Evelyn Cunningham once said, “Women are the only oppressed group in our society that lives in intimate association with their oppressors.” For thousands of years women have been oppressed, not in the bondage of slavery but in the bondage that comes from a lack of education and a dependence on men for their livelihood. Women have been subjected to scrutiny and ostracization, belittling and disparaging comments, and even at times they have been feared by men. Women themselves have even taken on the beliefs that they require a man in their life to be taken care of and have a satisfying life although some women and even some men have seen that the differences between the sexes is purely physical. This oppression, as well as the enlightenment of some, is well noted in many literary works. Literature has often been an arena for the examination of the “woman question,” as it was termed in the Victorian age. Four works that examine the role or view of women in society are John Stuart Mill’s The Subjection of Women, T.S. Eliot’s “Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own, and Carol Ann Duffy’s “Medusa.” Although each work examines a side of the woman question in its own way with a variety of views on the question, all of the works examine the fear that women incite in men, the idea that women are dependent on men, and the idea that women are separate from men in some way and each piece works to show that there is actually an interdependence between men and women that is often not expressed. Women have often been viewed as separate from men based on the physical differences between the sexes. Early in the women’s movement in England, Mill wrote his book The Subjection of Women which discusses the separ... ... middle of paper ... ...them than actual service. Men do not want solely the obedience of women, they want their sentiments,” (Mill, 1063) as Mill said. The interdependent relationship that men and women have is not often conveyed but these four works all work to show that there is this ignored duality. Works Cited Duffy, Carol A. "Medusa." The Norton Anthology English Literature. 8th ed. Vol. F. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2006. 2875-876. Print. Eliot, T. S. "Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." The Norton Anthology English Literature. 8th ed. Vol. F. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2006. 2289-293. Print. Mill, John S. "The Subjection of Women." The Norton Anthology English Literature. 8th ed. Vol. E. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2006. 1061-070. Print. Woolfe, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. The Norton Anthology English Literature. 8th ed. Vol. F. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2006. 2092-155. Print.
Kempe, Margery. "From The Book of Margery Kempe." The Norton Anthology of Literature By Women. 2nd ed. Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1996. 18-24.
Marvell, Andrew. "To His Coy Mistress." The Norton Anthology Of English Literature. The Major Authors Ninth ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. 751. Print.
Ferguson, Margaret W., Salter, Mary J., and Stallworthy, Jon. The Norton Anthology of Poetry. fifth ed. N.p.: W.W. Norton, 2005. 2120-2121. 2 Print.
Until the last hundred years or so in the United States, married women had to rely on their husbands for money, shelter, and food because they were not allowed to work. Though there were probably many men who believed their wives could “stand up to the challenge”, some men would not let their wives be independent, believing them to be of the “inferior” sex, which made them too incompetent to work “un-feminine” jobs. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, feminist writers began to vent their frustration at men’s condescension and sexist beliefs. Susan Glaspell’s “A Jury of Her Peers” and Zora Neale Hurson’s “Sweat” both use dialogue to express how women are capable of and used to working hard, thinking originally, being independent
Women in the year 2016 have come a long way since 1800s, yet the fight to be completely equal has not been reached. There are two poems, one “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning, and “Suicide Note” by Janice Mirihitani that show some gender roles and how unequal they are. Some gender roles are too over the edge and can cause a person’s death because women are seen as object, and women are not seen as valuable as men.
Society continually places restrictive standards on the female gender not only fifty years ago, but in today’s society as well. While many women have overcome many unfair prejudices and oppressions in the last fifty or so years, late nineteenth and early twentieth century women were forced to deal with a less understanding culture. In its various formulations, patriarchy posits men's traits and/or intentions as the cause of women's oppression. This way of thinking diverts attention from theorizing the social relations that place women in a disadvantageous position in every sphere of life and channels it towards men as the cause of women's oppression (Gimenez). Different people had many ways of voicing their opinions concerning gender inequalities amound women, including expressing their voices and opinions through their literature. By writing stories such as Daisy Miller and The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Henry James let readers understand and develop their own ideas on such a serious topic that took a major toll in American History. In this essay, I am going to compare Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” to James’ “Daisy Miller” as portraits of American women in peril and also the men that had a great influence.
Human history’s preoccupation with status and class ultimately hinders individual progress as social standards are emphasized more to control the population, rather than celebrate achievements within a community. John Stuart Mill and the fictional Sue Bridehead deal with the struggles of women to exist as individuals and gain recognition for their inherent qualities, rather than dismissal based on gender. Sue manifests the characteristics that Mill praises in independent women, however cannot separate herself from social pressures that are also present in Mill’s predicament for women. The paradox for Sue is that her individualism is what Mill praises and hopes for in more women, while it is that individualism that Sue manifests at the end of the novel when she conforms to social convention.
Stillinger, Jack, Deidre Lynch, Stephen Greenblatt, and M H. Abrams. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Volume D. New York, N.Y: W.W. Norton & Co, 2006. Print.
Both authors, Alcott and Mill, approach the topic of marriage, but at two different angles. Alcott claims that it is a man’s duty to be married and states that “society cannot be sustained” in the absence of marriage (251). He claims that the “institution is peculiarly interesting from the fact that it involves so many items of human happiness” (251). This idea presented is completely opposite to Mill’s idea that being married is comparable to being a slave. Mill strongly opposes the idea of marriage and it is implied that the relationship has been degrading to women since its establishment in society. Even though both books were written by men, it is almost as if “The Young Man’s Guide” is being told from a man’s perspective and “The Subjection of Women” is told from a woman’s point of view. In “The Subjection of Women,” Mill expresses how women feel about the supposed injustices and proposes ways for society to be changed to promote equality. Conversely, in “A Young Man’s Guide,” there seems to be no consideration of women’s thoughts or opinions. It just describes who a man should marry, what a man should look for, and what the woman should be for her to be worthy of a
For centuries women suffered being seen as the lesser gender and it was not until the 1920s that they earned headway. The twenties was a decade for partiers, free-spirits, and strong-willed women. People were more focused more on what brought them enjoyment rather than the day to day responsibilities. Women, while fighting for their rights, were dancing, painting, and writing novels. It was often that the struggles of the time were expressed in their works. The strive for women’s rights and equality was at the forefront of many hearts and minds in the early 20th century; this can be seen in Edna St. Vincent Millay’s poem “Philosopher.”
Before diving in to Hawthorne’s works and how he attacks the idea of gender inequality, it is important to first understand how these gender roles originated. The first popular written account of female inferiority comes from
Women roles have changed drastically in the last 50 to 80 years, women no longer have to completely conform to society’s gender roles and now enjoy the idea of being individuals. Along with the evolution of women roles in society, women presence and acceptance have drastically grown in modern literature. In early literature it was common to see women roles as simply caretakers, wives or as background; women roles and ideas were nearly non-existent and was rather seen than heard. The belief that women were more involved in the raising of children and taking care of the household was a great theme in many early literatures; women did not get much credit for being apart of the frontier and expansion of many of the nations success until much later.
In John Mill 's’ essay, “The Subjection of Women”, Mill evaluates and analyses, the social differences between the sexes of the Victorian era. Mills raises some valid points about the subjection of women pertaining to the 19th century. Mills argues that during this time women are treated by their husbands as slaves to a master, not offered an equal opportunity in terms of employment, and their educational achievements aren’t recognized nearly as much as their male counterpart.
Lawall, Sarah N. “Medea.” The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. 8th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. 690-720. Print.
Women have always been essential to society. Fifty to seventy years ago, a woman was no more than a house wife, caregiver, and at their husbands beck and call. Women had no personal opinion, no voice, and no freedom. They were suppressed by the sociable beliefs of man. A woman’s respectable place was always behind the masculine frame of a man. In the past a woman’s inferiority was not voluntary but instilled by elder women, and/or force. Many, would like to know why? Why was a woman such a threat to a man? Was it just about man’s ability to control, and overpower a woman, or was there a serious threat? Well, everyone has there own opinion about the cause of the past oppression of woman, it is currently still a popular argument today.