Barbara Kingsolver: Women’s Roles and Motherhood
Throughout history, many cultures have seen women’s primary role as the reproducer and caregiver. What happens when a woman doesn’t fit this mold of dutiful wife and mother? Barbara Kingsolver analyzes this circumstance in her novel Animal Dreams through her childless and unwed protagonist in the fictional town of Grace. Kingsolver’s works tend to critique the accepted and expected roles of women in society and evaluates the previously endorsed notion that women’s worth lies in their fertility and femininity.
Placed in an era in which women’s roles were beginning to come further into question, Kingsolver's Animal Dreams highlights the life of Cosima “Codi” Noline- a character who isn’t fully
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aware or conscious of her own changing views. Through this character, a connection can be made to its readers who are just beginning this change of becoming more critical of of the societal norms that many are brought up on. The development of Codi’s evolving role also echoes the similar metamorphosis of Kingsolver herself (Litovitz). Litovitz reveals the connection between the author and character by stating that “[Kingsolver] was a tall, skinny, flat-chested girl living in a community where reproductive abilities were the criteria for evaluating women.” Instating her own experience into her character, Kingsolver establishes a concrete juxtaposition between Codi Noline and the fictional town of Grace. Not only does Kingsolver reflect on the altering roles of women, but also how the relationships of motherhood impacts one’s experience in life.
Codi in particular struggles to deal with the consequences of her mother’s death as well as the unfortunate miscarriage of her own child. Codi’s personal and emotional plight is further complicated by the stigma surrounding the subject of miscarrying or delivering a stillborn child, a stigma which Codi points out as trivial in her statement regarding miscarriages to be a “Natural and common event. All told, probably more women have lost a child from this world than haven't. Most don't mention it, and they go on from day to day as if it hadn't happened, so people imagine a woman in this situation never really knew or loved what she had” (Kingsolver 52-53). It is not necessarily just the deaths of Codi’s mother and child, but instead the missed opportunities to experience first hand either versions of motherhood first hand in a town where motherhood is so highly valued. Codi expresses one of the consequences of her lacking a mother figure when she divulges through her thoughts that “Four Saturdays in a row, for exactly one lunar month: the odds of getting pregnant out of that were predictable, but i was unfathomably naïve. I was a motherless girl. I’d learned the words puberty and menarche from the Encyclopedia Britannica” (Kingsolver 52). Kingsolver’s writing suggests that “failure to know your mother...is failure to remember your …show more content…
significance, your reality, [and] your right relationship to society. It is the same as being lost-- isolated, abandoned, self-estranged, and alienated from your life” (Allen). Through this quote, it is understood that the absence of a maternal figure and relationship is, in some measure, responsible for her role and and unsatisfactory sense of belonging in Grace. Kingsolver continues on in her works to critique the concept that societal norms have accepted pertaining to a woman’s role.
The author specifically tackles the belief that women must depend on male figures to succeed. While she does not directly denounce this theory, she does illustrate the need for the evolution of Codi’s character through Hallie’s letter reminding her to take control of life, “What keeps you going isn't some fine destination but just the road you're on, and the fact that you know how to drive. You keep your eyes open, you see this damned-to-hell world you got born into, and you ask yourself, "What life can I live that will let me breathe in and out and love somebody or something and not run off screaming into the woods?” (Kingsolver 224). The author goes on to more thoroughly critique the theory of one’s value lying in one’s ability to bear and care for their children and husband by inserting a character who has done neither of these things and instead sought out a career. Through Codi’s character, Kingsolver effectively counters the norm which Grace had become accustomed to and creating a juxtaposition within the plot itself. Although Codi’s character does depend on her relationship with Loyd to confirm that she is in some way worth while, she gradually assumes roles of leadership both in the classroom with her students and with the fellow women of Grace in the Stitch and Bitch Club and fights to make a difference in a town she’d believed herself to have
no emotional connection to. A change of the women of Grace in general is shown during one meeting of the Stitch and Bitch Club when one of the women points out that the women must take a stand, “These men don’t see that we need to something right now. They think the trees can die and we can just go somewhere else, and as long as we [women] fry up bacon for them in the same old pan, they think it would be home” (Kingsolver 179). This quote alludes to the conclusion that the citizens regard Grace not as a mere location but as an emblematic place where the women assume the roles that were assigned to them; the town of Grace represents the ideological home of social norms and expectations which Kingsolver is dedicated to countering. In her writings, Barbara Kingsolver continually combats the idea that women serve merely as reproducer and caregiver without denouncing those that do value this. While she supports feminist values of re-evaluating the roles which women were given, Kingsolver manages to simultaneously give insight to the impact of having or lacking the opportunity to experience motherhood through her characters in Animal Dreams. Through her critiques of American culture and women’s roles within, Kingsolver brings into to question the validity of the acceptance of leaving one’s value in fertility and femininity.
In addition, Britain’s societal transformation augmented women’s role in society, and according to Braybon in “Women Workers in The First World War,” “A completely different pattern of life was established. for women” and that society had “prevailing attitudes towards women as workers” (Braybon 16). The newfangled life given to women gave most women an enormous surge in recognition throughout society, as people valued women a lot more after they became the backbone of the production of nearly all British goods. Concurrently, King underscores this point in her novel, as throughout the novel, Mary is never discriminated against simply for being a woman. In preceding years and throughout history, society typically perceived women as naturally inferior to men, and women’s occupations were limited to taking care of the family and domestic occupations.
For, in relinquishing, a mother feels strong and liberal; and in guild she finds the motivation to right wrong. Women throughout time have been compelled to cope with the remonstrances of motherhood along with society’s anticipations Morrison’s authorship elucidates the conditions of motherhood showing how black women’s existence is warped by severing conditions of slavery. In this novel, it becomes apparent how in a patriarchal society a woman can feel guilty when choosing interests, career and self-development before motherhood. The sacrifice that has to be made by a mother is evident and natural, but equality in a relationship means shared responsibility and with that, the sacrifices are less on both part. Although motherhood can be a wonderful experience many women fear it in view of the tamming of the other and the obligation that eventually lies on the mother.
From the beginning of society, men and women have always been looked at as having different positions in life. Even in the modern advanced world we live in today, there are still many people who believe men and women should be looked at differently. In the work field, on average women are paid amounts lower than men who may be doing the exact same thing. Throughout the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston brings about controversy on a mans roles. Janie Crawford relationships with Logan, Joe and Tea Cake each bring out the mens feelings on masculine roles in marital life.
As man developed more complex social systems, society placed more emphasis of childbearing. Over time, motherhood was raised to the status of “saintly”. This was certainly true in western cultures during the late 19th/early 20th century. Charlotte Perkins Gilman did not agree with the image of motherhood that society proposed to its members at the time. “Arguably ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ reveals women’s frustration in a culture that seemingly glorifies motherhood while it actually relegates women to nursery-prisons” (Bauer 65). Among the many other social commentaries contained within this story, is the symbolic use of the nursery as a prison for the main character.
According to “The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language”, the word “feminity” is defined as “the quality or condition of being feminine or a characteristic or trait traditionally held to be female.” Further speaking, feminity is formed by various socially-defined and biologically-created gender roles played by women influenced by a number of social and cultural factors. For example, the traditional gender roles of women include nurturer, birth giver, homemaker and caregiver. However, marked by a series of women's rights movements starting from the 19th century, women’s gender roles, as well as the ways how society and men perceive women, have been largely changed. This significant change, described as a process of female awakening, was widely reflected in many contemporary literature works. This essay will specifically focus on the construction of feminity in two short stories, “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway and “The Stoy of an Hour” by Kate Chopin through examining how the authors define “feminity” in their treatment of female characters.
Simplism and poeticism are beautifully combined, creating a relatable yet symbolic book delivering a message about women’s equality. Kingsolver utilizes family, relatable characters, stories, and symbolism of the land as she attempts to make the reader think about tough issues in a humorous way. Where most would be serious about issues such as women equality and immigration, Kingsolver prevents the serious and sad tone thereby delivering her messages in a delightful way for the reader.
...ng it through Grace’s mother and Mrs. Humphrey. The novel depicts this construct of gender identity through society by molding Grace to believe women are subordinate and need to get married and be good housewives to be successful. This construct is seen through emotion as women who are emotional are seen as “abnormal” and sent to asylums, while men had to power to do so. The societal construct of gender identity was seen as men were to bask in their sexuality and be assertive, while women were to be passive and suppress their sexuality. Mrs. Humphrey challenged this construct as she was assertive and the instigator. Lastly, the societal construct of gender identity was challenged through Grace’s mother as she took over the males position of being the provider. Overall, women were looked at as subordinate to men in the Victorian age and Atwood challenged this belief.
Many women who were part of the middle classes were often not sent to school and so didn’t usually learn a skill that they could use to make a living. Consequently, as they were women and so were often not left much, if any, inheritance when their parents died, women found that they must. marry in order to have money and to keep their place in society. Charlotte takes advantage of her situation to marry purely for money. and not for love, this is what many women do and what society.
In her essay, “Motherhood: Who Needs It?”, Betty Rollin emphasizes the pressures of motherhood that society puts on women and highlights the fact that becoming a mother is not a natural instinct.
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.
Traditionally, women have been subservient to men; they are still often subjugated, treated as objects, and are valued for their ability to reproduce. Since the beginning of society dating back to the Paleolithic age, in the hunter-gatherer societal system, men generally hunted and provided for the family, while the women gathered fruit and raised children at home. This brand of society has in a way persisted even until today; often women will stay at home and raise children while the man would be the one to “hunt,” or in today’s context, work and provide for the family. This puts the woman in a subordinate position as they are dependent on the man, often leading to women being treated as objects. These stereotypes contribute to the development of Lispector’s works.
“Girls wear jeans and cut their hair short and wear shirts and boots because it is okay to be a boy; for a girl it is like promotion. But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading, according to you, because secretly you believe that being a girl is degrading” (McEwan 55-56). Throughout the history of literature women have been viewed as inferior to men, but as time has progressed the idealistic views of how women perceive themselves has changed. In earlier literature women took the role of being the “housewife” or the household caretaker for the family while the men provided for the family. Women were hardly mentioned in the workforce and always held a spot under their husband’s wing. Women were viewed as a calm and caring character in many stories, poems, and novels in the early time period of literature. During the early time period of literature, women who opposed the common role were often times put to shame or viewed as rebels. As literature progresses through the decades and centuries, very little, but noticeable change begins to appear in perspective to the common role of women. Women were more often seen as a main character in a story setting as the literary period advanced. Around the nineteenth century women were beginning to break away from the social norms of society. Society had created a subservient role for women, which did not allow women to stand up for what they believe in. As the role of women in literature evolves, so does their views on the workforce environment and their own independence. Throughout the history of the world, British, and American literature, women have evolved to become more independent, self-reliant, and have learned to emphasize their self-worth.
Many women in modern society make life altering decisions on a daily basis. Women today have prestigious and powerful careers unlike in earlier eras. It is more common for women to be full time employees than homemakers. In 1879, when Henrik Ibsen wrote A Doll's House, there was great controversy over the out come of the play. Nora’s walking out on her husband and children was appalling to many audiences centuries ago. Divorce was unspoken, and a very uncommon occurrence. As years go by, society’s opinions on family situations change. No longer do women have a “housewife” reputation to live by and there are all types of family situations. After many years of emotional neglect, and overwhelming control, Nora finds herself leaving her family. Today, it could be said that Nora’s decision is very rational and well overdue.
Becoming a mother has been the best part of my life. I became a mother at a very young age. I had no idea what to expect and was not in the least prepared for the journey that lie ahead. I have truly embraced motherhood and enjoy all the wonderful things it has taught me. While living through motherhood, I have found that it can teach you the most valuable lessons there are to learn. Being a mother has taught me how to have patience. I have also learned that being a mother takes a lot on mental and physical strength. My children have been the best to teach me how to juggle many tasks at once. They have made me strong. Even through some unexpected turns, I have learned how to get through hard times and really learn what it means to never give up. My children are my biggest blessing, and I hope they will learn valuable lessons through me. The skills I have learned from being a mother have helped me in my college journey.
Women are blessed with what I consider is the biggest gift in the universe and that is to give life to what once was part of them. At some point in our lives we ask ourselves……. What is a good mother? Although there can be endless definitions, my definition of a good mother is based on what I consider to be morally right. A good mother always thinks about her children first, a good mother is always willing to give her life for her children, a good mother is soft and gentle with her children, but a good mother becomes aggressive and protective when her children are exposed to potential threats and a good mother will always want the best for her children.