Role of Women in My Antonia Essay Example

Role of Women in My Antonia Paper In Willa Cathers novel, My Antonia, there is a distinct difference in the roles of women. One sees the female characters taking on not so feminine roles by working in the fields or playing in the dust and dirt with boys. We also get to see a great independence for women as they get jobs and raise families. Willa Cather could very well have been a blossoming feminist in her time since she crumbled the stereotypes of women and boldly placed them in positions of power. She made not only the main female character of this book, Antonia, but all of the women reject society rules and have the confidence to make their own decisions about what to do with their lives. Willa Cathers novel really escapes from the societal norm of women at the time and replaces it with female characters unbound by stereotypes. Running a business, unheard of for women at that time, yet Cather has one of her characters, Lena Lingard, practice dress making. She eventually gets a job and starts selling what she makes. This eventually leads to her running her own store and having a well-respected place in society. We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Women in My Antonia specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Women in My Antonia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Women in My Antonia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It is worth noticing that Cather doesnt put her in the position of struggling to keep her business going but as being successful and happy. It seemed to me wonderful that she should have got on so well in the world (Cather, 171). Cather also included several other characters that embodied a strong independent woman like Mrs. Gardener. It was Mrs. Gardener who ran the business and looked after everything. Her husband stood at the desk and welcomed incoming travelers. He was a popular fellow, but no manager (Cather, 117). With Mrs. Gardener she had her running the business and the husband doing all the petty work, effectively switching gender roles. Lastly she writes a couple pages on what happened with Tiny Soderball, who went up north during the gold rush and ran a hotel-like business from there. There she sometimes fed a hundred and fifty people a day. Miners came in on snowshoes from their placer claims 20 miles away to by fresh bread from her, and paid for it in gold (Cather, 193). We also see a swap in gender roles here where all of these men are depending on a woman instead of the other way around. Cather really breaks women free of stereotypical bonds and has them makes their own independent choices. Miss Cather, I think, in this book has taken herself out of the rank of provincial writers and given us something we can fairly class with modern literary feminism (Bloom, 5). Country women in the novel were not confined to staying inside and caring for the children while making dinner. Antonia is the perfect example of this because, early on, we see that she is a lively young girl whose youth is not yet affected by the social norms of that time. Antonia had opinions about everything, and she was soon able to make them known (Cather, 22). When her father died she had to take up labor in the fields to help her family survive. She didnt complain about it like Ambrosch did, it seemed very much like Ambrosch did very little work and just spent his time bossing her around. Ambrousch hired his sister out like a man, and she went from farm to farm, binding sheaves or working with the threshers. (Cather, 95). Throughout the novel, Antonia was probably the one who did the most work out of anyone. In the end when Jim returns to meet her we find out that she is still working even after she has born numerous children. Though Antonia seems old and worn shes still the happy, energetic kid Jim remembers from his childhood. Antonia had not lost the fire in her life. Her skin, so brown and hardened, had not that look of flabbiness, as if the sap beneath it had been secretly drawn away. (Cather, 217). Cather had her be the vision of a woman who could still be proud even after a life of hardship. Cathers use of the daughters being the main lifeline for families switches the roles between them and the sons (Bloom, 17). Bloom brings up a very good point in that the families often relied on their daughters for support rather than their sons. Frances was the oldest daughter of the Harlings. Frances, was a very important person in our world. She was her fathers chief clerk, and virtually managed his Black Hawk office during his frequent absences (Cather, 97). Antonia was the Shimerdas communicator for the outside world and she also worked in the fields to support her family when her father died. When Lena, Tiny and Antonia went to Black Hawk for work they always sent the money back to their families, keeping only enough to get by for themselves. Antonia seemed fine with this and often bragged how much ploughing she had done that day. (Cather, 118). So, where were the boys while the females labored tirelessly? They were almost never out in the fields working, they were just in school. Other farmers greatly approved of women working to support their family and saw nothing unusual with women doing a mans job. The farmers liked her and were kind to her, said they would rather have her for a hand than Ambrousch (Cather, 95). Women could do more than just stay inside and cook, they could do hard labor and have jobs just like any man could. Willa Cather portrayed all of her women characters as strong roles models ready to combat whatever came their way. They could run business, work on the farm and raise a family all by themselves. These women were not affected by societys beliefs, stereotypes bounced off them as they went on their way, being just as capable as men. They were independent and could lead their own lives. Cathers novel helps pave the way for women equality everywhere. (Bloom, 2).

The Great Gatsby Summary

The Great Gatsby Summary F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby takes place among the New York elite during the Roaring Twenties. The story, told from the perspective of a naà ¯ve young narrator, focuses on a mysterious millionaire, the woman he loves, and the self-absorbed denizens of their wealthy neighborhood. Chapters 1-2 Nick Carraway, a World War I veteran and recent Yale graduate from the Midwest, moves to New York in the summer of 1922 to work as a bond salesman. He rents a small home on Long Island in the neighborhood of West Egg, which is largely populated by wealthy, self-made men. Nick is intrigued by Jay Gatsby, who lives in the lavish mansion next door. Gatsby is a mysterious recluse who throws massive parties but never makes an appearance at any of them. Across the bay, a distance away but directly across from Gatsby’s dock, there is a green light that seems to draw Gatsby’s attention. After settling in, Nick drives to the other side of the bay to the mirroring neighborhood of East Egg, where his flapper cousin Daisy Buchanan lives. Daisy is married to the arrogant and mean-spirited Tom Buchanan, a former college classmate of Nicks. Nick discovers that Daisys dock is the source of the green light. Daisy introduces Nick to her friend Jordan, a professional golfer who gives Nick a crash course in their social circle. Nick also learns that Tom is unfaithful to Daisy. Tom has a mistress named Myrtle Wilson who lives in the â€Å"valley of ashes- the stretch of land between West Egg and New York City, where poor workers live surrounded by industrial waste. Despite this new knowledge, Nick goes with Tom to New York City, where they attend a party at the apartment Tom stays in with Myrtle for their assignations. The party is hedonistic and crass, and the evening quickly devolves into a violent fight between Tom and Myrtle. After Myrtle repeatedly brings up Daisy, Toms barely concealed anger bubbles up and he hits Myrtle until he breaks her nose. Chapters 3-4 Nick finds himself at one of Gatsby’s parties, where he runs into Jordan and finally meets Gatsby himself. Both Jordan and Nick are taken aback at how young Gatsby is, and Nick is particularly surprised to realize that he and Gatsby served in the same division during the war. This shared history seems to generate unusual friendliness in Gatsby towards Nick. Jordan tells Nick what she knows of Gatsby’s past. She explains that, when Gatsby was a young military officer preparing to fight in Europe, Daisy was part of a group of debutantes doing volunteer work alongside the soldiers. The duo shared a flirtation, Gatsby fell in love, and Daisy promised to wait for him to return from the war. However, their different social backgrounds- Gatsby from humble origins, Daisy from a wealthy family- precluded a relationship, and Daisy ultimately met and married Tom. Jordan goes on to explain that ever since returning from the war and making a fortune, Gatsby has been throwing lavish parties in hopes of attracting Daisys attention from across the bay. So far, though, his plan has not worked, and he has been relegated to gazing at the green light on her dock. Over time, Nick begins dating Jordan, and Gatsby and Nick strike up a friendship. Despite their different life experiences and world views, Gatsby and Nick share an optimism that borders on naà ¯vetà ©. Since Nick is Daisy’s cousin, Gatsby uses their connection as a cover to arrange a meeting for himself with Daisy. Nick willingly agrees to the scheme and invites Daisy over to his house for tea, but doesn’t tell her that Gatsby will be there. Chapters 5-7 The reunion between Gatsby and Daisy is awkward and uncomfortable at first, but over the course of the summer, they begin a full-fledged affair. Gatsby confides in Nick that he wants Daisy to leave Tom for him; when Nick reminds him that they cant recreate their past, Gatsby insists that they can- and that money is the key. Daisy and Gatsby are successful in keeping the affair under wraps for a while, but one day, Daisy accidentally speaks about Gatsby in front of Tom. Tom immediately deduces that his wife is having an affair and flies into a rage. Tom uses Daisy as a weapon, telling Gatsby that he could never understand the kind of history that Tom has with Daisy. He also reveals the truth of how James Gatz, a poor officer, became Jay Gatsby, the millionaire: bootlegging alcohol and possibly other illegal dealing. Tom forces Daisy to make a choice then and there: him or Gatsby. Daisy insists that she has loved both men, but chooses to remain in her stable position married to Tom. She drives Gatsby back to Long Island in Gatsby’s car, while Tom drives with Nick and Jordan. This proves to be a fatal mistake. Myrtle, who recently had a fight with Tom, sees them driving by and runs out in front of Gatsby’s car, trying to catch Tom’s attention and reconcile with him. Daisy doesn’t stop in time and hits Myrtle, killing her. A panicked and distraught Daisy flees the scene, and Gatsby reassures her that he will take the blame for the accident. When Nick arrives and gets the details, he goes to check on Daisy. He finds Daisy and Tom calmly eating dinner together, apparently reconciled. Chapters 8-9 Nick returns to check on Gatsby, who mournfully tells him about his first, long-ago courtship of Daisy. Nick suggests that Gatsby leave the area alone, but Gatsby refuses. He says goodbye to Nick, who heads to work for the day. Myrtle’s suspicious husband George confronts Tom. George tells Tom that he believes the yellow car that killed Myrtle belonged to Myrtle’s lover. He explains that he has long suspected that Myrtle was unfaithful, but never figured out who she was having an affair with. Tom informs George that the yellow car belongs to Gatsby and gives him Gatsby’s address so that he can get his revenge. George goes to Gatsby’s home, shoots Gatsby, and kills himself. Nick organizes Gatsby’s funeral, but only three people attend: Nick, an anonymous partygoer, and Gatsby’s estranged father, who expresses pride in his late son’s achievements. Later, Nick runs into Tom, who openly admits to sending George Wilson to Gatsby. Tom says that Gatsby deserved to die, and he expresses more unhappiness about losing his apartment in the city than all the death and trauma. Having come face-to-face with the careless people of West Egg, Nick feels that the true â€Å"dreamers† have died along with Gatsby. He moves away and returns to the Midwest. The Great Gatsby Summary The Great Gatsby Summary The narrator of "The Great Gatsby" is a young man from Minnesota named Nick Carraway. He not only narrates the story but casts himself as the book's author. He begins by commenting on himself, stating that he learned from his father to reserve judgment about other people, because if he holds them up to his own moral standards, he will misunderstand them. He characterizes himself as both highly moral and highly tolerant. He briefly mentions the hero of his story, Gatsby, saying that Gatsby represented everything he scorns, but that he exempts Gatsby completely from his usual judgments. Gatsby's personality was nothing short of "gorgeous."In the summer of 1922, Nick writes, he had just arrived in New York, where he moved to work in the bond business, and rented a house on a part of Long Island called West Egg. Unlike the conservative, aristocratic East Egg, West Egg is home to the "new rich," those who, having made their fortunes recently, have neither the social connections nor the re finement to move among the East Egg set.The Great GatsbyWest Egg is characterized by lavish displays of wealth and garish poor taste. Nick's comparatively modest West Egg house is next door to Gatsby's mansion, a sprawling Gothic monstrosity.Nick is unlike his West Egg neighbors; whereas they lack social connections and aristocratic pedigrees, Nick graduated from Yale and has many connections on East Egg. One night, he drives out to East Egg to have dinner with his cousin Daisy and her husband, Tom Buchanan, a former member of Nick's social club at Yale. Tom, a powerful figure dressed in riding clothes, greets Nick on the porch. Inside, Daisy lounges on a couch with her friend -Jordan Baker, a competitive golfer who yawns as though bored by her surroundings.Tom tries to interest...