Author: Maddie

Expectations have always been put onto women; however, one of the most prominent roles that women are expected to fulfill is “mother.” Women are always expected to put the needs of their children and husband before their own. However, these expectations are not put onto men. Throughout the years, it has been shown that men are expected to go to work and provide for the family financially, while women are expected to stay home with the children and take care of them physically and mentally.

Within Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, Mr. Pontellier is the perfect example of a man (husband) who puts unrealistic expectations upon his wife. In chapter three, Mr. Pontellier decides he’s going to go out, and comes back late at night. He comes into the room, and Mrs. Pontellier is fast asleep, which she has every right to be since it’s 11 o’clock at night. However, Mr. Pontellier disagrees with this: “She was overcome with sleep, and answered him with little half utterances. He thought it very discouraging that his wife, who was the sole object of his existence, evinced so little interest in things which concerned him, and valued so little his conversation”(Chopin 11). Reading Mr. Pontellier’s inner response to his wife trying to sleep goes to show that he does not care about her needs at all.

“If it was not a mother’s place to look after children, whose on earth was it?”

Chopin 12

He believes that even if she is half asleep, she should jump up and listen to what he has to say, because that is her “duty” as his wife. Throughout the rest of the chapter, Mr. Pontellier continues to do what he pleases, such as smoking a cigarette, while telling Mrs. Pontellier (who is still half asleep) that she needs to go check on their child who might have a fever. It is apparent that he believes a woman is meant to take care of everyone else, and a man is meant to take care of himself.

Kate Chopin’s The Awakening goes to show that women are never expected to have their own needs, and if they do, they must always set them aside.

Society has set expectations for what makes up a woman. Women are expected to wear dresses, makeup, have long hair, play with dolls as girls, etc. Women are not expected to against these “rules”, and if they do, they are marginalized. Within the comic book, TomBoy by Liz Prince, the main character, Liz, points out how she goes against the traditional standards of what a woman is. Prince writes, “I didn’t even know what a tomboy was until I started school and was expected to follow the ‘rules of gender”(Prince, 2014). This statement shows that Liz just wore what she was comfortable and happy with, without thinking of what was “acceptable” for her to wear. This entire graphic memoir points out how labels are automatically put onto people. I think everyone should be able to dress and do whatever makes them happy. There is no reason to put a label on everything.

However, the world does care about labels, and these labels have an impact. Along with appearance and attitude, women are expected to work certain jobs. Within The Hidden Hand by Mrs. E.D.E.N SouthWorth, the effects of gender rules and stereotypes is revealed. Capitola has to completely change her identity in order to survive. She is unable to get a job, because she is a girl and is not considered “capable” of completing certain tasks that are “for men.” As soon as she changes her identity, she is able to start a successful life. Opportunities she never even dreamed of having began opening up to her, all because she was now a “man.”

Both texts show the expectations set on women, and how if these expectations are not met, life can be very difficult.

Throughout the novel, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo, the character Penelope struggles with identity. In her chapter, we learn that she is adopted, and is left with no knowledge of who her true parents are. However, within the Epilogue, it is revealed that Grace is in fact Penelope’s mother. Evaristo writes, “this metal-haired wild creature from the bush with the piercingly feral eyes is her mother this is she this is her who cares about her colour? why on earth did Penelope ever think it mattered?”(Evaristo, 2019). These lines show how Penelope’s perspective shifts. Due to her lack of knowledge of identity, she grew up treating others (particularly those who had a darker skin tone) with a poor attitude.

To some extent, it’s fair to say that Penelope has every right to be sour about her situation; however, that does not excuse her behavior. In this moment though, Penelope seems to change. She realizes that the color of someone’s skin does not matter at all. Recognizing that her own mother is not white is a pivotal moment in Penelope’s identity journey. I think this moment is beautiful, because it shows that Penelope is just relieved to receive an ounce of love from someone who is actually her family member. This is something that she has never experienced before, so she is quick to set aside any prior hesitations she would have had towards an individual such as her mother.

In an article titled, “Why Identity Matters and How it Shapes Us” by Sanjana Gupta, the importance of understanding and valuing one’s identity is discussed. Understanding who you are allows you to appreciate your culture.

“Having a strong sense of identity allows you to understand, appreciate, and take pride in your cultural heritage. This can empower you to participate actively in society, express your unique perspective, and contribute to positive societal change.”

SanJana Gupta (2026).

This relates greatly to Penelope and how she lacks a true understanding of her culture. This lack of knowledge makes her treat others (who could possibly be related to her) very very poorly. Penelope always thought she was the best, and was quick to judge those with darker skin tones. If she was aware of her true identity, her actions throughout life would have been completely different. She would have taken more action to help marginalized students, and would have viewed life completely differently.

Penelope is a perfect example of why understanding and knowing your identity is super important.

Understanding identity= Understanding culture

Hi friends! I’m Maddie. Let me tell you a little about myself. My love for English literature sparked when I was in Eighth grade. However, my expression of literature came in the form of theater for a very long time. My major during my early years of college was Acting. However, I realized throughout my first year there, that I longed to make a greater impact. I then decided to switch my major to English Education, and I transferred to Rowan University. This major intrigues me because I want to show the youth that literature is not only entertaining, but also informative.

Growing up, I didn’t realize how literature revealed important political issues and truths of the world. I want to analyze these topics and/or issues with my students, so they can go into the world knowledgeable, optimistic, and prepared to stand up for themselves and others. Edgar Allan Poe sparked my interest in literature. I have always been drawn to darker tones of poetry. Reading his poetry inspired me to write out my deepest, darkest emotions in poetry form. Poe exemplifies how writing transforms our darkest, scariest ideas and/or emotions into something beautiful and relatable. Poetry is not the only thing I find fascinating though.

Colleen Hoover and Freida McFadden are authors of fiction novels. These novels, although fiction, reveal deep themes that employ the reader to analyze further. Colleen Hoover’s Novel,Regretting You, points out the importance of being honest with family, and saying how you feel while you still can. Life is short.

To add, song writers like Billie Eilish have always inspired me to write my inner most thoughts and emotions. They showed me that writing is extremely fulfilling. For the future, I plan to teach of course, and I want to publish. Whether that be novels, more blog posts, songs, poems, I really do not know. All I know is that I want to make a difference in this world, and that difference can only be made through literature.

Senior Seminar

This semester, I am taking a Senior Seminar course, where we focus on how women’s bodies are reflected in literature. We will look at the stages of maturing as a woman, and the expectations society sets upon women. This course will also teach us students how to research information on women’s bodies when analyzing a piece of literature, such as a novel.

I honestly am looking forward to having the opportunity to write about the history of the representation of women in literature. Especially since I am a woman. I think that I tend to overlook the sexualizing of women that occurs in literature. I honestly do not know why this is, and I hope this course reveals potential reasons as to why.

To add, I like that this course gives us the opportunity to create blog posts (which I am doing at this very moment!)I enjoy that the course is more discussion based, and I look forward to hearing other’s opinions on representation of women in literature; especially the men. I’m interested to see if they also notice the stereotypes and common expectations put on women. We shall see. So far, I am very much enjoying the course.

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