Summary: The Grotesque Citizens Of Winesburg, Ohio

Throughout history, our society has created gender norms that are followed consistently by members of communities. Though they differ from place to place, we recognize trends that seem almost prescribed to certain genders. Specifically, in the 1600s, men and women had explicit roles that were designated by people of stature. These expectations were followed loyally and people who failed to follow suit were shunned or sometimes even suffered seriously punishment including crude public beatings that were mot only pain inflicting but also status damaging (Rocke, Gender and Sexual Culture, 159). Looking deeper into the novel The Return of Martin Guerre, we identify from the start the expectations that are in place and how they play a role in the story. In comparison of Characters, taking into consideration the standard that had been set for men of this era, we notice that Pansette (Arnaud du Tilh) is an almost faultless example of what is expected for men and in contrast, Martin Guerre fails to meet these standards.

Presenting literature to the public that is meant to be a commentary on social or political issues, masked under the guise of entertaining and fictional, is a tool implemented by authors and activists for centuries. While not all satire is as overt as Jonathan Swift’s suggestion that we eat the babies, it does not diminish the eyebrow raising suggestions that are conveyed once the meaning has been discovered. In Aphra Behn’s The History of the Nun and Eliza Haywood’s Fantomina, the established expectations of the female role within society are brought into question then directly rejected. These expectations establish that women should be deferential to men, morally unblemished, and virtuous at all times. Men, however, are not held to these expectations in the same way. The masculine roles assumed by Isabella and Fantomina demonstrate a private rebellion against the established patriarchal society as it warns against the under-estimation of women and proves that women exist independently.

Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson; is a collection of short stories reproducing the town of many "grotesques". Anderson defines the term "grotesque" as being a person that "took one of the truths to himself, call it his own truth, and tried to live his life by it" (Anderson, 3). In the book, each story is about a grotesque character, including Wash Williams in the story "Respectability". Williams is the worst grotesque in the book. Specifically, the worst grotesque is a person who has become obsessed with an idea or feeling and cannot accept a different opinion. Wash Williams is the worst grotesque, because from what happened to him, his feelings towards change. He became violent, he forces his opinions on others, and it seems to be unable to change his beliefs.

The setting of both stories reinforces the notion of women's dependence on men. The late 1800's were a turbulent time for women's roles. The turn of the century

In Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson utilizes the idea of a “devil” during a time of when Chicago was prospering to showcase the evil lurking behind the mirage of wealth and beauty. The speaker is a third person omniscient narrator who has known about Burnham and Holmes life Chicago in the late-nineteenth century. The audience is intended for readers who enjoy non-fiction thriller novels or wants to know about the historical event from different viewpoints. The purpose is to entertain the audience but also teach them about the coexistence and balance of “good” and “evil” in one city. The subject is about Chicago during the Columbian Exposition, focusing on the juxtaposition of the lives of Burnham and Holmes. The tone shifts throughout the novel between every other chapter when there is a change in character since they have different thoughts and settings. Larson uses this to emphasize the universal themes of harmonization of polar opposites. He contrasts the two demeanors of Chicago, the white city was Burnham’s fair, also known a dream land. On the other hand, the black city is Holmes’ house of terror.

When Janie was about sixteen, she spent a spring afternoon under a blossoming tree in Nanny?s yard. Here she comes to the realization that something is missing in her life? sexual ecstasy. The blooms, the new leaves and the virgin- like spring came to life all around her. She wondered when and where she might find such an ecstasy herself. According to Hurston, Nanny finds Janie kissing a boy named Johnny Taylor and her ?head and face looked like the standing roots of some old tree that had been torn away by storm? (12) . Nanny can think of no better way to protect Janie than by marrying her to a middle-aged black farmer whose prosperity makes it unnecessary for him to use her as a ?mule? (Bush 1036).

As hardworking women living of the prairie, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters can relate to Mrs. Wright’s situation. They know personally that long days of doing laundry, cooking, and cleaning can become very tiresome (Hedges 91). They realize that living on the prairie can force a woman to be confined to her own house for weeks at a time, and because Mrs. Wright never had children, the grueling loneliness that she suffered must have been excruciating. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters both experience the constant patronization and sexual discrimination that most women in the early twentieth century lived with. They empathize with the difficulties of Mrs. Wright’s life and almost immediately a bond is formed with a woman they do not even know.

James Baldwin’s short story “The Rockpile” is set in mid 1900s in Harlem. The story focuses on two brothers, John the eldest and Roy his younger sibling, and a mysterious rockpile near their home where neighborhood boys go. In the story, Roy decides to go without his mother’s permission, and he ends up getting hurt by a can one of the other boys threw. This main event is the catalyst for the remainder of the story. Baldwin sets the stage for the development of femininity and masculinity in the story quite early on by how the two brothers are characterized by the narrator. Through characterization, Baldwin is able to affect the moral and ethical reasoning, deciding right from wrong, of the readers to empathize with the more feminine

The ruthlessness that harbors party attendees’ appeasement also transcends to the fear that the townspeople and partygoers have towards Anthony’s total control. The reader can find the Bixby’s portrayal of fear of Anthony in the absence of the details and in Anthony’s presentation. Indeed, nothing Bixby could come up with is as chilling to the reader as the details and images that will appear, summoned, from the depths of their imaginations. When Anthony “thought Dan Hollis into something like nothing anyone would have believed possible…thought the thing into a grave, deep, deep in the cornfield” (Bixby, 446) — the resemblance of a banishment to GULAG or Nazi concentration camp should be remarked (Spender, 219), but the reader is not sure of the specific implications, but one understands the terror by the partygoers’ response and Anthony’s purple gaze (implying an imperial or

In the shocking novel Of Mice and Men, author John Steinbeck portrays the corrupting power of women through seduction as an eager call for attention. This is shown through Steinbeck’s use of diction. The phrase “she had full, rouged lips” used to describe Curley’s wife emphasizes the inappropriate nature of the woman’s appearance. Since her lips are “rouged” Steinbeck suggests attention-seeking women to be swanky, deceiving men into their manipulative traps.

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,

The interaction of men and women in a city poses opportunities and limitations. The ideas about gender and how female and male characters are depicted in a story, together with gender behaviour, that have shifted over the years in different cities, positions and literary work. The Dubliners (1914) by James Joyce (1882-1941) demonstrate individuals trying to contest or escape paralysis in Dublin. A contrast from Langston Hughes (1902-1967) with 'Pushcart Man ', and Jack Kerouac with the 'The Town and the city ' in the city of New York. Their work is central to demonstrate the sense of the mix of cultures, perceptions of segregation, and the restriction and possibility of the city. This essay will discuss the 'ways in which relations between the sexes are depicted in the set texts, and consider the literary techniques the writer used to create a particular portrayal.

While women are confined to the homestead and are wired to remain subservient to their husbands, Wilson does not explicitly demonstrate male authority over women. Rather, he has aimed at depicting the complete opposite.

This exchange shows the reader how men think women fret over small, unimportant things. The men then go onto comment on Minnie’s housekeeping skills, or lack thereof. The two women empathize with Minnie, as they know keeping a farmhouse clean and in order can be a difficult task. The county attorney and sheriff also surmise “there was nothing important…nothing that would point to any motive” (1394) in the

Tall, dark, and handsome has long been the standard of a desirable man. There is undoubtedly something about a “man’s man” that is intriguing and beguiling. However, there must be a point where too much masculinity becomes a problem. As society continues to praise men with the biggest muscles, the nicest cars, and the most women, it is becoming increasingly hard to draw the line between healthy masculinity and toxic masculinity. In Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, toxic ideas about what it means to be masculine ultimately ruins several characters, but most overtly Stanley, Stella, and Blanche, showing that toxic masculinity is a threat to everyone’s well-being, both male and