Incest Chapter Summaries

Even though, there were times where the brother and sister-in law could have held a serious conversation with the narrator, they chose not to. The narrator says, “The secret weapon of heterosexuality is children” (Weir 5). By this the narrator means that people, in particle his brother and sister-in-law, spend all their time taking care or their children, but even when they have a free time all they would do is talk about their offspring, which led him conclude that his nephews were being raised in a homophobic family, whom were taught to hate queers, and cheer The Boy Scouts, an institution that does not permit gay members.

Family is the most important aspect of student success, this is the unit that teaches children how communicate, have good/appropriate social skills, and problem solving skills and this could not be truer than with a special needs child, yet if that child has a sibling this can be to their detriment. Mary McHugh, author of the book Special Siblings writes that “I don’t know if that happy baby turned into that somber child because of my brother’s disability or because my parents’ marriage was almost destroyed by it,” showing how typically developing children are, many times, at a disadvantage in the family unit because their parents are pouring all their love and attention into the special needs child leaving the typical child deprived and alone

Coming from a lonely and abusive home Mary had to find happiness outside of her house. Her mom made a friend from their church and she happened to have a three month year old baby. Mary always occupied the Richardson’s by helping with baby Alyssa, while also distracting herself from reality. Meeting the Richardson’s ended up being Mary’s worst nightmare. One night the Richardson’s went out and asked Mary and her mother to watch Alyssa.

During this hours, everyone can see what is going on, so the narrator barely creeps, just like it was seen as taboo to be seen supporting women’s rights. “ [...] He said what I felt was a drought, and shut the window” (Gilman ). The windows in the story are a path to freedom, but when they are barred, it represents the opportunities for independence and freedom being taken away, and the narrator hold back from reaching for them. “She is a perfect and enthusiastic housekeeper, and hopes for no better profession”(Gilman 650). Jennie was John’s sister, and she represented the “ideal” woman role expected by society, just like Mary. They are everything the narrator’s husband wants her to be, the stereotypical housewife, who does what she is told to do; the exact opposite from the narrator. “If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friend and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression- a slight hysterical tendency- what is one to do? My brother is also a physician, and also of high standing, and he says the same thing” (Gilman 648).The physicians are symbolic to high rank in society

During the second session, the family was provided individual opportunities to relate his or her perceptions of the struggles in the family. Using Claudia as the identified patient, the family related struggles directly associated with Claudia’s behavior (Nichols, 2013, p. 15). Whitaker (1978) conceptualized the issues in a different perspective stating, “sounds like Claudia is in charge of getting Mom and Dad to start fighting, and you and Laura are in charge of helping them stop” (p. 11). Whitaker also indicated the parallels involving Carolyn’s anger at Claudia for hiding in her room and David’s propensity to hide in his study (p. 11). Using the unconscious frame of reference from session one, another conceptualization that was presented was that of Don’s willingness to talk as the reason that the family had not wanted to bring him to the first session (p. 12).

8. How are the background characters such as the young lovers and the lady in black at the shore, significant in Edna 's story?The young lovers represent the love supported by the society Edna lives in, and the lady in black represents what society expects of a woman after her husband has passed. 9. In detail, explain how the flashbacks to Edna 's past function. How does her father compare to the other men in her life?The flashbacks show a time where she was really happy and talks about a time where she remembers just being a little girl and running through a large green field so she wouldn’t have to go to church, besides that she was a carefree person back then. Her father is different because he states his opinion about her actions instead of keeping quiet and he is more controlling. 10. How does the view of romantic love develop in the course of the novel? What is the doctor 's view of marriage and childbearing?The doctors view of marriage and childbearing is that that is what makes a happy family, and the romantic loves develops in person and goes on through Roberts letters to Mademoiselle Reisz 11. Can you think of an emotional attachment and/or a romantic obsession you have studied in a previous work? How does that incident or character compare with Edna 's emotional and romantic relationships?In Romeo and Juliet’s love in their story. Their relationship is similar to Edna’s and Roberts because they love each

The “fear” of women is one of the novel’s most central features. As most of the male patients in the novel have been damaged by relationships with overpowering women. The hospital, run by women, treats only male patients, showing how women have the ability to emasculate even the most masculine of men. The narrator of the novel, Chief Bromden, witnesses the

In this story, it fascinated me when it made reference about the therapist needing to be transferable to the mother or father role in the family regardless of the therapist’s sex. In this case the clients are the traditional mother and father with two male co-therapists. Whitaker was seen taking on the maternal role when addressing Carolyn’s childhood and current issues with her mother while Napier observed the conversation. This was a great part of the book which portrayed isomorphism. This idea of being able to stay neutral as well as to identify with the role of mother or father adds another layer of complexity to help guide the context of the situation.

The men’s word choice and tone when speaking to Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale comes across as demeaning and belittling. For example, when the men walk in on the women talking about Mrs. Wright’s quilt, the sheriff scoffs, “They wonder if she was going to quilt it or knot it!” (Glaspell 601). Although the men limit the women to the “trifles” of housework and childcare, they still continue to mock them for delighting in those few things they are allowed. By continuously ridiculing their character and intelligence, the men are creating an oppressive state for the women to live in. They abuse their roles in the lives of their wives and ultimately spoil the concept of a happy marriage, creating tension and conflict between the men and women of their

Then, we have Robin Stokes, who is a young, beautiful woman but is simultaneously insecure and anxious and looks for her self-confidence through men who abuse her financially, sexually, and emotionally. Her relationship with her family creates another burden her, as her father has Alzheimer’s and her mother is the only one who wants to take care of him. Eventually, they have no choice but to admit him to a nursing home, but it is a decision that is hard for the both of them. Her relationship with men is also a tumultuous one, in which she has an affair with a man named Russell, and even though she finds out he is married to another man, her good sense is pushed away by her attraction for him.

Lastly the dependence of men plays an extremely large role in this book. Williams uses Blanche’s and Stella’s dependence on men to expose and critique the treatment of women during the transition from the old to the new South. Both Blanche and Stella see male companions as their only means to achieve happiness, and they depend on men for both their sustenance and their self-image. Blanche recognizes that Stella could be happier without her physically abusive husband, Stanley. Yet, the alternative Blanche

Moreover, Ruth’s close relationship with her father threatens Macon’s sole ownership, catapulting their friction. He comments on his daughters’ deliveries through Ruth’s father, aptly in tune with his possessiveness, adding: “She had her legs open and he was there… he was a man before he was a doctor” (71). Failing to see his wife as anything but a sexual entity, he sexualizes her relationship with her father and negates the possibility of platonic intimacy between sexes. Furthermore, he emphasizes his jealousness and how it stems from having to share ownership, lamenting, “She said it had to be his decision… She told me, her husband, that” (72). This reveals Macon’s belief that Ruth’s jurisdiction is not her own and must coincide with his, again defining her through marriage and stripping her of autonomy.

     At the same time, the readings of the women's masculinity and androgyny must be similarly reconsidered. While Irving reads Lena as one who "conforms more readily than Ántonia" and assimilates in a manner "too complete" in that "she, like Jim, is lethargic" (100), I would argue that Lena's refusal to marry and her achievement of the independent, successful life she sought belie any ready categorization of reinforced hegemony, undermining standard patriarchal demands; and her success can be contrasted with Jim's loveless marriage and the vague reference to the "disappointments" that have failed to quell his "naturally romantic and ardent disposition" (4). Similarly, as Gilbert and Gubar highlight, the happiness of the "masculine" hired girls stands in stark contrast with the emotional restriction to which town wives are subjected: "Energetic and jolly, Mrs. Harling must stop all the activities of her household so as to devote herself entirely to her husband" (197). While it may be true that "their disturbing androgynous qualities, and their unwillingness to accept traditional female roles" position the hired girls as "outsiders" (Wussow 52) and that these facts can be read as critical of the feminine, it seems more

Finally, the reader is introduced to the character around whom the story is centered, the accursed murderess, Mrs. Wright. She is depicted to be a person of great life and vitality in her younger years, yet her life as Mrs. Wright is portrayed as one of grim sameness, maintaining a humorless daily grind, devoid of life as one regards it in a normal social sense. Although it is clear to the reader that Mrs. Wright is indeed the culprit, she is portrayed sympathetically because of that very lack of normalcy in her daily routine. Where she was once a girl of fun and laughter, it is clear that over the years she has been forced into a reclusive shell by a marriage to a man who has been singularly oppressive. It is equally clear that she finally was brought to her personal breaking point, dealing with her situation in a manner that was at once final and yet inconclusive, depending on the outcome of the legal investigation. It is notable that regardless of the outcome, Mrs. Wright had finally realized a state of peace within herself, a state which had been denied her for the duration of her relationship with the deceased.

Within these four pages, Carter uses their sexual encounter to explore patriotic views on men through the characteristics of the Marquis and his treatment of the girl. This encounter foreshadows the outcome of