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Feminist criticism in literature essay
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Feminist criticism in literature essay
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The short stories, “The Girl with the Hungry Eyes” by Fritz Lieber, “Bits and Pieces,” by Lisa Tuttle, “While She Was Out” by Edward Bryant, “Cold Turkey” by Carole Nelson Douglas, and “Lightning Rod” by Melanie Tem Historically, in literature, women are stereotypically placed in one of two roles, the doting wife and beloved mother, or the more outwardly psychotic, witch-like, temptress. As the feminist approach to the criticism of literature has blossomed over time, the need for empowered female characters has surfaced. To rectify the absence of this character, “wild women literature” has made many advances in the defiance of gender role stereotypes and gender norms. The women in the collection of wild women short stories are difficult to define because of society’s pre-conceived notions of how women should and do behave. The term “wild women” conveys a slightly negative and sometimes misinterpreted connotation of a woman’s behavior; however, in this collection of stories, the female characters are generally vindicated because of the motivation behind their actions. The motivation can be linked to the popular cultural phenomenon of women taking charge of their lives, making decisions for themselves, being independent, rising above their oppressors (most commonly the close men in their lives), and becoming empowered. Vigilante actions by the wild women in these stories are not entirely representative of madness, but also re...
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...ne in shadowy corners, of mutilated orifices. Dead sometimes. And more often, unfortunately living to remember. Or to disassociate” (141-2). At this point Bertha has begun to sympathize with the bird; it is a victim, much like herself.
As the patient yells at her, and the ambulance sounds get louder from the fire emergency, she thinks harder and deeper about victims. “These would be burned people. Pained people. Helpless people. Victims of circumstance. Not victims of deliberate abuse. Why did the perpetrators prove so hard to convict and to punish? Why did they go on and on, to victimize again?” (142). After this thought, and the patient calling Bertha a “stupid bitch,” Bertha decides to not let the perpetrator get off so easily this time. Allowing her inner pain to become her power, Bertha castrates the man while the turkey still clings to his groin.
In a world where the vast majority of cultures are patriarchal, in response to traditional structures, women often find themselves at war in their minds, hearts and in their own actions. 'Yellow woman' and 'The story of an hour' are examples of how women struggle in a male domintaed society. In these two stories, the women fnd themselves wrestling with thoughts and emotions that our society consider unacceptable. The following statements ,ay be asked and considered of these women:
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.
Within every story or poem, there is always an interpretation made by the reader, whether right or wrong. In doing so, one must thoughtfully analyze all aspects of the story in order to make the most accurate assessment based on the literary elements the author has used. Compared and contrasted within the two short stories, “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, and John Updike’s “A&P,” the literary elements character and theme are made evident. These two elements are prominent in each of the differing stories yet similarities are found through each by studying the elements. The girls’ innocence and naivety as characters act as passages to show something superior, oppression in society shown towards women that is not equally shown towards men.
Women have traditionally been known as the less dominant sex. Through history women have fought for equal rights and freedom. They have been stereotyped as being housewives, and bearers and nurturers of the children. Only recently with the push of the Equal Rights Amendment have women had a strong hold on the workplace alongside men. Many interesting characters in literature are conceived from the tension women have faced with men. This tension is derived from men; society, in general; and within a woman herself. Two interesting short stories, “The Yellow Wall-paper and “The Story of an Hour, “ focus on a woman’s plight near the turn of the 19th century. This era is especially interesting because it is a time in modern society when women were still treated as second class citizens. The two main characters in these stories show similarities, but they are also remarkably different in the ways they deal with their problems and life in general. These two characters will be examined to note the commonalities and differences. Although the two characters are similar in some ways, it will be shown that the woman in the “The Story of an Hour” is a stronger character based on the two important criteria of rationality and freedom.
The setting of both stories reinforces the notion of women's dependence on men. The late 1800's were a turbulent time for women's roles. The turn of the century brought about revolution, fueled by the energy and freedom of a new horizon…but it was still just around the bend. In this era, during which both short stories were published, members of the weaker sex were blatantly disregarded as individuals, who had minds that could think, and reason, and form valid opinions.
Bertha Rochester’s introduction to the story created a major change. Right when things were somewhat falling into place for Jane, havoc struck again. Mentally unstable; Bertha caused great damage to Thornfield and those that stayed there. Bertha was Mr. Rochester’s wife whom he married for her good looks and fortune. Bertha was unpleasantly married to Mr. Rochester for four years. After four years of being with Bertha, Mr. Rochester locks her away in the attic...
Glaspell authored this feminist short story, now considered a classic and studied in many institutions of higher education, in 1917, a story that underwent reawakening in the 1970s (Hedges). As the investigation of Mr. Wright’s murder takes the sheriff of Dickson County, neighbor Mr. Hale, and their wives to the Wright farm, the story “confines itself to the narrow space of Minnie’s kitchen--- the limited and limiting space of her female sphere. Within that small space are revealed all of the dimensions of the loneliness that is her mute message” (Hedges). It is evident through Glaspell’s writing that Minnie Wright feels distress from being trapped in the confines of her kitchen with no telephone and no outreach to the world outside her husband’s farm. Mrs. Wright being quarantined to her own home every day--- a common occurrence in housewives of ...
She panicked, not knowing what to do she grabbed a knife from the kitchen and started walking to him, he wasn’t looking as he was turned around fixing the unit. She walked up to him and threw her arms above her head, ready to strike with the knife. She went down, striking the knife on Berthas head. This made a 3 inch gauge, blood was everywhere. Scarlett started crying, just realizing what she did. She called the police, told them what had happened. They showed up to the apartment, examined the body, and realized that this wasn’t the right guy. This was his twin, she was convicted of murder and never step foot outside of a prison the rest of her
In conclusion, most of the female character are often isolated, victimized and ultimately killed by the male characters. Furthermore, it is rather ironic how Mary Shelly, the daughter Mary Wollestonecraft who wrote the Vindication of the Right of Women chooses to portray women. In this novel, the female characters are the exact opposite of the male characters; they are passive, weak and extremely limited. Mary Shelly repeatedly shows women in a victimized position exhibiting to the audience how things should not be. In conclusion, Mary Shelly’s novel is a reflection of how women were treated in the 1800’s.
While other, less accomplished writers use violence to shock or provoke, Joyce Carol Oates is usually more subtle and inventive. Such is the case in "Naked," the story of a forty-six year old woman whose placid outer identity is ripped away by a brutal assault while out hiking not far from her fashionable, University Heights neighborhood. Like many of Oates' stories—and in this regard she probably owes something to Flannery O'Connor—"Naked" focuses on a woman so entrenched in her rigid self-image that nothing short of violence could make her vulnerable to a humbling, though redemptive, self knowledge.
Pearson, Patricia. When She Was Bad: Violent Women and the Myth of Innocence. New York: Viking, 1997
Treichler, Paula A. "Escaping the Sentence." The Captive Imagination.Ed. Cathrine Golden. New York: The Feminist Press, 1992. 191-210
As Jane allows the reader to be privy to her innermost thoughts, she illustrates a self that cannot be accessed, a sort of ungovernable otherness that is blocked by her outer persona. Gilbert and Gubar write in The Madwoman in the Attic that maddened doubles function as asocial surrogates for docile selves (xi). Bertha Mason, on the other hand is the uncontrollable other of Jane’s compliant exterior, and functions as Jane’s surrogate. To be considered a proper lady at this time, women were expected to be passive and doll-like. What Jane cannot express as a woman trying to fit into the mould, Bertha embodies without constraint (Gilbert and Gubar, 319). Bertha is the picture of passion, she is femininity out of control, she is mad with ungovernable excitement. Bertha is the gothic lunatic, who functions as the more demure heroine’s double, breaking from the constraints of society. Bertha’s subversive behavior, as well as foreign race, represents a woman who is atypical of the society that surrounds her. Therefore, Bertha is seen as unmanageable, and villainized for outwardly expressing her inner rage. Emily Grierson disregards convention in Faulkner’s short work in ways that depict her as a monstrous female as well. Parallel to the plight of Bertha Mason, Emily is in everyway, also trapped in the architecture of a patriarchal society, bound by a noble
The other characters in the story is Harry, the husband, Pearl Fulton, the best friend of Bertha, Mr and Mrs. Norman Knight, the dinner guests followed by Eddie. There are also characters that played a minimal role in the story is Mary, the servant, Nurse, the nanny of Little B and also Little B or Little Bertha, the daughter of Bertha's and Harry's. The husband, Harry is a character that is characterized through the eyes of Bertha and at the last, she realized that the personality of her husband is not as her thoughts towards him. The image that reflected by Harry, the husband was totally unexpected and made her to be in question about her life that she had to go through after knowing the relation between him and her best friend.
There are many places throughout the story where the reader is meant to compare Bertha to a pear tree. As Bertha dresses for the dinner party, she is described to be ...