As exemplified in Pride and Prejudice with characters like Mrs. Bennet and her child, Lydia, many ladies put money above love when it came to the subject of marriage. Perhaps the behavior of women in this time period is a question of nature vs. nurture. For females especially, society dictated class distinctions and parameters for retaliatory ridicule, while bringing emphasis towards honing “womanly” talents in lieu of formal education and opportunities. If a lady were to step out of the bounds of appropriate behavior, she would disgrace herself and most likely her family, thereby cutting them off from benefits that might otherwise shine upon accomplished personas. Mrs. Bennet’s least favorite daughter, Elizabeth, seems to be made of strong moral fiber and respectfully does not sink to the (often) poor matrimonial standards of her peers.
“Her refusal to have her marriage dissolved…freed her temporarily from certain wifely duties…gave her a chance to have a girlhood” (28). Unlike woman of the time, Bertrande’s clever insight uncovers the advantageous qualities of an unconsummated married. Bertrande further eludes societal norms in meeting her alleged husband, Arnaud du
In the poem “Medusa” gender conflict through control is also illustrated when she says: “a suspicion, a doubt, a jealousy”. This depicts that she feels ownership over her husband and wants him to “be terrified” if he does not obey her commands. However, in “Les Grands Seigneurs” the narrator conveys that after she was “wedded, bedded … a toy, a plaything … wife” she is nostalgic for the first three stanzas to how men were towards her before she was married as she is now powerless. We can depict that there was less gender conflict before she was married. Moreover, in “Medusa” powerlessness is also portrayed when she rhetorically questions herself “Wasn’t I beautiful?
In the process of illustrating these different women, the film tries not to express one lifestyle being better than another lifestyle. Some of the women are perfectly content to be single and childless and other women are happy to have families. The character Emily Leighton demonstrates qualities of the "ideal" loving mother and wife. However, where some films would make her character seem weak or submissive, the film portrays Emily Leighton as a strong woman, who was willing to defy her husband and make a better life for her daughters. In one scene, her husband accuses her of being a bad mother and Mrs. Leighton responds by saying, "They are the only reason I am here."
Kate, who does not want to marry Petruccio, goes from an ill tempered, stubborn woman who does not like to be controlled, to a woman who is loyal and obedient to her husband. It is through this play that William Shakespeare shows that anyone can have the power to change. In The Taming of the Shrew, the reason that Kate is known as the shrew is because she wants to go against what society says she needs to do as a woman. She does not want a man giving her orders because she feels that she is too intelligent and independent to do so. In this century, “the ideal wife, by contrast, was chaste, silent, and obedient” (Greenblatt 124).
In the book The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Edna Pontellier is a woman of the late 1800's who begins to acknowledge her sexual desires, strength and courage. She takes her knew found individuality and begins to act on it, independent of her husband and children. There is a certain role appointed to her by society that she must abide by which is known as a "mother-women". A " mother-women" is a women that is subordinate to her children, belongs to her husband, and does not have any existence of her own. Ms. Pontellier cooperates with societies standards until she realizes that she is losing herself.
We should be strong enough to say no if someone's asking us to do bad things. The most common reason is that trust that is especially things you can’t tell your friends. Finally, Strong jealousy and unhealthy competition can make people stop being friends. Most women feel a sense of competition from time to time toward the women in their lives. Psychologist Irene Levine, author of "Best Friends Forever," explains that women naturally compare themselves to their friends.
Whereas later on in the poem she states ‘But after I was wedded, bedded, I became (yes, overnight) a toy, a plaything, little woman, wife, a bit of a bluff.’ This is showing us that she had lost her power and importance, and by adding the point that she became a wife, a plaything it is trying to make out that she became an accessory to the man, just another part of them. Something that came with the men but you wouldn’t expect to see out by themselves. These quotes show us that she regrets treating them the way that she did as she doesn’t like them treating her like that once they are married, but it is too late now and she can’t go back on what happened, she’ll just have to get on with it as that’s how it is. Whereas regret is shown in the poem Medusa as she regrets getting together with her man as Duffy suggests that it is the man’s fault that she had changed, but also through the people and animals she killed there is
It can hinder things a relationship because one can really be in love and one could just be faking love for the pleasure, which means they have no feelings for the person at all. With this being said, Sharon’s poem “Sex without Love” frames a strong message on how harsh sex without love can be to women who are doing it out of love. Good Introduction As the poem beings begins, Sharon Olds asks a question that everyone thinks they have an answer to but no one really knows which is “How do they do it, the ones who make love without love?” That question alone already tells us that she’s not happy with people having sex if there not in love. She also uses objects that seem normal to the eye, such as the ice skaters, new born babies, religion, and runners, unfortunately these images mean more than just what they are said to be. You have to go deep in meaning.
Women tend to contradict themselves with what they desire and the mentorship of who they may look up to. Gertrude was the queen and Hamlets mother and she also had a frail character. She was a woman that valued status and affection more than her characteristics of grace and charm that got her there. Both these women were weak and depicted as having no moral standards with respect to their week character, requirement of love and their depended on men. Otheila is one of the women that are depicted as a frail and dependant character because she is a woman.