The Role Of Women In Literature - 1587 Words

When people are going through events in his or her life they look for a way to express or find something that relates to the feelings that they have. Majority of the time these feelings are expressed through literature. An example is the archetypes that can be found throughout literature. In the British Middle Ages, the people were grouped into different social classes using the feudal system. Society was mainly broken into two separate groups, the nobles, and the peasants. However, there was also a subset group, which maintained the women. Women were the lowest of the low because they were considered to be evil because of what happened with Adam and Eve in the Bible. It is said that since â€Å"†¦Eve was created from Adam s rib and, having†¦show more content†¦For someone to be classified as a hero they must possess the physical, social class, and chosen status qualities. These characteristics are certain ones that help the audience relate to heroes in the stories. Si nce it was believed by many that women were evil, due to what happened with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden men were the superior sex. Thus, the hero had to be a male. For the people of the Middle Ages, it was impossible for a woman to save everyone from the danger they faced, if anything they were the cause of the destructions. Subsequently, it was up to the men to save the day. If there were ever people needing to be saved it had to be done by a man with unfathomable strength. All men living in the Middle Ages could relate to this characteristic because it was already a part of their everyday lives whether they were noblemen, or peasants. No matter what social class they were in the man always had more power than the woman. Another characteristic is that they must be chosen by God. The people of this time believed that the kings, queens, and noblemen were specifically chosen by God. Therefore, the noblemen related to the hero on an official level because they were both appoint ed by God. Therefore, they were already one step closer to being a hero. Then heroes must have a unique birth story. The peasants put themselves in the hero’s place and begin to think that they could be a forgotten noble thatShow MoreRelatedWomen s Role For Literature887 Words   |  4 PagesWomen’s role in Literature The role of women in the society is always questioned and for centuries, they have struggled to find their place in a world that is predominantly male oriented. The treatment of women was extremely negative; they were expected to stay home and fulfill domestic duties. Literature of that time embodies and mirrors social issues of women in society (Lecture on the Puritans). But, slowly and gradually, situation being changed: â€Å"During the first half of the 19th century, womenRead More The Role of Women in Literature Essay1283 Words   |  6 PagesThe Role of Women in The Thousand and One Nights, The Ramayana of Valmiki and The Medea Throughout most of the assigned readings in this class, women are portrayed as clever, ruthless, and deceitful individuals that are willing to do whatever it takes in order to get what they desire. With careful calculation and timing they are able to manipulate others into doing things their way and have favor in their eyes. Sometimes they use their craftiness for good and other times for evil, whatever reasonRead MoreThe Role of Women in Medieval Literature1344 Words   |  5 Pagesfaith when interpreting medieval English literature like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales (Morgan 265). 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Aristotle however, may not have even realized the amount of truth expressedRead MoreRole of Women in Literature Essay2336 Words   |  10 PagesThe Representation of Women in Literature br brThe role of women in society is constantly questioned and for centuries women have struggled to find their place in a world that is predominantly male oriented. Literature provides a window into the lives, thoughts and actions of women during certain periods of time in a fictitious form, yet often truthful in many ways. Ernest Hemmingways Hills like White Elephants, D.H. Lawrences The Horse Dealers D aughter and William Faulkners A Rose forRead MoreGender Roles Of Women s Literature1661 Words   |  7 Pageswhich gender roles are portrayed in children’s literature significantly contributes to the development of our youth’s understanding of their own gender’s role and how they are perceived by society. It is important for children to understand gender roles because gender roles are an essential cog in the perpetual machine that develops our society, but these cogs have been replaced with newer, more up-to-date cogs over recent years, so to speak. As society has changed, so has the typical role that eachRead MoreRole Of Women During Greek Literature1526 Words   |  7 PagesThe role of women in Greek literature has demoralized them and showing them in a maligned light. The women are portrayed as frail, cruel, insensitive, or as seductresses. These characteristics have been integrated into today’s society and [have] built the standards and defined the moral outlook of women. However, in Greek mythology, powerful and strong women are not as well celebrated, such as Athena. Homer’s The Odyssey construes the positive and negative role of women through the epic poem. TheRead MoreWomen s Literature : Oppression And The Role Of A Woman971 Words   |  4 PagesEvan Rhodes Survey of World Literature December 1, 2014 Hartmann Women in Literature: Oppression and the Role of a Woman In early literature, men dominated the writers’ circuit. As literature began, it was used as an easily digestible way to promote social norms and moral code. In these texts, the role of women changes vastly depending on the culture, although there is a common theme: women exist to belong to a man. Women were not only oppressed in life, but their struggle is weaved into all ofRead MoreThe Evolution of the Role of Women in British and American Literature1808 Words   |  8 Pagesdegrading† (McEwan 55-56). Throughout the history of literature women have been viewed as inferior to men, but as time has progressed the idealistic views of how women perceive themselves has changed. In earlier literature women took the role of being the â€Å"housewife† or the household caretaker for the family while the men provided for the family. Women were hardly mentioned in the workforce and always held a spot under their husband’s wing. Women were viewed as a calm and carin g character in many storiesRead MoreRole Of Women And Motherhood Through Modern Literature883 Words   |  4 PagesThe Role of Women and Motherhood through Modern Literature Gertrude Stein’s story The Gentle Lena in Three Lives reaffirms the expectations of women set out by society, yet the main character Lena challenges the role of women in the workforce, marriage, and motherhood. Lena’s gentle, sweet, patient and servant-like behavior affirms the way society saw women. Women had no voice as to what to expect from their lives and for many their greatest aspiration was to be a mother. Lena’s life just like