The Role of Females in Male Dominated Socities in 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 w! 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 p
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. Following the death of her third husband, Janie's strength and independence from societal expectations are further reinforced. As she walks back through the town that she left only two years earlier, women sitting upon their porches comment upon her overalls and make "burning statements with questions, and killing tools out of laughs," but Janie does not concern herself with the people of the town (Hurston 2). Janie disregards conventional values and aspirations, and in doing so finds true happiness with Tea Cake. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Her relationship with Tea Cake, a man much younger and in a much less stable financial situation than herself, is yet another instance in which Janie defies the rules of society in the quest for her own happiness. The marriage Janie and Tea Cake is met with much disapproval, as the townsfolk believe that Tea Cake is only interested in her money. After a warning from her friend and confidant, Phoeby, Janie declares Much like Janie, Lily Bart in The House of Mirth feels great pressure, from her mother and from others around her, to marry a wealthy man who can support her and keep her out of "dinginess." However, while Janie is able to hold on to her romantic vision of a loving marriage, Lily rarely entertains notions of marrying based upon fondness for or devotion to another. Lily's desire to marry for financial support and stability mirrors the expectations placed upon her by society. While Janie is reluctant to marry Logan Killicks because there is no love between them, Lily is unwilling to marry any man who cannot be of use to her in the pursuit of the wealth that will bring her the higher social status that she desires. Janie refuses to be silent, to play the role of dutiful wife, and actively opposes her fate. After he is publicly shamed, Joe takes ill and passes away. Following his death Janie once again defies societal expectations with her brief mourning over the loss of her husband. "Ah aint' grievin' so why do Ah hafta mourn," she questions, and begins to fall in love with Tea Cake (Hurston 113). Naw, Pheoby,
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Approximate Word count = 1605
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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