There are many instances when men rule over women in literature and society. Men holding power over women is a type of feminist criticism, specifically patriarchal. Kate Chopin 's “The Story of an Hour” is saturated with patriarchal concepts because during the time era the story took place males’ dominated society, women were expected to be dedicated housewives, and males controlled women’s freedoms.
For instance, during the mid 1800s to early 1900s it was a social expectation for women to live obediently and remain loyal to their husband. Mrs. Mallard lived this exact lifestyle, but when her husband died she concluded she no longer had a “ powerful will bending hers ” (Chopin 162). Previously, her time had been focused on her husband causing her to forget what free will was like. Unsophisticated critics would pick out how females already had limited freedoms and upon entering a relationship those limits became even more prevalent. In contrast a sophisticated critic realizes that men working and women being homemakers was necessary during that time. Jobs were typically for men therefore women had to either commit to marriage or struggle to find a source
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Mallard’s short lived freedom was given and striped from her by men. After she discovered her freedom was only a false reality the “ heart trouble ” (Chopin 162) she battled with for so long finally took her life. An unsophisticated critic would accuse men of abusing their power. A similar instance where a women is controlled by a man is “ Why Women Always Take Advantage of Men ” by Zora Neale Hurston where God made woman equal with man and then granted man more power than her. The difference is that in Hurston’s work the woman did not sit around to be ruled over, but sought to gain an advantage over man herself. Sophisticated critics would consider Mrs. Mallard’s death as an incident brought on by her own will and self neglect. Since she allowed herself to be ruled by a man, losing herself in the