Women in the western world seem to have lost the submissive position they occupied in the past and they appear to have taken control over different fields. However, there has recently been a spate of interest in how equal, in comparison to men, women actually are.
To understand the position of women in society today, it is imperative to revisit different historical standpoints. Since the 18th century, many efforts have been made to place women in an equal position to men in social life. From the origins of patriarchy, in which males pursue individual fulfilment and exercise dominance whilst females accept submission and domestic labours, to the objectification of women as properties and the idea that women are the weak sex, literary works have always been at the forefront of the portrayal of stereotypes in society.
Literature has usually been one of the fields in which individuals’ roles in society have best been depicted. So, this case study aims at throwing some light on the evolution of women’s roles in society through the analysis of Tea by Saki in 1902 and Bridesicle by McIntosh in 2009.
The analysis of these stories should contribute to the understanding of how the role of women has attempted an evolution in the course of a century. In the first story, the role of women seems to be remarkably patriarchal. In the second story, the main character is more aware of her gender condition although some women still try to conform to the social norms, and men’s roles are still dominant though less chauvinist. Male power, objectification and domesticity are present in both stories, yet in different degrees. It seems that, even today, some citizens find it difficult to accept the new social positions women are trying to gain.
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