Short Story Essay Analysis
Feminism was nonexistent in 19th century America. This phrase did not become popular until 1910. During this time most women were victims of economic and social discrimination. The middle-class women were restricted to marriage, motherhood or singlehood, which later resulted in domestic dependency for them. Additionally, most women were discouraged from being wage earner with the reason that, it was unnatural for them. Therefore, this made a lot of women to depend on their husband for financial support. The short stories, Girl by Jamica Kincaid, the story of an hour and The Yellow Wallpaper, depict how women were victimized in the 19th century. Notably, this paper aims to explore the kind of discrimination that women went through, for instance, repression, unhappiness and mental illness.
Girl by Jamica Kincaid
The Jamica Kincaid Short published in 1978, provides a preview of a relationship that exists between a mother and a daughter. The girl in the story represents Kincaid in her youth stage. Kincaid’s mother prescribes behaviours to her, which according to her deems appropriate for females. She imposes the behaviours on her and expects her to act accordingly. Additionally, in the story, it is evident that the girl (Kincaid) is constricted within the behaviours prescribed by the mother. This is as a result of the mother’s dominant behavior towards Kincaid. Potter Richardson expresses Kincaid’s background by using cultural primary words, for instance, she highlights how the ethnic practices are conceded from one generation to the other. In this concern, the author uses phrases and symbol to signify the kind of repression that women went through in the 19th and 20th Century.
In the story, the theme of unhappiness is clearly depicted. For instance, the narrator mentions “My unhappiness was something deep inside me, and when I closed my eyes I could even see it. it sat somewhere – maybe in my belly, maybe in my heart” From the quote, it is evident that the girl (Kincaid) was never happy. She tried to keep with the forced behaviours that her mother had imposed on her. However, she is unable to keep up with the mother’s rules because the pressure is too much. Therefore, the quote expresses that Kincaid was never a happy girl and she only tried to please her mother.
Additionally, the mother tells the girl to cover her head and avoid curly hair because black girls have to maintain straight hair. From this, it is evident that the mother is denying the girl a sense of happiness. She does not consider the happiness of the daughter of loving curly hair, she only wants to impress the community. To summarize, the theme of happiness in depicted in the story, in the sense that the mother wants the daughter to keep up with community ways, but does not consider her happiness.
Also, the girl’s life is suppressed to the traditional cultural norms. For instance, the mother teaches her how to do laundry. She specifies that white clothes should be washed on Monday and coloured on Tuesday. This piece establishes that the girl’s life (Kincaid) will be defined on routine and oppression. This means that she has acted according to propriety, that means there is time for everything. The theme of repression displays itself in that, the girl’s life is restrained to some rules. It is evident that women in the 19th century had to live their lives according to constrained behaviours. This made them unhappy and they did not enjoy their lives.
To summarize, from the story of Kincaid, it is patent women in the earliest century were not happy because they lived their lives according to constrained behaviours imposed on them. Women were supposed to act according to the culinary tradition ways. Feminism was nor encompassed since modesty was not a thing of consideration. Additionally, politeness and authenticity towards men were highly valued. Therefore, we can conclude that many girls in traditional society were judged according to their actions.
The story of an hour
According to Kate Chopin, “The story of an hour’ represents a lot of women who always have to bear silently the feelings of being imprisoned in unhappy marriages, but whose escapes in it could be short-lived at best. Therefore, the story of an hour represents the story of an hour in the life of Mrs Louis Mallard, who is a young woman with wrinkles that represents repression that she goes through and the strength to sustain it. Therefore, Chopin’s has used symbols and imagery to represent oppression and unhappiness that women in the 19th and 20th century went through in their marriages
From the story, the repressive nature of marriage is depicted through Louise happy reaction towards the death of her husband. This suggests that marriage results in a lack of freedom and oppression for most women. Additionally, Chopin’s describes that all marriages are oppressive, including the kindest ones. The reaction of Louis Mallard suggests the onset of freedom and independence. Additionally, after Brently death, Louis feels a release from oppression too. Therefore, according to Mrs Mallard, she concludes that marriage is a form of inherent oppressive, which denies people their indolence. Consequently, marriage in traditional times was a form of domination for some women since it denied them their freedom. This is clearly illustrated in the story of an hour, through Mrs Louis story in a span of an hour.
Additionally, the theme of unhappiness in deployed in the story of an hour. Chopin’s describes that Brentley loved and cherished Louis but however after his death, it does not appear as a tragic to her but instead, she gains her own life back. Therefore, this can be illustrated as, to Louis death means freedom and release from domesticity and the trappings of marriage. Kate Chopin uses imagery where she says that the death of Brentley occurs during the spring period. Therefore, his death marks the end of winter, she recovers her soul from inertia, she then realizes the full prospective of her life. She founds a new hope for the future since she was now free from the repressive marriage. To summarize, marriage in the early century caused a lot of unhappiness since it was full of control and oppression for women.
The story of an hour gives lessons that repression only happens when an individual’s thoughts are feelings are being passive. This means that when a person goes through an incident, sometimes they choose to repress the memories. Therefore, women in the 19th centuries were victims of repression. This is because they were required to be modest, which was not their desire. Louis mallard is a victim of social repression and she does not feel free, until the death of her husband. Women in marriage were not happy since it was a form of social control. This is because women were expected to stay at home and be domestic. Therefore, the story highlights the need to respect women in marriages and treat them as valuable and capable human beings.
The Yellow wallpaper.
The story of “Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins, defines the narrator’s depression state after the birth of her child. John, who is the narrator’s husband, is a physician, therefore, she diagnoses her with mental health known as hysteria, after which, she prescribes rest to her. Hence, the husband john prohibits her wife, who is the narrator, from writing and therefore she cannot stand to visit their baby. The narrator is forced to stay in her bed the whole day, thereafter she falls in a mental attack. Chopin’s describes the incident as; she begins to see a woman struggling in her room’s yellow paper. Finally, the narrator tears down the wallpaper during an effort to save the woman. Thereafter, John comes in the room only to find the wife creeping around the room, which later, she faints.
The Yellow wallpaper story talks about the deterioration of the mental health of a woman while is recommended on rest cure. We see that she is obsessed with the wallpaper, which only marks her succession into insanity from her depression, which is depicted throughout the story. The story is an illustration of how the mind begins can deteriorate itself when put into inactivity and away from health workers. According to Chopin Gilman, the woman who is put into rest cure decides to ignore the criticism into the heart and abandons the resting cure. The author of the story illustrates that any form of medical care that disregards the concerns of the patient should be ignored. Gilman’s illustrate that the woman was only treated as a passive object of treatment.
Consequently, the authors illustrate that john is the connection between a woman relegation at home and subservience between physician-patient relationship. This is to illustrate that john being both a doctor and a husband, he abused both forms, even though he meant to help. Therefore, Gilman’s point is that women who are subjected to this kind of authority, often are infantilized or even worse. Consequently, the woman was subjected to an inappropriate form of medical care and that is why she ran mad. To sum up, Patients should be subjected to the accurate type of treatment that will keep their brains active, to maintain their sanity.
Additionally, Gilman also critiques how gender roles were defined during the 19th centuries. In involved oppressive nature, for instance, the narrator was burned from her duties of writing and taking care of the baby. This depicts a gender division which involved keeping women in a state of ignorance and preventing them from full development. John assumes that he is superior and mature, which makes him judge his wife a lot. He dominates and patronizes his wife without the knowledge that he is hurting her. To john, he thinks that he is helping her wife recover. This act dehumanizes the narrator since, she is reduced into a moody child, who is unable to stand and reason on herself. This is the reason why the narrator withdraws into obsessive fantasy since it is the only wat that she can retain control and exercise the power of the mind. This clearly depicts the kind of repression that went through in terms of gender roles. Men in marriages took control of everything and prevented their women from developing.
To summarize, women in the 19th and 20th century went through many forms of discrimination. For instance, in the story of” Girl Jamica Kincaid”, the girl is forced to observe traditional constrained behavior. Her life is control and she is not free to do what her heart pleases. Also, in “The story for an hour” the victim Mrs Mallard goes through an oppressive form of marriage, this is only depicted after the death of her husband’s marriage. The author describes it as the onset of freedom and independence. Lastly, in the story “The Yellow paper” Gilman illustrates how women in a traditional marriage were subjected to oppressive gender roles. The men wanted to be in control of every situation and hence, they prevented women from development.
Therefore, from the stories, the key point is that men should learn to treat women in a respectable manner. They are equally meaningful and valuable individuals from society. Additionally, gender role equality should be observed to keep both sides insanity mode. Also, patients should be subjected to proper forms of treatments and not the one that contributes to their mental illnesses. Most of all, men should learn that marriage is not a form of imprisonment, they should give women freedom and control of their lives.
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. The story of an hour. Jimcin Recordings, 1981.
Cruea, Susan M. “Changing ideals of womanhood during the nineteenth-century woman movement.” ATQ 19.3 (2005): 187.
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The yellow wallpaper. Project Gutenberg, 1999.
Rupp, Leila J. “Reflections on Twentieth-Century American Women’s History.” Reviews in American History 9.2 (1981): 275-284.
Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. Jamaica Kincaid: a literary companion. Vol. 6. McFarland, 2008.
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