Women in Literature

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Women in Literature

Most characterizations of women in literature are based from a patriarchal mindset . Women are often portrayed in many short stories and novels as nagging wives , overly demanding mothers or passive individuals who rely on fate and miracles to be able to surpass misfortune . These demeaning representations of women in literature are very much evident in the short stories I Stand Here Ironing (1956 ) and To Room Nineteen (1978 , as well as in the novel The Joy Luck Club (1989 . In the process

, the patriarchal belief that it was disastrous for a woman to take charge of a family was reinforced

Tillie Lerner Olsen 's short story I Stand Here Ironing was centered on the unnamed mother of a 19-year-old girl named Emily . A stranger , most likely a guidance counselor or a teacher , informed the mother that her daughter was having problems at school and that they needed to talk about what they can do to help her . While ironing , Emily 's mother ruminated on the conversation that might take place on this meeting . She then reflected on Emily 's troubled childhood and how it contributed immensely to her current state

The mother blamed herself for her daughter 's turbulent childhood and its detrimental effects on her . The mother thought that Emily might have enjoyed a happy childhood if she became a full-time parent instead of working outside the home (Olsen n . pag . Olsen used this cycle of rumination and blame as a means...