Dehumanizing Thoughts of Femininity During the Civil War in Woe To Live On Women during the Civil War normally stayed at home to cook, clean, and serve men. Woodrell portrays femininity as domestic in Woe To Live On, similar to past traditions. In Sue Lee’s case, using her femininity to her advantage gains her a sense of power by taking action when Jack Bull receives a serious injury; otherwise, wives like Mrs. Daily held their power in the house. Throughout history women never received the respect they deserved. This is especially prominent during the Civil War and throughout Daniel Wodrell’s Woe To Live On. All throughout Woe To Live On, women are emotional triggers, seen as the weaker sex, not respected, and in few cases want to help fight.
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In fact, “A number of northern women experienced the war as a withdrawal of labor from their farms and their rural communities” (Giesberg 19). This only included the women who wanted fight for the cause rather than staying at home all day. Sue Lee is the perfect example of a woman who wants to help fight and is willing to work hard. Towards the end of the novel, when Black John is dying, Sue Lee tries as much as she can to try and help him, along with Jake. Although men give women no respect during the Civil War, men still feel that women need protection. At one point men want to protect women and keep them safe, “Once the courtesies were out of the way, the militia sent a hurricane of bullets to batter the house” (Woodrell 24). During this scene the women spotted in the house are let out without being shot at. As soon as the men bring the women to safety, the shooting restarts immediately. Throughout this time, men typically had more power than women. However, there are few instances when the situation changes. Since women do all the cooking and the cleaning at home, women feel as though they have more power. Mrs. Daily perfectly exemplifies this when she says, “I will not have you gettin’ drunk in my home. I am a Baptist and drunkenness is not something I tolerate” (35). Mrs. Daily’s husband, Mr. Daily, has just come home and she tells him to go clean up and he listens, giving Mrs. Daily a sense of moral
In fact, “A number of northern women experienced the war as a withdrawal of labor from their farms and their rural communities” (Giesberg 19). This only included the women who wanted fight for the cause rather than staying at home all day. Sue Lee is the perfect example of a woman who wants to help fight and is willing to work hard. Towards the end of the novel, when Black John is dying, Sue Lee tries as much as she can to try and help him, along with Jake. Although men give women no respect during the Civil War, men still feel that women need protection. At one point men want to protect women and keep them safe, “Once the courtesies were out of the way, the militia sent a hurricane of bullets to batter the house” (Woodrell 24). During this scene the women spotted in the house are let out without being shot at. As soon as the men bring the women to safety, the shooting restarts immediately. Throughout this time, men typically had more power than women. However, there are few instances when the situation changes. Since women do all the cooking and the cleaning at home, women feel as though they have more power. Mrs. Daily perfectly exemplifies this when she says, “I will not have you gettin’ drunk in my home. I am a Baptist and drunkenness is not something I tolerate” (35). Mrs. Daily’s husband, Mr. Daily, has just come home and she tells him to go clean up and he listens, giving Mrs. Daily a sense of moral