How Can Comparing and Contrasting The Themes and Language In Three Pre-1914 Short Stories Help Build A Portrayal Of Gender Relationships?

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How Can Comparing and Contrasting The Themes and Language In Three Pre-1914 Short Stories Help Build A Portrayal Of Gender Relationships?

World War One and World War Two did much to change the status and standing of women in society, but how were women perceived in pre-1914? By analysing three short stories from that period and the gender relationships within them, I hope to build up a portrayal of how females were regarded.  

The three short stories that I’ve chosen from the pre-1914 period are: “26 Men and a Girl” by Maxim Gorky; “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman; and “The Woman’s Rose” by Olive Schreiner. I’ve picked these three specifically because each of these stories portrays the relationship between males and females differently, differing from the woman being subtly in control of the males, to the husband completely dominating his wife’s life.

The first theme, which I shall be comparing between the three stories, is the way in which men treat and see the women. “26 Men and a Girl” already gives a subtle hint as to how women were seen from its title, by using the word “girl” and not “woman” it indicates that the males do not judge them to be equal, and are seen as inferior. At the time of writing (1899), the attitudes towards women were far from equal to men, even if the law stated they were. This story follows the story of 26 men, who work all day for little pay and are essentially incarcerated in their workplace. These were working conditions to which at least some could relate to at those times, being forced to work all day long for a minute salary.

At the end of the story, the men lose their respect for Tanya, and end up ganging up on her, encircling her while heckling the young girl. It’s almost as if that once they see that Tanya really is a female, they revert to how they treat all women, with insults and jeering, but while she was something more than just a female: an idol; they treated her with the greatest respect. Suddenly, the roles of power are changed, and the men are freed from Tanya’s hold over them.

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But we stood in a ring around her and exacted our revenge, for she had robbed us. She had belonged to us….

This could perhaps reflect how women were still perceived at the time, that while the males had an interest in the woman, they were to be revered and loved, but as soon as the woman showed interest in another man, they would become just another female on the street, to be used and discarded at will, like property.

In “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892), John completely dominates his wife, and he believes he is doing the ...

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