Role of Women; Then and Now

Introduction

At the turn of the twentieth century, America was changing rapidly. As industrialization and immigration changed cities, women slowly began changing their traditional roles. Society believed that women played a central role in the family. Their lives were tied to the house and children, endlessly unacknowledged work, little opportunity for outside contact, and relief from everyday triviality. Women's roles were meant to steady the troubles of the world, yet women could not help to resist against these obligations and see new opportunities for themselves. Although society labeled women as weak and dainty some were willing to take big risks for a change. Author Kate Chopin showed in her female characters behavior that was unusual for women of this time period. Despite the traditional roles of women, her characters often revolted against societal expectations. As a result, Chopin's reputation was so badly damaged that her work was ignored for decades after her death. No longer content to be loyal wives, pure empty vessels, and passive women, Chopin's female characters broke free from society's traditions in “Respectable Women”, “The Kiss” and “Story of an Hour”.

Discussion

From the beginning of the twentieth century, women were educated to be the perfectly devoted wife. “Women were expected to uphold the values of stability, morality, and democracy by making the home a special place, a refuge from the world where her husband could escape from the highly competitive, unstable, immoral world of business and industry” (Lavender 4). This meant that their main priority was to keep the home peaceful for their husbands. Women were expected to put her husbands needs, wants, and desires above her own. Love is apart of the relationship but she is to contain her passion and be serene. A wife is suppose to be happy all the time and not share her problems but to keep them contained inside. Mrs. Baroda resists taking on the perfect wife image in “A Respectable Woman” by putting her priorities above her husbands. Mrs. Baroda's behavior shows that she is resisting the role of being a wife because she is being loyal to herself, instead of her husband. She has feelings for her husband's friend Gouvernail, who has come to visit them for a week or two. At the time her husband told her he was coming to visit, she was upset because she wanted a rest from entertaining. Yet her feelings changed as she spent more time with Gouvernail. “She wanted to reach out her hand in the darkness and touch him with the sensitive tips of her fingers upon the face or the lips” (Chopin, “Respectable” 186). This quote shows that he really just wanted to draw close to him. Chopin uses Mrs. Baroda's thoughts to show that women during this time period were irritated from society's expectations and were revolting the characteristics of a perfect wife.

During the early 1900's, women were brainwashed to be pure. “A woman must guard her treasure with her life” (Lavender 2). This means that purity ...