Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Women in English literature
Women in English literature
Feminism in american literature
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Women in English literature
Susan Glaspell's Jury of Her Peers and James Tiptree Jr.'s Mama Come Home
“Jury of Her Peers” and “Mama Come Home” are two very different stories but yet they still are very much alike. The authors even have their own similarities and differences. Both authors are women, James Tiptree Jr. is a pseudonym for Alice Sheldon, who are writing from the feminist perspective. “Jury of Her Peers” was written by Susan Glaspell in 1917 and “Mama Come Home” was written in 1968. The characters in each story make some kind of change in the way they act, both show the feminist views that they believe in, and also each story takes place in a different time period with different groups in dominance.
In both the Glaspell and Tiptree stories one or more of the main characters make some kind of change. In “Jury of Her Peers” the two women that go to the Wright house with their husbands begin the story wondering what would ever possess Mrs. Wright to kill her husband. The women entered the house with the purpose to pick up a few things that Minnie Wright had requested from her prison cell. The longer the women are in the house, while their husbands are looking around, the more they find out about the state of mind of Minnie Wright. They find plenty of evidence of the change in Minnie’s attitude toward her husband and her life. The change in the way she was making her quilt shows that she was frustrated with her life or her husband. Later they find the dead canary and decide that Mr. Wright killed the bird and then Mrs. Wright killed her husband in his sleep with a rope. Mrs. Wright mentally changed with the death of her husband, and the bird and the two women changed their attitude toward Minnie after they find the evidence. In “Mama Come Home” a group of female aliens called Capellans come down to Earth. Tillie is a C.I.A. agent that had been raped recently and was having a hard time around men. Tillie looks exactly like the aliens except for the height difference. Tillie likes staying with the Capellan women because they make her feel protected due to their size. For most of the time that they are here she spends almost all of her time with them.
In A Jury of Peers by Susan Glaspell, the story revolves around the sudden death of John Wright. There are five characters that participate in the investigation of this tragedy. Their job is to find a clue to the motive that will link Mrs. Wright, the primary suspect, to the murder. Ironically, the ladies, whose duties did not include solving the mystery, were the ones who found the clue to the motive. Even more ironic, Mrs. Hale, whose presence is solely in favor of keeping the sheriff s wife company, could be contributed the most to her secret discovery. In this short story, Mrs. Hale s character plays a significant role to Mrs. Wright s nemesis in that she has slight feelings of accountability and also her discovery of the clue to the motive.
The president, Andrew Jackson, could have also enforced the Indian Removal act for political reasons. Before the act, "white citizens demanded that their governments, at both the state and national levels, do something about the Native American tribes in their midst." Jackson could have seen it as an opportunity to gain popularity among the citizens, for the plan gave Jackson the chance to "exercise leadership as the head of the
The Indian Removal Act in the short term shaped the Natives culture and society very notably. The Indian Removal Act caused the destruction of Native American tribes, and lead to a loss of tradition and culture. However, it did allow for the Americans to gain the land needed to build their growing country and meet their economic desires. Desires that President Andrew Jackson had pushed for at Congress in his first inaugural speech, and had made an important policy for his presidency, as he viewed the results as beneficial, to “not only the states immediately concerned, but to the harmony of the union”. The harmony of the union was perceived to be gained at the loss of Native culture, as Jackson represented himself as the man of the people,
...hetypes of these primary characters, both of these novels make a parallel statement on feminism. The expectations of both themselves and society greatly determine the way that these women function in their families and in other relationships. Looking at the time periods in which these novels were written and take place, it is clear that these gender roles greatly influence whether a female character displays independence or dependence. From a contemporary viewpoint, readers can see how these women either fit or push the boundaries of these expected gender roles.
The setting of both stories reinforces the notion of women's dependence on men. The late 1800's were a turbulent time for women's roles. The turn of the century brought about revolution, fueled by the energy and freedom of a new horizon…but it was still just around the bend. In this era, during which both short stories were published, members of the weaker sex were blatantly disregarded as individuals, who had minds that could think, and reason, and form valid opinions.
During the 1830s, President Andrew Jackson developed the Indian Removal Act, which forced all natives living in the US to be displaced to Oklahoma. Before this act, the natives lived on territory that land-hungry southerners desired. Eager to please his supporters, Jackson decided that the natives needed to be moved, regardless of their rights. Even though this was damaging to the natives, Jackson believed that he was giving them a fair choice: submit to state laws or move. The reasoning behind Andrew Jackson’s decision clearly shows his superior and condescending attitude toward the Indians and their lifestyle.
Both stories show feminism of the woman trying to become free of the male dominance. Unfortunately, the woman are not successful at becoming free. In the end, the two women’s lives are drastically
The Market Revolution marked a period of time in the nineteenth century when new practices and ideas in America began taking shape, creating a lasting impact on the nation's economy. A shift in commerce allowed Americans to experience buying and selling goods at a national level, rather than relying on self-made products and goods. Although the Market Revolution may be seen as a movement that did little to change American society in terms of political and social policies, it proved to be an era where accessible transportation, an increase in population, and the idea of changing women's role in society marked a transformation in America.
The most prominent concept that can be noticed in both stories is that both of the stories revolve around relationships that have been affected by ethnicity. In the story by Gish Jen, the most obvious relationship that suffers is between the mother and daughter. The Chinese immigrant grandmother, who is depicted as Natalie’s mother in the story and the narrator, has a very strong character due to strong instilled morals. For instance, she states that “creative” is not a word they talk about in China. Creativeness is linked with the connotations of being very accepting and flexible. By her stating that there is not Chinese word for “creative”, the author implicitly states that the culture is very rigid and strict. This rigidity in Grandmother’s character is also noted when she describes how she believes Sophie, the grandchild, should be raised. She promotes the idea of hitting Sophie. Although this may seem improper, it is a very common practice among nonindigenous people. The misbehaved child takes her clothes off, and the grandmother believes the only way to fix this problem is to hit her. The mother is against this punishment; this is the main source of tension within the relationship. Grandmother represents the old world. The new world or new generation mother d...
A story of murder, fear, and the temptation of betrayal is one that easily snatches up the attention of audiences. In “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell, the author uses her southern female characters to emphasize the direct relationship between friendship and connection. Her plot circles around the disastrous discovery of their fellow housewife’s marital murder, and the events that unfolded causing their ultimate decision in prosecuting or shielding her from the men in the story. The author implements revealing dialogue with subtle detailing and glaring symbolism to display the coveted friendships among women above other relationships and that the paths they take to secure them stem from inveterate personal connections.
The rising of the market economy occurred between the end of the War of 1812 and the Civil War. It was a time of uprising for Americans of the United States. There were changes in the vast improvement in transportation, the growth of factories, and there were important developments of new technology that increased agricultural production. Americans advanced into new areas and produced an agricultural surplus that went to market farming. In the nineteenth century, manufacturing was the most important factor because it brought about industrialization. The expansion of both economic and technological advances also brought about the changes in American society. The growth and eventual dominance of market capitalism in the United States changed the lives of all Americans fundamentally. The Market Revolution and the rise of market capitalism influenced the working class because of new inventions, like the cotton gin, and it encouraged farmers to raise more cotton in the South, and brought people in the North greater opportunities in the work field.
The market revolution changed the lives of every American in the country. Through social and economic growth caused by the revolution, everyone was impacted. The market revolution during the 19th century produced new technology and communications for the country, like railroads and telegraphs. It made people start working by the clock, rather than the sun, and also made Americans start working for wages. The market revolution brought the American community together. Before every family had their own businesses but, now Americans are working together for the benefit of the country. By doing so, they are providing a better opportunity for women like myself, Elizabeth Williams.
traded company. This makes the employees at Publix want to make their store successful as they
Throughout Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner, the reader observes many injustices committed due to the presence of the Taliban and cultural conflict in Afghanistan. One of the most concerning issues in Afghanistan is the mistreatment and inequality that women face on a daily basis due to Taliban mandates. Women in Afghanistan are treated as inferior beings to men and are unable to stand up for themselves due the laws the Taliban enforces. Hosseini uses the wives of Amir and Hassan, Soraya and Farzana, to represent the injustices to which women in Afghanistan are subjected.
Although the Handmaid’s Tale & veil of roses are both novels of fiction, but they can both participate of real life action, each story of a women life differ significantly. Comparison of two different novel’s with similar themes such as escape, love, and freedom.