“There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a great competition and rivalry between the two. There is a third power stronger than both, that of the women.” (Muhammad Ali Jinnah). For years, one of the most effective ways for women to feel empowered was through literature based around strong female protagonists. Themes of empowerment are found throughout Zora Neale Hurston’s “Sweat,” Roald Dahl’s “Lamb to the Slaughter,” and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Zora Neale Hurston’s “Sweat” is the story of a young black woman who is the main provider in her household, corroborated by the quote “Mah tub of suds is filled yo' belly with vittles more times than yo' hands is filled it. Mah
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Mary Maloney begins the story as the stereotypical housewife from the time period. She cooks, cleans, and waits for her husband to get home. She eagerly waits for him to come home, demonstrated when Dahl says “Now and again she would glance up at the clock, but without anxiety, merely to please herself with the thought that each minute gone by made it nearer the time when he would come” (Dahl 1). This behavior was what was expected of a wife during this time. When Patrick Maloney announces he is leaving Mary, she panics. Using the lamb leg she had in the freezer, she strikes and kills him. This action ultimately contradicts Mary’s previous feelings toward her husband. Even Mary herself is shocked by the scene in front of her. “Lamb to the Slaughter” is not much of an empowering story when taken literally. The story of a brutal murder is not commonly known as inspirational. The story, however, does give similar sense of encouragement as “Sweat” when interpreted a specific way. While it does again end in death, the reason for the comparison is much more …show more content…
On the other hand, “Lamb to the Slaughter” was written by Roald Dahl, a man. This poses two important questions: why would a man write about women’s empowerment, and are these views still valid and respectable if they come from a man? There are an indefinite amount of responses to the first question. Every man who has ever written about empowerment has his own reason for doing so. While there are misandrists who would claim men only write about women in this way for narcissistic and patronizing reasons, society must not believe that is the case. Those who have a voice must speak for those who do not, as Roald Dahl has done. To follow the previous statement, a conception about women’s empowerment held by a man is still credible. All opinions are valid, though they may not be well-received or respected. That is why opinions are so fundamental in every aspect of human life. Ideas are necessary in order to move forward in anything from coffee brand to who becomes the leader of a
Mary Maloney begins the story as the stereotypical housewife from the time period. She cooks, cleans, and waits for her husband to get home. She eagerly waits for him to come home, demonstrated when Dahl says “Now and again she would glance up at the clock, but without anxiety, merely to please herself with the thought that each minute gone by made it nearer the time when he would come” (Dahl 1). This behavior was what was expected of a wife during this time. When Patrick Maloney announces he is leaving Mary, she panics. Using the lamb leg she had in the freezer, she strikes and kills him. This action ultimately contradicts Mary’s previous feelings toward her husband. Even Mary herself is shocked by the scene in front of her. “Lamb to the Slaughter” is not much of an empowering story when taken literally. The story of a brutal murder is not commonly known as inspirational. The story, however, does give similar sense of encouragement as “Sweat” when interpreted a specific way. While it does again end in death, the reason for the comparison is much more …show more content…
On the other hand, “Lamb to the Slaughter” was written by Roald Dahl, a man. This poses two important questions: why would a man write about women’s empowerment, and are these views still valid and respectable if they come from a man? There are an indefinite amount of responses to the first question. Every man who has ever written about empowerment has his own reason for doing so. While there are misandrists who would claim men only write about women in this way for narcissistic and patronizing reasons, society must not believe that is the case. Those who have a voice must speak for those who do not, as Roald Dahl has done. To follow the previous statement, a conception about women’s empowerment held by a man is still credible. All opinions are valid, though they may not be well-received or respected. That is why opinions are so fundamental in every aspect of human life. Ideas are necessary in order to move forward in anything from coffee brand to who becomes the leader of a