Imagine you find yourself contemplating the deadline of a promise made to you by your closest loved one. How would you feel if the promise was to be fulfilled nearly four decades ago? Would you have even waited? Mary E. Wilkins Freeman's “The Revolt of Mother” illustrates a devoted, yet strong-minded housewife who takes the initiative to hold her husband accountable to his word, how her actions positively influence her children, and how it inevitably alters the nature of her marriage. Sarah Penn is an ideal housewife who, despite her husband’s hidden agendas, manages to make Adoniram’s disregarded promise a reality for her family. Adoniram knows he is in the wrong but feels his choice to increase the success of his business is more important than keeping a promise already forty years on the wayside. McElrath Jr. suggests that although Sarah “attempts to resign herself to the situation in dutiful, housewifely fashion, […] her behavior bristles with suppressed rage” in response to Adoniram’s stubbornly stoic and unyielding attitude (McElrath Jr. 258). After Nanny unwittingly plants the seedling of thought, of Sarah tolerantly waits “all through the spring months” listening to the sounds of construction in silence, biding for an opportunity to present itself (Freeman). Sarah fulfills Adoniram’s promise for him by moving the family into the barn. He accepts her actions because he is not without a conscious and knows it is his duty in turn. Sarah’s docile determination inspires Adoniram: “I hadn't no idee you was so set on't as all this comes to” (Freeman). At her request, he agrees to all the modifications to make the barn a suitable home, and redeems himself by doing so. Adoniram takes accountability for his word and sets an exampl... ... middle of paper ... ...t was not done out of spite and defiance, but in effort to hold him liable for his word. The result of her actions taught her children to stand up for themselves and what is right and by proxy it redefined her relationship with her husband in a positive way that equalized the respect between them. Sarah’s long-suffering patience is a example that commands attention. Works Cited Freeman, Mary E. Wilkins. “The Revolt of Mother.” English Composition 1. Illinois Valley Community College, n.d. Web. 21 Mar 2011. Daniel, Janice. “Redefining Place: Femes Covert in the Stories of Mary Wilkins Freeman--Covered, Confined or Enclosed Women.” Studies in Short Fiction Winter 1996. FindArticles. Web. 21 Mar 2011. McElrath Jr., Joseph R. “The Artistry of Mary E. Wilkins Freeman’s ‘The Revolt.’” Studies in Short Fiction. Winter 1980. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Mar 2011
Frederick Douglass.” Journal of Narrative Technique 16.1 (Winter 1986): 55-71. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Russel Whitaker. Vol. 141. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resource Center. Web. 28 Nov. 2013.
Sarah was the sixth child. Even at a young age she showed great independence and focused many of her efforts on justice. She was very intellectual and because of this, her father paid particular attention to her over the other children. He is said to have frequently declared “if she had been of the other sex she would have made the greatest jurist in the land” (Birney, 1970, p 8). Sarah was also very personable, empathetic and car...
Rowlandson, Mary “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Vol. A. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. 257-88. Print.
The American revolution was the colonist’s fight against their mother country for freedom. Most people think of the american revolution as a war that only had an impact on the men. However, women had just as big of responsibilities during the war. In the novel Revolutionary Mothers, Berkin recounts the involvement of women’s experiences on their home fronts and during the war through their involvement in protests and boycotts. Before the revolution took place women had nearly no rights. They were used to stay home and take care of the house and family. Although men were a big part of the revolution, Berkin’s focal point is on the women’s roles during the revolution. She specially fixates on the native americans, native americans, and the lower
...y uses anecdotes and stories of women in the 17th and 18th centuries to provide evidence to the reader and demonstrate the roles women filled and how they filled those roles. Furthermore, she illustrates the individuality in each woman’s story. Although in several of the stories the women may be filling the same roles, the uniqueness of the situation varies from woman to woman. Ulrich’s use of period stories helps add to the credibility of the arguments she makes. She makes the reader feel the weight of responsibility on the shoulders of colonial New England women. A sense of appreciation is gained by the reader for the sheer number of roles fulfilled by the women of New England. In addition, Ulrich’s real life accounts also give valuable insight to life as it was during this time period in American history and the silent heroes behind it – the wives of New England.
Woolstoncraft, Mary. A Vindication of The Rights of Woman. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 3rd Ed. Volume D. Ed. Martin Puchner. New York: Norton, 2013. 134-136. Print.
This source provided the unique perspective of what was thought to be the perfect household, with a man who worked and a wife who cooked and cleaned. However, it also showed how a woman could also do what a man can do, and in some cases they could do it even better. This work is appropriate to use in this essay because it shows how men talked down to their wives as if they were children. This work shows the gradual progression of woman equality and how a woman is able to make her own decisions without her husband’s input.
Welter, Barbara. “The Cult of True Womanhood: 1820-1860.” The American Family in Social Historical Perspective. Ed. Michael Gordon. New York: St. Martin’s P, 1978. 373-392.
Women’s rights are constantly a topic of media discussion today, but the movement back in the 1800s was much less conspicuous than the movement of today, making it more successful. The main problem with women’s rights today is the lack of child care for working mothers. Women in the past were expected to stay at home and take care of the children while the man went out and earned the money for the house. Nobody batted an eye when men were never home to see their children, but when women began joining the workforce, it was suddenly unacceptable for them to not be home with the kids all the time, making them bad mothers.
Rowlandson, Mary. "A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: Norton & Company, 1999. 148-164.
There was a time when women typically maintained the home and raised children while the husbands were the sole bread-winners for the family finances. However, times have changed and so have women’s rights and expectations for divorce, education, an...
back into the home and made to return to rolls of housewife and mother. This battle of
“Civil Disobiedence.” The American Tradition in Literature, 12th ed. New York: McGraw Hill 2009. Print
In “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the narrator and her husband John can be seen as strong representations of the effects society’s stereotypical gender roles as the dominant male and submissive female have within a marriage. Because John’s wife takes on the role as the submissive female, John essentially controlled all aspects of his wife’s life, resulting in the failure of the couple to properly communicate and understand each other. The story is intended to revolve around late 19th century America, however it still occurs today. Most marriages still follow the traditional gender stereotypes, potentially resulting in a majority of couples to uphold an unhealthy relationship or file for divorce. By comparing the “The yellow wallpaper” with the article “Eroticizing Inequality in the United States: The Consequences and Determinants of Traditional Gender Role Adherence in Intimate Relationships”, the similarities between the 19th century and 21st century marriage injustice can further be examined. If more couples were able to separate the power between the male and female, America would have less unhappy marriages and divorces.
Halle Berry, a magnificent actor, plays Patience Philip a shy cosmetic in this amazing movie called “Catwoman.” Writers John Roger, John Brancato, and Michael Ferris, the writers of the film: “Catwoman” set the standards of a normal human life to the max of extraordinary. Patience’s takes on an unrealistic change when she dies and is given supernatural powers of being a cat. Halle Berry’s character, Patience Philip faces jeopardous problems after a dynamite death. The writer’s vivid background sets the tone of the movie. Watching this film you can discover a lot of enhanced details about a part of ancient history which you may have never heard of in your life. This makes an audience wonder why the writer uses a cat as the main symbol and