Individualism In The Declaration Of Sentiments By Kate Chopin

“By all the codes which I am acquainted with, I am a devilishly wicked specimen of the sex. But some way I can't convince myself that I am (216)”

Individualism is the idea that a person’s life belongs to them and that they have an absolute right to live it as they sees fit. The people of modern society have the right to pursue the values of their choosing. As an individual we have our own opinions, this gives us the freedom to expand our life in ways we couldn’t

In the Declaration of Sentiments, author Elizabeth Cady Stanton expresses her anger of the oppression experienced by women in the United States. After being rejected to attend the World’s Anti-Slavery convention in London, Stanton was frustrated because she was being rejected for being a woman. This motivated Stanton to share her own ideas on advocating women’s rights and changing the way women are treated in society because of the mistreatment done to her, as well as many women across the nation waiting for their voices to be heard. Stanton parallels the Declaration of Sentiments with the Declaration of Independence by using laws that the male population regarded as righteous and including how it had negative effects on over half the American population. This put into question male authority and supremacy, creating a more concrete argument by revealing what men already have under the law, to what women should have. The sophistication of the Declaration of Sentiments to a document that the U.S. government values highly, threatens the values of the U.S. by making women’s rights a more pressing issue. The Declaration of Sentiments targeted the U.S. government and the population by appealing to their own opinions and beliefs in order to recognize that women were being treated like second-class citizens. Although the Declaration of Sentiments never made a significant impact on the

Do you stand alone as a unique and special individual? Since the beginning of American history there have been struggles for individualism. The American Revolution, the American Civil War, and the separation from family life are all examples of individualism in American history. Individualism is an American paradigm designed by the modern societal structure that is an altered idea of the foundation by immigrants. In today’s society the struggle for individualism is more personal and represents how American values have shifted since the beginning of American history.

In Kate Chopin's The Awakening, the author frames the notions of freedom and responsibility by contrasting them within an opposing dichotomy portrayed through the main character, Edna Pontellier, and through her subconscious denial of Creole responsibility while attaining freedom for her body, mind, and soul. Within this dichotomy the notions change inversely: the more freedom that is exercised by Edna because of unknown, and undisclosed, subconscious analysis deep in her mind, her sense of Creole responsibilities ebb proportionately. As these opposing forces ebb and flow, Chopin shows freedom in its basic and natural light—as being instinctive and as the normal state of a human being, evidenced by Edna Pontellier's actions flowing

In 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence which effectively started the American Revolution. Subsequently, the Declaration of Independence has become a symbol of freedom and equality. Hoping to cause a similar impact by using the Declaration of Independence as a template, Elizabeth Cady Stanton began crafting her Declaration of Sentiments by altering the text and use it to the benefit of women. With it, she effectively persuaded legislators to support women’s suffrage, and consequently began the First Wave of Feminism. Both Declarations use exemplification to support their assertions in regards of freedom and equality; moreover, both declarations demonstrate different sides to the meaning of freedom

In Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s “Declaration of Sentiments of the Seneca Falls Woman’s Rights Convention”, She makes a statement that ultimately makes

Elizabeth Stanton delivered one of the most historical speeches in U.S history in 1848. Her speech, “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” was a fight for women’s rights. Elizabeth Stanton was a mother, highly accomplished and well educated. She began to relish the fact that women had a lack of advancement opportunities, and were especially constricted compared to men. She gave her speech at the Seneca Falls convention, and caught the attention of many with her compelling speech tactics. Stanton wrote her speech structured after our nations “Declaration of Independence”. She also persuaded others to see the truth behind her arguments by claims of natural rights. Finally Stanton uses a pathos strategy

One point that Elizabeth Cady Stanton makes is that the man never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise. This is very true seeing that women were not even allowed to work because their place was at the home where they were to raise the family. If women did work for a part time they would not get even close to the amount of money that males get. She also states that he has taken from her all right in property, even the wages that she earns. Women at this time were not allowed to own property. She also states that he has withheld her from her rights, which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men, which even includes foreigners. This meant even if you were the smartest, kindest, and most willing to work hard woman alive, you still would be treated worse than the least respected man.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the most influential activists of the national women’s suffrage movement in the 19th century. After the Civil War, she helped to found the National American Woman Suffrage Association, which strived to break gender inequality by advocating the need for women’s rights (Davis 28). In January 1892, Stanton delivered her speech “The Solitude of

In the story about Edna Pontellier a major theme is her omitted self discovery. In the story we can see how Chopin uses style, tone and content to make the reader understand how it was for a person challenging many of the beliefs of the society at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Chopin's The Awakening is full of symbolism.  Rather than hit the reader on the head with blunt literalism, Chopin uses symbols to relay subtle ideas.  Within each narrative segment, Chopin provides a symbol that the reader must fully understand in order to appreciate the novel as a whole.  I will attempt to dissect some of the major symbols and give possible explanations as to their importance within the text.

The Declaration of Independence was concerned with political freedom, while the Declaration of Sentiments was concerned with the idea of marital freedom. In the Declaration of Sentiments, the husband is described as the woman’s master in the quote “the law giving him power to deprive her of liberty”. Plus, women also didn’t have control over her finances as “He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns”. Stanton wanted to portray marital equivalence as a basic American freedom. She wanted to promote the married woman’s right to divorce and have custody of her children. This is as she pointed out in the Declaration of Sentiments that “He has so framed the laws of divorce, as to what shall be the proper causes of divorce; in case of separation, to whom the guardianship of the children shall be given; as to be wholly regardless of the happiness of women—the law, in all

will do in the 1800’s, managing their home. Even though Stanton liked where she was they moved to Seneca, Falls and met with her old friend Mott. In 1848, they granted their promise and held the first Women’s Rights Convention, in addition to this, the people who attended this meeting believed or wanted to have equal power as men. In the Convention Stanton drafted the Declaration of Sentiments which is similar to the Declaration of Independence, “the best protection any women can

Nineteenth century, a century that urged women to attain a sense of self awareness and dignity. The Awakening, published in 1899, was labeled as morbid, disagreeable, and vulgar, which then went through a massive controversy that led to the book being widely condemned. “Modern critics praise The Awakening for its daring treatment of traditional gender roles as they were defined at the turn of the century, and for its exploration of a woman's search for self-fulfillment.” states Suzanne D. Green. Kate Chopin deliberately uses the theme of individualism vs. society to explain how the protagonist (Edna) rebels against society while incorporating still incorporating her antithesis, Madame