Gender Inequality In Literature

Despite being a global superpower, the United States lacks gender equality expected in such an advanced nation. Furthermore, not only do statistics show this inequality, but literature explores this phenomenon. From the era of dark romanticism in the early nineteenth century to the era of modernism in the early twentieth century, writers analyze the effects of this inequality. “The Oval Portrait” by Edgar Allen Poe is a dark romantic short story. In contrast, John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” is a modern era prose. Both authors live hard lives, evident in the mood of their works. Regardless of the distinct time periods, both writers share a common theme. In both stories, the husband and the peddler take away the happiness of the female …show more content…
Both are shown as naïve through their unawareness of the world’s cruelties. The fair wife “saw, and loved, and wedded the painter” and is “humble and obedient, and sat meekly for many weeks in the dark” (Poe). She is unaware of the danger she puts herself in when she follows her husband’s wish. As a result, her health “pined visibly to all but him” (Poe). Obvious signs of negligence take root, but she pays no heed, blinded by her love. Likewise, Elisa receives the peddler’s attention and lets her guard down and her pride inflate. The moment the peddler takes her attention off his business and on to the chrysanthemums, “the irritation and resistance melted from Elisa’s face” (Steinbeck). Her passion causes her to ignore the obvious sales pitches the peddler throws at her: changing his stance to align with hers, commenting on his cheap but quality work, bringing up his next meal. Neither the fair wife nor Elisa recognize the warning signs. Their obliviousness provides the husband and peddler with an opportunity to exploit them. Although, unlike the peddler, the husband means no malice, the effect is the same. While these two works are unrelated, the two male authors make women seem inferior through the harsh stereotypes of