The Female Role in A Rose for Emily, Miss Brill, and The...

Reading literature, at first, might seem like simple stories. However, in works like William Faulkners â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† Katherine Mansfields â€Å"Miss Brill,† and Kate Chopins â€Å"The Storm,† the female protagonists are examples of how society has oppressive expectations of women simply because of their gender. In â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† by William Faulkner, the story starts out with a distinctive split between the motivations of men and women: â€Å"The men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly out of curiosity† (Faulkner 121). At the funeral of Emily, the narrator appoints men in the category of attending out of respect, and women attending simply because they are curious and nosy. The immediate†¦show more content†¦The town tolerates a human beings death â€Å"in order to preserve themselves from the task of investigating a word, lady, a woman, Miss Emily† (Curry). Any objection would undermine the entire meaning of being a lady. Emily ultimately gets away with murder because she is a woman. An important aspect in â€Å"A Rose for Emily† is the narrators gender is left a mystery; this allows the reader to openly interpret the story from a different aspect, more specifically, through the mind of a feminist. Emily is subtly portrayed as an admirable woman who defies societys expectations of gender roles. Faulkners use of the nosy women and the respectful men at the funeral, without further inquiry, may seem like it is in favor of a patriarchal society. However, Faulkners main goal was to encourage the reader to understand that a woman, Emily, was capable of controlling her own behavior without societys influence. In order to better understand how societys expectations of women are incorporated in â€Å"The Storm,† it is important to understand author Kate Chopins protest. Chopins writings gave the â€Å"potential to unhinge patriarchal discour se† (Cutter) by giving women a voice. Her earlier works focused on passive women who were unheard and oppressed in a patriarchal society. Her later works show contrast by â€Å"moving towards a clearer understanding of how women most effectively can resist patriarchal suppression† (Cutter). As Chopins career progressed, she gaveShow MoreRelatedThe Female Role in William Faulkners â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† Katherine Mansfields â€Å"Miss Brill,† and Kate Chopins â€Å"The Storm.†1329 Words   |  5 PagesReading literature, at first, might seem like simple stories. However, in works like William Faulkners â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† Katherine Mansfields â€Å"Miss Brill,† and Kate Chopins â€Å"The Storm,† the female protagonists are examples of how society has oppressive expectations of them simply because of their gender. Curry believes that Faulkner displays the story of â€Å"A Rose for Emily† through scenes of gender differences. The beginning of the story shows the motivational split between men and women.Read MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagestheir situation within the domestic sphere and the conditions under which they labored to expand the career opportunities available to them at different times and in diverse settings. She places special emphasis on the important but often overlooked roles they played in politics, particularly those associated with resistance movements, and their contributions to arts and letters worldwide. Drawing on the essay collections and series on women in world history that she has edited over the past decade