Fighting For Woman Equality through Literature
The era after the civil war was a time of change for many. It was time for women to share their struggles and fight for their equality. What measures did they take to get their points across? Many female writers shared their points of views through their literature. A prime example of using this method is Mary E. Wilkins Freeman. Through Freeman’s “A New England Nun” and “The Revolt of Mother” we can dissect society views for the role women should play. Each main character share a struggle for happiness and equality while facing the judgment of society. Mary E. Wilkins Freeman was an influential regional writer. “Regionalism was a result from the desire to both preserve a record of a distinctive …show more content…
The “true woman” was one that made it her life to clean the house, tend to her husband and children, and overall be submissive to her head of household (“Women in the Civil War 1). It was during the war that women were asked to do things outside of said norm. Many became attentive to what life had to offer them outside of a household, giving them their first taste of equality. Since then woman have fought hard for equal treatment, but it wasn’t always an easy road. It was devoted woman like Mary E. Wilkins Freeman that challenged society to look past their judgments and accept the choices females made (“Women in the Civil War 2).
An example of this comes from her story “A New England Nun.” Louisa, the protagonist, has been engaged to Joe for over 15 years. Of those 15 years, Joe has spent 14 of those to make a fortune for Louisa and himself. While he was away, she has lost her brother and mother, making her accustomed to being alone. Throughout the story it is revealed that to the readers of many symbols that correlates with the theme. First there is Caesar, Louisa’s dog. Caesar has been chained up for years for biting a neighbor. Caesar is described as a hermit and a prisoner to his secluded hut (Freeman
The era after the civil war was a time of change for many. It was time for women to share their struggles and fight for their equality. What measures did they take to get their points across? Many female writers shared their points of views through their literature. A prime example of using this method is Mary E. Wilkins Freeman. Through Freeman’s “A New England Nun” and “The Revolt of Mother” we can dissect society views for the role women should play. Each main character share a struggle for happiness and equality while facing the judgment of society. Mary E. Wilkins Freeman was an influential regional writer. “Regionalism was a result from the desire to both preserve a record of a distinctive …show more content…
The “true woman” was one that made it her life to clean the house, tend to her husband and children, and overall be submissive to her head of household (“Women in the Civil War 1). It was during the war that women were asked to do things outside of said norm. Many became attentive to what life had to offer them outside of a household, giving them their first taste of equality. Since then woman have fought hard for equal treatment, but it wasn’t always an easy road. It was devoted woman like Mary E. Wilkins Freeman that challenged society to look past their judgments and accept the choices females made (“Women in the Civil War 2).
An example of this comes from her story “A New England Nun.” Louisa, the protagonist, has been engaged to Joe for over 15 years. Of those 15 years, Joe has spent 14 of those to make a fortune for Louisa and himself. While he was away, she has lost her brother and mother, making her accustomed to being alone. Throughout the story it is revealed that to the readers of many symbols that correlates with the theme. First there is Caesar, Louisa’s dog. Caesar has been chained up for years for biting a neighbor. Caesar is described as a hermit and a prisoner to his secluded hut (Freeman