19th century

Before the late 19th century, none of the American citizens could have imagined that their humble colonial beginnings would eventually contradict its fundamental values to become a global powerhouse with colonial possessions. But as the US exhausted their land in their manifest destiny driven westward expansion, it was inevitable for the country to begin searching for more land and markets. Consequently, the US applied its Monroe Doctrine to intervene in support for the nationalist movement in…

many, especially women of the 19th century, it remains a stale and blind relationship with which the only binding is a legal one - marriage. In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, the protagonist Edna Pontellier is conflicted in her inability to escape conventionality for true independence because, in any instance, she still relies on a man to define her identity. She is either the possession of her husband or an accessory to her lover, showing how women of the 19th century did not have the power to…

In America, written and directed by Jim Sheridan, focuses on a family of Irish immigrants who move to New York in the 1980s, and must adjust to their new life. Personal experiences of the Irish during the diaspora have stayed the same throughout this film, for a countless number of reasons including job type, and crime. In America captures real life struggles throughout the eyes of the Irish, and how they had to make the best out of any situation. The Sullivan family emigrates from Ireland to…

Women’s roles in the workforce were extremely limited during the 19th century and it failed to allow promotions amongst women for their work. An underlying theme of the inequalities throughout the workforce is apparent in Stephen Crane’s novel, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets. Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, is the foundation of realistic literature written during the late 19th century which features several progressive undertones for broader topics such as nature versus nurture, women’s roles, and…

These associations inspired women to be creative, and from this time period, many famous female authors arose, although many wrote with a male pen name. To this day, there are missing chunks of history regarding the live’s of women before the 20th century and we know what we do from the women who wrote periodicals. Rights of Women in Canada After the Industrial Revolution Today, women still face many issues due to patriarchal standards and societal pressure, but because of the strong women in…

In Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein, the scientist, Victor Frankenstein discusses his passion for bringing to life his own creation. After Elizabeth becomes ill, and his mother passes away, Frankenstein becomes determined to find a way to bring the dead to life, and alter the cycles of life. He becomes intrigued and inspired by natural philosophy, especially the ideas of chemistry and alchemy through his studies at the University of Ingolstadt. Victor’s fascination in creating such an…

shadow. Throughout the play, Nora interacts with her husband in different ways that help her understand that she needs to find her own interests and passions, as she has lived under the expectations of society during the 19th century. While experiencing the roles of the 19th century, Nora comes to understand that she is utterly dependent of her husband Torvald, and her role of being a wife. Furthermore, in a particular scene, Torvald confronts Nora and embraces his position in society in a way…

During the mid to late 19th century, the term “Robber Baron” came into use. It was used to describe capitalist men who ran big businesses and allegedly acquired their vast fortunes from questionable and unethical business practices. The unethical practices regularly consisted of exploiting workers, including children, with low wages and long, hard hours in unacceptable working conditions; influencing government and elections, thus furthering the corruption of the government; buying out…

Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” was written in 1894 and explores the position of women within the 19th century society. An interesting aspect of this short story is that it is an early example of feminism in literature. Chopin is subtle, but very effective, in criticizing marriage and the role and position of women during the Victorian Era. The purpose of this essay is to make an approach into the mythic constructions of femininity in this Kate Chopin’s story but also to explore how the…

husband has died in a railroad disaster. The story comments on the expectation of American women to pursue marriage and motherhood instead of seeking an education and a job in late 19th century American society. Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to her husband’s death shows a contradiction of an American norm during the 19th century. Women were expected to marry and be housewives while men got an education and a job to make money for the family. Chopin challenged this social norm by writing a story that…