to Mrs. Fletcher and begins to see how unhappy she truly is. Leota states that her and Fred are “the way to the alter inside of half an hour” (1099). While Mrs. Fletcher says that ‘“Mr. Fletcher and herself are as much in love as the day we married”’ (1099). When Leota hears this she gets mad and becomes cynical stating it won’t last and soon things will be different. Later on