There are many things in the world that certain people could describe as insolent, or arrogantly disrespectful, such as their significant other(s) refusing to cook dinner, clean the laundry, or watch the baby while they go out and live their life in freedom. Until around the 1800’s, these were all in full effect in America, with women across the nation in submission to their husbands, forced to perform these menial tasks without a word of disagreement lest they be chastised by society. This is highlighted and eventually defied in “What’s That Smell in the Kitchen” by Marge Piercy, the most “family-unfriendly” poem one could ever come across. It deals with a major - more resolved than most, luckily - subsection of the raging war of feminism …show more content…
- cooking dinner. Piercy has written poems with similar themes regarding women’s place in society, like “Barbie Doll” and “The Secretary’s Chant,” which also preach for the assimilation of gender bias against women. The poem demonstrates so-called “insolence” amongst housewives all over America, who spitefully overcook their family’s dinners and eventually speak out against their husbands, while turning the meaning of “arrogantly disrespectful” on its head and against the husbands themselves. It redefines realistic fiction, and it is one of many examples of one of humanity’s most major recurring strengths - that people simply will not stand for inferior treatment, and they will do anything it takes within their power to fight back, no matter how indirect the method may be or the consequences they face as a result. The literal events of the story convey a big portion of the overarching theme, if not the entirety of it, of the poem - that nobody will stand for inferior treatment and will indeed do whatever it takes, no matter the method or consequences. At one point in the poem, the housewives are described as “burning food they’re supposed to bring with calico smile on platters glittering like wax.” Calico is a cotton cloth material, and applying it to a “smile” would make it a phony one, one with no truth or heart. Perhaps the husbands even know this, that their wives are unhappy and being forced to put on a pleasant presentation in the first place, and make them do so anyways. Burning the dinner, however, allows them to hit their husbands in one of the few places where they don’t have control, thus using their limited power to speak out for themselves. This slight “mishap” could also act as a warning to the husbands that it could very easily show itself in other chores the wives are responsible for that the husbands apparently have no experience in fixing themselves), such as laundry, cleaning, or even parenting, if taken far enough. Additionally, half of the first stanza recites many various areas and their respective delicacies within the nation, from “lambchops in Peoria” to “red rice and beans in Dallas.” Judging by the sheer number of examples in the stanza (three other examples from the poem are omitted), it is clear that fighting for equality is not but one petty person’s way of thinking or a minor problem by any means; rather it is a nationwide (and perhaps even worldwide) social issue with plenty merit and reason to take action upon. Reciprocating to the source of oppression itself, it shows that the problem is not stemming from only a small organization’s flawed way of thinking, but rather all of American society’s. It truly shows that no one is willing to stand for inequality between backgrounds, and while the issue of being confined to the kitchen as a woman has almost completely resided today and is now the subject matter of light-hearted jokes, the poem still represents many other ongoing factors in the fight against bias towards women. As she is very well known for, Piercy uses many colorful metaphors in her vocabulary to further emphasize the driving force of the whole war for women and why they are so adamant about their social rights - the rage against those who have oppressed them.
One glaring example in the text that captures the emotion of an average housewife is: “Anger sputters in her brainpan, confined but spewing out missiles of hot fat.” While a brainpan is an actual human skull and not a metaphor of such, the specific use of an obscure synonym with the word “pan” rather than a plain, straightforward “skull” is rather telling, and Piercy could have possibly used it on purpose to compare the skull of a housewife, who has spent vast amounts of time in the kitchen, to a cooking pan. When connected with the usage of other kitchen terminology in the sentence, it heavily suggests that her vocabulary has been warped by lack of healthy outside influence from the world and that she cannot break past such an odd euphemism to express her anger fully, showing how dire the situation has become and why she so desperately wants to be rid of it. Moving on to the actual sentence, she is indisputably angry, and apparently enough so to sporadically leak out scalding fat in the form of missiles. Both fat and missiles carry negative connotations, fat being unhealthy and burning, which is not desirable to have on a plate of food, and missiles a lethal explosive on impact that are aimed and launched at designated targets. While they are used mainly to represent anger, they could also symbolize the wife’s attack on the dinner: she aims down a “designated target” (the dinner) and launches a “missile of fat” at it (burns it). What she actually does wish to cook for her husband will perhaps lead to a far worse fate than burnt food with crunchy torpedo shells in it, like “[him] spitted over a slow fire” or “a dead rat with a bomb in its belly.” Not only does it even further highlight her exasperation towards him
for years of neglectful mistreatment, but it also serves as a reminder that she actually does have the capability of formulating real-life renditions of devices that would not be out of place in a cartoon, in a way. She has probably accumulated more than enough experience over the years in such a monotonous job to put him on a stake or sneak an explosive in roadkill, and he hasn’t spent nearly enough time to counteract it with his own culinary skills, his only option being to threaten her, which would prove fruitless were she not to budge from her stance. It appears that Piercy’s wild metaphors are far more feasible in reality than they seem. Depending on the context of the situation, people who are oppressed due to their gender, race, religion, or otherwise can respond to such claims in various ways, but chances are, like Piercy’s poem demonstrates, it will not be with tolerance. Rather, it will almost certainly involve a cry of defiance or act of rebellion, whether violently direct or hidden from public eyes. This show of human nature has transpired many, many times in the past, and the same results have ensued each and every time, with more recent examples being the black rights movement of the mid 1900’s and the ongoing feminist movement of the present. Hopefully, it will get to a point where no people in the world are labeled by their gender or lack thereof outside of medical purposes (or being restricted to gender-specific titles or even pronouns); they would merely be human beings who can do whatever they set their hearts to with no fear of biased judgment. Those who were to continue would most likely be seen as, in the eyes of society, insolent.
This source provided the unique perspective of what was thought to be the perfect household, with a man who worked and a wife who cooked and cleaned. However, it also showed how a woman could also do what a man can do, and in some cases they could do it even better. This work is appropriate to use in this essay because it shows how men talked down to their wives as if they were children. This work shows the gradual progression of woman equality and how a woman is able to make her own decisions without her husband’s input.
The two works of literature nudging at the idea of women and their roles as domestic laborers were the works of Zora Neale Hurston in her short story “Sweat”, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story “The Yellow Wallpaper”. Whatever the setting may be, whether it is the 1920’s with a woman putting her blood, sweat and tears into her job to provide for herself and her husband, or the 1890’s where a new mother is forced to stay at home and not express herself to her full potential, women have been forced into these boxes of what is and is not acceptable to do as a woman working or living at home. “Sweat” and “The Yellow Wallpaper” draw attention to suppressing a woman’s freedom to work along with suppressing a woman’s freedom to act upon her
In the 1900’s women were thought of as if there only respectable job was that, at home cooking, cleaning and looking after the welfare of the family. It was unthinkable that they should be allowed to vote and work as l...
Women like Martha followed the custom of publicly staying out of men’s affairs to honor their husbands, but privately they were the glue that held their lives together and kept the home running from day-to-day. Though these courageous and tireless women worked hard behind the scenes and did not enjoy the freedom and benefits their male counterparts did, they were an inspiration to future generations who recognized their hard work and accomplishments that paved the way for change in the words, “all men are created to equal” to include all of humanity and not just certain men.
First, the 1900’s is a time where women are trying to put away the homemaker image and obtain work. This causes many hardships between husbands and wives. Jane is on the verge of beginning to leave her homemaker image and begin a career in writing. “I am sitting by the window now, up in the atrocious nursery, and there is nothing to hinder my writing much as I please, save lack of strength” (Gilman, 1599). Jane is starting to recognize that she is loosing her feminism. John recognizes this and tries to do everything he can to stop Jane. John knows that Jane is putting aside her role as being a wife, homemaker and mother. In these times, husbands’ do not believe that women could balance both home and work responsibilities. Jane decides to oppose the homemaker life and branch out into writing. The feminist role is “The concept of "The New Woman," for example, began to circulate in the 1890s-1910s as women are pushing for broader roles outside the home-roles that could draw on women's intelligence and non-domestic skills and talents” (http:/...
“The Pastoralization of Housework” by Jeanne Boydston is a publication that demonstrates women’s roles during the antebellum period. Women during this period began to embrace housework and believed their responsibilities were to maintain the home, and produce contented and healthy families. As things progressed, housework no longer held monetary value, and as a result, womanhood slowly shifted from worker to nurturer. The roles that women once held in the household were slowly diminishing as the economy became more industrialized. Despite the discomfort of men, when women realized they could find decent employment, still maintain their household and have extra income, women began exploring their option.
Mrs. Hale feels a natural responsibility to defend and protect Minnie Foster Wright through her connection as a fellow woman and housewife. Upon her introduction to Minnie through her home, Mrs. Hale finds an immediate connection. She understands Minnie’s life as a homemaker and a farmer’s wife and is quick to defend her when her skills as a wife and woman come into question. When the men recognize Minnie’s lackluster cleaning of kitchen towels Mrs. Hale retorts “[m]en’s hands aren’t as clean as they might be” (Glaspell 160). She asserts her loyalty to Minnie and notes that men are not always perfect or without blame, without “clean hands”. As a woman, Mrs. Hale easily sees herself in Minnie’s place and comes to her defense as if she were defending herself. It is easier to share her loyalty with a woman so much like her than it is to be loyal to men that act superior and do not understand the challenges of being a housewife. The men find a woman’s chores as petty, nothing but “trifles” (Glaspell 160).Scholar Karen Stein argues that it is these commonalities that create the responsibility of everywoman to defend one another (Ortiz 165). Mrs. Hale sees herself in every...
Imagine being a woman back in the 1800’s. Imagine being home all day, cleaning, cooking, sewing, and doing all the house duties alone without any man’s help. In today’s world, being home all day is what “lazy” people like. In the 1800’s, I’m pretty sure the word “lazy” was in no one’s vocabulary. All through history, cultures considered women to have detained a poorer status than men because of physical differences between the sexes. Men have a broader, more masculine figure compared to women, being less manly and more feminine-built. These physical disadvantages are the reason why women stayed home to care for their family because it was thought of being too dangerous to be doing the hard “men’s work.” Women were also considered to have been less intelligent, more emotional and less decisive than men. Women had low social statuses and fewer rights then the men. H...
“There is a double standard here that shapes our perceptions of men and women in ways that support patriarchy as a system. What is culturally valued is associated with masculinity and maleness and what is devalued is associated with femininity and femaleness, regardless of the reality of men’s and women’s lives”,( Johnson 64). In the movie Mona Lisa Smile, Betty’s mother was pressurizing Betty to make her husband read a poem at the wedding not just to act like he enjoyed the marriage but mainly because it was a tradition for men. When Betty said she didn’t care about it, her mother refused and still insisted that she should do it. Women are looked down upon when it comes to the assignment of gender roles and this is because of labels that the society has placed on the female gender. In a home, the father is always the head of the home, providing food and clothing for every family member but there are some women who like to be independent and would also love to work and make money and cater for the family. In the 19th century, women were told they were home makers and were not allowed to endeavor further in higher educational studies. Wellesley College was a college built to raise future wives and not future leaders meaning that society had already placed women below the ladder without any intention or thoughts of them climbing back
“Girl” makes the impression that the mother wants the daughter to take over the “women’s” work around the house as well as she tells her which day to wash the white clothes Monday, wash the colored clothes on Tuesday, and she is teaching her how to iron her father’s clothes the way he likes them done and how to sew on a button; “This is how to make a button-hole for the button you have just sewed on.” (380) The mother also is teaching her daughter how to cook for the family. “Cook pumpkin fritters in very hot sweet oil,” (380) so that everyone will eat them. The mother also discusses table manners, “always eat your food in such a way that it won’t turn some-one else’s stomach.”
...could relate to the daily struggles of completing chores to please their husbands and children and understood how Minnie Wright could develop feelings of desolation due to the lack of variety in daily activities. When the men found the unwashed towels by the sink and the burst jars of fruit in the cupboard, they quickly took a tone of disgust and disappointment that Mrs. Wright fell short of her “womanly duty” of picking up daily messes. Women in the early 20th century often were not rewarded for completing difficult tasks amongst the homestead on a daily basis, but could be punished and mistreated for not completing the tasks in a timely manner. Glaspell’s work “offers a sympathetic portrait of an abused wife, a woman who is mistreated economically, psychologically, emotionally, and perhaps physically… [her actions] supporting battered woman syndrome” (Keetley).
The late nineteenth century was a critical time in reshaping the rights of women. Commonly this era is considered to be the beginning of what is know to western feminists as “first-wave feminism.” First-wave feminism predominately fought for legal rights such as suffrage, and property rights. A major hallmark of first-wave feminism is the concept of the “New Woman.” The phrase New Woman described educated, independent, career oriented women who stood in response to the idea of the “Cult of Domesticity,” that is the idea that women are meant to be domestic and submissive (Stevens 27). Though the concept of the New Woman was empowering to many, some women did not want to give up their roles as housewives. These women felt there was a great dignity in the lifestyle of the housewife, and that raising children was not a job to scoff at. Mary Freeman's short story “The Revolt of 'Mother',” tells the story of such a domestic woman, Sarah, who has no interest in leaving her position as mother, but still wishes to have her voice heard in the private sphere of her home. Freeman's “Revolt of Mother,” illustrates an alternative means of resistance for women who rejected the oppression of patriarchy without a withdrawal from the domestic lifestyle.
During the 19th century, in eastern America, men were the heads of families and controllers of the work place, while women had little power, especially over their roles; particularly upper class women due to the lack of necessity for them to work outside the home. “Men perpetrated an ideological prison that subjected and silenced women”(Welter, Barbara). Their only responsibilities were to be modest, proper women who took care of themselves and did not stray from the purpose of motherhood. They were to remain in the home scene and leave the public work to the men; trapped in their own households, they were expected to smile, accept, and relish such a life. Barbra Walter also agrees that women were imprisoned in their homes, and were merely good for maintaining the family, “a servant tending to the needs of the family”(Welter). Many women's emotions, as well as minds, ran amiss from this life assignment and caused them to stray from the social norms set up by tradition. The narrator in Charlotte Gilman's story, The Yellow Wallpaper, is a victim of such emotional disobedience and rebelliousness. As well as the rebellious women in the poem The Woman in the Ordinary, by Marge Piercy.
In “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the narrator and her husband John can be seen as strong representations of the effects society’s stereotypical gender roles as the dominant male and submissive female have within a marriage. Because John’s wife takes on the role as the submissive female, John essentially controlled all aspects of his wife’s life, resulting in the failure of the couple to properly communicate and understand each other. The story is intended to revolve around late 19th century America, however it still occurs today. Most marriages still follow the traditional gender stereotypes, potentially resulting in a majority of couples to uphold an unhealthy relationship or file for divorce. By comparing the “The yellow wallpaper” with the article “Eroticizing Inequality in the United States: The Consequences and Determinants of Traditional Gender Role Adherence in Intimate Relationships”, the similarities between the 19th century and 21st century marriage injustice can further be examined. If more couples were able to separate the power between the male and female, America would have less unhappy marriages and divorces.
Friedan frustratingly explains how women’s choices to revert back to domestic roles after World War II compromised women’s independence and identity. Friedan uses this frustration to revive modern feminism and extinguish the prison that gender roles had imprisoned women in. In The Feminine Mystique, Friedan illustrates how women fell into the common portrayal of a housewife just fifteen years after the war and how “millions of women lived their lives in the image of those pretty pictures of the American suburban housewife, kissing their husbands goodbye in front of the picture window, depositing their stationwagonsful of children at school…their only dream was to be perfect wives and mothers…”(Friedan 61) and other description that fit the occupation of “housewife”.