Hill House: The Inequality Of Women

Boys will be boys, and girls will be brutal. At least, that’s the impression one gets from reading Stephen King’s novel, Carrie. Endless bullying from all students on Carrie White is common at Ewen High, where the novel takes place, however, the bullying is taken more seriously by the girls. Carrie lives an unfortunate life, alone with her strictly religious mother. These factors lead to the wrath of Carrie White, the downfall of herself, and well, just about everyone else. King uses the theme of women and femininity to demonstrate that females often conform to hateful stereotypes, are completely different from men, and to show how religion can play a role in this.

A day hardly ever goes by without hearing something about body image in our society. It seems to be all around us today and there is little we can do to avoid it being around us. I don’t like seeing this affecting our society, because I see it changing us in a bad way. In gathering information on just how and why people worry about their body image, ideas on how to prevent this obsess on were also

The Haunting of Hill House, written in 1959, is a gothic novel that presents a twist on the traditional view of femininity. During the 1960’s, the Women’s Movement began in the United States and women all over were fighting for equality and to be seen as equal peers amongst men. In the novel, Shirley Jackson writes about a man named Dr. Montague who reaches out to about a dozen people that have experienced anything supernatural or odd of the sort and invites them to spend a summer at Hill House. Of the dozen, four respond, and only two women actually accept the invitation. However, Dr. Montague makes it clear that he has a purpose for them to stay at Hill House - he wants them to actively seek out any odd behavior of the house or anything inside

Carol Bailey says in her analysis, “By instructing the young female to follow the script, the speaker emphasizes the view that females’ survival depends on performing their gender “appropriately” in societies in which their adherence to these standards is constantly scrutinized and evaluated” (Bailey, Performance and the Gendered Body). The mother believes that people will judge her based on the way her daughter turns out. If her daughter can not carry herself like a lady is supposed to than she supposes her daughter will not survive in the world. During that time period, the seventies, that assumption was fair since women were not given credit for many things and did not have the independence they do have today in America. In support to that, Logan says, “This veiled advice makes the reader question if the female narrator is a conformist or if she is challenging societal stereotypes” (Logan, Rhetorical Analysis of Kincaid’s “Girl”). Stereotypes connect to the idea of femininity because people paint a picture of what girls and ladies are supposed to be and act. Therefore the mother says many things that only apply to females. Readers make assumptions that the mother was denied by society growing up and now she stresses her daughter for the very same reason. The assumption can be made because mothers typically are encouraging when giving advice

The next requirement for being a “true woman” was submissiveness. According to society men were superior to women by “God’s appointment.” If they acted otherwise they “tampered with the order of the Universe” (Welter 105). A “true woman” would not question this idea because she already understands her place. Grace Greenwood explained to the women of the Nineteenth Century, “True feminine genius is ever timid, doubtful, and clingingly dependant; a perpetual childhood.” Even in the case of an abusive husband, women were sometimes told to stay quiet

In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, men and women hold very different roles. Not only are women the weaker sex, but their worth is dependant on how powerful and high up their husband is. Because of this, women are forced to be silent and are not allowed an opinion. If a woman shows traits that are considered manly, such as intelligence, determination, or control, she is considered masculine, and therefore unattractive. From a very young age, the main character, Janie, is taught that in order to find a suitable husband, she needs to suppress her independent personality. As a result of this belief being engraved into her, Janie does not realize her worth, therefore she is involved three abusive relationships. For years, girls were taught to make themselves smaller so they do not threaten the male’s reputation. The reader sees that Janie is an example the mistreatment of females through Janie’s three marriages.

Females of this generation are being raised in a world where women’s bodies are viewed as objects.

“The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of a women begins when the doctor says, ‘It's a girl!’” Women are forced to conform to a set place in society, and the pressure they feel to conform starts when they are born.

As Quindlen states, "As Americans read..." that tells us right there that she is trying to reach all Americans. As for her purpose, with her references to the treatment of Afghanistan women I am lead to believe that she is trying to bring light to an existence of an example of women inequality in America. Looking at when it was published, only a couple of months after September 11th, it was perfect timing to throw in on this topic. The possibility of a draft was a reality or at the very least many believe it was a possibility. I would have to agree with her thesis, women should also be required to register for the military draft. I have come to stand against any type of inequality, whether it be (to name a few) race, gender, age, religious

Shirley Jackson’s novel, The Haunting of Hill House, explores the cultural anxieties in the mid 20th century. Specifically, men use womanhood (societal norms) as purposely infantilizing women in order to confine the female mind. Jackson utilizes symbolism, metaphor, and anaphora in her novel in order to convey the message for men to stop infantilizing women. Moreover, Jackson spreads awareness that women are being confined by a system that men developed: womanhood. Hence, in effect, the novel serves as an informal protest against male repression through a medium that can be read by a wider audience —more importantly an indirect challenge to male readers. According to Krolokke, Second Wave Feminism became prominent due to cultural discontent with patriarchy during the mid 20th century. Moreover, Krolokke informs the readers that Second Wave Feminism influenced women to challenge traditional family roles and male ideologies about women not belonging in the workplace (11-12). Mid 20th century is also when Jackson published The Haunting of Hill House. So, with these historical and cultural contexts in mind, Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House ends the novel with Eleanor killing herself because she wants women to challenge the ideas of patriarchy into effect. Hence, Second Wave Feminism has a connection to Eleanor having a childlike personality (can not think for herself) because she wants women (especially young and single women) to explore their rights (their choices) and

Women have always been oppressed for many different reasons for many years. In American society today women of color may also feel the same way as to being oppressed by others. However, I have never seen women of colored be oppressed, but I do believe that women do get oppressed because they are women.

El Centro de la Raza’s Food Banks becomes a site of immigrant place making of primarily Latino and Chinese descended Cantonese people. Unpacking the social interactions that are occurring at the food bank speak to the pathways of community that begin, shift, and reify the participation in gastro-politics and symbolic commensality, as a means of immigrant place making.

It is this display of inner turmoil through material possessions and the environment in which one lives that acts as one of the greatest forms of expression of the Lisbon sisters within The Virgin Suicides. In the novel ‘Carrie’ by Steven King, another approach to American Gothicism is taken. This adaptation of the typical genre explores a coming of age represented as a birth of sexuality and loss of innocence, conflicting with the Puritan and severely overprotective views of her mother, which lead to a persistent battle for Carrie in the setting of high school. A similar theme as presented in the novel ‘The Virgin Suicides’ as the sisters fight to tackle the conservative views of the older generation

The definition of gender roles is a set of societal norms dictating what types of behavior is generally considered acceptable based on the gender of a person. Additionally, if you don’t seem to accept this standard, there can be huge consequences. For example, in India, women are viewed as a burden and a “extra mouth to feed.” Her status promotes the idea that men can treat them in a subdued manner. If they don’t comply to these requirements, then a woman is murdered by her husband or his family by being set alight by a flammable liquid, which is usually known as bride burning. Herland, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, also uncovers the harsh inequality of women. Gender roles shouldn’t be real and they were forced on us by society.

Throughout history and today, we women are constant victims of stereotyping from our society. Certain “rules” have to be followed and certain “ideal” women images have to be kept. We are raised in a way to fill certain position where the society wants us to be and as a result, the opportunities are always limited for us and ideas of our importance in the society are diminishing. Even though women gained some independence, where women can work and take various position in society, the society’s idea of typical role of women never seem to change.