Louisa Ellis Analysis

Initially, Louisa is seemingly portrayed as a representation of all the qualities that become stereotypes of feminine females—Louisa sews, pays close attention to her “little feminine appurtenances,” drinks tea, and does what society expects of docile females, (62-63). Thus, Freeman leads the readers to believe that Louisa is the replica of a submissive female character. On the contrary, when Joe Dagget is introduced, it is evident that Louisa willingly partakes in the stereotypical roles, merely because they are her passion. For instance, she desires everything to be in its order, as shown when she irresistibly, puts back the book that Joe Dagget misplaces,

Chopin's use of language effectively conveys the intensity of the emotions that overcome Louise. Repetition of the word "free" reveals the exaltation Louise experiences in being released from possession by her husband's will. The diction aptly portrays the significance, emotionally and physically, of Louise's transformation. Tumultuously, Louise's bosom, the seat of passion, rose and fell as the "monstrous joy" possessed her. As the elixir of life "courses" through her once weak heart, Louise's "pulses beat fast." When Louise's fancy runs "riot along those days ahead of her", the reader feels the excitement Louise feels. Through the image of Louise as a winged "goddess of Victory", her inner strength from triumph over repression becomes palpable. That strength is reaffirmed in Chopin's use of words that connote potency. Louise has a "clear and exalted perception" of herself.

In the quotation's second paragraph, Louise discounts love as secondary to self-assertion. While this is undoubtedly her position, there

This stereotype is negative, as if having emotions is a bad thing. However, it is the women’s emotions that alters the course of their stories. According to Jamil, Louise has been repressing her emotions for many years to avoid this stereotype and to please her husband. When she looks out the window and sees the spring weather, it causes her to feel joy for the first time in a long time. All of a sudden, a rush of emotion crashes over her, and she discovers her true self (Chopin 15). Jamil contends that emotions are an enormous part of who one is, and without them, life is far harder to endure. This is exactly what happens to Louise. When she thinks that her husband is dead, these emotions return, and she can be her true self (Chopin 15-16). However, Jamil explains that psychological health can affect physical health, and the effect of repressing herself for so long might be a direct cause of Louise’s heart troubles. When she allows herself to feel, her heart pounds strongly and surely, but when she sees her husband again, her heart troubles return. In that moment, she allows herself to succumb to her failing heart. It is a lack of emotion that kills her, not a

Louise's characteristics add to the theme of this story in several ways. One of her characteristics is her youth. This characteristic is important because it is symbolic of a fresh, new start at her life of freedom due to the death of her husband.

Louise falls, subbing, into her sister's arms, then retreats upstairs to her room. Josephine, who asks Louise to give her access, would be stunned on the off chance that she recognized what considerations were hustling through her sister mind. Louise has cherished her significant other, who has, thusly, adored her, and treated her compassionate, yet his passing does not squash her, nor does her appearance make her wiped

Wilkins Freeman used Louisa Ellis and Sarah Penn in two different ways to convey the message that women not only needed independence, but they needed to be heard. To Freeman it did not matter if you were an old maid or a married woman. The important idea to get across to the women of her time was to come up with their own ideas, to figure out their own place in society, and to become their own person. Women during this time were taught to be subservient and selfless, but Freeman wants something different for her characters and the for the women of America. Freeman stated that women authors “must write, above all things, the truth as far as she can see the truth” (Reichardt, 129). This statement proves that she believed in her characters. She believed that women authors should write about things they found to be interesting and relevant. Therefore, Freeman wrote about strong-willed women who were able to carve their own paths in the world and not simple women who would follow along on the path laid before

The 1800s are a time of fast-paced changes as the world becomes more industrialized. Even with the advent of industry, the mundane and ordinary everyday life is resistant to change. Our society is very patriarchal and women are not seen as equals by most men of the time. There are a few who believe this is unjust and will seek to change society. One such is a young girl by the name of Mary Edwards Walker, the fifth daughter of Alvah and Vesta Walker, growing up on a small farm on Bunker Hill, near Oswego, New York.

In 1940’s, women are expected to bear children, take care of their husband and children and keep the house clean. Chopin points out that Louise was happy to be free, body and soul free from her husband which shows that men believes women are considered weak. Louise seeks freedom from their marriage and she believes the only way to be free is the death of her husband. Women couldn't divorce their husbands and if the husband left the wife, he would get their children, home, money and all the women owned. But now, women can divorce

I believe that Louisa is an independent woman, which again isn’t common in the 1800’s. It’s just weird that she belongs to a small community of people and keeps to herself a lot. As I was reading about Louisa, I wonder how her life as a child was. Was she put to work a lot to rely on no one? Did she have any parent when she was a child? I think if she did heard Lily and Joe conversation, she would end up marrying Joe. She still would be miserable and out of her element. Louisa seems to not care about other people in her community so I think she wouldn’t mind if Joe and Lily got married. Charles Ryder from “Wife of His Youth” was also an interesting reading assignment. I believe that Charles wanted nothing to do with his past that he denied

In “The Story of an Hour” there is conflict that states why Louise would want to be free; the role of the wife versus the role of the husband. For instance, Louise struggled with her feelings about her marriage for years. Louise thinks "what could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being" (16). She admits that she did love her husband, but often she did not. On the other hand, the story suggests that her husband was

The beginning of the story sets the theme for the whole story. We are told about the heart condition that inflicts Louise. This is significant throughout the story. The heart condition is a symbolic way of describing her thoughts of oppression she felt about her marriage. She was trapped and isolated by the marriage. She felt the need to hide these feelings. Women of her era were supposed to be home and under their husbands command. The story has her going through this journey privately. That is significant in the fact that now in her husband’s passing, she will be alone. She will need to work through things by herself. She will be able to go through the whole process on her own, without being judged and persuaded to feel differently.

For a lady in the Victorian era, thinking independently and unreservedly often leads to trouble. Dicken’s character Gradgrind even instructs his daughter against such pastimes, saying “’Louisa, never wonder!’” (Dickens 89). The Victorian view of womanhood in Hard Times presents the ideal version of femininity as submissive, compassionate, and always content with her station, particularly in regards to her status beneath her husband. Sissy, the poor but kind orphan in the novel, acts with sensitivity and often naivety, which rewards her in the end. Louisa challenges this role with her initial inability to sympathize. Intelligent but aloof, she is taught to abide strictly to the rule of fact by her utilitarian father Gradgrind. This strict avidness to ignoring emotion and curiosity lead Louisa to repress her identity so she can conform to her father’s principles. Her deficit of empathy, ample education, and abundance of detachment all lead to her failure to attain the ideal of Victorian womanhood. A woman that does not follow the rules society sets

At the beginning of the Victorian Period, both single and married women’s rights were limited. The changes during this era in the identity of genders are represented in the characters the author Wilkie Collins describes. For example, Marian Halcombe is characterized as strong and predominant. She is Laura’s voice when regarding to her husband and protects her throughout the story. Although Marian knows her role as a woman in society, she disapproves with the beliefs of the era. On the other hand, Laura personalizes the conventional quiet woman that obeys customs. To emphasize this, in Collin’s novel, he lets the reader know that Laura is marrying the man that her father approved even though he is now dead. When she marries, her rights legally belong to her husband and is treated with the laws and customs of the Victorian era. Throughout this period, the distinction between classes was also notable. Comparatively, The Woman in White presents how the middle class as Laura and her uncle refer to the working class, Fanny the maid. Even though Fanny has always been their maid and is the only person they trust, they only communicate with her at their convenience. Moreover, Mr. Fairlie does not even call the maid by her name, but refers to her as “Young Person”. Certainly, the Victorian Period was a significant impact in the novel where

Louisa breaks down at her father’s knees at the end of book two. All work and no play has made her a dull girl indeed! Mr. Gradgrind has no idea how to respond to this. “What can I do child? Ask me what you will.” [220]. Louisa’s philosophy, which bears a striking resemblance to that of James Harthouse, has led her to get married to a man she does not love. She essentially blames her strife upon her father’s upbringing of her. “All that I know is, your philosophy and your teaching will not save me. Now, Father, you have brought me to this. Save me