The theme in the nineteenth-century Emily Dickinson poem “The Wife’ is echoed in “The Story of An Hour” by Kate Chopin because these two readings show the complexity faced by women in that era, offering an understanding of their desire for independence and self-discovery. the two reading describe a female character who is married but they are not in love with their husband. In “The Story of an Hour” the female protagonist doesn’t love her husband and when she hears that her husband has died, she starts to realize that she is free from him and that “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself.” (Kate Chopin). On the other hand, in “The Wife” the female protagonist sacrifices her joyful things in life to surrender to her husband’s petition. “She rose to his requirement, dropped the playthings of her life to take the honorable work of a woman and of a wife.” (Emily Dickinson).
Powered by:
top
4 thoughts on “Angel Jimenez Discussion week 4”
Yes !Angel ,I think that they both express a critique of the traditional expectations placed on women in marriage and the limitations imposed on their individuality and self expression.They sound like they were longing for freedom and independence that many women may have felt during that period .Dickinson’s poem and Choplin’s story is a sense of rebellion against societal expectations.They were women with their own ambitions that was seperate from a wife. The both express a desire for freedom and independence.
Hey, Angel. I agree with you both stories and poem connect to the theme of the burden of being a wife in this era. In all written works we see what the wives had to sacrifice in exchange for marriage wether that be “beauty”, “wealth”, “time” or “happiness”. None of these works have “happy endings” for the wives, and seem bleak in nature.
Hello Angel. Very well written response and I agree with how you connected both stories and explained the limited and restrictive being someone’s wife was during this time period. Unfortunately it’s a very common occurrence back then as we have seen many example in different literary works were it was the wife who’d sacrifice their livelihoods, freedom and overall had to put up with terrible marriages due to societal expectations for women at that time. The options were limited and they often entered loveless marriages that many if not all ended up regretting, both in the present and in their future.
Hey Angel! I agree with your discussion based on how women in that era faced a complicated life. Women didn’t have a chance to really find love. Their choice was more like accepting their “husband” because of wealth, family decisions and putting themselves aside. I agree with your quote stated saying “She rose to his requirement, dropped the playthings of her life to take the honorable work of a woman and of a wife.” (Emily Dickinson). because it proves the point in where female sacrificed their happiness.