Toomer portrays the women in '"Cane" as those who believed in using their beauties to earn what they want or had little or nothing interest in developing relationships with men. Women from the south such as Karintha, Carma, and Louisa are portrays as women who taunted men. Many of the men they taunted ended up facing severe consequence such as being thrown in jail or death. Unlike the women in the south, Esther and Bona who were from the upper north. were women who deeply fell in love with me men who had no attention in pursuing love. In the chapter, "Esther" the self titled character finds herself believing that after watching a men perform religious rituals in the street one day when she was younger that she was destine to be his lover.
Unfortunately, the man she hopes in to loving laughs with his other party guest as one of them says "Mus give em credit fo their gall." (Toomer 28) in response to Esther confessing her love for him. Bona story is potrayed different the other women written about in "Cane". Bona had always express her love for her boyfriend Paul who himself can not gasps the fact of claiming his love for Bona like he should. Instead Bona fines herself living up to her promise she once told one of Paul friends, "...if Paul whom the whole dormitory calls a nigger, is more to him than she is, well, she's through" (Toomer 76). Even for showgirl Doris from "Theater" chapter who is attracted to the manager named John but knows that John is not interested in her for her love. One of the last women that is portray as one showing little interest in having relationship is the women of Avey. Although her and the narrator of this portion of the novel connected well in the beginning, the narrator expresses her laziness of pursing a commited relationship
Nancy Mairs - Crippled and Strong Throughout this passage , Nancy Mairs uses the word cripple to describe who she is and the beliefs of her condition. She does this by describing her condition in a few different ways: the opinion of others and the opinion of herself. As anyone should, she decides what her title as a person should be and she doesn’t listen or care for anyone’s opinion outside of her own. Her tone is very straightforward throughout the passage.
"Your girl catches you cheating" (Diaz 1) and from the first line readers are thrown into the chauvinistic tendencies and sexist point of view of one Yunior de Las Casas. Readers are guided through Junot Diaz’s “The Cheaters Guide to Love” by the misogynist Yunior who sees women in an exclusively sexual sense, some of whom he does not even give the honor of naming. Feminists might look at Diaz's story and be skeptical of the themes presented, seeing as Yunior sexualizes and demeans all women. So then, how can readers understand the story to be anti-sexist if the only point of view presented in "The Cheater's Guide to Love" is a discriminatory one? The ultimate horizon for anyone with this much bottled up machismo is an empty sexual relationship with a parade of objectified women. Diaz, however, does not give Yunior the what the reader expects as his desired ending. He rather shows the reader that Yunior's behavior results in persistent unhappiness because what he really wants is a true human connection. Therefore, Diaz provides a sexist character
By examining the narrative voice as well as the cultural restraints placed on them, readers can see the sexist culture in the novel and that the novel itself does not necessarily advocate this misogyny. Yunior, a Dominican man, is the overall narrator of the novel, so readers essentially see everything through his masculine eye. When discussing a brief fling with Lola, Oscar’s sister, Yunior says, “Even those nights after I got jumped she wouldn’t let me steal on her ass for nothing. So you can sleep in my bed but you can’t sleep with me?” (Diaz 169) His question suggests that it is his right to sleep with her, and his discussion of Lola herself objectifies her by noting only her body and her refusal to use it. This objectification is clearly sexist, but it is a reflection of the narrative voice, Yunior, not of Lola. Yunior will casually refer to a woman as “a bitch” (Diaz 183), which is clearly demeaning, but it is a man’s view and does not reflect on the substance of the women. It shows readers the culture he was raised in, not an actual portrayal of the women, illustrating a misogynist society but not a misogynistic novel. In the Dominican Republic, gender-based violence is the fourth leading cause of death, hinting at the overall problems caused by the hyper-sexualized nature of the country. Sociologist Denise Paiewonsky
A connection can be drawn among the stories listed above regarding women who live as prisoners. Beatrice, of Rappaccini's Daughter, is confined to a garden because of her father's love of science, and she becomes the pawn to several men's egos. The woman of The Yellow Wallpaper is trapped by her own family's idea of how she should conduct herself, because her mood and habit of writing are not "normal" to them. Sethe, of Beloved, carries the burden of her past and also the past of all slaves. She is unwelcome in her community and a prisoner in her own home, where she is forced to confront these memories of slavery. All three of these women are viewed by society as crazy, evil, or both. The "prisons" in which these women live are constructed by their family, their history, or even themselves.
Similar to almost every piece of literature ever created, Dracula by Bram Stoker has been interpreted many different ways, being torn at from every angle possible. Just as one might find interest in interpreting novels differently, he or she might also find interest in the plot, prose, or theme, all of which ultimately lead to the novels overall tone. Throughout the novel, it becomes blatant that the novel contains an underlying theme of female incompetence and inferiority. Through a true feminist’s eyes, this analysis can clearly be understood by highlighting the actions of Mina and Lucy, the obvious inferior females in the book. Through Stoker’s complete and utter manipulation of Mina and Lucy, he practically forces the reader to analyze the co-existence of dominant males and inferior females in society and to simultaneously accept the fact that the actual text of Dracula is reinforcing the typical female stereotypes that have developed throughout the ages.
Historical facts are cleverly infused into the body of the novel that gives the reader an authentic and classic impression of the story. A clear view of the discrimination that existed in that time period against non-whites and women was evident by the time the conclusion of the book was reached. For instance, a conversation takes place between characters in the novel in which civilization is said to be going to pieces as a result of "The Rise of the Coloured Empires". Women are also constantly referred to as "girls".
As a result, Oleanna and Boy Gets Girl depict an authority's power as an abuse in which the characters in each play struggle to find due to the influence of outside voices. Nevertheless, the authorial power becomes a violent way to solve a problem. Oleanna and Boy Gets Girl illustrate that violence is an abuse from the power of language.
Luise asserts: “Aha – now you admit it. With me you’ve always denied, I repeat, always denied that women are in a situation of constraint.” Fontane activates the reader’s curiosity concerning the role of gender in Junker society with a condescending and empty response: “Yes, I have Luise. But why bring that up now? It’s really too vast a subject” (Fontane 31). Effi’s role within her marriage to Instetten, as well as within society, is grounded on her aesthetics, as Instetten informs her: “yes, my dear Effi, you will just have to get used to it, that’s what being young and pretty and charming is for” (Fontane 37). Throughout the novel, Effi refers to her position as one of isolated imprisonment (Fontane 123). The marriage theme identified within the novel does not only stand in for the patriarchal order presiding over nineteenth-century Junker society, but is used as a tool by Fontane to recognize as well as utilize within the novel as a means of
confines. Gilman’s setting shows that the whole place around women is full on confinements and lines these females protagonists cannot cross. In The Poisonwood Bible, Orleana as well “wouldn't go against him” when her husband decides to move the whole family to Africa
Walker uses a ‘hand-stitched quilt’ to symbolize the different meanings of the legacy of family lively; it is full of trendy and vivid wordings, contrasting comparisons and irony descriptions in this story. The dictions in the story create real life feeling for the readers, for example, Mama describes herself as “ In real life I am a large, big boned woman with rough, man working hands …My fat keeps me hot in zero weather (315).” Walker constructs very distinctly different and somehow contrasting characters between the two sisters Maggie and Dee, and uses Mama’s first person in the narration of the story, much on their conflicting concept of cultural heritages. With Mama living with Maggie on one side, while Dee on the other who has moved out home for her college education in city, both sides create opposing views on value in their lives. In the beginning of the story, Mama describes Maggie as vague and her first appearance is nearly invisible, “almost hidden by the door” (316); and describes Dee as lively and bright, “never tell NO for an answer” (316). To set a paradoxical scene, Maggie is constructed to be darker skinned, quiet and ignorant, and skinny and badly burned with no style; while Dee is constructed to be light skinned,
A male was thought to have the “hot” humors of blood and choler that adds to their wit and intelligence compared to a woman who has the “cold” humors of black bile and phlegm which limits their wit and intelligence. This conclusion is based off of medicine and psychology of that time which reflects the tone of how women were looked at. The views were that women were “ inferior spiritually, physically, and intellectually to men” as well as they were dishonest, lustful, and unstable but, in the daily lives of women reflected a completely different light. When Rosalind disguises herself as Ganymede and fools Orlando, her sweetheart, into treating her as if she was Rosalind. This can be seen as a dishonest act of Rosalind by taking advantage of Orlando and his love, but on the other hand Rosalind is using her wit to test Orlando on the amount of love he has for her. Rosalind dressed as Ganymede after repeatedly asks him the question of whether he loves Rosalind as much as he says he does and when she asks him the final time she says to Orlando “ But are you so much in love as your rhymes speak?” and Orlando says “Neither rhyme
In Jean Toomer's "Cane," the concept of beauty functions as an illusory device; aesthetically pleasing elements in the novel are linked to the violence, destruction and overall disturbing themes associated with life in the South for black people. Through a series of intervwoven vignettes, “Cane” simultaneously elegizes the natural allure of the Southern landscape as well as the horrors that took place there; mourning both the positive and the negative in such a way that the juxtaposing facets of beauty and horror depicted in the novel become indiscernibly connected. This degradation of beauty's quintessential meaning accentuates the disillusioned, romanticized ideas of the South; particularly in the context of “Karintha” and “Kabnis.”
...es these primitive standards, she becomes melancholy because she does not attune into the gender roles of women, which particularly focus on marriage, maternity, and domesticity. Like other nineteen year old women, Esther has many goals and ambitions in her life. Nevertheless, Esther is disparaged by society’s blunt roles created for women. Although she experiences a tremendous psychological journey, she is able to liberate herself from society’s suffocating constraints. Esther is an excellent inspiration for women who are also currently battling with society’s degrading stereotypes. She is a persistent woman who perseveres to accomplish more than being a stay at home mother. Thus, Esther is a voice for women who are trying to abolish the airless conformism that is prevalent in 1950’s society.
This shows how both Rosalind and Celia possess more power and authority than the weak men in this play. When Rosalind falls in love with Orlando, she falls into the traditional female category by becoming weak for a man. However, rather than making her weak, this love elevates her control because through her disguise, she is allowed to order Orlando to meet her every day in the forest. Rosalind, as Ganymede, says, “I would cure you if you / would but call me Rosalind and come every day to / my cote and woo me” (3.3.433-435). Her claim of being able to cure him, as well as giving him a command, presents her as an empowered woman, despite her behaviors indicating that she is a traditional woman by falling in love and becoming dependent on a man. Rosalind’s disguise presents her the opportunity to exercise an advantage of giving orders that she is not privileged to have as a woman. In contrast, Celia also demonstrates how she can command men around. Before departing to the forest, she enlists Touchstone to join them. Celia acknowledges that she does not need the help of others to be in control; she is confident enough to be “alone to woo him” (1.3.140). These women demonstrate how they are not afraid to venture into the natural world and how they have more strength than the
By placing an emphasis on the man who uses women as sex objects by titling her play after him; by having almost all the female characters in the play treated horribly, used, and manipulated; and having the female characters barely putting up a fight, Aphra Behn suggests the heavily patriarchic society that exists is too extensive and is dangerous for the women in it.