Feminist Concepts In Eudora Welty's Petrified Man

Identity is something that many people struggle with. Who am I? Is a common question American’s struggle with. However, the outside world uses our culture, our society and our background to truly shape what we become. This is an idea that many authors throughout the years have realized this and portrayed it in their writings. In most of the author’s works they explore these challenges faced by their characters to help relate to the general public. Kate Chopin, in “Story of an Hour,” discuss feminist concepts in a pre-suffrage American. Similarly in the short story “Winter Dreams,” by F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the raw truth of the American Dream in the post-World War I era. Eudora Welty, in “Petrified Man,” evaluates who really is the monster,

by looking deeper than people’s appearance. The main character of each of these works, Chopin’s Mrs. Mallard, Fitzgerald’s Dexter Green, and Welty’s Leota, struggles with their own identity crisis due to the culture around them, however their identities have already been shaped by the outside forces.

In “Story of an Hour,” Mrs.

Mallard struggle between her personal values and the demands of a male-controlled society. After learning of her husband’s accidental death, Mallard has “a dull stare in her eyes, gaze was away off yonder...suspended of intelligent thought” (426). Even though, yes Mrs. Mallard did mourn in the solitude of her own room, her emotions change as she considers what this truly means for her. In this society wives are bound to serve and worship their husbands, now with Richard gone Mrs. Mallard realizes how ‘“free, free, free!”’she truly is (426). Mrs. Mallard had come to the realization that she was no longer bound to be her husband’s slave and suddenly she had her life returned to her; “The vacant stare and the look of terror...They stayed keen and bright” (426). Romance was highly absent in this era most married for money, for stability, or because it was what the parents wanted, Mallard confesses “she had loved him – sometimes” (426). For too long Mrs. Mallard had suffered to please someone else other than herself, now with her husband gone, she could focus on what truly mattered herself. Once this is realized of her independence, she stops her tears, and “she breathes a quick prayer…with a shudder that life might be long” (426). Unfortunately, Mrs. Mallard’s independence is ripped from her grasp when her husband, unharmed, walks through the door. The utter realization of her freedom being taken from her once again kills Mrs. Mallard instantly. The

outside forces constrain her ability to have self-expression and live for herself, thus causing her body to clasp unable to take the pressure again.

In the case of Dexter Green, the desire for his American dream is formed by the corruption of society. Raised in a middle-class background of the growing economic boom, Green only validates his existence through his success and status while keeping his humble origins in mind. When Dexter was a young caddy, he often daydreamed about being successful and he imagined the happiness that came with it; “He became a golf champion…impressed was Mr. Mortimer Jones” (965). Although Dexter longed to become a part of the luxury upper class society, he had no respect for those whom it was handed to a silver platter; “He knew the sort of men they were…with the same debonaire ease” (971). Even though Dexter only wanted to fit into their high class society, he soon was forced to realize that money cannot buy happiness. When Judy wants to know more about him, he answers ‘“I’m nobody”…matter of futures’”(972). By saying this Dexter realizes that he may never be able to accept himself as who he is, making it impossible for him to jump over the obstacle as he searches for meaning and purpose. Fitzgerald also shows that Dexter will never truly be happy by stating, “So he tasted…deep happiness” (978). Finally, at, the end when Dexter learns of Judy’s unhappy marriage and her looks have faded, causing his vision of her to shatter, which in turn causes his vision of him to be shattered; “The dream was gone” (980).

For Welty’s Leota, the desire to be happy is shadowed by her personality of a beast; shown has she is a hypocritical gossip.

As she works in a beauty salon in the 1930’s Leota gets all the gossip purely because people believe they can confide in her. Leota has a customer come in who Leota knew “that you was p-r-e-g” (1095). In that time period people did not discuss personal body functions of ladies such as being pregnant, it was seen as disgusting and not meant to be shared with people. By Leota calling out her costumer Mrs. Fletcher this made her in turn feel like a freak when it was a perfectly natural thing to happen to women. Due to Leota being so rude to call out Mrs. Fletcher about her freak of nature, Leota tells Mrs. Fletcher about the real craziness of the world, “we went to the travellin’ freak show yestiddy after work” (1097). Mrs. Fletcher becomes very uncomfortable hearing of all the freaks that Leota makes fun of in her story, such as “twin in a bottle”. Leota only wanting happiness begins to envy Mrs. Fletcher’s relationship with her husband, as they talk Leota compares her husband to Mrs. Fletcher and begins to see how unhappy she truly is. Leota states that her and Fred are “the way to the alter inside of half an hour” (1099). While Mrs. Fletcher says that ‘“Mr. Fletcher and herself are as much in love as the day we married”’ (1099). When Leota hears this she gets mad and becomes cynical stating it won’t last and soon things will be different. Later on

Leota’s envy got the best of her and she soon resented Mrs. Fletcher, “choking her with the cloth, pinning it so tight, she couldn’t speak clearly” (1100). The last straw for Leota happens when the Pike’s luck change for the better. The Pike’s come to realize that Mr. Petrie the man from the freak show who possibly is wanted for raping girls and there’s a big money reward. Leota says to turn him in and to take the money, Mrs. Pike listens to her, but doesn’t want to share the reward. This infuriates Leota, she believes she is owed some of the money since they went to the freak show together. In the end Leota keeps the Pike’s boy one last time and when he aggravates her for the last time she decides to punish him. Leota grabs the little boy and begins to spank him, “he gave angry but belitting screams…” (1103). In the end it is Leota who is the freak by being cynical in her unhappiness and misfortune.

Mrs. Mallard, Dexter Green, and Leota challenge society’s views but soon give in to the pressure of society’s culture. Mrs. Mallard’s longing for independence is stripped away by the form of society and women’s role. Dexter Green’s American dream of happiness and longing to fit in so shattered by the dark truth that money cannot buy happiness and the glittering world does turn dark. Leota’s dream for satisfaction in her own life through money and happiness is taken by her friends’ success. The outside world of society takes away each one's dreams forcing them to realize the truth of the world, making them adapt their personalities to fit in the world around them.