Tag: short essays

Introduction to Magical Realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…”

Gabriel Garcia Marquez presented fantasy world in his stories that is unbelievably believable such as magical realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…”. One of them involves an old man having enormous wings. Both stories seem to have events taken out of ordinary life but amalgamated with inexplicable and minute details not found in ordinary life. Just, for example, there is no such thing as a flying man nor is there such a huge person as Esteban, named by the villagers. However, such creatures have been thrown in the midst of the public just to evaluate the reaction of the general populace and see how this reaction destroys or improves their lives.

Handsomeness and Magical Realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…”

In the story “The Handsomest Man in the World”, a huge dead body appears on the shore where the children first see and gather around it. It becomes known later when the people take him to the village that not only he is extraordinarily huge, but also that there is nothing to place him such as a bad or anything else. Therefore, the villagers think that “maybe the ability to keep on growing after death was part of the nature of certain drowned men” which is not based on reality (Marquez 253). It is because there is no scientific reason behind this proposition. This amalgamation of unexpected, mysterious, and unbelievable phenomena into ordinary realities is one of the major features of magical realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…” propagated by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. 

Credulity and Magical Realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…”

In fact, this story has a very strong and almost believable story but still has some magical qualities showing magical realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…” that start emerging from the narrative throughout until the story ends on a happy note. This story, like all other pieces demonstrating magical realism, has a very strong narrative to tell. The start starts with how the children find the dead body and discover that it is a huge one. However, when the women enter the scene, even the men change their thinking about the dead body. Not only does the dead man win proper respect but also “the most splendid funeral they could conceive for an abandoned drowned man” (253-254). Although described in mythical details, every act from the purchase of flowers by the women to spreading the news to nearby villages is done accordingly. The people are engaged in other activities such as reverence shown to the strange dead body and arrangement for the final departing scene.

Conclusion

The audience and readers know that he is only a dead man and it has almost never happened. However, Garica has taken him to a mythical proportion that the natives have never imagined. His one feature leads to another and then his image starts blowing out of proportion to a mythical level where he has really become a “larger than life figure” (253-254). Although this is not all, there are several elements that resemble folk tales and dreams. After combined with the realities of life and everyday activities, they form the mainstay of magical realism as shown in this story. The village becomes a desolate place when they send him on his final journey but then he becomes a part of their life as it becomes “Esteban’s village.” This is the magic of magical realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…” that Marqust has presented in a different style.

Works Cited

Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. “The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World.” Collected Stories (1984): 253-254.

Relevant Questions Magical Realism in “The Handsomest Drowned…” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

1. How does Gabriel Garcia Marquez employ magical realism in “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” and what effects does this narrative technique have on the story’s themes and message?
2. In “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” how does the use of magical realism enhance the reader’s understanding of the villagers’ reactions to the drowned man’s arrival and transformation, and how does it shape the story’s overall meaning?
3. What are some key examples of magical realism in “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” and how do these instances blur the line between reality and fantasy while highlighting the story’s underlying commentary on human nature and community?

Introduction to Sound and Hearing in “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”

Stories “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allen Poe show the use of sound and hearing and their impact on human beings. In fact, the use of sounds is pivotal and crucial in writing, as one cannot directly show these sounds. They are rather used in corresponding vocabulary items, or through stylistic devices such as repetition which Poe has also used in both these stories. In most cases, such use is found in poems. However, Edgar Allen Poe has brought these sounds into his short stories and succeeded in creating fear and horror in his works. He exploits hearing sense to cast a spell on his readers by creating sounds that give a touch of reality to the story as well as the plot. The sounds and hearing sense have many things in common. A man is likely to hear the sounds, which he can himself create. It is also a fact that sometimes one sense is more powerful than the other. The same is the case with the teller of the story in, “The Tell-Tale Heart” (Poe, p. 761). However, the role of these senses is very important in developing a black and benighted mysterious environment in the background. The sounds in, “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado” demonstrate an unnerving atmosphere created by these sounds as well as make the atmosphere mysteriously horrible, conveying complicated psychological issues and resultant crime.

Religion and “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”

Before writing stories, Edgar Allen Poe had already preoccupied himself with the notion that religion could no more develop terror in the hearts of the public. The people also wished to see something concrete, which could be felt like something in real life – which means an unnerving and fearful atmosphere around them. Professor Calanchi (2015), a researcher from Italy writes in his research work entitled “ Searching For Sounds in U.S. Literature: A Multisensorial, Multidisciplinary Project” that the daily speeches and sermons of the clergy were no more effective in creating terror. He says that Poe’s characters have Christian backgrounds, but at the same time, they seem to have some psychological disorders. They seem ready to kill their friends and fellows, but they also talk about God. It is evident when Montresor replies to Fortunato, as he mentions, “For the love of God” and he also responds to him in the same vein (p. 768). Calanchi goes on to explain that Edgar Allen Poe intends to make the readers go into a sort of shock to create a fearful atmosphere. It is because according to Calanchi, religion has lost its significance in this background and that sounds are only used to create some sort of “uncanny atmosphere” (p. 5). Given the existing “uncanny atmosphere”, the horror overcomes the audiences and the readers alike (p. 5).  Though these sounds do not seem to have any allegorical significance, he could not find out and mention the psychological underpinnings, as these sounds create rather an eerie atmosphere in which the readers are lost, feeling horror and terror of the crime committed thereof and it is the same in both stories “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”.

Role of Sounds in “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”

While talking about the mysteriousness of any event or story, the role of sounds cannot be undermined. It is obvious these days that the majority of terror and horror films are shaped by creating an amalgamation of terror sounds. These sounds fill the audience with terror as in the movie, The Exorcist, given in the afterthought. It also is evident in Edgar Allen’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado” where the sense of hearing of the narrator, in the case of first story, becomes acute that he feels as if he is hearing various sounds and voices. The narrator of the story admits that the ailment he had, has “sharpened my senses” (Poe, p. 762). It indicates his psychological disease, which has developed hallucinations, related to the sounds and these sounds create a type of mysterious situation in his mind. John E. Reilly (1969) in his paper “The Lesser Death-Watch and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’“ declares that the source of the sound that the narrator hears is mysterious as it is not clear. In his opinion, the sound of tick-tick has eliminated the spiritual power found in his personality, creating a sort of mystery. The fact is that both the killer and the killed have the same mental conditions. He opines that such type of hearing points to “a function of the narrator’s frame of mind …[giving] rise to hyperacusis” and the ability of the brain (Reilly, 1969). Despite this, there are dark and cryptic niches in the minds, which adopt more complex shapes that the audiences are wonderstruck when they leave and this is the direction where mystery takes them to. This is what Reilly calls “ the innocuous sound of an insect becomes a measure of time” and than becomes a “homicidal frenzy”, a psychological condition, as pointed out (Reilly, 1969). 

Negativity in “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”

Basically, a man has a natural tendency for goodness but at the same time, he is likely to indulge in negative sentiments such as exacting revenge, or committing a crime as a result. It is the revenge that Montresor in “The Cask of Amontillado” imposes upon Fortunato to equal the score of vilifications. The narrator in “Tell-Tale Heart” avenges and retaliates against the elderly person as he has allegedly inflicted torture on him with the tick-tick sound coming from his heart although it is not his fault. This sound plays an important role in the committing of murder as well as the confession of the same resultant crime. Dawn B. Sova (2007), in his book, Critical Companion to Edgar Allan Poe: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, highlights this fact by saying, “The narrator is …distressed by hearing the overwhelming sound of a heartbeat”, adding that following the murder, the narrator hears this ticking sound that “leads him to confess the crime” resulted from the same sound (174). It is because of this reason that Poe has used several devices including repetition, showing different sounds used to create the impression of a psychological disorder and the eventual crimes perpetrated after that.

Conclusion

To sum up, it can be said that sounds have a great role to play in Poe’s short stories, “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”. These sounds have created and intensified the element of fear and horror in situations that apparently look simple. The murder of an elderly person by an anonymous killer is an everyday incident. In this case, Poe has also made it impressive and special with his technique of narration, description, and by the use of sounds especially the sounds of the beating of the elderly man’s heart. The revenge taken by Montresor appears to be a normal criminal incident committed by a criminal. However, the sounds heard by him and uttered by Fortunato towards the end of the story and the manner of his description make the crime horrible not only for the readers but also for the writers. Therefore, the statement that Poe exploited his poetic sense of sounds in his short stories “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”  for powerful effect cannot be declared wrong.  

Afterthought: It is the Heading Turning Scene from the movie, The Exorcist. The sounds create a specific role in making it more terrifying, specifically the shrieks of Linda Blair and Regon, and then the creaking sounds of the sliding sofa, drawers, and the bed. The sound of the Demon also makes it terrifying and then when the scene ends, the shrieks seem echoing in the mind of the audience. Had there been no sounds, this scene would not have been as shocking and terrifying as shrieks and creaking sounds have made it (Friedkin & Batty, 1973).

References

1. Blatty, W. P. & Friedkin, W. (1973). The Exorcist. United States: Warner Bros.
2. Calanchi, A. (2015). Searching For Sounds in U.S. Literature: A Multisensorial, Multidisciplinary Project. European Scientific Journal 3: 1-12.
3. Poe, E. A. (2015). The Cask of Amontillado. In C. Anne (Ed.), The Story and Its Writer (6th ed., pp. 761-767). Boston: Bed Ford/ St. Martin.
4. ———–. (2015). Tell-Tale Heart. In C. Anne (Ed.), The Story and Its Writer (6th ed., pp. 768-775). Boston: Bed Ford/ St. Martin.
5. Reilly, J. E. (2011). The Lesser Death-Watch and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart”. Retrieved from Edgar Allen Poe Society website on January 14, 2016. 
6. Sova, D. B. (2007). Critical Companion to Edgar Allan Poe: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work. New York. Infobase Publishing. 174.

Relevant Questions

1. In “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado,” how do the authors use sounds and descriptions related to hearing to create a sense of suspense and unease in their respective stories?
2. What role does the auditory sense play in the development of the main characters’ paranoia and obsession in “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”?
3. How does the use of sound and hearing in “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado” contribute to the overall atmosphere and mood of these two Edgar Allan Poe stories?

Introduction to African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…”

Modern living and the arrival of supermarkets have not only affected the general populace in the United States but also African Americans. Hence, presenting African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…” inevitably highlights the effects of the modern lifestyle on the youths of this marginal community. African American youths have had to adjust to the new realities of joblessness, new lifestyle, and new transformations in the social fabric. The main character of “The Long Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” is fully aware of these social changes and the effects of the new market mechanism. That is why he makes his appearance in the famous Third Avenue 7-11, for just Creamsicle and considers himself a hero (Alexie 3). In the same way, Sammy does leave his job just to show his heroism to the girls who do not even see what he has done. It just dawns upon him that he has nowhere to go after he leaves his job (Updike 4-5). The use of first persons in the narrative by both the characters in “A&P”, and “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” shows the assertiveness of these two young men, their behavioral frustration at stores, and their reflection over their failed lives in the material world.

First Person Narrative of African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…”

As far as the use of the first person in the narrative is concerned, it is a symbol of assertive behavior. Both African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…” are assertive. Although Sammy has a family, it is not clear whether Sherman Alexie’s boy has a family or not, but he is shown as an assertive fellow. His behavior with his girlfriend, his separation from her, and even his behavior at the store; this points to assertiveness in his character. “I wanted to whistle low and menacingly but I never learned to whistle”, he says when he is at the store with the shift manager to purchase Creamsicle (Alexie 3). Sammy, on the other hand, narrates his entire episode with the girls, his work at the store, and even his final moments with assertiveness. About the girls, he says, “I began to feel sorry for them, they couldn’t help it” (Updike 3). Both African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…” show their assertiveness almost everywhere, and it is more clear through their first-person narrative. Their assertiveness, however, is a reflection of their frustration.

Frustration of African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…”

Young people mostly felt frustrated during the 70s and 80s on account of fewer employment opportunities. The only opportunities were in the career of salesmen in the stores such as A&P and 7-11. Both African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…” “are doing jobs in an outlet of these chains of superstores. Sammy is still employed, while the boy has left long ago. The article, “How The A&P Changed The Way We Shop,” tells in detail about these supermarkets and superstores saying that the arrival of more customers made the young men more frustrated, “In a supermarket, you were likely not to know your customers,” though it sometimes happens that the world goes according to the market mechanism where morals and rules hold little importance (“How The A&P Changed The Way We Shop”). Sammy does not know what to do with Lengel when Lengel asks the girls to abide by the policy of the store that does not exist. This further adds to Sammy’s frustration. In the case of the boy in Sherman Alexie’s story, this frustration is pounded with the unrequited love that is also due to his unemployment (Alexie 5). And this unemployment is the reflection of a career failure.

 Survival of African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…”

In fact, those were very hard times, where survival without proper education and skills was not possible. Specifically, the black community lagged far behind in education and skills. The odd jobs of working in the supermarkets and the introduction of major stores further shrank the opportunities. The mother of the boy in Sherman Alexie’s story is worried about her son, “Where are you going to do with the rest of your life,” she asked him and he is frustrated as he said only “Don’t know” (Alexie 5). The same is the case with Sammy. He has said that he is going to leave the job, knowing nothing about what to do next. Although the manager, Lengel, reminds him, “I don’t think you know what you’re saying” to which he responds, “But I do” though by the end of the story, he confesses, “I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter” (Updike 5). This is a clear indication of his career failure. Both African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…” do not know what to do in their lives.

Conclusion

In short, the argument of difficulties and frustration the decades of the 70s and 80s posed to African American communities proved really very hard as two young characters of the story “A&P” and “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” show. Both African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…” show their assertiveness through first-person narrative. However, this too shows their frustration which is a reflection of their failure in the world. In other words, this community was at its wit’s end after the introduction of new shopping ways and new superstores and markets. The stories clearly show this dilemma of the African American community through the young characters who display the condition and behavioral frustration of the entire community. The story also depicts the changing times and its effects on the behavior of the youths. Although both African American characters in “A&P” & “The Long Ranger…” are specific ones, they are representative characters of a community that is feeling the heat of materialism.

Works Cited

1. Alexie, Sherman. “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.” Duke. n. d. Web. Accessed 22 Feb. 2017.
2. “ How The A&P Changed The Way We Shop.” NPR. 23 Aug. 2011. Accessed 22 Feb. 2017.
3. Updike, John. “A&P.” Brainstorm Services. n. d. Accessed 22 Feb. 2017.

Relevant Questions about African American characters in “A&P” and “The Lone Ranger…”

1. How do the African American characters in “A&P” and “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” contribute to the themes of identity and societal expectations in these stories?
2. In “A&P” and “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,” how do the African American characters navigate their roles and relationships within the predominantly white environments, and what impact does this have on the narratives?
3. What similarities and differences can be observed in the portrayal of African American characters in “A&P” and “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,” and how do these characters influence the stories’ exploration of race and culture?

Introduction

With minimum adjectives and minimum words, setting in “Hills Like White Elephants” by Hemingway captures not only the tense relations between characters, but also the spirit of the age within two and a half pages. With just two characters and a railway station in the hilly background, Hemingway has succeeded in creating a conflict that starts from the very beginning of the story and lasts until the story ends. This conflict does not end; rather, it forces the female character, whose name is Jig, to become silent and taunts the American for not being silent. It also synchronizes with the barren setting of the countryside where the story is set. Therefore, in a way, Hemingway in “Hills Like White Elephants, has put the girl in a conflicting situation to make a difficult decision following which she is engaged in a deep introspection regarding the likely consequences amid this barren setting where the train is to take them to the other world.

Lost Generation and Setting in “Hills Like White Elephants”

The story seems to be written after WWI when money, sex, and lawlessness created a new generation, or the lost generation as John Steinbeck called it. This generation was not only rootless but also moral-less, having nothing to live, no purpose to live and nobody to live with (Sanchez). The American seems to be representing this lost generation, for he has no name, no place to go by, and nothing to live by – the reason that the girl is pleading with him not to leave her.  This puts the girl in a dilemma, as he poses her two choices – to either go for abortion or to let him leave her. It is clear from this when the American puts forward the proposal before her that “it’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig” (Hemingway 75), she stays silent. He repeats and promises her, “I’ll stay with you all the time” to which she responds “Then what will do afterward?” based on which she is to make this decision (75). Now the onus of the decision is upon her that was the hallmark of the lost generation in that they shirked the responsibilities like the American here. This forced acceptance leads her to a critical point of decision-making within in this minimal setting in “Hills Like White Elephants”.

Jig and Setting in “Hills Like White Elephant”

Jig is, then, lost in introspection about whether to consent to him and whether consenting to his suggestion would not lead to having him with her or not. These likely consequences make her meditate on her future despite his repeated assurances that he would be with him through think and think. She thinks about whether her decision to undergo this operation would be really long-term relations that she doubts because when he promises her again, she says that “I don’t feel any way” (76), adding, “I just know things” by which she means that she knows he will leave her (76). It is because she has never called him even once by his name. In the entire story, he is a nameless character, the American, who could go anywhere at any time, having no responsibility and no accountability. That is why she is lost in introspection over the likely consequences that could be against her. This is shown by her chagrined response to his assurances when she says, “Would you please please please please please please please please stop talking?” and Hemingway notes that “he did not say anything” because he has nothing else to say (77). Both of them know this reality because their surrounding or setting in “Hills Like White Elephants” is telling them.

Barren Setting in “Hills Like White Elephants”

This surrounding is their setting that is totally devoid of greenery, shade, and even grass that typically grows at any place. The setting of any story sets the moods of the characters, showing how they are going to behave and what they will have in the future. Both of the characters, the American and the girl are sitting amid the barren setting. This setting is a symbol of the futility of the conversation, infertility, and sterility. On the side where they were sitting there “was no shade and no trees” while the hills were “white in the sun and the country was brown and dry” where nothing grow (75). This shows that the attempt of the American to convince the girl may succeed but the relationship is infertile like the landscape. She would not succeed in having the American with her all the time is the case here. His claims that he would stand by her all the time are just based on this topical assumption that she would undergo surgery and they will be fine like before. But it is unclear whether they have been meeting for how many years. That is why the setting in “Hills Like White Elephants” only adds to the infertility of the situation.

Conclusion

In short, not only the dialog but also the situation of the characters add tension to the conflict existing between both characters. Hemingway has not wasted more words in showing it and showing the setting. He has mentioned abortion or operation only once which makes the entire situation clear. Then the setting in “Hills Like White Elephants” adds further to this bitter relationship between the girl and the American where they feel the futility of their meeting and conversation – the reason that the girl has to insist on the American’s silence. They have nothing to do at this railway station but only wait which seems to them reasonable because they cannot do anything else.

Works Cited

1. Hemingway, Earnest. “Hills Like White Elephants.” Mays. Kelly J. et al. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 8^th Ed. Norton. New York. 2002. Print. 75-78.
2. Sanchez, Salina. “The Lost Generation.” CCHS News Quest. n. d. Web. Accessed 16 July. 2015.

Relevant Questions about the Setting in “Hills Like White Elephant”

1. How does the setting in “Hills Like White Elephants” by Hemingway contribute to the overall atmosphere and tone of the story?
2. In “Hills Like White Elephants” by Hemingway, how does the setting play a symbolic role in conveying the underlying tension between the characters?
3. What specific details in the setting of “Hills Like White Elephants” by Hemingway help to emphasize the theme and central conflict of the story?

Introduction to Freedom in “The Story of an Hour”

Women’s freedom in “The Story of an Hour” is a hot debate. It is also surprising that Kate Chopin who was surrounded by female characters more than the male members of her family in her entire life has come up with such a strong character in her fiction. Due to presentation of Mrs. Louise Mallard has been termed a strong feminist of the 19^th century. Peggy Skaggs states this fact in her book about her that Kate Chopin was in the middle of female characters – the reason that she has projected feminism and freedom in “The Story of an Hour” and other stories. However, the calm attitude that she has inherited from her father could not find a trace in her short stories (Skaggs 17). Although the character of Mrs. Louise could hardly prompt the critics to label Kate Chopin a forerunner American woman feminist, it has some traces of independence, freedom, and desire for unshackling the patriarchal domination, that “The Story of an Hour” seems Chopin’s first attempt to project feminism (Skaggs 17).

Feminism and Women’s Freedom in “The Story of an Hour”

In fact, feminism could be traced back to Nathaniel Hawthorne, who has projected feministic characters in his short stories and novel, The Scarlet Letter, as stated by Nina Baym in her book, Feminism and American Literary History: Essays (36). As far as the theory of feminism is concerned, if the criterion is to project female characters, it goes as far back as the Greek and Roman civilizations. However, in American literature, it emerges mostly in the fiction of Nathaniel Hawthorne, but the term itself needs a clear definition before debating the story in the light of this literary theory. Where the feminism term is concerned, the online Merriam- Webster Dictionary claims that it was first used in 1895 by some anonymous critic, as “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” asserting women ‘s rights and interests (“Feminism”). This explains that feminism is a movement in literature, politics, or society. It asserts that women should have rights equal to men. In this connection, Mary Eagleton explains in her book, Feminist Literary Criticism, that the objective of feminist theory in literature is to appreciate and explain a piece of fiction or poetry regarding its role in projecting female characters and female rights (63). It becomes clear that women’s freedom in “The Story of an Hour” means projecting Mrs. Louise as having faced oppression in her marriage bond with her husband that following his death she sees it an opportunity to shed his domination. For example, when, “She arose … and opened the door to her”, this rising and opening the door suggests suggest that she is rather thinking of her sister as prodding her about her past life that she wants to forget (Chopin pr. 20). Her movement here is the projection of a female assertion Kate Chopin demonstrates everywhere in this story. In fact, freedom in “The Story of an Hour,” presents the issues of the oppressive bond of marriage, unspoken patriarchal domination, social traditions, and some other social barriers as the major reasons for the feminine desire for independence and freedom though some signs of postmodern feminism could also be traced.  

Marriage Bond and Freedom in “The Story of an Hour”

Where the presentation of the bond of marriage in “The Story of an Hour” is concerned, it is not very much clear from the story. Her presentation of the life of Brently and Mrs. Louise rather shows that Kate Chopin has a very traditional view of marriage. However, the lines in the story, “She was young, with fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression” clarifies the “repression” of marriage, as the word “repression” is highly suggestive of this fact (Chopin pr. 8). She has certainly gone through the repression of marriage in the story, though Chopin is showing her here as a loving and loyal wife. The next hint about the bond of marriage as oppressive comes when Mrs. Louise confesses that although “she had loved him – sometimes. Often she had not” (pr. 15). It means that there have been times in her marriage when she had felt that she did not love Brently. In this connection, Robert Evans has commented on this fact in “Literary Contexts in Short Stories: Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of An Hour.’” He argues, “The essential honesty of the story (often a trait of Chopin’s best writing) continues when Louise concedes that although she had usually loved Brently, often she had not. Her feelings for Brently, however, suddenly seem less important than the prospect of her bright future of freedom” (Robert). By this, he means that Mrs. Louise has realized that she can live without her husband, and now she finds the opportunity for her to assert her being after his death. Therefore, she suddenly becomes happy. That is why a prodding from any other person to alert her to come out of her pleasurable stupor, even from her sister, seems her an anathema. It is because she is enjoying this freedom from the bond of oppressive marriage. And it is clear from her silent utterance of free and enjoyment of nature outside the window which show freedom in “The Story of an Hour”.

Mrs. Louis Mallard and Freedom in “The Story of an Hour”

Another evidence, in this connection, is her “wild abandonment” regarding the significance of the event, which has taken place in her life (Chopin pr. 3). This significant event is the death of her husband, Brently. Abandonment shows that she has not guessed the significance, while her initial response is just emotional. This realization of the fact of her husband’s death shows that one hour is not enough to fully realize the significance of the death of Brently. However, thes time is enough to make a person feel about his / her own self and the surroundings as Selina Jamil suggests in her paper, “Emotions in THE STORY OF AN HOUR.” She argues that to “simply observe the world through one’s rational faculty is nowhere near as powerful as observing with the vibrant, vigorous, acute and heightened awareness that emotions make it possible” (220). She fully realizes her emotional response at this point that she is now in her own self. The fact is that she has found the bond of marriage unshackled before her at this point. She realizes her independence, she might never have realized in the presence of her husband, which is quite natural here. The reason is that she would not have the opportunity to respond to the natural events taking place around her such as the tops of the trees quivering, the breath of the fresh rain, the crying of the peddler, the distance song, and the patches of the blue sky (Chopin pr. 5-6). Her emotional response to these natural happenings shows that she has become aware while the oppressed bond of marriage, at times when she did not love her husband, has not allowed her to look into these happenings.

Patriarchy and Freedom in “The Story of an Hour”

Also, the domination of the male members in society was perhaps imperceptible at that time. In this connection, the final scene of the appearance of Brently at the doorstep is critical but Mark Cunningham states referring to most of the critics as having commented on its patriarchal impact on the feminine psyche, as an assumption, for there is no other evidence, he claims, to suggest that it is really the return of the patriarchal domination that causes her death. However, he argues that “the story portrays the position of women in late nineteenth-century American society as so bleak that the attempt to break from the life-denying limitations of patriarchal society is itself destructive” (49). This fact of a patriarchal society clarifies that all limitations and avenues of the society were the subjects of the male members. Had she done any other attempt to come out of this, she might have harmed herself. Therefore, it is important to assume that at that time patriarchal domination was strong that breaking the limitation of having no husband and enjoying alone in one’s room, for a married woman, seems an impossibility which when broken could have taken the life of Louise Brently. In other words, when she sees Brently by the end of the story, she realizes that she has not found the fulfillment that she has just realized in his supposed permanent absence.

Another point is the position, which the patriarchal social setup of that time offers to women. Women were subservient to men in every respect. Louise Mallard is not shown as a working lady. Brently Mallard is working in the railway, a point that cannot be missed in that he is the breadwinner of the family and obviously has a big say in the family affairs due to his position. The fact that she is financially and socially subservient to him shows that it definitely has degraded her position. This is the cause of the oppression that she suffered in this marriage bond that she has been left to play second fiddle to Brently, though she is not habitual of being subservient as she ordered her sister Josephine to “Go, away” adding, “I am not making myself ill” (pr. 18). She wants to realize her being by staying alone. However, she does not know that the independence from the male domination that she has won naturally may not live long. This independence could be limited and isolated, as Mark Cunningham argues that, “her position would be defined as that of a widow, so any current freedom is based on her relation to the past” and not the present (57). What he means is that this patriarchal domination is so complete and overwhelming that a woman cannot shed off these shackles of her own will. She has to stay within these limits set by men even after the death of a husband. Even the future freedom of women is dependent on the role and attitudes of men, for they have the final say in the affairs of widows whether they are to stay at home or not.

As far as social traditions with reference to freedom in “The Story of an Hour” are concerned, there are no obvious references to these traditions except when there is an opportunity to inform the lady in question. There could be a tradition that the widow should be informed by her sister, the reason that Josephine comes to her. But it is the industrial age when traditions were changing fast. For example, there is no connection between Richards and Josephine, for no relation is clear in the story about them. However, their arrival together shows that society has come to the point where an unfamiliar male could meet an unfamiliar female. Another importance of social tradition is the change that industry is bringing. The railway has brought this change that now accidents are common. Mourning has taken place before the arrival of the dead body and the widow has assumed that she is now free and independent. She is experiencing the arrival of this freedom in her body, “There was something come to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully” where the word “fearfully” is highly suggestive, for it tells that she has already harbored such ambitions in her heart (pr. 9). It could be no other than freedom from the social traditions. In fact, it is a woman’s failure to follow the tradition of keeping herself confined within the limits of mourning instead of shedding these limits so fast.

Social Norms and Freedom in “The Story of an Hour”

Another side of the traditions is that men create them. The story does not mention that she has not followed them, but the arrival of her sister and the friend of her husband shows that she is a traditional woman, as she cannot go out now to get the information by herself. In this connection, the comments of Mark Cunningham are very important. He is of the view that social traditions create social systems, and it is a sorry affair that “women have been unable to create a system of their own” adding that, “The female self will have gained autonomy only to find that she has no life to lead” (53). In this connection, he means that women would lead their autonomous lives only if they are able to create their own system. Regarding freedom in “The Story of an Hour”, Mrs. Louise Mallard fails to create her own system. She is only feeling the joy of being independent in her dreams. And the problem is that dreams seldom become realities. They often stay dreams. There was “Someone…opening the front door with a latchkey” (pr. 24). That someone is always a man, which means that wherever Louise may go, she would have to face the men who have created every system, including norms of consolation over a loss, conveying of a message or not conveying, and homecoming, as Brently comes at the end and causes her death.

Despite all these barriers women’s desire for independence is always alive. It is a continuous struggle from which she cannot shy away curbing her freedom in”The Story of an Hour”. Whatever the situation at home may be, every woman vies for freedom, autonomy, and independence. Although reasons for her failure are always there, the desire for independence and freedom never dies. However, there is a slight difference in independence and freedom in “The Story of an Hour”. Independence means that she is able to think, act and do whatever she wants in the total absence of a patriarchal world. However, freedom means a partly free world where a man can step in at any moment. In the case of Louise Mallard, she is just feeling freedom. The passage clarifies that she has shown that sometimes she loved her husband but sometimes not. The passage ends with the word “free” where she says “Body and soul free”, a transitory feeling of freedom, but of course no independence (Chopin pr. 6). However, Scott Johnson has termed the implicit meanings as dependence, freedom, indifference, love and several others saying that such dual structure exists throughout the story, not clearly saying that this is freedom or independence (285). Although it is clear that she wants freedom for her soul as well as body, it is unclear that this is akin to independence which means a permanent state of freedom where she has the will to come and go anywhere. Yet, the turning of the latchkey at the end of the story suggests that something is coming to shackle her again which leads to her death. This means that even if freedom is transitory, it means a lot to her.

However, as far as independence is concerned, it is also one of the several themes of the stories, but not the whole theme. She is seeing something in the long run, as the “patches of the blue sky” suggest (Chopin pr. 6). In fact, the blue sky suggests a distance, and distance means that she has a long life ahead of her to live. Her demonstration of relief shows this fact. The fact is that when a person is happy, he does wild things such as “When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips”, which shows that earlier she was restricted to some area from where she is now free (pr. 13). Also, it is clear from this passage that she loves her husband and that whenever she has the chance to see his dead body again, she would weep again. Therefore, it is also a sign that she is seeing her independence from something oppressive, and this is long-term independence as is clear from the story, “But she saw beyond the bitter moment a long process of years to come that would belong to her absolutely” (pr. 13). The sense of possession makes a person desire or not desire something. Even time is on her side, and the long years of her life seem that they are just in her possession.

All these qualities of feminine desire for freedom in “The Story of an Hour” about soul and body, the wish to come out of the patriarchal dominance, and the want to remove social and other barriers have made the story a representative story of feminism. Yet, there is more to tell besides the freedom and independence of women. The article about the collection of different responses, “Appendix: Applications: Diverse Responses to Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” shows different facets of modern and post-modern feminism which include self, gender, power of sexuality, and recognition. Quoting Kathleen B. Durrer, the article says that the physical tiredness of Mrs. Mallard is an evidence that she has gone through a lifelong battle in her mind. The article further says that she is going through a conflict between “the id, the ego, and the superego” adding that “she has led a sexually repressed life” and that “Her reaction to her husband’s death may imply that marriage did not abound in sexual passion” (276). Kathleen Durrer even goes too far in saying that the death of her husband even “touched off an internal battle in her unconscious mind”, adding that her id might have been enjoying this pleasure of Brently’s death that her superego could have been appalled. Therefore, there is a possibility that her ego could have attempted to mediate between the two (277). But there is not much evidence in the text in this connection to show that there is a such mental conflict going on in her mind.

However, as far as the modern sign of sexuality is concerned, some terms suggest that it is present showing freedom in “The Story of an Hour”. In this connection, the article, “Appendix: Applications: Diverse Responses to Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” quotes a Freudian Barbara Larson who suggests that almost all the words associated with Mrs. Louise Mallard are suggestive of feminine sexuality, “especially, “sank”, “pressed down”, “her body”, “reached into her soul”, and “physical exhaustion.” (277). She adds that this “is passive and implies domination” by which she means patriarchal domination, an entirely contradictory approach of modern feminism (277). The article quotes two other Freudians, Lara Bridger, and Geni Williams respectively that it could be a violent “release of primal energy” after long repression of married life, and that it seems that “the adrenaline has stopped pumping through her body and exhaustion has sent in”(277). Whatever interpretation modern feminists may offer; the truth is that the text does not offer much evidence in this connection except for some words or phrases though some ambiguity could support this aspect of the story that these interpretations might be true.

Conclusion

In short, women’s freedom in “The Story of an Hour” has been much more advanced than the actual age in which it was written. If compared with that age, it is clearly a feminist approach of a female writer who might have wished to win freedom though she lived most of her life in an environment dominated by females, a contradiction often found in writers. The signs of feminism are clear from the character of Mrs. Mallard who not only expresses a sudden release of emotions as she expresses a newly won sense of freedom feeling that now long life is ahead for her to enjoy. She also is enjoying this freedom from the unspoken domination of the male setup where men have created systems for women to stay subservient to them. This she has experienced when Richards comes to inform her about the death of her husband though Josephine is with him. The presence of a male member is necessary.

There is also a sign of freedom in “The Story of an Hour” from social traditions and other social norms such as the presence of Richards, the moving of a latchkey in the hole in the door, and the way she is told about the death of her husband. This leads the story to show having all the qualities of feminism. Along with it, some critics have also traced some postmodern feministic aspects of having mental conflict between her id and ego and superego and even release of repressed sexuality in the form of jubilation that she expresses on the death of Brently. Some have gone too far in interpretations suggesting that it could be that her repressed sexual passions became free after the death of her husband or that she must have led a repressed sexual life, but these claims find not much support from the text itself. In fact, all these interpretations require much textual support which in these cases comprises only some words and single phrases and not much. Other than this, all other qualities of propagating or showing women’s repression from conjugal life, male domination, social setup, and social traditions against feminism are very much present with full-textual support. One thing is certain that “The Story of an Hour” started a feminist movement at that time when it was considered almost a taboo, and no any female writer has touched these aspects of women’s lives in such a vigorous way as Kate Chopin has done.

Works Cited

1. “Appendix: Applications: Diverse Responses to Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour.” Short Fiction: A Critical Companion (1997): 271-295. Humanities Source. Web. Accessed 30 May 2016.
2. Baym, Nina. Feminism and American Literary History: Essays. New Jersey. Rutgers University Press. 1992. Print. pp. 35-36.
3. Cunningham, Mark. “The Autonomous Female Self and The Death of Louise Mallard in Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour’.” English Language Notes 42.1 (2004): 48-55. Humanities Source. Web. Accessed 30 May 2016.
4. Eagleton, Mary. Feminist Literary Criticism. New York.Taylor & Francis, 2014. Print. pp. 63.
5. Evans, Robert C. “Literary Contexts in Short Stories: Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour.” Literary Contexts in Short Stories: Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour’ (2006): 1. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. Accessed 30 May 2016.
6.  “Feminism.” Merriam-Webster Online. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 30 May 2016.
7. Jamil, S. Selina. “Emotions In the Story Of An Hour.” Explicator 67.3 (2009): 215. MasterFILE Premier. Web. Accessed 30 May 2016.
8.  Skaggs, Peggy. Kate Chopin. The University of Michigan. Twayne Publishers. 1985. Print.

Relevant Questions about Freedom in “The Story of an Hour”

1. How does the theme of freedom in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin reflect the protagonist’s inner desires and the constraints of her time?
2. In what ways does Kate Chopin use the concept of freedom in “The Story of an Hour” to convey a feminist message about women’s roles in society during the late 19th century?
3. Can the concept of freedom in “The Story of an Hour” be seen as a symbol of liberation from societal expectations, and how does it contribute to the story’s overall message about gender and autonomy?

Introduction to Feminism in Argentina

Although feminism in Argentina in the political landscape is not a new term, in the Latin American context and specifically with reference to literature and politics in Argentina, feminism found rich soil and rich minds during the Peron era and military rule of the decade of the 80s and 90s. It is because the educational landscape in Argentina fully supported the rise of political as well as literary feminism. However, the rise of Eva Peron changed the entire feminist landscape in the decade of the 40s. Working as an actress in the Argentinian film industry, Eva Peron joined politics following her marriage to a colonel, Juan Peron, in 1945. The next year, Juan Peron became the president following which Peron’s influence in the country’s politics increased manifolds. She believed in women’s suffrage and gender equality for which she started moving government resources, and for this purpose, she unofficially supported improvements in the health and labor ministries. Marifran Carlosn (2005) describes her as “ruthless and clever, had captured the imaginations of these women”, for she was popular due to her skillful oratory that the poor citizens almost adored her (190). Although she left the landscape following her failed health and dissidence within Argentinian politics, her work for feminism has left its indelible imprint on the minds of girls who were in schools and universities at that time. This situation did not last long, as she left the scene in 1952, but her impact continued making ripples until dictatorship was imposed in 1976. The propaganda and repression continued to give secondary roles to women, but the atmosphere turned hostile to this repression. The incident of fourteen women marching into the Plaza de Mayo in the capital regarding the forced disappearance of their children led to a mass movement called “Madres”, which continued making headlines in local and international media outlets. This minor movement which was left on its own, soon developed into a social movement, picking up momentum until the military junta realized the force behind it, but it was too late. During this time, several ideologues and leftist revolutionaries contributed to the change and democracy but repression increased. The ultimate victims were the poor and the innocents. The impacts of this repression were witnessed more on women, as women became consciously engaged in opposing the military junta. Gwendolyn Diaz (2007), an authority on feminism in Argentina, is of the view that this Dirty War led to more than 30,000 missing persons which “fueled the creative minds of the women authors who chose to write about the power struggles in politics and their effects on society” (3). The short stories written following this period reflect feministic trends of feminism in Argentina and impacts of the past struggles. “Red Summer” by Liliana Heer”, “The Blond Madonna” by Alicia Dujovne Ortiz, and “Combatant Love” by Tununa Mercado demonstrate the effects of man’s dominance and woman’s status, including the spirit of rebellion against the past generation, marginalization of female voice and willful subjugation.

Liliana Heer and Feminism in Argentina

The past sets the directions for the present and the future struggle. Feminism in Argentina and voices to support it emerge from the new generation as well as the expression of sexist situations about the status of women in the struggle. Liliana Heer has consciously made efforts to show feminism in Argentina and this empowerment through her story “Red Summer” in which the mother supposes her daughter to follow her on her path to committing suicide. It is perhaps a hint of desperation in which a mother finds death the only salvation from the repression. However, the daughter does not follow the mother and rebels against her, leaving her to explore the world. This is the first voice that she has given to the females of her age; empowerment, intellectual courage, honesty, and above all the will to love and be loved. However, this is a post-modern view as the daughter makes it clear that her “vision of the events is surreal” (174). In fact, the entire story is woven into images as Lillian has written it in cinematic technique on account of her experience with movies. Although true to her own powerful nature, she does not divulge questions about this story as having autobiographical questions, but then she calls “most of the story fiction” a hint to her powerful creative power and the situation prevalent at that time (171). This is perhaps the wave of feminism in Argentina. Moreover, Tununa Mercado has highlighted this fictional character of feminism in her short allegory-type of the story “Combatant Love”, which does not have real characters. However, this story is written in battle imagery in which the woman is the ultimate vanquished territory, while the male is portrayed as an invader. Although implicit meanings are clearly in favor of male chauvinism, this combatant nature of the story ends it. It is clear as the story shows that “The combatant is all alone” where it is a lesson that even if the invader is hell-bent on showing no love, still the vanquished ‘woman’ can see that he is all alone, where there is hope for recovery and ultimate empowerment (134). She herself states it during her interview with Diaz that “Only seldom is love described as a relationship between equals” that she is implicitly showing male domination in the story (141).

Non-conformity of Feminism in Argentina

Another point of consciousness is the rebellion against the former generation. In fact, this is the consciousness due to the education and awareness left by Eva Peron, as several writers emerged after her during the military rule. “Red Summer” shows this amply when the daughter does not conform to what her mother has persuaded her for. She leaves her, but at the same time makes her own argument rebelling against her mother’s proposition that only suicide is the solution to problems. She is of the view that the girl has left her mother “alone to explore the town” (171). This is a sort of rebellion that she says appears in her story. However, this is an intellectual rebellion that the reference to the Danube, Neitzsche as a spiritual guide, and the slogan of “Live dangerously to the end” are suggestive of this (174).  Alicia Dujovne Ortiz has debated the same point during her interview, saying that though she owes a great deal of her intellectual development to her parents, she has developed her own personality after engaging in writing about familiar and unfamiliar things including a biography of icons such as Eva Peron. About Eva, she writes in “The Blond Madonna” that when she becomes aware of her beauty, she lets it blossom, and takes hold of everything that comes on her way. This is a tribute to Eva in that she is posing her as a rebel who rebelled against the previous generation where “she so longed to live” (156).  This is actually rebellion though it comes at a price they have to pay.

Marginalization of Women and Feminism in Argentina

The other thing projected in both Ortiz as well as Liliana Heer is the marginalization of women as well as their willful subjugation. Although this is not much clear in “Combatant Love”, it is somewhat implicitly stated by Mercado through battle and combatant imagery of male sexual violence devoid of love. Pointing to the male domination in “Combatant Love”, she clearly hints at the undefeated and dominating male sexual obsession, saying “the combatant does not concede” and this “combatant love yearns to leave a mark” (132). It is a hint of the awareness of the feminine marginality against this sexual attack. Ortiz also shows this in her stories and biography of Eva Peron. By the end of the excerpt from her book, The Blond Madonna, she says that Eva “would often say, laughing, “I am a repentant brunette” a veiled hint that she has been marginalized in the male-dominated political arena, though Oritz states that it was said as a joke. But it “remind us of Mary Magdalene” (157). Oritz has also stated it in her interview saying that Eva Peron has put her husband to the task that she wanted to do, as she “had always felt anger for being poor, marginalized, and ignored” (154). In fact, this marginalization of women has come into the foray in the writings of Lillian Heer and Ortiz regarding the emergence of feminism in Argentina.

In short, these three writers have not only reflected the conscious awakenings of the female voices, but also the conscious efforts of the Argentinian women to come out of the stupor that lasted for a decade and make efforts to realize their voices. All three stories “Red Summer”, the excerpt from “The Blond Madonna” and “Combatant Love” show that male domination has played havoc with the female blossoming that Eva has prompted through her struggle. And this shows the emergence of feminism in Argentina, specifically in short stories. These stories also highlight the status of Argentinian women, their spirit to rebel against the past generation’s thinking and ideas to bear insults, and their wilful subjugation as their repressive marginalization by male dominance.

Works Cited

1. Carlson, Marifran.  Feminismo: The Woman’s Movement in Argentina. Chicago Review Press. 2005. Print. 190-191.
2. Diaz, Gwendolyn. “Introduction.” Ed. Gwendolyn Diaz. Women and Power in Argentine Literature. University of Texas Press, 2007. 1-10.
3. Fields, Shawn. “Alicia Dujovne Ortiz”. Ed. Gwendolyn Diaz.  Women and Power in Argentine Literature. University of Texas Press, 2007. 141–160.
4. Fradinger, Moira. “Liliana Heer”. Ed. Gwendolyn Diaz. Women and Power in Argentine Literature. University of Texas Press, 2007. 161–182.
5. Kahn, Peter. “Tununa Mercado”. Ed. Gwendolyn Diaz. Women and Power in Argentine Literature. University of Texas Press, 2007. 121–140.

Relevant Questions about Feminism in Argentina

1. How has feminism in Argentina influenced the narratives and themes explored in contemporary short stories, and what are some notable examples of this influence?
2. In what ways have short stories contributed to the ongoing dialogue surrounding feminism in Argentina, and how do authors use their storytelling to address key feminist issues in the country?
3. Could you provide insights into the evolution of feminism in Argentina as depicted in short stories over the years, highlighting any significant shifts in perspectives, voices, or approaches within the literary realm?

Introduction to Feminism in “The Story of an Hour”

When the movement for women’s rights picked up momentum around a century ago with the short story by Kate Chopin, feminism in “The Story of an Hour” was never envisaged. It was also never envisaged that statistics in 2016 would defy the claims of feminists later. The natural inclination of Louise Mallard regarding feminism in “The Story of an Hour” would prove just an illusory mental urge – a point not considered by the later supporters of equal women’s rights. In fact, the controversy was there at that time, but the movement for the equality of women just rose and reached its peak during the next two decades in such a ferocious manner that unrestricted liberty and equality in everything became a much-touted slogan. The women hardly felt that they were naturally made different from men. Their mothers infuse in them an idea that they are different, as Sheryl Sandberg claims in her article, “Why I Want Women to Lean In” when she says, “Women internalize the negative message we get throughout our lives” (471). The message is that they are inferior to men in certain ways and that they should stay submissive before them. This becomes a permanent habit not only in educational careers but also in domestic and professional life. Sheryl Sandberg and Phyllis Schlafly both argue that women themselves are responsible for staying in the background in the professional and financial field on account of their natural, psychological, and professional differences from men, which could be removed only when women start demonstrating their abilities.

Differences Among Genders

As far as natural differences are concerned, they have existed since childhood and it is clear a cursory analysis of feminism in “The Story of an Hour”. Although Sheryl Sandberg does not mention any childhood teaching or learning experiences of how women internalize that they are not superior to men, she mentions that the moment a girl comes into this world, she faces a different treatment. This different treatment internalizes a negative attitude in her that she should not be “outspoken, aggressive and more powerful than men – and pull back when she should lean in”, which demonstrates that women have the feeling imbibed in them that they are not superior to men (Sandberg 471). This goes with them when they enter their professional life. Phyllis Schlafly also points out the same thing saying that when it comes to higher pay for men or better to say lower pay for women, the reason is “the choice women make in their personal lives, such as having children” or the preference to raise a family go with them in their paychecks, too (Schlafly 467). She, then, explains it by saying, “Women with children earn less, but childless women earn about the same as men” but, of course, the problem is that hardly any woman wants to lag behind in performing this natural responsibility of begetting children (467). Therefore, this is natural that they prefer their children and then family – the reason that they lag behind men in earning more. However, this is not the only difference, there is also a psychological difference that is also clear when reading feminism in “The Story of an Hour”.

Psychological Differences Among Genders

The psychological difference is that women like to work fewer hours than men, as they are physically weak, like to stay safe and neat, and favors a pleasant atmosphere when they start working. However, compared to them, men like to work more to earn more for their families. Phyllis Schlafly points it out in her article, “Facts and Fallacies about Paycheck Fairness” arguing while referring to the Bureau of Labor Statistics that “men are twice as likely as women to work more than 40 hours a week” which is a psychological issue, for she adds, a man often “works longer hours to maximize his earnings” if he is supporting his family at mid-career (467). This is a psychological reason for both. Another psychological reason she mentions is women’s preference for a partner earning higher than them. Sandberg points out the same issue by referring to a Princeton survey, which states that around “62% of women … anticipated work/family conflict”, while this ratio for men was just 33% (Sandberg 472). This means it is a psychological fact that women are ready to sacrifice their career for the family. One more reason is that as women are psychologically not ready to sacrifice family, or whenever they are going to have children, they do it much earlier than they are required. Sandberg accepts that these “sacrifices and hardship are not choice but a necessity”, saying they are psychologically accepting this, as it is due for them to render sacrifices (473). Yet, it is quite interesting to note that feminism in “The Story of an Hour” is perhaps the first streak of this feminism. However, there could also be professional differences.

Think of Men and Feminism in “The Story of an Hour”

It is because men think differently in the professional field, while women think differently. Although it has something to do with psychology, it, too, is a professional difference. For example, men mostly prefer working hard when they are supporting family, stay in dirty places, do not avoid meeting bad people, and take the courage to step where angels fear to tread as compared to women. The women, on the other hand, she says, “spend fewer years as full-time workers outside the home, avoid jobs that require overtime and choose jobs with flexibility to take time off for personal reasons”, which are hardly personal for they cannot become professional (Schlafly 467). Schlafly wants to say that these occasional breaks do not make a person professional, whether they are men or women. Another difference is pointed out by Sheryl Sandberg who states that “success and likeability are positively correlated for men” by which she means that if you put a professionally successful woman side by side a professionally successful man, the woman will feel the difference in attitude towards her (473). This is a professional difference that they can remove by, she suggests, “changing attitudes today” (473). One more difference Sandberg states is that although men work very hard, as Schlafly, too, points out, it is that women either do not do a task or do it perfectly. This is again against the professional norms, for a professional becomes a professional only with practice and commitment and then does perfectly by the end of his career or after some time, not from the very first day. However, there are several counterarguments both of them have presented.

Feminism in “The Story of an Hour”

The first one is that women are leading men in the educational field, which makes it clear that if women prefer to choose the professional field, they can make men follow them. Schlafly has stated it in the case of childless women who earn equal to their male counterparts (467). Secondly, women can also learn to balance their lives and careers as men do by removing occasional long breaks from their careers and by removing hesitation of doing perfect or not doing, or by keeping family and work life balanced Sandberg argues. She adds that it is proved now that moms of this time do spend the same amount of time with their children, as moms of the 80s (473). Sandberg also suggests to change the attitude to make men think about women differently. In the same way, Schlafly also argues that men’s pay has rather “stagnated”, which means that now women would not be marrying those men. Therefore, to keep marriages intact, this pay gap must remain the same that is men should have higher pay than women. This also means that they are defying their own arguments, which is not the case. In fact, they are vying for equality that does not seem to fill the natural and psychological gap, though both of these differences contribute to widening the professional difference.

Conclusion

In short, the argument that men are naturally built to work outside of the home, while women are naturally built to do domestic chores is valid but to some extent and not always. There are several women such as Sheryl Sandberg who have made phenomenal success in professional life, defying the law of gravity that women are not built for work outside of the home. However, this depends on how women are able to keep a balance between work and family which is a very difficult decision and women are not made to make such tough decisions, as she points out, too. However, when women are able to make such decisions, they succeed in life and overcome several obstacles. When this happens, it means that they are becoming equal to men – leaders in the commercial world and not just female leaders. Perhaps, Schlafly is also suggesting that the effort to make women and men at par in terms of financial earnings is the very reason that marriages are failing and becoming unstable. But then these prices are worth the pay if a woman has to achieve prominence.

Works Cited

1. Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” AB Longman. n. d. Accessed Web. 22 Apr. 2016.
2. Sandberg, Sheryl. “Why I Want Women to Lean In. “Breeze, William et al. The Engaged Reader. VAN-ORINER. 2015. pp. 471-474.
3. Schlafly, Phyllis. “Faces and Fallacies about Paycheck Fairness.” Breeze, William et al. The Engaged Reader. VAN-ORINER. 2015. pp. 467-471.

Relevant Questions about Feminism in “The Story of an Hour”

1. How does Kate Chopin’s portrayal of feminism in “The Story of an Hour” offer insights into the protagonist’s emotional journey and her response to the confines of a patriarchal society?
2. In what ways does “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin exemplify feminist perspectives, particularly through its depiction of the protagonist’s awakening to her own desires and autonomy?
3. How is the concept of feminism conveyed in “The Story of an Hour,” and how does the story’s narrative trajectory highlight the complexities of women’s roles and expectations in the late 19th century?

Introduction to Feminism in “Bloodchild”

Feminism in “Bloodchild” does not seem a far-fetched idea. Although the feminist approach has reached its peak in bringing transformation in a patriarchal society through a demand for political and social rights for women, the thinking about the reversal of the naturally-given roles is emerging as a new aspect of this perspective. Perhaps, Octavia Butler represents this thinking that man should also go through the trials and tribulations of bearing children. However, as it seems impossible in the face of natural hurdles and the physical makeup of the bodies of both man as well as man, she has selected the fantasy genre in which it is easy to assign this role to different characters and deduce results.

Feminism in “Bloodchild”

Feminism in “Bloodchild” shows that she throws her earthly human beings on some extrasolar planet where they live in, the Preserve, a space reserved for them by the strange local creatures she names the Tlic, while the earthly human beings as the Terran. The local Tlic named T’Gatoi develops a love for Do Gan who is far younger than her, for she is of his mother’s age. She plans to have her children from Do Gan, who hates this sort of birth, yet he acquiesces to her commands when she says that it would be Xuan Hoa, his sister. To save her sister, he consents to her love when the story ends, but his consent throws fresh light on the feministic perspective in that men seem to agree to the demands of women. This means that Octavia Butler has used fantasy to make unfamiliar topics familiar. She has, in fact, reversed gender roles in “Bloodchild”, putting the question of human evolution and childbearing in the forefront as feministic features.

Gender in “Bloodchild”

Octavia has reversed the roles of genders as Gan is going to bear children of T’Gatoi – a new type of feminism in “Bloodchild.” However, this new feminine perspective has been set on some other planet and the new children are injected through eggs by this strange creature who also feeds human beings through eggs. It happens that T’Gatoi takes fancy to Do Gan and makes an arrangement with the family in that she would save them from the other Tlic and that they would let her make love with Gan to bear her children. However, this is a strange role that Do Gan hates to adopt. He, though, at some point gives his full consent and also sleeps with T’ Gatoi who sometimes becomes very angry and kicks him with any of her six legs. He has seen an unfortunate man Bram Lomas impregnated by another Tlic and cut up by T’Gatoi to take out maggots, or children of these creatures. That is where she asks him to slaughter an achti but Do Gan feels terrified at which he tells, “She knocked me across the room” with her tail. This is where this reversal takes place. He himself feels it when he thinks that he “ignored her warning” (Butler 6). However, even if it is done, it is T’Gatoi who is doing the job, while Do Gan is a passive onlooker, a reversal of roles that he has taken for granted. He does not do anything but sees when she cuts through Lomas to take out maggots that another Tlic has implanted in him. He is presenting a role model for him to do the same for T’Gatoi. This is a new feminine perspective that Butler wants the readers to see that it could happen in the near or far future. However, though it is a fantasy, this has taken place in the world where now women are working after giving birth to children, while there are dad-at-home men who are quite common in western society. This means that male becomes passive when females take an active role and do most of the jobs. However, as it cannot take place in reality, she has reserved these roles in a fantasy story to see what happens. This is how we trace feminism in “Bloodchild”.

Gestation in “Bloodchild”

The second perspective that she presents before her readers regarding feminism in “Bloodchild” is about gestation. Women have the ability to become pregnant and produce the next generation. What happens if this role is reversed? Although it has already been shown, she is of the view that with the power to give birth, women also hold physical and political powers though these areas are reserved for men. In fact, women have a natural bent of mind to keep progeny alive. T’Gatoi has this natural inclination that she wants her progeny to survive and human beings are fit for maggots born “from Terran bodies [which are] larger as well as more numerous”, a clear hint to physical health that women prefer for fertility (9). In fact, she has also removed love and romance from her gender roles to give priority to only gestation. The eggs that Tlic creatures feed to others seem to opiate exactly like a sexual act in which women become almost intoxicated. That is why his elder brother when he comes to meet him tells him that “You’re just her property” (11). However, the cutting by T’Gatoi of Lomas is a hint to cesarean sections now quite common that women have to undergo to give birth to children. It means that this could be reversed to give a new feminine perspective on whether men still love women, or that they would be as much consenting as women in the child-bearing trial, an entirely new way of projecting feminism in “Bloodchild”.

Childbearing in “Bloodchild”

In fact, childbearing is a feminist feature that is reversed in this story in that men even can’t bear their own children. The love and hate relationship that seems quite repulsive to the reader of this story is just a metaphor used to demonstrate differences between men and women and in their natures. In fact, practically this is impossible that a man could be bearing children impregnated by a woman. However, there is a symbiotic relationship between these two genders, because both have to live together for survival, as is shown by the anger of T’Gatoi when Gan refuses to host her children. She says it is because she wants “To provide the next generation of host animals” (13). T’ Gatoi knows that if she does not do this, her next generation would not be able to survive. It is also that there is a disparity between these two creatures, but Do Gan family can only survive by living in the Preserve and they cannot live there without T’Gatoi as she tells him, “We wait long years for you and teach you and join our families to yours” only to take care of progeny that is survival (15). She has done much for the family, the reason that Gan’s mother is also happy with this relationship. She rather coaxes him to sleep with her as she knows that without this they would not be able to survive on this planet. That is why there is somewhat love between Gan and T’Gatoi but this does not seem convincing. The reason is that sometimes even men and women do not love each other or only make love for the survival of their future generations. The objective of Butler about projecting feminism in “Bloodchild” seems to show that this dissimilarity does not bridge as this is natural.

Conclusion

In short, the story has been written from a feministic perspective in new dimensions to show that this could happen or not happen. However, it is clear that in societies such couples are found having reversed the roles except for the role of childbearing. Therefore, it is but natural that she has reversed to see how grotesque it may seem to others. It could be that this is a forewarning from her that if these roles are reversed, the result may be sterility as the Tlic creature is suffering from “One fertile female in every lot” a bleak reference to this sterility. However, despite all these foreshadowings, it seems that Octavia Butler has demonstrated that it could happen with severe results for mankind as this is unnatural, the reason that this maggot bearing seems a repulsive job. It could be the same that childbearing from a man seems repulsive and the feministic assertion has reached a limit where it should explore the next aspects and see what consequences it may have for the next generation.

Works Cited

Butler, Octavia. “Bloodchild.” Online Literature. n. d. Web. Accessed 05 March 2016

Relevant Questions about Feminism in “Bloodchild”

1. How does feminism in “Bloodchild” by Octavia Butler influence the dynamics of power and control within the unique reproductive relationship between the Terrans and the Tlics?
2. In what ways does Octavia Butler’s exploration of feminism in “Bloodchild” challenge traditional gender roles and expectations, especially in the context of Gan’s role in the partnership with T’Gatoi?
3. How does the theme of feminism in “Bloodchild” connect to broader discussions about bodily autonomy and agency, particularly regarding the choices and sacrifices made by the Terran characters in the story?

Introduction to Mother in “Everyday Use”

Exactly like the mother in “Everyday Use”, every mother is a universal character; always full of passion, love, affection, and emotions for all of her children. Her sense of justice lives in her heart. She treats all of her children equally with no prejudice or bias of color, deformity, education, or status. However, sometimes, it happens that even mothers neglect one child and prefer another, and it seems from the character of the mother in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker that mama is tilting towards her educated daughter Dee in the first half of the story, and to deformed daughter Maggie in the later half, but on close reading, it is revealed that this is not the case. She is quite fair in her treatment of both of them equally without having any inclination toward any one of them. Her fair treatment is based on her understanding of the situation of each girl, their overall behavior toward her and the home, and their attitude toward the family and family heritage.

Character of Mother in “Everyday Use”

This anonymous character of mama or mother in “Everyday Use”,  is highly caring about both of her daughters, as she prepares her home to welcome Dee. She also takes care of Maggie on account of her accidental injury and bleak future prospects. Mother knows that she cannot do well like Dee. With her “burn scars” (Walker 443), she can only see her sister with “envy and awe” (445). She has suffered these injuries during a fire in the house around ten or twelve years earlier whereas Dee is “Maggie [has] nice hair and fuller figure” (444) which means a good future. It is also that, as contrary to Dee who got a chance to study in a school in Augusta with the help of her mother and church, Maggie did not have this golden chance. “Like good looks and money, quickness passed by her” (445), mother says, and she knows that contrary to her the situation of Dee is totally different, as she is not only quick and sharp but also has “a style of her own” (445). And she “knew what style was” (445). Whereas Maggie is a shy girl, always hiding her face somewhere, “hesitation was no part of her nature” (444) of Dee who was quite advanced in her ideas of marriage as well, as her previous boyfriend Jimmy T “flew to marry a cheap city girl” (445) and also that she might not have married to the present dandy Hakim-e-barber. However, Maggie has to marry John Thomas, who “has mossy teeth” (445). Therefore, it is a realization on the part of her mother that she can go ahead in her life on account of her education, her situation, and her sharpness. However, as Maggie has no bright prospects, her mother has to take care of her and hence greater care of her.

Mother-Daughter Conflict in “Everyday Use”

As far as behavior toward the mother and the home is concerned, Maggie is living within the home comprising three huts and a yard. She is dependent on her mother. She always turns to her in case of any help or needs or if she is to ask a question, and even in the case of marriage. It is on account of her disfigurement due to burns she suffered during the fire. Whenever she needs something or is to ask something like “how do I look, Mama?” (444), she turns to her mother for this. Even when she “makes a dash for the door” (445) to see Dee coming, mother calls and she comes back immediately. This obedience makes the mother love her even more. However, the case of Dee is highly different. She is not only condescending due to her education but also insolent toward her mother. Even during her dreams, the mother sees that there might be a “curse and insult” (444) during a television program as she thinks of her daughter’s arrival. Contrary to Maggie, Dee wants her mother to be “hundred pond lighter” (445) and should make her hair “glisten” (445). She has been forcing “words, lies, other folks’ habits” (445) and several other things on them, that they do not need. She has not even consulted her mother in case of her marriage or no marriage with “Assalamoalaikum” (446). To top it all, she has changed her name, and “every once in a while he and Wangero sent eye signals over [her] head” (446). It means that mama knows that she is making fun of their poverty. That is why she feels more love for Maggie than Dee because of her behavior.

Family and Mother in “Everyday Use”

Another important argument is her behavior towards the family, family heritage, and familial bonds. As Maggie is living within the home and knows everything, there are no questions about her behavior. However, Dee has taken not only her home but also her full family heritage just a relic to decorate in some drawing room. Instead of loving them and keeping them with her to improve their conditions, she looks down upon them as “she will never bring her friends” (445). When she reaches home, she receives a warm welcome, but she is behaving as if it is some museum for her. She is getting one or the other thing “This churn top is what I need” (447) and “I want the dasher” (447) because she thinks it is “something artistic to do with the dasher” but she does not know that it is for them an object of everyday use. Even she is against remembering the names of all of her great-grandparents, as she would have to count them “up to Civil War” (447). She also rummages through the trunk without the permission of mama, and then asks her to get the quilts that mama says that she has made for Maggie to use in the future. However, she belittles Maggie saying, “Maggie can’t appreciate these quilts”. Contrary to her, mama sees something spiritual in Maggie due to her innocence instead of Dee, who is merely pretentious. Therefore, she pays more attention to Maggie.

Conclusion

In nutshell, it is the sense of fairness of mother in “Everyday Use” shows that she treats both of her daughters equally but seems to tilting toward Maggie because of her situation, her behavior, and overall behavior towards the family. It also shows a sort of mother-daughter conflict in “Everyday Use”. Although Dee is educated and sophisticated, she is also clever contrary to Maggie, who has more of spirituality in her. It seems that she might be prejudiced against Dee but this is not the case. She clearly knows that she can live on her own, as she has got another young man after the escape of the first one, but Maggie walks like a “lame animal” (445) who obviously cannot live such a fast life without the help of mama. Mother knows that she has spent on Dee more than she has done for Maggie. Therefore, she pays more attention to Maggie in order to compensate for the shortcomings she has developed on account of neglect in the case of education. Otherwise, she is quite fair to both of them. It is also that Maggie is highly respectful and depends on her while Dee thinks of herself a creature of some other star instead of her daughter. Therefore, she does receive treatment like Maggie, as Maggie is a part of her home but Dee has left it by changing her name.

Works Cited

Walker, Alice. “Everyday Use.” An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing. Ed. Kennedy X. J. & Dana Gioia. 3rd ed. Vol. 10. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 444-449. Print.

Relevant Questions about Mother in “Everyday Use”

1. How does the character of the Mother in “Everyday Use” perceive her role as a mother, and how does this perception influence her interactions with her daughters in “Everyday Use”?
2. What is the significance of the mother-daughter conflict in “Everyday Use”and how does it shape the central conflict surrounding heritage and identity in “Everyday Use”?
3. How does the Mother in “Everyday Use” represent traditional values and heritage, and how do her beliefs and actions impact the way she navigates the conflict between Dee and Maggie in “Everyday Use”?

Introduction “The Dead” and “The Metamorphosis”

Stories “The Dead” and “The Metamorphosis” published during the modernist movement show the impact of this movement in various ways. This movement emerged out of industrialization and the ravages of WW-I and affected individuals as well as characters presented in literary texts, specifically fiction. Various novellas and short stories including “The Dead” and “The Metamorphosis” have depicted characters demonstrating impacts of the modern life on their minds as well as their relationships with other characters. “The Dead” by James Joyce as well as “The Metamorphosis”, by Franz Kafka, show the impacts of the modern lifestyle on the characters in various ways. Most emblems of the modern lifestyle and modernism are clear from the way they behave with one another and treat each other as well as how they see themselves. The intellectual and spiritual crisis not only shows through the characters at “Misses Morkan’s annual dance,” gathering guests such as Mr. Gabriel, Mr. Brown, and other characters, but also through their activities, relationships, and treatment of others (Joyce 01). Meaningful activities are absent in their lives. And their approach toward life and others, too, is mostly self-centered. The same idea goes in the relations and treatment of others with Gregor Samsa, Grete Samsa, the mother, the father, and the boarders in the novella, “The Metamorphosis.” Characters in both stories “The Dead” and “The Metamorphosis” not only show the absence of meaningful activities and relations but also the importance of financial pressure or animal instinct more than humane passions as well as psychological consciousness in their treatment of others and themselves.

Modernist Culture and “The Dead” and “The Metamorphosis”

Whereas “The Dead” is concerned, it opens with Mokran’s dance party where various people gather to enjoy. Everyone, who knows the family of Mokran, comes to the party including Gretta and Gabriel along with Mr. Browne and Mrs. Conroy (01). The conversation among the family shows that they do not have a single meaningful topic to talk about. Then, their departure shows that there are “cross-directions, contradictions, and abundance of laughter” but no single purpose in the whole issue (15). This is entirely meaningless whether it is Aunt Kate, Aunt Julia, Mary Jane, Gabriel, Mr. Browne, Gretta, or other characters. Everyone in the gathering is engaged in making himself important through his conversation at the time when Aunt Kate is taking care of everybody by telling them what they are doing. For example, she states that Gretta is not down yet and Browne is everywhere (14), which shows amply that she is taking care of everybody, but mostly through her own self-centered approach. In other words, she is asking about everybody to show that she is also present. Even Gabriel is obsessed with his own personality regarding the impression he leaves upon others. This shows that not only is this entire activity meaningless and full of contradictions, but their relationship is full of absurdities. Gabriel is rather more obsessed with his wife as if “she [was] a symbol of something” for him (16).

Although there is no financial pressure, the psychological dilemmas that Gabriel faces when his wife, Gretta, tells him about her former lover, Michael Furey, brings him to the point of consciousness about others as well as about himself. At that time, Gabriel noticed what was the reason behind his wife’s strange mood. Simultaneously, he wanted to crush her body against his own (20). But when he became conscious regarding his relations with Gretta, he rather felt ashamed as “he turned his back more to the light lest she might see the shame that burned upon his forehead” (20). The moment dawned upon him the absurdity of his earlier relation and “His soul approached that region where dwell the vast hosts of the dead,” dawning upon him the reality of his life and his own act of treating Gretta merely through his lust (20). Commenting on Gabriel’s consciousness in Shen Yuan and Dong Hong’ paper, “The Modernist Features in James Joyce’s Dubliners,” they maintained that after Gabriel realizes his wife’s situation and news of her former lover, he felt shocked. He realized that he was a blind person who was given self-satisfaction and self-deception in the past despite his intellectual life (30). This was his consciousness not only about himself but also about others.

However, the modern impacts of the treatment of characters of other characters and with themselves have some other patterns, a bit different from that of the characters in both stories “The Dead” and “The Metamorphosis”. It is because there is a sudden transformation of shape and role of Gregor Samsa, the central character of “The Metamorphosis”. He suddenly realizes that he is no longer a human being. It is because he has turned into a cockroach. Then he questions what has happened to himself, whereas his treatment of himself starts with, somewhat, different thinking (Kafka 03). He becomes self-reflecting on his new life, leaving his role as a bread-earner, and thinking about his family members who must be facing hard times. He tries to come out of this situation through his ruminations about his job, his boss’s reaction, his family’s situation, and his own activities at his job. But all this seems absurd and meaningless to him in the face of a new situation, because he cannot go out despite his care for his family. When his sister comes to call him in the morning for breakfast, he faces a new situation in which his voice becomes very cold. The same reaction comes from different people who come to take him out of his room (07). Although Gregor tries his best to enter the circle of humanity by acting as a human being in the shape of that cockroach, the financial pressure on his family transforms their relationship. The cockroach, Gregor, treats them as his family members, but they are losing interest in him, as he is no longer a breadwinner. That is the reason why his sister starts chasing him down from the wall which is an action that makes him realize his new existence of no value and no importance due to having no role of a breadwinner (47). His father, who used to love him, yells at him with mixed feelings of anger and confusion, but this does not go down well with him. All of a sudden, the cockroach relationship starts changing, as “it was no longer the animated social interaction of the former times” (53), but a new reality having financial repercussions as his father starts working. Now he does not need his son’s financial help as he used to have in the past. As a result, Gregor thinks that if he leaves the apartment, his family will not need him and he will not cause a financial loss for them (65). In fact, characters in both stories “The Dead” and “The Metamorphosis” demonstrate the same traits.

Psychological Impact on Characters in “The Dead” and “The Metamorphosis”

Even on a psychological level, it has impacted his own view of himself and of his family members. They start treating him not as Gregor Samsa, but as vermin. As his sister discusses with her father that “It must be gotten rid of,” (65) referring to Gregor which she sees as the only option to save the family from financial and psychological ruin. Commenting on his thinking and his family’s treatment of her Cecile Rozuel in her article “Otherness in Self and Organizations” maintains that Gregor is a man who tried hard to support his family, but he fail, saying “he is a man who has tried, and perhaps, failed to support his family in whichever way he could” (06). She that “he becomes further alienated” due to his transformation not only in shape but also in his role as a breadwinner (06).

Conclusion

To sum up, modern lifestyle has impacted the characters of these two pieces in such a way that their treatment and their relations with others are based on their search for meaning in life, though their activities demonstrate this meaninglessness. Financial pressure has its consequences in the shape of contradictions in life as well as thinking. Psychological realities stare characters in the face and bring self-consciousness as well as consciousness about others, as Gabriel feels about his wife or Gregor has a moment of epiphany that he feels about his family and himself. However, the consciousness of one character about others does not change this; Grete and Gregor’s father want Gregor to be dead so that they could live, while Gabriel in, “The Dead,” feels that his own identity is “fading out into [a] grey impalpable world” after realizing that he does not love his wife but wants to possess her due to his lust (Joyce 22). These moments of consciousness show how modern life has impacted the characters to see and treat others differently due to the alienation that has crept into their lives.

Works Cited

1. Joyce, James. The Dead. English Leaners. n. d. english-learners.com/wp-content/uploads/THE-DEAD.pdf. Accessed on 24 Mar. 2017.
2. Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Planet Ebook. 1999. www.planetebook.com/ebooks/The-Metamorphosis.pdf. Accessed on 24 Mar. 2017.
3. Rozuel, Cecile. “Otherness in Self and Organizations: Kafka’s The Metamorphosis to Stir Moral Reflection.” Research in Ethical Issues in Organizations, vol. 11. 2014. pp. 25-50. http://www.cecilerozuel.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/CRozuel_Kafkas-Metamorphosis_REIO.pdf. Accessed on 24 Mar. 2017.
4. Yuan, Shen and Dong Hong. “The Modernist Features in Joyce’s Dubliners.” Studies in Literature and Language, vol. 12, no. 2, 2016. pp. 28-32. www.cscanada.net/index.php/sll/article/download/8173/9030. Accessed on 24 Mar. 2017.

Relevant Questions about “The Dead” and “The Metamorphosis”

1. How do the characters in “The Dead” and “The Metamorphosis” grapple with existential isolation, and how does this isolation shape their perceptions of life in “The Dead” and “The Metamorphosis”?
2. In what ways do the modernist narratives in “The Dead” and “The Metamorphosis” challenge conventional notions of life, death, and meaning, and how does this challenge reflect the authors’ modernist presentation of life?
3. How do the settings and atmospheres in “The Dead” and “The Metamorphosis” contribute to the overall portrayal of life in a modernist context, and how do they differ in conveying the themes of existence and mortality in “The Dead” and “The Metamorphosis”?