Waltz

A detailed Summary of Waltz


The Waltz by Dorothy Parker was written during a time when women were just beginning to understand that they could assert their own personal identities. Dorothy Parker wanted to show the movement away from the Victorian ideals of the day towards a more liberal urban America. Women's emerging identity led to the realization that they didn't have to depend entirely on men. Women also developed more political awareness and used their political skills to more greatly influence society. The Waltz shows how women were trapped in this male dominated society and the hopeless plight of these repressed women during the early Twentieth century.

In The Waltz, Dorothy Parker shows an autobiographical depiction of sexism in her life experience. In one part of the story the narrator is dancing with a man whom she doesn't care for, nor likes and curses herself while making fun of him in the process. When the dance partner questions however, she forces herself to say she is having a great time and loves this dance with him. The narrator also tells us that dancing with this man is just about as pleasurable as having


The narrator of The Waltz also shows the lack of opportunities and general impotence in society that women were faced with. Had the narrator said no to the dance she would have probably been considered rude and uncivilized, a social outcast and a deviant. The narrator said yes to the dance (the only other choice) and she was tormented with the man's bad dancing (he kicked her in the shin and stepped on her insoles) and his high energy, which she was, somewhat sarcastically, saying she admired but realistically hoped it would tire him out.

her tonsils taken out. By allowing the narrator to have such verbal exchanges with her dance partner Parker is showing her malicious wit. She is also showing woman's equal rights inside a sexual relationship during the changing times. The narrator is struggling to be her own person, when she implores, "Why can't he let me lead my own life?" The narrator also shows that she intends to "kill" the man because he wouldn't leave her alone to live her own life, which she feels is never going to happen because of all females' male counterparts, "Die he must, and die he shall, for what he did to m

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Approximate Word count = 768
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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