When Macabea is dying, she suddenly understands that “a woman’s destiny is to be a woman” (Lispector 84), and as a result, she is a woman. Macabea’s realization that she is a woman could be generalized to what constitutes a woman, yet this would be an idealized reality: although by many arguments identification does indeed act as the definition of woman, whether one identifies as a woman or not, this does not dictate whether society treats you as one. Thus, there is a dichotomy: woman by identification, and woman by society’s assignment. Although Macabea was ignorant to being a woman, this still hugely affected how she was treated. This raises more classifications: throughout the text, Macabea was regularly referred to as a girl, and before …show more content…
In this text, and often in society, virginity is what separates a girl from a woman, and although Macabea remains technically a ‘virgin’ (one who has not had sex) for the entirety of her life, she becomes no longer a girl or a virgin but a woman in her final moments because she undergoes a “painful and difficult reflowering that she enacted with her body” (Lispector …show more content…
The word ‘reflowering’ is created for this situation to oppose the word ‘deflowering’ which represents a woman’s loss of her virginity—the context in which ‘deflower’ is normally used emphasizes the fact that it is something done to a woman by someone else, whereas in Macabea’s reflowering, she does it to herself. Reflowering is not a term used outside of botany, and its meaning in this situation is abstract: if it is indeed the opposite of ‘deflowering’ it implies Macabea has once again become a virgin, but that is impossible, and she never lost her ‘virginity’ in the first place. This points to a larger notion, especially in consideration with the declaration that Macabea “had never really flowered” (30) in the first place. This phrase references puberty more so than sex, yet it is impossible that Macabea never went through puberty however undeveloped she might be. The metaphor of flowering has greater implications in connection to what men and society assigns, monitors, and takes away from women: confidence, comfortability, and autonomy in their gender and
It is possible to argue that Duffy's collection Feminine Gospels is a cry of rage and frustration. Certainly, The Map Woman and The Laughter of Stafford Girls' High present the persona's rage at the suppression of their individuality and identity, whilst The Diet presents Duffy's frustration at the expectations society places upon women.
The narrator grows up through the memory of a women named Mai Ling. In the excerpt “Kuraj” by Silvia Di Natale, Mai Ling to whom is noticed as a mother figure. The excerpt how the people from this environment admires and values the action of being protected; therefore, the narrator felt that Mai Ling was he/shes protector. “I know that I dreamed about her and it was Mai Ling with her almond eyes in her pale face.” The narrator describes the appearance of Mai Ling by using the literary devi
Santos is stating that the norms of female virginity is created due to the male standards. Santos’s theory of patriarchy determining virginal expectations extends into the monster narratives when women are the monsters. Women are holy, untouched beings in monster narratives that are loving and curious, but once they lose their virginity they are looked upon as social deviants. In the 1945 movie Cat People, Irena soon gave into her emotions and kissed a man, but once she gave into her temptation she soon could not stop herself and committed suicide. Here Santos’s theory is at play because once Irena lost her ‘virginity’ and became vulgar, was killed off, and the movie concluded.
She explains how she pursues a gender-sexuality outline in order to be introduced into womanhood and secure her future. However, Erauso changes herself in order to receive the free will and privileges of a man. She illustrates how she advanced the system regardless of breaking all of the regulations. Erauso explains how her community relies on a fixed set of rules whereat they send their daughters away with only two options of becoming a nun or a housewife. However, Erauso notices the lives her brothers live and how they are privileged with free money and freedom to decide which direction they want to take their life in.
Does deviating from one’s gender norms inevitably doom one down a spiral of moral corruption? Tim O'Brien, author of “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” and Ernest Hemingway, author of “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”, certainly seem to hold this view, as evident by the fates of the major female characters in their respective works. The deviance of the major female characters in both works appears to corrupt not only themselves, but also pollute their partners, causing them to suffer injury or harm as a result. The degree of injury ranges from negligible, like Fossie’s demotion and broken heart, to fatal, like the bullet that rips through Macomber’s skull. It begs the question, are these stories meant to serve as cautionary tales for their female readers, or possibly for their husbands, so they may recognize gender deviance and stop it in its tracks before their wives transform into Margot Macomber or Mary Anne Bell? This essay will analyze what such characters say about pervading views of women, both in society and in literature.
Mary Ann can be seen transforming in the chapter “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong”. The transformations in the chapter take place at different times as the story progresses. The Mary Ann that is presented at the beginning of the chapter is a great contrast to the Mary Ann that we end the chapter with. The different transformations of Mary Ann that take place are physical, behavioral, and psychological. These different types of transformations can symbolize many different things, some of which will be discussed in the following. Resisting Remasculinization: Tim O'Brien's “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” an article based on the chapter and book by Chris Vanderwees also discusses how the changes relate to the world.
The role of a young women was to find their identity. Dorris expressed this role with Rayona’s section with reference to the book. In Rayona’s section she has a difficult time finding herself in light of the fact that she is Native American and African American. Christine has not provided Rayona with knowledge of her heritage so she is having a hard
Manhood is sometime characterized in The House on Mango Street and Bloodline Sandra Cisneros literally. In this book the author conveys that manhood is nothing but adult age, it is something we reach somehow by the time and Sandra Cisneros manages to show it by the notion of "hips” that constitutes for Esperanza, Nenny, Rachel and Lucy something that symbolize manhood. They all try to give the utility of hips that they see from the adult female and according to Rachel hips is for propping babies that is a role of a woman. Furthermore for Sandra Cisneros, this notion of hips enables her to show one of the sign of virility which is something for adults. The author of The house on Mango Street, without any complexity, she analyzes literally manhood
Many readers who analyze Steinbeck's short story, "The Chrysanthemums", feel Elisa's flowers represent her repressed sexuality, and her anger and resentment towards men. Some even push the symbolism of the flowers, and Elisa's masculine actions, to suggest she is unable to establish a true relationship between herself and another. Her masculine traits and her chrysanthemums are enough to fulfill her entirely. This essay will discuss an opposing viewpoint. Instead, it will argue that Elisa's chrysanthemums, and her masculine qualities are natural manifestations of a male dominated world. Pertinent examples from "The Chrysanthemums" will be given in an attempt to illustrate that Elisa's character qualities, and gardening skills,
In the story culture plays a key role in shaping the lives of all the characters. The culture of the novel seems similar to present day, western world culture where women use there looks and sensual movements to attract and be adored by men. On the flip side the men show off there masculinity and use sweet words in an attempt to charm woman. The characters Olimpico and Gloria, Macabea’s co-worker, fit this description as a couple, causing it be ever more apparent that Macabea falls short of society‘s definition of femininity. Internally she wants Olimpico to like her, she wants to
Throughout the story Joyce has a keen awareness to detail and vivid dialogue in order to accurately portray the struggles that an ordinary teenage girl may face, both with the family, and with their own inner self. In addition, the story uses Connie’s naivety and the fact that she is stuck between wanting to be an adult and her innocence as something that the readers can relate to, before delivering a sinister twist and ending to Connie’s fate. In the end, Joyce’s story leaves the reader with a much better understanding of some of the struggles that females face. Whether it may be establishing a true identity, finding the true value of one’s character, figuring out what makes one attracted to one another, or maintaining a communicative relationship with parents, all are vital in the daily life of a young female. The reality that this is a problem that massive amounts of young females face on a daily basis creates a dramatic effect at the end of the story.
The culture of Mango Street lends itself to espousing two main gender roles for women, most importantly the role of mother and caretaker, and less significantly, as sexual figure. Women on Mango Street commonly embrace or are forced to embrace at least one of these roles. Marin, a woman who takes care of her cousins by day and sits outside smoking by night, easily embodies both roles. Sally particularly exemplifies that women cannot get away from the gender roles that bind them. In her family, being a female means becoming a vulnerable person for the man to control. However, Sally prefers to ignore this gender role and advertise herself as a seductress. As she agrees to give “a kiss for each” boy (Cisneros 97) in exchange for her keys back, “beauty is linked to sexual coercion …; there are no promises of marriage here, only promises of giving back to Sally what is already hers” (Wissman). Her family rejects his role, though to some extent accepted by Mango Street. By accepting the alternate gender role, Sally tries to break away from the gender role her family expects of her. However, she is unsuccessful. To escape from her father, Sally is “married before eighth grade” (Cisneros 101) to an equally controlling man who “won’t let her talk on the telephone” or “look out the window” (Cisneros 102). The marriage is a way
The notion that women belong to men, is a statement indicative of a female’s vulnerability. At many times within the novel, the idea that women are weak and feeble creatures is portrayed,
All characters in the novel are living in a man’s world; nevertheless, the author has tried to change this world by the help of her characters. She shows a myriad of opportunities and different paths of life that woman can take, and more importantly she does not show a perfect world, where women get everything they want, she shows a world where woman do make mistakes, but at the same time they are the ones that pay for these mistakes and correct them.
Martirio once had a man interested in her but that opportunity was snatched away from her by Bernarda. On page 191 Poncia says, “Martirio is lovesick, I don't care what you say. Why didn't you let her marry enrique Humanas? Why, on the very day he was coming to her window did you send him a message not to come? And Bernarda responded, “... My blood won’t mingle with the Humanas’ while I live!” This is an example of how different Martirio’s circumstances were from Adela and Angustias. Martirio was repressed from her desire for freedom from her mother and became jealous when her sister’s were not denied in the same way. These two themes lead the characters to believe that escaping one prison will make them free, only to be confined to another. This is the situation the women in the play recognize as a inner conflict. An example of this is on page 169 when Amelia says, “These days a girl doesn't know whether to have a beau or not.” Additionally, On page 208 Adela says, “ I can't stand this horrible house after the taste of his mouth. I’ll be what he wants me to be.” This quote shows how the girls view men as an escape from their sheltered home. Men represent freedom as well as repression. For Example, On page 169 it says “... Her sweetheart doesn't let her go out even to the front doorstep.” This shows us that Bernarda’s daughters realize if they stay at home forever, they will be controlled by their mother,