The House of Mirth and Their Eyes Were Watching God
The role of the female in male dominated societies is a prevalent theme in American literature and has been explored by countless authors. Edith Wharton, in The House of Mirth, and Zora Neale Hurston, in Their Eyes Were Watching God, are just two of the many who examine this issue in their literary works. Although the novels were published over thirty years apart, and speak of women of distinct cultures and societies, each author uses her novel to make a social commentary on the effects of the societal rules and expectations of patriarchal cultures toward women. As is clear after an examination of the protagonists in each novel, the consequences of such rules depend upon the way in which one approaches them. Although both women are indeed burdened by the rules of society, Wharton's Lily Bart abides by the expectations placed upon her and is ultimately destroyed by them, while Hurston's Janie is able to rise above and triumph over assumptions regarding proper behavior for ! The expectations of women in patriarchal cultures are evident in the early pages of Their Eyes Were Watching God as Janie's grandmother, Nanny Crawford, arranges the marriage of her grand-daughter to Logan Killicks, the respectable farmer who will
Unlike Janie, who is able to ignore the comments and questions about her, Lily's very existence is based upon avoiding unfavorable remarks so that she will be able to marry a wealthy man. The devastating effects of negative social perceptions are evident when Lily proposes marriage to Rosedale at the end of the novel. He is unwilling to take her as his wife and states, "I know the quickest way to queer yourself with the right people is to be seen with the wrong ones" (Wharton 249). The inference is that Lily, as a result of the incident with Mr. Dorset, has become socially unacceptable for marriage. As this his been the focus of her entire life, Lily is devastated by this glimpse into the reality of what is being said about her in the public arena. Whereas Janie is able to thrive in spite of negative perceptions, Lily is destructed by the rules of society that she strives so diligently to adhere to. Naw, Pheoby, Tea Cake ain't draggin' me off nowhere Ah don't want tuh go. Ah always did want tuh git round uh whole heap, but Jody wouldn't 'low me tuh. When Ah wasn't in de store he wanted me tuh jes sit wid folded hands and sit dere. And Ah'd sit dere wid de walls creepin' up on me and squeezin' all de life outa me. Pheoby, dese educated women got a whole heap of things to sit down and consider. Somebody done tole 'em what to set down for. Nobody ain't told poor me, so sittin' still worries me. Ah wants tuh utilize maself all over (Hurston 112). ll. Ah feel the same way 'bout Mr. Killicks too. Some folks was never meant to be loved, and he's one of 'em" (Hurston 23). Janie knows that this relationship will not bring her happiness, and she looks forward to finding romantic love. Naw, Ah ain't no young gal no mo', but den Ah ain't no old woman neither. Ah reckon Ah looks mah age too. But Ah'm more woman every inch of me, and Ah know it. Dat's uh whole lot more'n you kin say. You big-bellies round here and put out a log of brag, but 'tain't nothin' to it but yo' big voice. Humph! Talkin' bout me lookin' old! When you pull down yo' britches, you look lak de change uh life (Hurston 79). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ In order to achieve this goal, Lily relies completely upon her beauty, and becomes increasingly concerned with and consumed by the maintenance of her physical appearance. Throug
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Approximate Word count = 1605
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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