An Analysis of identity: Women's Rights

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The issue of women’s rights has been disputed over many decades with the protests for women issues becoming eminent throughout the 18th century during the French and American revolutions. In Britain it was not until the materialization of the suffragette movement in the late 19th century that there was significant political change. Through the years the feminist movement has continued to make great improvements most significantly in the 1960s when the prevailing ideas of feminism today were set. Overall, the goal of feminism is to establish and emphasize the feminine persona in everyday society and focus on how women should be allowed the same powers, rights, and prospects as men and be regarded in the same manner. The novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote and the novel The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath both contain female protagonists who aim to define themselves in an age of tumult when men are seen as the leading class. Breakfast at Tiffany’s is focused on a brief period of time in the 1910’s when the narrator documents his experience with the character Holly Golightly, and her attempts to define herself from the people around her. The Bell Jar takes place in the 1950’s with the main character Esther Greenwood as she tries to pursue a path of her own from the limited choices society imposes on her such as housewifery or a career oriented path. Holly and Esther are similar in their belief that relationships that tie them down should be broken. They both commit actions that go against the norms of society to reinforce their sense of freedom from society. As much as these two characters have similarities they also have their differences in which Holly rejects her past and fabricates it in order to create her ideal personalit...

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...e would be a complete shock and quite abnormal for the behaviour of a young woman. “I thought a spectacular change would come over me the day I crossed the boundary line.” (Plath 1262) Esther believes that some big change would occur from liberating herself from society by having a sexual experience outside of marriage. Both see the norms of society as something to defy against. They differ in that Esther thinks having a sexual experience takes you to the next level. Whereas Holly has had several affairs and knows that it does not amount to much. The two characters are still similar in that they are both rebelling against society in some sort of manner using their own methods.

Works Cited

Plath, Sylvia. The Bell Jar. New York: Harper & Row, 1971. E Book Reader Kindle.
Capote, Truman. Breakfast at Tiffany's. London: Penguin Classics, 1958. E Book Reader Kindle.

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