During his New Nationalism Speech, Theodore Roosevelt once said, “A great democracy has got to be progressive or it will soon cease to be great or a democracy” (qtd. in TeachingAmericanHistory.org). Roosevelt’s notion of progressivism, in essence, was that progress was made through social change. For him, social change meant eliminating societal norms that restricted progress. Not only did Theodore Roosevelt believe in progressivism, but multiple works of 20th century literature also popularized progressivism and the need for social change. In the poems and stories “Richard Cory” by Edwin Arlington Robinson, “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck, and “Dry September” by William Faulkner, the characters Richard Cory, Elisa Allen, and Henry Hawkshaw defy societal expectations to eliminate oppressive and stereotypical ideals about gender, race, and wealth. …show more content…
The story immediately highlights discrimination between the two genders by stating, “Elisa Allen, working in her flower garden, looked down across the yard and saw Henry, her husband, talking to two men is business suits…They smoked cigarettes and studied the [tractor] as they talked” (Steinbeck 1). Because Elisa is a woman and Henry is a man, Henry is entrusted to work the business, or intellectual, operations of the farm while Elisa is forced to do menial jobs such as working in her flower garden. Despite her circumstances, Elisa manages to fight sexist tendencies of society in her own ways. The story describes Elisa’s appearance by
The narrator, throughout the story, progressively breaks away from the role of women during the nineteenth century by doing things that women were not supposed to do. Women were considered as the ones who must stay home and take care of the children. Gilman shows this aspect of a women’s role by having the narrator live in a room that is supposed to be a nursery. (1661) John and his sister, Jennie represent society during this time. During the story the narrator is constantly writing when no one is around because it is frowned upon for women to write. “There comes John, and I must put this away-he
The first example of Steinback’s allegorical qualities in his novella is the characters he wrote about. Each of these characters have a similarity to social classes in the 1930’s. Lennie, one of the first introduced characters, represents the treatment of people with mental handicaps. Lennie was not allowed to talk or act on his own will due to others finding out about his disability. He often found himself getting into serious trouble without realizing what he had done to get there. On the other hand, his companion, George, serves as a hard working man with a dream to own a farm. He holds onto that hope, though deep down, he knows it will never become a reality. The only women portrayed in the novella is Curley’s wife, who personifies oppression in women. Steinback didn’t give her a name, showing how lowly those in the 1930’s thought of females. Her husband, Curley, typifies “small”
The authors’ literary works had a way of communicating and expressing their way of life by their own writing styles. The authors I will discuss shared their experience adapting into American culture. The authors I chosen to discuss is Anne Bradstreet, Phillis Wheatley, and Thomas Paine who are distinctly different people who share a common background, but overcome different obstacles living in America. The criteria I have to share about their life experiences is their own writings and documented information from credible resources. The analyses and interpretations in the authors writings gives us idea about who they are because of their hardships in America, a new government, and their new culture.
In the late 1800’s a group of Americans decided that something needed to be done about the decline of moral and ethical values in most Americans. These people called themselves the progressives and started one of the most comprehensive reform movements in the United States to this day. Progressivism became so widespread that by the end of World War I, anyone who didn’t agree with Progressive ideals was labeled a communist. The Progressives had four major goals that they wished to accomplish. These four goals were to democratize America, to Americanize America, the humanization of capitalism and rationalization of the economy. Each goal dealt with a different aspect of America’s society that the Progressives thought needed help. The way these goals were accomplished was to get laws passed that would reform the practices of many Americans. Progressives held that in order to bring American back to its old time, rural values people would need to attend church more.
In the novel, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, there is only one woman and one African American male announced in the reading. The women is Curley’s wife, her name is not stated in the novel, who is the only woman that lives on the farm. While Crooks, the African American male, lives on the farm in a little cottage away from the rest of the men that live there. As we keep reading, we soon get the idea that Steinbeck’s purpose of women and African Americans is to present: discrimination towards race, gender stereotyping, and the double standards in the predominantly male workplace.
Elisa's unhappiness in her role as the wife of a cattle farmer is clear in her gardening. Through the authors detailed diction it is clear that gardening is her way of freeing herself from her suffocating environment. “The chrysanthemum stems seemed too small and easy for her energy” which is “over-eager” and “over-powerful” (Steinbeck 460). The intensity with which she gardens, “terrier fingers destroy[ing] such pests before they could get started” suggests more than simply a deep interest, but a form of escape completely submerging her self into the task (Steinbeck 460). It is possible that some...
Richard Hofstadter, the leftward leaning author of Age of Reform, in his appraisal of the progressive movement makes the central argument that the progressive movement was not catalyzed by economics or moral principal but instead by psychology. Hofstadter describes the progressives as primarily “urban, middle class, and nation wide.” He makes the case that t...
One common misconception is to view the Progressive movement as a unified core of reform-minded crusaders dedicated to improving the social welfare of American society. While this viewpoint is not entirely incorrect, it is only a partial and thereby misleading assessment of the movement that categorized the early part of the nineteenth-century. What some may fail to appreciate is the duality of the period-the cry for social welfare reforms juxtaposed against the demand for optimum efficiency through scientific controls.
During the Progressive Era, occurring from 1890 until 1920, progressives attempted to make many changes at a national level and were characterized by support for economic, social, and political reforms. By realizing the rapid industrial growth, poor class, and immigration, progressive’s goals were to relieve these issues and create laws that gave the common people more power. Progressive reformers gave significance to issues of black rights and also to women suffrage, however these issues had proved to be forgotten by Woodrow Wilson, whom of which was the president during this time. Although the reformers were not successful with these two issues, they seemed to be successful in improving much of the other negativity that had occurred during this era including the working conditions of the meat industry, child labor laws, and by changing the competition from large companies. In the end, all of these proved that the reformers turned out to be very successful in bringing reform to a national level. Along with these issues that the progressives tried to stop competition, they also fought many groups that tried to eliminate social classes along the way. Progressives were able to be successful in restoring economic competition, making the government more efficient, and stemming the tide of socialism.
For readers who observe literature through a feminist lens, they will notice the depiction of female characters, and this makes a large statement on the author’s perception of feminism. Through portraying these women as specific female archetypes, the author creates sense of what roles women play in both their families and in society. In books such as The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the roles that the main female characters play are, in different instances, both comparable and dissimilar.
The period referred to as the Progressive Era in American history is one which historians often disagree over, and as in all areas of history, there are many theories surrounding the era which sometimes contradict each other. Historians are always aware of prominent theories within the field, and they often participate in an ongoing dialogue concerning their research. One of the first historians to make a major mark regarding the Progressive Era was Richard Hofstadter in his book The Age of Reform, published in 1955. Other prominent works include Peter G. Filene’s “Obituary for the Progressive Movement” , published in 1970, Richard L. McCormick’s “The Discovery that Business Corrupts Politics” , published in 1981, and Paula Baker’s “The Domestication of Politics” , published in 1984. While there are recurring themes throughout these four works, clearly the historians do not agree on all aspects of the period. However, together their different views help to expand knowledge on what is often referred to as the Progressive Era.
West, Thomas G. "The Progressive Movement and the Transformation of American Politics." The Heritage Foundation. N.p., 18 July 2007. Web. 11 Mar. 2014
The Progressive Era, dated from about 1900 to 1920, is known for the reformers who brought about change at a national level. For the middle class, reformers were extremely efficient and effective in making progress. For other demographics, like women and African Americans, change did not come so easily. Although the Progressive Era was successful in reforming certain parts of the federal government and American society, like big business and workers’ conditions, there was still a lot of progress to be made with women and other minorities by the time the era came to a close. To a lesser extent, the economy was transformed due to an unprecedented amount of government intervention in the proceedings of large corporations. The Progressive Era was
Elisa Allen is a strong woman. She is strong because of her manly qualities. Her masculinity shines through because of the way she covers up herself. There was a feminine part of her wanting to emerge as she wore the "print dress" (279) while working in her flower garden. However, the men's clothing and accessories she wore covered this up. The "squatting" (281) position she engaged in to work in her garden was not the feminine kneeling that a true lady would have chosen. She "shoved the thick scissors in her apron pocket" (282), which was not the delicate way a woman would have done it. She was not able to cultivate her chrysanthemums in a way that was gentle and loving because of her masculine traits. She was not squeamish when it came to protecting her flowers. She would simply use her "fingers" (280) to eliminate any type of pest that was a threat to them. A true woman would have gagged at the very thought of using her bare hands to mash a bug. Elisa was a hard and successful laborer because her chrysanthemums "had ten-inch blooms" (283); however, she still had not succeeded in child bearing.
Elisa is at her strongest and most proud in the garden and becomes weak when placed in feminine positions such as going out to dinner with her husband. Steinbeck carefully narrates this woman’s frequent shifts between femininity and masculinity over a short period of time. In the opening of the story, Elisa is emasculated by the description of her clothing. She wears "a man’s black hat pulled low down over her eyes, clodhopper shoes, a figure print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron." (paragraph 5).