Mary E. Wilkins Freeman's The Revolt Of Mother

The fight against sexism is not a new fight. Women have been fighting for equal rights, as well as fighting for their lives, culture, and values to be just as important as men's. On August 18, 1920, women were granted the right to vote; but this was only the beginning. From then to now, the role of women in society has significantly changed due to women standing up for their rights at protests and rallies, as well as on social media. While “The Good Wife’s Guide” focused on the promotion of the traditional gender role of women and defined appropriate emotions for women, “The Revolt of ‘Mother,’” by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, represents the start of the resistance of the traditional gender role of women that we see in society today.

This generation of women, may it be young or old, are fortunate to live in a country where you can be anything, do anything, and say anything that men can. Although in theory the playing fields are still not completely even, we as a nation have made some substantial progress in women’s rights. Just a few hundred years ago, women livered mundane lives and rarely got to speak up for themselves. In the book, The Midwife’s Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, it follows the life of Martha Ballard through the use of her own diary. Martha Ballard captures the lives of common women in the Early Republic Era by providing an authentic record of the role women played in their communities throughout the developmental years of the United States.

“Revolutionary Mothers Women in the Struggle for America’s Independence,” is a book written by Carol Berkin. In this writing, Berkin goes into detail on the important role women of the 1600s-1700s took place during the Home Front War. Berkin argues that it wasn’t just the men who fought for independence, but women fought for freedom as well. The book describes the roles that different women faced, the challenges women faced, and women’s capabilities during the war.

The two poems are similar in their corresponding feeling of dread for death. Using diction,

In the mid to late 1700's, the women of the United States of America had practically no rights. When they were married, the men represented the family, and the woman could not do anything without consulting the men. Women were expected to be housewives, to raise their children, and thinking of a job in a factory was a dream that was never thought impossible. But, as years passed, women such as Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Elizabeth Blackwell began to question why they were at home all day raising the children, and why they did not have jobs like the men. This happened between the years of 1776 and 1876, when the lives and status of Northern middle-class woman was changed forever. Women began to

Despite being these poems being written nearly thirty years apart, there are many similarities in the two works. Each poem makes use of a tone in which the narrator ponders death in a way that does not seem afraid or bitter. In "I Have a Rendezvous With Death," the narrator considers life in a peaceful manner. He does not worry about his rendezvous with death; he welcomes it. Similarly, in "Night Funeral in Harlem," the narrator does not fear death.

In Freeman’s story “Mother” is meant to represent every woman, while “Father” represents every man. She uses them as a generalization of how each gender views and treats each other. “Mother” is displayed in this work as a hard working loyal person. She is viewed as a person who just wants the best for her family. Her husband, however, is

When Mary E. Wilkins Freeman authored “The Revolt of Mother,” women were instructed to be obedient to their husbands as they carried out their roles in the domestic sphere by cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. Resultantly, in the short story, Freemen must subtly skirt around the issue of Sarah Penn taking a stand over her husband by making Sarah appear to be subservient even when she takes a stand against her husband Adoniram. One example of Sarah acting subservient, but still taking a stand for her beliefs, occurs when she says to her husband “A barn? You ain't goin' to build a barn over there where we was goin' to have a house, father?" (Freeman 2). Despite using punctuation that indicates a question,

“The Revolt of ‘Mother,’” by Mary Wilkins Freeman, originally published in Harper’s Bazaar in 1890 (Gale 1997) it gives readers a view into the life of a woman who is struggling with how to be correct and proper yet, remain true to herself. While some may see Sarah’s actions as signs of weakness they are actually showing her strength. She is a woman who, in spite of the restrictions placed on her because of her gender shows the power of a woman by, knowing when to pick her battles, showing love for her family by serving them, and following her heart to make the hard decisions regardless of the opposition.

The mother in the story, Sarah, is not happy with her husband’s decision to build a new barn instead of a house on their farm. She believes her family deserves something nicer than the filthy house they have been living in for decades. She is very humble in the way she approaches her husband and asks that he rethink his decision. Sarah says, “ I ain’t never complained, an’ I ain’t goin’ to complain now, but I’m goin’ to talk plain” (Freeman 664). This woman takes a courageous stand and is not willing to back down for what she believes in. She takes a risky leap of faith and moves everything her family owns to the completed barn. When Sarah’s husband sees that she has relocated their family to the newly built barn, he realizes that he was blinded to his wife’s needs and desires. The husband says, “I hadn’t no idee you was set on’t as all this comes to” (Freeman 672). Through Sarah’s courageous actions, she helps change the course of her family’s beliefs. Michael Tritt argues about Sarah’s son, “Sammy represents the next generation of males whose view of women is changing”. Sarah undoubtedly gives other women courage to fight for what they believe in. Sarah truly epitomizes a true American. She lends a voice to those who do not realize that they too can chase after their dreams and desires. Sarah lives true to herself and because of this she has left a lasting impact on her future

The story “Revolt of Mother,” by Mary E. Wilkins depicts a woman (Sarah Penn) who is constantly exempt by her husband (Adonriam Penn) in taking part in important decisions until her frustration reached a breaking point, which ultimately leads to drastic changes in their family. In contrast a similar conflict arises in the movie Sleeping With the Enemy (1991), which was directed by Joseph Ruben. In the movie the main character, Laura Burney, had everything her heart desired. On the surface she had a beautiful house, a successful husband, and any material item she could ever want. However below the surface she was really married to a possessive as well as a physically abusive husband who made all the impressive luxuries she had seem

The Slave Mother was a poem written by a prominent African American poet and abolitionist, Frances E.W. Harper. The poem protests the institution of slavery and is attempting to promote social change in an era where slavery was viewed as acceptable. It illustrates the cruelty and sorrow that comes with slavery and separating a child from their mother. Harper uses vivid imagery and tone to evoke a strong emotional reaction in the reader, allowing them to understand the pain slavery brings and depict the era in which it was written.

Even in the 21st century, there is still a lingering idea that women strictly belong in the home. This can be attributed to both the continuous, though evolved, embrace of the Cult of Domesticity and natural law. In the eighteenth century the Cult of Domesticity was embraced and challenged by many women, as it is today. “The Revolt of Mother” by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman is a literary example that reinforces the idea of the Cult of Domesticity by showing the reader the boundaries between genders and the power, however limited, that a woman has. In contrast, Kate Chopin’s “The Story of An Hour”, shows the constraints that gender roles put on a woman. Chopin’s story challenges the Cult of Domesticity by using the character’s internal dialogue to show that this was not the life she pictured. The Cult of Domesticity can be tied to other themes, such as the burden of motherhood, as in “I Stand Here Ironing” by Tillie Olsen. The home and the children were all under control of the woman of the house, and though it sometimes feels like a burden, it is the woman’s obligation. Olsen did not fully accept nor fully condemn the Cult of Domesticity; she simply presented it as the way of life. By using the main character’s internal monologues and their actions to control, or not control, their domains, each of these authors presents their view on the Cult of Domesticity.

THEME: Both poems address mortality and death. Frost's poem is someone observing death objectively--knowing it is something they will experience someday. However, Dickinson's poem is from the point of view of someone who has already died. Dickinson's narrator had a peaceful experience with death, not one to fear or look upon scornfully.

In both, Themes are discussing time, for example, in the poem “Heart” it includes words like “dawn” and “night” in the poem “Fire” it includes seasons such as summer, autumn, winter, and spring to express the time. In the poem “ Heart” she tries to forget she has dreamed of the stars while in “fire” it states that she sits and remembers about the dreams. In both poems they discuss the way the writers feel in each poem, in the “Heart” she feels as if she was trapped, and in “fire” she feels as if she did not do as many things as she wanted in her time.