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19th century in America society
Social and moral norms in the 19th century
American society in the 19th century
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Author, John H. Young, in his affirmative essay, “Our Department, or the Manners, Conduct and Dress Of Refined Society,” describes the rules of etiquette during the nineteenth century. Young’s excerpt uses academic tone to confirm that if a husband and wife follows the rules, they will have a successful marriage. John H. Young makes his argument about what to do to have a successful marriage by using repetition of words, diction, and syntax.
Young’s proficiency of diction advocates a controlling view of what a married couple should do using words such “she must” and “he should”. Young is assertive with his choice of words and shows confidence to the audience. For the wife, Young uses the word “must” making himself sound demanding and franternize
with. As for the husband, Young uses the word “should” which makes him seem experienced to other husbands, or soon to be husbands.
Diction is the precise choice of words and style of expression used by an author. The use of diction is observed multiple times in the short story A Temporary Matter by Jhumpa Lahiri. In A Temporary Matter, married couple Shoba and Shukumar experience the loss of their newborn baby during childbirth. The fatality of their child results in their marriage to slowly deteriorate and eventually cease. The conflicts within their marriage are perceived to be the result of a communication barrier; however, Lahiri's use of diction reveals they are experiencing greater conflicts. Diction has the capability to deliver powerful messages to readers; such as the concept that Shoba and Shukumar’s marriage is in a state of war.
As the story begins, the narrator's compliance with her role as a submissive woman is easily seen. She states, "John laughs at me, but one expects that in marriage" (Gilman 577). These words clearly illustrate the male's position of power in a marriage that is not only accepted, but rather expected at this time period.... ... middle of paper ...
In individual searches to find themselves, Frank and April Wheeler take on the roles of the people they want to be, but their acting grows out of control when they lose sense of who they are behind the curtains. Their separate quests for identity converge in their wish for a thriving marriage. Initially, they both play roles in their marriage to please the other, so that when their true identities emerge, their marriage crumbles, lacking communication and sentimentality. Modelled after golden people or manly figures, the roles Frank and April take on create friction with who they actually are. Ultimately, to “do something absolutely honest” and “true,” it must be “a thing … done alone” (Yates 327). One need only look inside his or her self to discover his or her genuine identity.
Through the use of symbolism, and characterization that involves an instance of imagery, the author advocates this notion through the newlywed’s decision of neglecting her personal feminine taste to make her husband’s preferences her own, and embracing her title of submissive partner by kissing the hand. Also, the choice of words to describe each partner differs tremendously, as the author seems to give more importance to the man by making him appear handsome, and particularly strong. On the contrary, the young woman appears to be weak and minor, which supports this idea of submissive women in a couple through the perception of the woman being way behind her husband. This story demonstrates a great symbolic significance when it comes to the hand, which can lead to other important ideas surrounding the message the author is trying to
The amount of etiquette that must be learned by these women is astounding. The articles give the reader a real appreciation for the social faux pas that Edna is committing. Before reading this, I did not quite understand how far from the norm Edna is straying. After reading this excerpt, I fully realize why it is such a dire situation to Leonce when Edna went out on her reception day. The rules made it sound like women needed to be home on their day to have guests; and on the other days, they needed to be out visiting.
The actress states, “There’s got to be more to this marriage than a few hastily scribbled words on a small square of pastel paper! By the way. We’re out of post-its,” (Dooley and Holzman, 852). This results in the audience to question the actress’s goal of fixing the relationship with her husband, because the audience understands that she is unhappy with how they communicate, yet still asks for more of the basis of the communicative ways they do now, seeing no end to the repetitive cycle (Dooley and Holzman, 852). It is clear that the conversations between the two characters make the audience questionable of the character’s relationship in many ways.
In her essay, Woman in the Nineteenth Century, Margaret Fuller discusses the state of marriage in America during the 1800‘s. She is a victim of her own knowledge, and is literally considered ugly because of her wisdom. She feels that if certain stereotypes can be broken down, women can have the respect of men intellectually, physically, and emotionally. She explains why some of the inequalities exist in marriages around her. Fuller feels that once women are accepted as equals, men and women will be able achieve a true love not yet known to the people of the world.
Initially he views his wife as a mere possession, a toy doll. which he is able to show off at party’s to the admiration of fellow. members of powerful society, ‘curtsy here, curtsy there – and the vision of loveliness was gone as they say in fairy tales.’ However.
Lerner, Laurence. “Marriage.” The Spenser Encyclopedia. Ed. A.C. Hamilton. University of Toronto Press: Toronto, 1992.
states that manners are customary behaviors in a civilized society, but that morals are correct
Narrator, “He was not an ill-disposed young man, unless to be rather selfish, is to be ill-disposed: but he was, in general well respected; for he conducted himself with propriety in the discharge of his normal duties” (11). This section helped me understand Mr. Dashwood’s character and society’s requirements. This helped me realize that society's expectations and requirements are quite selfish. An example of which I took away was if you present yourself with propriety you would gain respect.
The bleak tone of this story takes a particularly sad and disturbing tinge when the wife illustrates a scene from early on in her marriage where she tries to get her husband to satisfy her desire and provide her with mutual satisfaction, only to have him rebuke and reprimand her. In fact, the husband responds in such a particularly brusque and hysterical manner that the reader can see how traumatized the wife would have been at ...
Not attempting to hide, Mrs. Mallard knows that she will weep at her husbands funeral, however she can’t help this sudden feeling of seeing, “beyond [the] bitter moment [of] procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely” (Chopin, 16). In an unloving marriage of this time, women were trapped in their roles until they were freed by the death of their husbands. Although Mrs. Mallard claims that her husband was kind and loving, she can’t help the sudden spark of joy of her new freedom. This is her view on the release of her oppression from her roles of being a dutiful wife to her husband. Altogether, Mrs. Mallard claims that, “there would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature” (Chopin, 16). This is the most important of Mrs. Mallard’s thoughts, as she never officially states a specific way when her husband oppressed her. However, the audience can clearly suggest that this is a hint towards marriage in general that it suffocates both men and women. Marriage is an equal partnership in which compromise and communication become the dominant ideals to make the marriage better. It is suggested that Mrs. Mallard also oppressed her husband just as much as he did to her when she sinks into the armchair and is, “pressed down by a physical exhaustion
When evaluating Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s role in the family structure, they both provide insight into the origins of their daughters’ personalities. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet both play integral parts in their children’s lives; they give or attempt to give them guidance in marriage, in happiness, and in love. Whether it’s Mrs. Bennet expressing her over-bearing love or Mr. Bennet giving Elizabeth some well-needed advice, they both aim to help their daughters using their inborn parental love.
The importance of what it means to be a “gentleman” or “gentlewoman” is not held to as high of a standard in the upbringing of children today as it was during our Founding Fathers’ decades. During the times of Benjamin Franklin and Gorge Washington, it was necessary that young boys and girls learn manners and etiquette such as how to set a table, greet an elder, behave at tea, and how to properly mourn. Today, these situations may not exist, but they are being replaced with more modern circumstances such as job interviews, dating, driving, or even conversing through text. Whatever the circumstance may be, it is quite evident that America is lacking drastically in manners and common etiquette of any type.” In one article, Victoria Pratt states, “Washington wrote his Rules of Civility at the tender age of 15 in 1745, as part of an educational exercise,” (Pratt). Most fifteen-year old males today cannot even hold open the door for others as they enter buildings. It wasn’t just important that children learn common etiquette and manners in school though, it was reinforced at home as well. Cindy Post states that does not blame the youth for the way they act though. As alarming as this may sound to some, she is