Kate Chopin The Revolt Of Mothers

The stereotypical roles of women in society in the 1890’s were to tend to the house. They were looked down upon by men and young boys alike, they had very little freedoms, and most importantly, they were not given the credit they most definitely deserved. Many married women followed these traditional societal roles in terms of marriage. However, many early modernist writers aimed at influencing other to breaking free from tradition, creating new and impactful lives for themselves. The short stories “The Revolt of Mother” by Mary Freeman and “A Pair of Silk Stockings” by Kate Chopin both utilize the modernist marriage cycle to persuade women into deserting the traditional societal roles of marriage placed upon them during the late 1890’s

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Sommers’ case, Kate Chopin depicts a very similar issue in a slightly different approach. To start off the story, the narrator states that the money “gave her a feeling of importance that she had not enjoyed for years”(Chopin 1). That statement helps to create the idea that Mrs. Sommers’ marriage had taken away her enjoyment and happiness. If she had not had this feeling of importance, it makes the reader question what happened during the years of her marriage that made her lose this feeling. Quite possibly, it could have been the marriage itself, and the duties that developed with it. The biggest of her duties, which came with her marriage, was the burden of her kids. When she obtained the money, her first instinct was to make “her little brood looking fresh and dainty and new for once in their lives” by buying them clothing (Chopin 1). This creates a suggestion that after getting married, their family is very poor and their lives are miserable. If Mrs. Sommers can barely provide decent clothing for her own children, because it is such a hassle, then one can only wonder the means she has for clothing. It almost seems as if she never does anything for herself, only tending to the needs of her children. To further the argument that her kids and the marriage has induced a burden in her life, the narrator notes “she had no time [to look back]- no second of time to devote to the past. The needs of the present absorbed her every faculty” (Chopin 1). Her kids took up

In Mary Freemans instance, Mrs. Penn was so fed up with the way father was neglecting her, so she felt it was time for a change. Near the turning point of the story, the narrator starts describing Mrs. Penn in a very high manner, saying she “stood in the doorway as a queen”, while also describing her as “plead[ing] her case like Webster”(Freeman 3,4). By describing her in such a powerful manner, and comparing her to a very famous speaker, it is creating a feeling of power for her character. The real turning point in the story occurs when Mother decides to revolt against father, where she “moved all their household goods into the new barn” (Freeman 6). Despite the way the townspeople perceive this action and the advice from the minister, Mrs. Penn still continues to support her decision to revolt against the cruel way father has been treating her. She had been waiting for father promise since “forty years ago”, and it was time to get what she wanted (Freeman 3). This shows that despite the fear and craze that others thought of the revolt, mother persisted to do what she wanted, which shows her powerful side. Her powerful side begins to fully shine when father returns, and the narrator directly states that “Adoniram was like a fortress whose wall had come tumbling down” (Freeman 7). This shows how she had finally,