Feminist Analysis Of Kate Stoppin And Kate Chopin's The Awakening

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Mariel Mondragon
Mrs. Kehrmeyer
AP Language
11 November 2017
Feminist Analysis
During the late eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds women were oppressed by a patriarchal society. Society greatly influenced women to desperately flaunt their power to prove they were equal to men. The feminist movement fought for the equality and security of equivalent positions on women’s rights, regarding politically, socially, and economically. Feminist propaganda was hugely popular among the feminist movement and authors like Kate Chopin and Charlotte Perkins strongly depicted a critical aspect on feminism. Kate Chopin and Charlotte Perkins addressed controversial statements of maltreatment and discrimination, women were obliged to tolerate in their
Her novel portrays a woman named Edna that lives in a society that oppresses her liberty, she is later introduced to an environment closer to freedom. She is enlightened and she feels the urge to break free through all her limitations. During her enlightenment she finally came into realization of women’s position in society. “…beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being…” (Chopin 17). The beginning of the novel emphasizes Edna as an imprisoned individual by the norms of society. Throughout the novel she realizes the importance of her new life and how she will handle it now that she is alone. She must learn to succeed from her own actions and decisions as if she was reborn. “But that night she was like the little tottering, stumbling, clutching child, who all of a sudden realizes its power and walks for the first time…” (Chopin 23). Edna throughout the novel constantly attempts to learn how to swim, her stay at the summer cottage helps her continuously practice the act. The success in learning how to swim for Edna is symbolized by Kate Chopin as freedom and a goal achieved on her own. Women were expected to be the ideal women and never leave their husbands or children to be present and willing to anything their husband wished. The era and states in which The Awakening is portrayed is known to oppress women to be the ideal
Her novel portrays the injustices women had to face against a patriarchal society. She exemplifies that women are differentiated by men in their marriage due to the labelling that men are more active and women were oppressed to domestic roles. The Yellow Wallpaper suggests that women should have liberty to express themselves and break through the social standards the patriarchal society oppressed them to. Perkins demonstrate a women who is hopeless but a great writer. The inferences to the breakthrough of women’s right in society refer to feminism. She is woman who diagnosed with a mental issue and is advised by her doctor "live a domestic a life as far as possible.. and never to touch a pen, brush or pencil..." (Gilman, 669). She had various breakdowns during the novel but decided to keep writing to express her thoughts and feelings. The character feels as if her own husband is trying to maintain her under control with the diagnosis of her emotional illness. " I don't know why I should write this... but I must say I feel and think in some way it is such a relief.. I must put it this way- he (John) hates for me to write a word " (Gilman 662). Women in the era of The Yellow Wallpaper mostly all felt felt trapped and controlled by the hands of their husbands. Women went through much struggle to receive equal status as men, women were usually to turn to

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