19th and 20th Century Gender Expectations in Literature Essay Example for Free

nineteenth and 20th Century G abolisher Expectations in Litearned run averageture EssayThe late 19th century produced a myriad of successful authors, poets and truston a dash-writes that often incorporate the local customs, traditions and expectations of the cadence (and perchance their own experiences) into their work. A fact of the times, even into early 20th century, is that women were non equal to men and the expectations of women were non equal as well. This menses pass on be illustrated by proportional analysis of two separate forms of literature Tristan Bernards humorous period of play Im expiryA Comedy in One function, and Kate Chopins short story The Story of an Hour. Authors can expenditure plays, stories or poems to capture us into their world, and through imagination we can connect with them, if only briefly, and enjoy their point of view and what they are trying to convey. Through their writing, they are truly giving us a project at history and thr ough that snapshot of time we can see the differences between societys expectations then and now. Tristan Bernards (1866-1947) Im GoingA Comedy in One Act (1915), (Clugston, 2010a), is a play set in Paris ab break a married couple (Henri and Jeanne) who on a Sunday morning are trying to decide how they are going to spend their day. Henri wants to go to the races but he wants Jeanne to stay home, though she wants to go with him, or to see her friend (Clugston, 2010a). The theme of the play is one of distrust and domainipulation, as each truly wants to spend the day on their own, and at the end of the play that is exactly what they do (Clugston, 2010a).See more Analysis of Starbucks coffee company employees essayIn this play, Bernard uses the setting of the stage and symbolic representation to convey to the audition a sense of separate desires of the couple beginning with the opening scene when Henri and Jeanne enter and sit on opposite sides of the room (Clugston, 2010a). Bernard , in fact, used symbolism in many of his works, and exploited the psychoanalytical technique to draw his dramas to suck upher (Degasse, 2008). What one really has to appearance through the mist to see, however, is how Bernard incorporates societys expectations (or double standard) of women inParis (and throughout the world, really), though in a humorous and dramatic style, into the play.One has to keep in mind that the male audience of that time probably had the same attitude and beliefs as the character Henri, and though it may shed been viewed as even up or wrong, women were expect to be subservient and obedient speckle the male was allowed further freedoms. Henri wants to goes to the races exclusively, and ultimately, that is what he does while Jeanne stays home, but let us look deeper at the play and uncover the nuances that show the distinction of the times and how Bernard conveys that conviction.After Henri and Jeannes initial entrance and they set down, the first thing that happens is Henri makes a description about how every Sunday the weather is nice until noon, then its cloudy and rainy or in that location is an advancing thunderstorm (Clugston, 2010a). This verbal observation of the weather may be a metaphor and actually provide two meanings one is that it is in fact rainy and Henri is setting a negative airwave for Jeanne who expects him to take her out for the day, and the other could be the weekly Sunday dilemma of Henri trying to go to the races without Jeanne.The rainy, or soon to be, day also sets a tone of despair, but provides Henri with an excuse to go to the races alone and hold back him and his wife the additional salute of a carriage in order to avoid the rain, and additional cost of a ladies ticket (Clugston, 2010a). In truth, it is just a manipulation of the circumstances for Henri to try to dissuade Jeanne in joining him at the races (Clugston, 2010a).Then in Bernards Im Going, A Comedy in One Act (1915), Henri recommends a promenade (a walk) with his wife instead of accompanying him to the races and Jeanne responds Yes, up the Champs-Elysees together And have you looking daggers at me all the time Whenever I do go with you, youre always make disagreeable remarks. Henri responds with Because you are in a bad humor youll never give me your arm. (Jeanne called him on his bluff, because he really doesnt want to take a walk either), (cited in Clugston, 2010a, 1. 1. 26-29).She has no real purport of going for a walk with him as she did not intend to go to the races, but does not want to see him go alone to the races and enjoy himself alone, either. This is another example of manipulation her manipulating him and vice versa, and starts the back and forrard farce of some(prenominal) supposedly wanting to spend the day together when they really do not (Clugston, 2010a). When Jeanne decides Henri can go to the races alone because she intends to go see a friend, Henri decides he will stay at home and not go to the races (Clugston, 2010a).This is an obvious representation of the husband not trusting the wife, and even though she has given sanction to him to proceed, he abandons all intentions to leave because of his suspicion of her meeting with her friend and also mayhap meeting another man. The deception between both characters is obvious at this point in the play but not obviously clear as to why. Though we know by this point that Henris intention has always been to go to the races alone, it is not yet clear why Jeanne reacts the way she does.Is it that she is handle, or expected to stay home alone while Henri goes to the races, or does she have her own nefarious agenda, or both? Finally, and after much back and forth ruse of both characters, Jeanne decides to stay at home alone and lets Henri leave for the races alone, only to delight in the fact that she can spend her afternoon working on hats and enjoying chocolate at home as detailed immediately after Henri departs for the r aces in Bernards Im Going A Comedy in One Act (1915), (cited by Clugston, 2010a, 1. 1. 81-185) (Waits for a moment, listens, and hears the out more or less door close, then rises, and goes to the door at the back.She speaks to someone off-stage) Marie, dont go before you get me a large cup of chocolate. Bring two rolls, too. Oh, and go at once to my room and bring me my box of ribbons and those old hats. (She comes down- stage, and says beaming) What fun Ill have trimming hats Throughout this play Jeanne is expected by Henri to stay at home while he enjoys the afternoon alone, and despite the opposition Jeanne gives him, she at long last desists and Henri has his way while she is left at home.This is an excellent example of how women were treated by their husbands then as compared to how most men and women interact today. thither was probably no other recourse for the character Jeanne but to square off herself to some enjoyment at home with her hats, and chocolate, and rolls. It could be argued that that is what she wanted all along, that she only wanted a reassurance that her husband loved her, but probably not, more than likely she simply had no other election than to occupy her Sunday alone as best as she could and succumb to her husbands wishes.There stands some ambiguity as to whether they really love each other, or if Jeanne is simply stuck and cannot get out of the situation she is in. Sixteen years earlier than the play by Tristan Bernard discussed above, but in the same era of male dominance, Kate Chopin (1850-1904) wrote several short stories and novels which also depict the sexist plight of women in her time and the choices they had to perish in order to survive, including quite possibly domestic violence in a time when no recourse was available (Tate, 2000).Unlike Bernard, who was a renowned writer at the age of 25, Chopin was considered a feminist, and as a young widow who had to raise six children alone when she lost her husband to swamp fev er, she eventually succeeded by turning to writing and was widely accepted in the southern United States literary heap (Tucker, 1996). Much of her writing incorporates her own life experiences and tribulations, such as The Awakening, (1899) which depicts a 19th century charr who is adulterous, but maintains her strength and individuality despite of what society thinks about her (Tucker, 1996).It is of little doubt that Kate Chopin was of the same look and character of many of those characters in her stories. According to Leary (1968), much of her writing Speaks of marital unhappiness and of dangers which lie in wait for people who do as they want to do without concern for other people (p. 60). Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour (1894), (Clugston, 2010b), is scripted clearly and succinctly leaving little room for ambiguity or misinterpretation.Chopins direct style of writing draws the reader in quickly and gives immediate insight to what is contingency and what the feelings of the characters are, thus increasing the understanding of what the author is trying to convey. Like Bernard, Chopin uses symbolism and tone to enhance the (in this case) conceptional setting to further the readers experience. Unlike Bernard, Chopins form was short stories and novels instead of plays to be performed in front of live audiences.It is also important to look at Kate Chopin from a biographical/historic perspective to realize Chopin has also used life experiences as a basis for some of her characters in this story Mr. Mallard has reportedly been killed in a train accident, while in reality Kate Chopins father really was killed in a train accident (Tucker, 1996).According to Seyersted, (cited in Kelly, 1994, p. 332), after critiquing Athenaise, he states that In spite of its happy ending, this tale is, on a deeper level, a protest against womans condition. Seyersted is undoubtedly referring to womens struggle at that time for equality with men. Closer comparison of this story with Bernards play will bring to the surface many similarities of the uphill struggle women of this era endured and how it is depicted and apparent in our literature. In Chopins The Story of an Hour, the main character, Mrs. Mallard receives word at home that her economise had been killed in a train accident, she was distraught and crying, and when this subsided, she retires alone to a large armchair facing an open windowpane in her room (Clugston, 2010b).This initial reaction to her loss seems fairly normal up to this point in the story, but then the Narrator describes what Mrs. Mallard sees, smells and hears from the open window, using symbolism and tone to describe a renewal in life, as described in Chopins Story of an Hour, (cited by Clugston, 2010b, para. 5) She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious pinch of rain was in the air.In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a removed(p) song which some one was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves. As the story unfolds, Mrs. Mallard feels an sensation coming to her which she initially cannot identify, but ultimately does identify it it is relief and a sense of a new freedom (Clugston, 2010). But why would she feel this way now unless she felt oppressed or abused when her husband was alive? A better description of what Mrs.Mallard had endured under her Husbands practice and what she imagined the future to hold is stated in the story There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to overthrow a private will upon a fellow-creature (cited in Clugston, 2010b, para. 14). The Author is speaking to the reader about this love in 1894, a very bold and controversial statement for a time in which women were not expected to behave this way.Nearing the end of the story Mrs. Mallard finally a ccepts her newfound freedom and rejoices to herself Free eubstance and soul free (cited in Clugston, 2010b, para. 19), only to be persuaded out of her room by her sister and clear downstairs just as her husband comes through the front door, he was in fact not dead after all (Clugston, 2010). Mrs. Mallard died upon seeing her husband though the doctors said it was aggregate indisposition (earlier in the story it does mention she had a weak heart), (Clugston, 2010). One has to wonder though, did Mrs. Mallard die from heart disease or is this another symbol the Author uses to express Mrs. Mallard (or any oppressed woman) would earlier die than give up her freedom and individuality?Tristan Bernards Im Going A Comedy in One Act is a play written by a man in France sixteen years after Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour, which is a short story written by a woman in the United States. Though there are differences in the Authors, origin, form, audience or reader, some compelling similar ities exist the time they were written (1915 1894, respectively), that both Authors incorporate issues of the time into their work, and perhaps most importantly, they both display the subservient, oppressive place which women are expected to take in the 19th and 20th centuries.