Compare and Constrast 'Wide Sargasso Sea' and 'the Awakening'

In the poignant novel The Light Between Oceans, author M.L. Stedman successfully communicates central ideas through the use of literary techniques. Through the careful use of letters, particularly written by Tom, the growing guilt of his character due to his actions was successfully portrayed by Steadman. The grief endured by Hannah and Isabel is effectively depicted through the use of imagery. Tom and Isabel’s families. Toms moral dilemmas are portrayed through the symbolism of the lighthouse and the title of the novel The Light Between Oceans. The readers are offered a profound insight into the various themes through the deliberate use of literary techniques.

Pontellier's dismissiveness of Edna has she undergoes her own awakening and self-discovery. When Edna, clearly in a dark and depressive state, moves out of the house, Mr. Pontellier rapidly addresses the situation by having the house renovated to cover up her absence. He is not considerate of Edna's point of view, and does not allow her the chance to speak for herself and be heard. Jody's oppressiveness worsens as his influence within the growing Florida town increases. He becomes less and less willing to be around Janie, dismissing her wishes to spend more time together with a cold, "'De mayor of uh town lak dis can't lay round home too much'"

He starts off very irritated. His wife Edna is then introduced into the story. Edna is spending time with a friend, Robert. Mr. Pontellier decides to head out to a gentlemen’s night at a friend’s place and comes home fairly late. He tells Edna he thinks their son has a fever. Leonce is very rude to Edna and Edna begins crying. Without really resolving their fight, Leonce goes away on business but leaves Edna with gifts to make up for it. All Edna’s friends tell her she has the best husband. Her friends Adele and Madame Reisz keep her company. Edna begins spending more time with Robert and comes to realize he is leaving to go to Mexico. Once he leaves she is very sad and misses him very much. Leonce is very concerned with Edna’s attitude. She is avoiding all responsibility. She starts swimming to escape from her stress. Edna starts spending time with a man named Alcee Arobin. They go to the horseraces together and get closer. They end up sharing a few passionate kisses, but Edna feels terrible because she loves Robert and she is also married to Leonce. Edna decides to move out of Leonce’s house. She moves around the corner and likes living on her own. Robert ends up coming back and they profess their love for one another. Edna loves Robert but she wants her freedom. Robert respects this and ends up leaving again and says he has to go because he loves her. Edna ends up going for a

Leonce Pontellier, the husband of Edna, is the story 's antagonist. He is materialistic, due to him being a wealthy businessman, and also forty years old. His high status came at a cost; he is very concerned with appearance and how others view him."The way to become rich is to make money, my dear Edna, not to save it," he said. He regretted that she did not feel inclined to go with him and select new fixtures. He kissed her goodbye, and told her she was not looking well and must take care of herself. She was unusually pale and very quiet” (18). He also treats Edna as mere property "You are burnt beyond recognition," he added, looking at his wife as one

First, it is imperative that one knows what exactly patriarchy is: “a social system in which power is held by men, through cultural norms and customs that favor men and withhold opportunity from women” (“Patriarchy”). Any social structure where men outrank women, where men are provided with an unequal increase in opportunities, or any system that instills stereotypical traits, or gender roles, falls under this category.

Patriarchies were families governed by males in Western Europe. In these property and social identity descended in male family line.

From the beginning of the story, the reader is alerted to the fact that Edna is experiencing an inner struggle to reconcile her relationships with Mr. Pontellier, Robert, and herself. When Edna comes back from her swim with Robert, Mr. Pontellier criticizes her; “What folly! to bathe at such an hour in such heat!” (Chopin 522). From the outset, Mr. Pontellier is opposed to the engagement with the water that Robert and Edna share. He is neither cognizant of the fact that Edna and Robert are falling in love, nor is he supportive of Edna’s transformation.

1. What is a patriarchal society? In what ways do the different civilizations we have studied exhibit patriarchy and how did they reinforce it (hint: Hammurabi’s code, Chinese philosophy, Ancient

The sea: most people have been to it, but very few ever take the time to ponder the meaning of the sea- what it represents and why it is so enticing. In her novel, The Awakening, Kate Chopin utilizes the symbol of the sea to convey her message to the readers: she uses this symbolism to reveal information about the protagonist, Edna Pontellier, as well as to further the cause of a critical (and, at the time of publishing, avant garde) social movement.

For those who are unaware, a patriarchy is defined as a society that is “male-dominated, male-identified, male-centered, and control-obsessed character” (Johnson 73); whereas, a matriarchy, is a society that is female-dominated and female-identified - the exact opposite of a patriarchy. In her novel, Daughters of the North, Sarah Hall describes a post-apocalyptic England, where the citizens, especially the women, become stripped of their basic rights. The country is ravaged by a foreign war and economic collapse, becoming dependent on rationing food, controlling reproduction, and maintaining order at all costs.

We further notice Mr. Pontelllier’s traditional thinking in Chapter three, when he notifies Edna that one of their sons is suffering with a high fever. When she doesn’t instantly jump up and run to check on her son (whom she is quite sure did not have a fever), he accuses her of being neglectful and notifies her that it was her place to look after the children. This scene is where we first take notice of Mrs. Pontellier’s dissatisfaction with her marriage and perhaps her life.

this is a dangerous place for them to be in, and that, like Eden, the

Patriarchy usually means a family that is male-dominated and headed by the father. It is a social construct in which men and masculine roles are considered to be absolutely superior to women and feminine roles. A society is considered patriarchal when it is male-dominated, male-centered, and male-identified. Being a male-dominated culture means that positions of power and authority in the political, economic, legal, religious, domestic, educational, and military spheres are usually reserved only for men. Male-identification means that a culture’s ‘normal’ way of living is based on men and their lives. Male-dominance means that the culture has been shaped by men in a way that mostly serves male interests. Patriarchal societies are male-identified because their core ideals concerning what is morally right, desirable or normal are connected with how they think about masculinity or men in general. They are always male-centered, with the culture’s focus is

The definition of the word “patriarchy” as stated in the Oxford dictionary is the following: “A system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is reckoned through the male line; A system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it.” Throughout the novel Adichie highlights the negative effects that patriarchal control can have on others within the family mentioned in the novel. Patriarchal control can be seen throughout the entire novel, in situations regarding religion, gender roles and family roles.

Before examining particular societies, the general notions of patriarchy must be established. Generally, women were considered inferior to men, but each facet of society provides a distinctive insight into gender roles. A fundamental difference between the two genders was that the responsibility of a man was to be a member of the public, whereas the responsibility of a woman was to be in the home. Social norms defined men as “rulers, warriors, scholars, and heads of households” (Ways of the World 59). Even if a man had little