Portrayal of American Women Literature Never Changes Essays

Portrayal of American Women in literature never changes Over the last thirty decades, women have come secondary to the male population. American women have since sought to challenge and change this standard. We are tired of the oppression and mistreatment! Slowly but surely, women have strived to take a stand against prejudice and embrace the values of American freedom and equality. Even though women’s rights have progressed, we have yet to be treated as equal to the American male, especially in literature. While reading The Awakening, I am amazed by the limited roles women had during the late 1800’s. We see the protagonist Edna Pontellier, a mother of two children, who lives in the Victorian age. Her then husband is a businessman†¦show more content†¦Stella’s life is simple but complicated. Stella’s husband deals Post Traumatic Stress Disorder since he is a World War I veteran. His emotion instability causes him to take his aggressive out on everyone but mostly Stella. Those around the couple are aware of his abuse. The neighbor Eunice witnesses Stanley’s abusiveness and shouts out â€Å"You can’t beat a women an’ then call’er back! She won’t come!† (Williams, Tennessee. Scene 3. A Street Car Named Desire. S.l.: ND, 1947. N. pag. Print.) Stella enjoys Stanley crying for her forgiveness that is a result of her accepting Stanley aggression. Despite how Stanley treats her, Stella is dependent on her husband but she will fight with him. Although she was raised as a fragile being she enjoys things are wild and aggressive, such as Stanley. Stella’s weakness denies her of reality, she is unable to see how bad her marriage is. It seems that all those around them are aware of their personal lives, much like those of Edna. However, unlike Robert they are not ashamed. Stella’s behavior does not define a quality of American identity and its change over time. In my opinion, it hasn’t changed over time since there are women who are afraid to leave their husbands. They are dependent on their husbands for financial stability. In my Psychology class I’ve learned most women do not leave a relationship because their sexual attraction to theirShow MoreRelatedWomen During The 19th Century1596 Words   |  7 Pagesembody the change that occurs in women’s roles in American literature. The first writings of 16th century America contained little reference to women at all. In the early 19th century, women play somewhat larger roles but remain only in supporting roles until later in the century when a shift takes place and women now hold leading roles as the heroines of stories. Not only does the character’s role change, but also beginning in the 1800s, a continual shift occurs in the portrayal of women. InitiallyRead More`` Ain t I A Woman ``865 Words   |  4 Pagesread literature. During the Civil War, mindsets changed and people were tired of the fantasies. People craved realistic stories with real, life-like endings. 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The modernistRead MoreThe Portrayal Of Gender Roles1489 Words   |  6 Pages The Portrayal of Gender Roles in Disney Film Cinderella Min Ho Song, Shenice King, Kyler Ethier, Shebike Lovell Michelle Pompeo Humber College: Lakeshore Campus Wednesday November 11th, 2015 ABSTRACT: Change is almost inevitable in society. The framework behind the roles people play in society are widespread and have evolved throughout the years. Movies’ are no different, and depending on the millennium, the means of gender portrayal has prevailed! In the Disney filmRead More Gender Changes In Popular Media Essay1464 Words   |  6 Pagesunderwent changes involving the portrayal of the genders. In popular literature, stereotypes and views of certain subjects are often displayed for future study. In the case of gender differences, advertisements and articles yield the best portrayal of gender stereotyping of the time. The following issues of LIFE magazine were used in this paper: January-February 1937, January-February 1945, January-February 1952, and January-February 1960. At the end of the Great Depression in 1937, women had a veryRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1135 Words   |  5 Pagessociety dictated by men. Both works parallel together and are significant bec ause they show how Edna and Nora awaken, as their roles and self-realization progress in their respective families. Edna and Nora are emblematic of many women of this era whose roles also began to change as they became activists for women’s rights. Ibsen and Chopin utilize setting, characterization, and plot to depict realism in these works making a social statement. Throughout history, there has been a constant struggle forRead More Gender Roles in The Yellow Wallpaper and A Streetcar Named Desire1539 Words   |  7 Pages Many different depictions of gender roles exist in all times throughout the history of American culture and society. Some are well received and some are not. When pitted against each other for all intents and purposes of opposition, the portrayal of the aspects and common traits of masculinity and femininity are separated in a normal manner. However, when one gender expects the other to do its part and they are not satisfied with the results and demand more, things can shift from normal to extremeRead MoreMla Cinderella by Sexton1023 Words   |  5 Pagesexpressing herself in each little story she talks about. She shows the world that its not always rainbows and butterflies, the real world is more complicated than that. Sexton’s â€Å"Cinderella† highlights despair and the delusions women have about love. The majority of women of the world want to believe that they’ll find themselves a prince charming and have that perfect life until the day they die. Sexton puts all of these dreams into a realistic perspective that brings her audience back to realityRead MoreA Feminist Criticism of Dickens Great Expectations Essay1502 Words   |  7 Pagesbring to light the inequality between the sexes in literature, and how our entire social ideology is in fact structured according to `the male gaze. As Barry points out in Beginning Theory, the representation of women in literature ...provided the role models which indicated to women, and men, what constituted acceptable versions of the `feminine and legitimate feminine goals and aspirations. (122) It can be argued, then, that literature had in fact been a vehicle for indoctrination and controlRead More Themes in the Novel and Movie Adaptation of James Cain’s Mildred Pierce1573 Words   |  7 PagesPierce is â€Å"a powerful and suggestive study of social inequity and opportunity in America. The limited alternatives available to women offered a compelling new angle of the Depression years†¦Ã¢â‚¬ [3] Mildred Pierce successfully deals with issues that were very progressive for the time. A particularly strong theme that runs through the entire novel is the unusual power that women play over the men in their lives. Rather than simply being passive to the impulses of men, Mildred takes charge of her life