Writers tend to use their works to affect change in their society. Whether it is to bring about a shift in thinking, or a shift in actions, authors share their views through their writing.
In Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, the author uses setting to create a strong feminist tone. As we talked about in class, the room in which the character is trapped in creates a parameter set by her husband. This represents the constrictions men placed on women during this time. The woman behind the wallpaper could possibly be a symbol for a woman being trapped behind the restrictions placed on her. At the end of the story, when the narrator rips away the wallpaper to release the woman stuck behind, Perkins Gilman is making a very clear statement. The reader can immediately tell that this action taking place relates to a woman breaking out of her containment. The story as a whole, but especially the ending, makes a strong feminist declaration by Perkins Gilman.
We also can see that other authors use their writing as a way to get their opinions and views out. An example of this from excerpts we have already read would be EDEN Southworth’s The Hidden Hand. In The Hidden Hand, Southworth has her main character, Capitola, dress as a boy in order to survive on her own in the city. Capitola blatantly states Southworth’s opinion on gender discrimination when she says, “…I, because I was a girl, was not allowed to carry a gentleman’s parcel or black his boots, or shovel the snow off of a shopkeeper’s pavement, or put in coal, or do anything that I could do just as well as they.” By writing such things, the author shows that she disagrees with the amount of inequality of genders and expects change from her readers.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Gender vs Religion
As I was reading the excerpt from Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer, I realized that there is a large distinction between how boys and girls think about religion and apply it to their lives. This difference can be seen within the excerpt, along with when compared to other stories from the nineteenth century.
The gender division in religion was a major theme in Tom Sawyer. I think that Mark Twain created characters based off of the idea that girls/women are taught to be more religion-based than boys/men. For example, on page 3 of Tom Sawyer, Aunt Polly (in her own aside) brings up her religious beliefs when talking about Tom and his mischievous ways. In describing her nephew she says, “Well-a-well, man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble, as the Scripture says, and I reckon it’s so.” This reference to the Bible, along with other revelations of her religion, sets her up to seem as if she has been taught it all of her life. Tom, along with all of the other boys mentioned in the excerpt, do not circle their lives around their religion. The only time we ever see Tom even speak of Scripture or the Bible is when he is conniving his way into being awarded a new Bible. According to pages 34 and 35, being awarded a Bible was more for show than for the purpose of widening his knowledge. The story states that Tom’s “entire being had for many a day longed for the glory and the éclat that came with [the prize of a Bible].” This shows that religion was not as important to boys as it was girls.
This religious difference when it comes to gender has also been seen through other stories we have read. Just like Tom in Tom Sawyer, Dick in Ragged Dick does not mention his life ever being circled around God or any sort of religion. With these young boys, there does not seem to be as big of a religious push from adults to force them into learning more about having faith in God. When thinking about the girls we have read about, on the other hand, we know that religion was repetitively stamped into their minds and there was always a religious mold for them to fill. This difference from story to story again shows that boys and girls are split when it comes to what they base their lives around.
The gender division in religion was a major theme in Tom Sawyer. I think that Mark Twain created characters based off of the idea that girls/women are taught to be more religion-based than boys/men. For example, on page 3 of Tom Sawyer, Aunt Polly (in her own aside) brings up her religious beliefs when talking about Tom and his mischievous ways. In describing her nephew she says, “Well-a-well, man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble, as the Scripture says, and I reckon it’s so.” This reference to the Bible, along with other revelations of her religion, sets her up to seem as if she has been taught it all of her life. Tom, along with all of the other boys mentioned in the excerpt, do not circle their lives around their religion. The only time we ever see Tom even speak of Scripture or the Bible is when he is conniving his way into being awarded a new Bible. According to pages 34 and 35, being awarded a Bible was more for show than for the purpose of widening his knowledge. The story states that Tom’s “entire being had for many a day longed for the glory and the éclat that came with [the prize of a Bible].” This shows that religion was not as important to boys as it was girls.
This religious difference when it comes to gender has also been seen through other stories we have read. Just like Tom in Tom Sawyer, Dick in Ragged Dick does not mention his life ever being circled around God or any sort of religion. With these young boys, there does not seem to be as big of a religious push from adults to force them into learning more about having faith in God. When thinking about the girls we have read about, on the other hand, we know that religion was repetitively stamped into their minds and there was always a religious mold for them to fill. This difference from story to story again shows that boys and girls are split when it comes to what they base their lives around.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
A Shift in Women's Roles
After reading The Yares of the Black Mountains, I noticed that the roles of women were portrayed very differently. As I read, I compared women in the story to women we have read about earlier in the semester. I found that Davis described women doing activities that other authors had men doing.
In past stories and excerpts we have read, women tended to have responsibilities such as making toast, being social, taking care of the house, raising the children, and sewing. In The Yares of the Black Mountains, some women have these same responsibilities, while others are described as having more physically challenging roles. An example of this is on page 264 when the author describes a woman's work as: "She took an axe an' went out, an' didn't come home till mornin'. In three days she hed cut down logs an' built a hut, six feet by ten, among the laurels yonder, haulin' an' liftin' them logs herself..." This behavior is unusual to see women involved with in nineteenth century literature. Normally, women remained indoors and acted very dainty. This shift in thinking took me by surprise.
Another place we see this different portrayal of women is near the very beginning of the story. On page 243, Davis paints a scene by saying, "I saw a woman ploughing with an ox just now on the hillside, where it was so steep I thought woman, plough, and ox would roll down together." Working in the field is something rare to see a woman doing in literature at this time. Instead of working inside of the house, the woman is getting her hands dirty and doing what many would consider "man's work".
After discovering this shift in descriptions of women, I wondered why Davis would choose to do such a thing. It could be to raise awareness of equality for women. We discussed in class that The Yares of the Black Mountains can be considered an activist text, so women's rights may be an issue that the author was bringing to the surface.
In past stories and excerpts we have read, women tended to have responsibilities such as making toast, being social, taking care of the house, raising the children, and sewing. In The Yares of the Black Mountains, some women have these same responsibilities, while others are described as having more physically challenging roles. An example of this is on page 264 when the author describes a woman's work as: "She took an axe an' went out, an' didn't come home till mornin'. In three days she hed cut down logs an' built a hut, six feet by ten, among the laurels yonder, haulin' an' liftin' them logs herself..." This behavior is unusual to see women involved with in nineteenth century literature. Normally, women remained indoors and acted very dainty. This shift in thinking took me by surprise.
Another place we see this different portrayal of women is near the very beginning of the story. On page 243, Davis paints a scene by saying, "I saw a woman ploughing with an ox just now on the hillside, where it was so steep I thought woman, plough, and ox would roll down together." Working in the field is something rare to see a woman doing in literature at this time. Instead of working inside of the house, the woman is getting her hands dirty and doing what many would consider "man's work".
After discovering this shift in descriptions of women, I wondered why Davis would choose to do such a thing. It could be to raise awareness of equality for women. We discussed in class that The Yares of the Black Mountains can be considered an activist text, so women's rights may be an issue that the author was bringing to the surface.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Gender Comparison
Young girls and young boys seem to play very different roles in nineteenth century American literature. Though both genders are to be viewed as role models, the lessons the characters teach are very different. After reading Ragged Dick, I got to see how boys are represented in literature, and how it compares to the ways girls are represented.
From past readings, young girls have been depicted as dependent. Whether it is that they are always learning from an adult, or being saved by someone, girls come across as being needy and reliant. Little boys, on the other hand, seem to be more independent. In Ragged Dick, Dick must be self-sufficient by making his own money and striving to survive on the streets. This situation would be extremely difficult to find a little girl character in. To help himself, Dick works as a boot shiner. His job was best described in the text when the narrator states, “The boots were soon polished in Dick’s best style, which proved very satisfactory, our hero being a proficient in the art.” To compare Dick to a girl character, I choose Ellen Montgomery from The Wide, Wide World. Ellen had nothing to worry about but making toast and learning about religion. Dick, however, had to worry about bigger issues like where he was sleeping or what he could afford to eat. Nineteenth century authors seem to give boys more challenges to struggle with than girls. With this in mind, it is easy to see how girls represent dependency, while boys symbolize independency.
After reading the excerpt from Ragged Dick, I believe that young boys in literature are meant to be relatable. Whether it is the main character, or a secondary character, all walks of life seem to be represented. In Ragged Dick, there is Dick, the poor boy trying to find his way. On the other end of the spectrum, there is Frank who symbolizes the upper class young boy. So whether the reader is in the upper or lower class of society, they will have a character to relate to. This is obviously a rhetorical device used to capture an audience and make the narrative more realistic. I am not sure that all nineteenth century stories about little boys are like this, but Ragged Dick backs up this conclusion.
From past readings, young girls have been depicted as dependent. Whether it is that they are always learning from an adult, or being saved by someone, girls come across as being needy and reliant. Little boys, on the other hand, seem to be more independent. In Ragged Dick, Dick must be self-sufficient by making his own money and striving to survive on the streets. This situation would be extremely difficult to find a little girl character in. To help himself, Dick works as a boot shiner. His job was best described in the text when the narrator states, “The boots were soon polished in Dick’s best style, which proved very satisfactory, our hero being a proficient in the art.” To compare Dick to a girl character, I choose Ellen Montgomery from The Wide, Wide World. Ellen had nothing to worry about but making toast and learning about religion. Dick, however, had to worry about bigger issues like where he was sleeping or what he could afford to eat. Nineteenth century authors seem to give boys more challenges to struggle with than girls. With this in mind, it is easy to see how girls represent dependency, while boys symbolize independency.
After reading the excerpt from Ragged Dick, I believe that young boys in literature are meant to be relatable. Whether it is the main character, or a secondary character, all walks of life seem to be represented. In Ragged Dick, there is Dick, the poor boy trying to find his way. On the other end of the spectrum, there is Frank who symbolizes the upper class young boy. So whether the reader is in the upper or lower class of society, they will have a character to relate to. This is obviously a rhetorical device used to capture an audience and make the narrative more realistic. I am not sure that all nineteenth century stories about little boys are like this, but Ragged Dick backs up this conclusion.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Insane in the Dark
In the second half of the excerpt read from A Whisper in the Dark, the reader is made aware that the narrator is in an insane asylum. Due to this, the question arises on who to trust.
The introduction of insanity in the text definitely changed my opinion of Sybil. I found myself feeling sorry for her in the second half of the excerpt, as opposed to seeing her as a strong, independent woman at first. As Louisa May Alcott described Sybil's slow deterioration while in the asylum, I started to wonder if the whole first half of the excerpt was the imagination of the narrator. It came to my attention that the relationship between Sybil and her uncle could have been exaggerated or even made up. For example, on page 218, Sybil is trying to get information out of her uncle by seducing him. She then describes her uncle's reaction as: "My uncle stopped laughing, his hand tightened its grasp, for a moment his cold eye glittered and a grim look settled round the mouth, giving to his whole face a ruthless expression that entirely altered it." After knowing that she was sent to an insane asylum, I questioned whether this scene happened the exact way the story was told, or if her mind somehow changed the situation to make her look like the victim. In fact, the entire story could possibly be a twisted version of the truth. If you think about it, all of A Whisper in the Dark is written from the perspective of Sybil, who is, at one point, thought to be insane. The entire story could be false.
When it comes to Sybil's mother being insane, another interesting element is added to the story. After Sybil has been in the asylum for a good amount of time, I started feeling like she was placed there not because she was insane, but to make her insane. Knowing that her mother had psychological issues, it was easy for Sybil's uncle to get his way by convincing others that Sybil had her own psychological problems. Although her mother was mentally ill, she still had enough maternal instincts to provide help and support for her daughter. This is displayed in the text when Sybil explains, "I believed her dead, yet I had seen her, knew where her solitary grave was made, and still carried in my bosom the warning she had sent me, prompted by the unerring instinct of a mother's heart." Even though insanity was in the picture, the relationship between mother and daughter remained similar to other texts we have read - due to instinct, a mother is willing to do anything to protect her daughter and give her what she thinks is best to live her life to the fullest.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Hidden Religion, Hidden Hand
After reading the excerpt from The Hidden Hand, I found it interesting that it lacked certain “norms” often seen in nineteenth century literature. We discussed earlier in the semester how religion was often a common idea seen in children’s literature at this time, but it does not seem as obviously present in The Hidden Hand as in other excerpts we have read. Though hard to find, I did see a few religious references (or at least what I saw as possible religious references) in the text.
The first mention of anything dealing with Christianity in The Hidden Hand happens on the first page of the first chapter. The author introduces Major Warfield as a character and describes him as “…equally loved and feared by his faithful…servants…” This explanation of Major Warfield compares to how many Christians view God. To me, God is one to be loved and feared because of His mighty power. So while Major Warfield may not be a direct representation of God, Southworth definitely included an interesting explanation of the character that could stand out to the reader as being a religious reference.
Another instance of religion being mentioned was when Nancy Grewell was talking to Old Hurricane on her death bed. At one point she says, “And the best way to prepare to meet the Divine Judge is to make all the reparation that you can by a full confession!” By putting this in the text, Southworth is opening up another way for the reader to connect with the character. The author probably recognized that religion can be used to bond her audience with the story.
Other texts that we have read have used religion as a teaching tool. The didactic style in which they were written often dealt with a character trying to better understand Christianity. In The Hidden Hand, religion was not used as a basis for any sort of teaching. It was more used as a way for readers to connect to the story.
The first mention of anything dealing with Christianity in The Hidden Hand happens on the first page of the first chapter. The author introduces Major Warfield as a character and describes him as “…equally loved and feared by his faithful…servants…” This explanation of Major Warfield compares to how many Christians view God. To me, God is one to be loved and feared because of His mighty power. So while Major Warfield may not be a direct representation of God, Southworth definitely included an interesting explanation of the character that could stand out to the reader as being a religious reference.
Another instance of religion being mentioned was when Nancy Grewell was talking to Old Hurricane on her death bed. At one point she says, “And the best way to prepare to meet the Divine Judge is to make all the reparation that you can by a full confession!” By putting this in the text, Southworth is opening up another way for the reader to connect with the character. The author probably recognized that religion can be used to bond her audience with the story.
Other texts that we have read have used religion as a teaching tool. The didactic style in which they were written often dealt with a character trying to better understand Christianity. In The Hidden Hand, religion was not used as a basis for any sort of teaching. It was more used as a way for readers to connect to the story.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Finding Balance
After watching the video and reading The Lamplighter, I have come to the decision that young girls in the nineteenth century share much of the same needs and desires as contemporary girls, and contrast each other in only a few ways. I think that some of the contrasts are rather obvious, so I plan to discuss the similarity and miniscule contrast that I have discovered.
In the video, eight year old Anna is struggling to find balance in her life, while in The Lamplighter, Gerty is also fighting to find a sense of stability. Anna resorts to yoga to bring her the peace and serenity she strives for. Gerty, on the other hand, goes to other people to find support to figure out how to balance out her life. She has deep conversations with Emily Graham about faith and her need to change from being bad to being good. On page 141, Gerty is trying to sort out who she wants to be by letting go of her “bad” ways to become a good little girl (or at least find a happy medium). Miss Graham tells her that she “can be good,” which affirms to Gerty that she has the power to settle down her anger and calm herself in stressful situations. Therefore the way each girl went about finding balance is different. Anna finds stress-relief by herself, through stretching and breathing. Gerty leans on others to give her the push she needs to seek balance. Both, though they took different approaches, are trying to find a way to deal with the stresses of their lives.
Anna and Gerty are much in the same. Both of these little girls are looking for balance in their life, even if their stresses are very different. The way the contemporary girl, Anna, approaches her stress-relief is unlike the way Gerty deals with hers, but their ultimate goal remains the same – seek out balance and stability in their changing lives.
In the video, eight year old Anna is struggling to find balance in her life, while in The Lamplighter, Gerty is also fighting to find a sense of stability. Anna resorts to yoga to bring her the peace and serenity she strives for. Gerty, on the other hand, goes to other people to find support to figure out how to balance out her life. She has deep conversations with Emily Graham about faith and her need to change from being bad to being good. On page 141, Gerty is trying to sort out who she wants to be by letting go of her “bad” ways to become a good little girl (or at least find a happy medium). Miss Graham tells her that she “can be good,” which affirms to Gerty that she has the power to settle down her anger and calm herself in stressful situations. Therefore the way each girl went about finding balance is different. Anna finds stress-relief by herself, through stretching and breathing. Gerty leans on others to give her the push she needs to seek balance. Both, though they took different approaches, are trying to find a way to deal with the stresses of their lives.
Anna and Gerty are much in the same. Both of these little girls are looking for balance in their life, even if their stresses are very different. The way the contemporary girl, Anna, approaches her stress-relief is unlike the way Gerty deals with hers, but their ultimate goal remains the same – seek out balance and stability in their changing lives.
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