Agency And Autonomy In 'The Husband Stitch'

Social standards may confine individuals from pursuing their own personal interests. Through the relationship between societal standards and individual interests, Sandra Cisneros’ short story, “Woman Hollering Creek,” introduces the roles of men and women in a Hispanic culture. The protagonist, Cleofilas Hernandez, is trapped in an abusive relationship with her newly-wed husband, Juan Pedro. However, Cleofilas tolerates the toxic relationship due to the social norms of her society, which reveals that the Hispanic culture revolves around a patriarchal society and that women have to be submissive to their husbands. As the story progresses, Cleofilas abandons the gender norm to lead an independent lifestyle.

Matilda Gage stated ‘Both Church and State claiming to be of divine origin have assumed divine right of man over woman; while church and state have thought for man, man has assumed the right to think for woman.’ This summarises the ideas of the patriarchy and how men in society impacted women. The reason women's sexuality was condemned was because they did not fit the ideal woman in society or the role they were placed into domestically. This led to accusations and through the prejudice against women who did not fit the social spheres. Gage discusses how the use of the divine right led to the position of all authority and can be seen through how religion gave authorization of publications and government leading to the witch- hunts.

The commandment, “women must submit to the dominance of man,” (Roland de Vaux) counseled many societies, western and abroad. The precedence of a submissive woman has dated back to the most basic societies, however with the evolution of cultures and communities, the idea of male dominance was undoubtedly amended; this is where humanity divides uncovering the struggle between the oppression of women and the precedence that has been set forth for centuries. Khaled Hosseini and Nathaniel Hawthorne both comment on this societal disconnect in their domestic narrations of female characters. In Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns the character Mariam depicts a women who endures rape, abuse, and imprisonment in her own home under the hand of her husband. Similarly Hester in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is prosecuted by the male leaders of the puritan society as she is forced into solitude for the sinful act of adultery. Together these seemly different bodies of work challenge and confront society’s censure of women as shown by the revelation of unrealistic social standards of women through distinct religious historical settings, the development of characterization, and the narrative point of view of both novels.

Throughout time, there has been a battle present in which females try to rise above the power of men and the hold they have on women. Whether the battle be for the equal treatment of both sexes or simply establishing a level of respect and understanding from the opposite sex, the meaning stands the same in which there is an ever-present power struggle that is continuously ongoing between the sexes. No matter the intentional meaning of the work, women suppression by men are seen when one looks beyond the simple statements given and examines the female characters in great detail to better understand the struggle she endures daily due to men. One author in particular that allows an interesting viewpoint into the mind of a blossoming woman is Susan Minot. Minot demonstrates in her story “Lust” how the female narrator is influenced and altered by her male sexual partners. Through each sexual encounter, the reader is able to see the changes these encounters have on the young woman emotionally and other affects a man has on her as she grows up in a male dominated world. This can all be determined by observing closely the figurative language used in the story, the fluctuations in emotions seen in the female character, and the thoughts the woman has about men throughout the story.

the main protagonist of the play, she obviously had an antagonist who would cause her troubles. This

Ladies ' lives all through Europe amid the Middle Ages and Renaissance were unequivocally formed by the irresolute states of mind of a capable Church whose ethical solutions were authorized not just in the confession booth, additionally by the laws of the state. Eve was the villainess of Christian history, the reason for unique sin and of man 's fall. God made her from Adam 's rib, subordinate. (Brown, 2001, p. 27) Be that as it may, she was enticed by the serpent, and enticed Adam to sexual

Unlike the other women in Bottom, even Nel, Sula appreciates sex not only because she enjoys the sensations but it also gives her an unexpected power. Men, both wed and unwed, clamber to get into her bed, but Sula was the one who made the choice of whom she allowed. Her ability to choose was a source of her empowerment, and as Lorde said in “Uses of the Erotic,” “women so empowered are dangerous,” making Sula a predator in a savannah of cruel and mindless prey (55). However, Sula’s sexual power, the erotic, should not be confused with the pornographic thoughts others project onto her body. Sula did not see sex as “an emphas[is on] sensation without feeling,” but as a way to find what “she was looking for: misery and the ability to feel deep sorrow” (1939.34).

In both Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s, A Scandal in Bohemia (1891), and H. Rider Haggard’s, King Solomon’s Mines (1885), male figures utilize the femme fatale image of the “monstrous feminine” to concretize or reaffirm views of a dominant patriarchal power (OED). Specifically, characters such as Sherlock Holmes and Allan Quartermain, subsequently attempt to debase the influences of female manipulation and superiority. The expression of this thematic trend occurs primarily through the tension of ignorance versus insight, and the recurring images of dehumanization. As such, these tropes express within each text the attempts of men to degrade women’s inherent authority.

“Monstrous women do not adhere to standards” (Swartz-Levine). The late Victorian era demonstrates the unfamiliar social shift in society. Depictions of traditional Victorian woman’s standards can be seen as sexist, as the new crowd of feminist emerges. Feminism explores the double standard of projecting sexual desires to society, however, the women who accompanied these uncommon ideas, were often seen as some sort of monster. From this, anxiety was displaced around women who seeked sexuality as it gave them a sense of freedom while breaking the traditional modesty. While these fearful thoughts were not abnormal, discussions surrounding the subject, especially in novels or films were prohibited. Since discussions of sexual desires were not

Sexuality has an inherent connection to human nature. Yet, even in regards to something so natural, societies throughout times have imposed expectations and gender roles upon it. Ultimately, these come to oppress women, and confine them within the limits that the world has set for them. However, society is constantly evolving, and within the past 200 years, the role of women has changed. These changes in society can be seen within the intricacies of literature in each era. Specifically, through analyzing The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, one can observe the dynamics of society in regards to the role of women through the lens of the theme of sexuality. In both novels, the confinement and oppression of women can be visibly seen as a result of these gender roles. Yet, from the time The Scarlet Letter was published to the time The Bell Jar was written, the place of women in society ultimately changed as well. Hence when evaluating the gender roles that are derived from sexuality, the difference between the portrayals of women’s oppression in each novel becomes apparent, and shows how the subjugation of women has evolved. The guiding question of this investigation is to what extent does the theme of sexuality reflect the expectations for women in society at the time each novel was written. The essay will explore how the literary elements that form each novel demonstrate each author’s independent vision which questions the

Come on, do what he tells you to. He won’t hurt you (Williams).” The mother tries to play smart by telling her it is not going to hurt. At the end it ends up hurting and that’s what the girl is trying to avoid. Overall, both characters end up rebelling to not suffer and feel the

Sexuality was a controversial issue in both Renegade Women and Women and Gender in Early modern Europe. “Single women, especially widows, were viewed as dangerous, and sexually active unmarried or separated women could be condemned as prostitutes” (Dursteler PG 7). These very same widows only had three options available to them even though two out of these three very same options were frowned upon which, were “the convent, remarriage, or widowhood” (Dursteler PG 7). “Sexuality was also a key issue in religious texts.

The issue of human sexuality has been discussed since the beginning of writing of human history. Despite our strides towards becoming accepting of people who engage in ‘non-normative’ relationships, whether they be romantic or sexual, there are still issues on the path towards equality. One particular problem is that of women who are interested in the same sex and how they are either ignored or looked down upon, more so than their male counterparts. A majority of the women who had to write under pseudonyms or under the mask of anonymity during the 1800’s could not reveal who they were attracted to and could only live out their fantasies through their writing. And even then they had to be wary of how that aspect was represented in their works,

. Zipes confirms that we are now voyeurs, intruders even, at a point of seduction; the two, in almost touching proximity are absorbed in each other’s gaze.(cite), but it is more than that. This pivotal meeting that takes place in the woods, in nature, to follow Carl Jung’s theory, represents a threat opposed to and outside of societal control and the preferred model of the institution of marriage and Christian love. The wolf, already preconceived as the epitome of the devil and temptation in the minds of the audience, casts the dark shadow of insatiable male sexual desire to dominate over our girlish Red, but her fearless gaze holds him. In Zipes’ mind, Red’s unwavering stance settles Perrault’s accusation that she is complicit in her own seduction, rape and murder; the innocent child shifts to femme fatale confirming the held misogynistic view that women want to be seduced and even raped and that they incite men to act on their animalistic desires. Dore’s expression of the two figures resonates with Perrault’s transgression intent and confirms their male attitude; that stupid and disobedient women who entertain their own sexual desires deserve to be punished. Whilst there is a nod of recognition in the passivity of the wolf, that men are weak beasts and easily fall prey to the sexual allure of a woman, the primary inference is that the role of men is to uphold dominant control over women and the ideological patriarchal moral order and maintain that sex remains in its proper reproductive function in society, (1987, pgs. 90-92).

In Isabella Whitney’s “I.W. To Her Unconstant Lover,” she adopted a female persona that attempted to rework the notion of constancy, or faithfulness, in failed male-female relationships of the Elizabethan era. Where women are often accused of being unfaithful, the speaker of the epistle “writes” to her unfaithful male lover and holds him accountable for their failed relationship. By analyzing Whitney’s “I.W. To Her Unconstant Lover,” this paper will argue that Whitney’s persona, I.W., challenges the misogynistic conception of female faithfulness because she uses rhetorical devices — like metaphors and allusions — to shift the blame onto dishonest male lovers, whose actions have a negative impact on the constancy of virtuous women. The speaker’s use of metaphors and Greek allusions fundamentally allows her to rework the idea of female inconstancy, which, in turn, absolves her of fault for being abandoned by her ex-lover and presents her as an intelligent and virtuous woman to her English audience.