... by pulling out a note pad and pencil and asking him questions all the way from hobbies to his financial situation. She then turns to "minor matters" and questions Jack about his family. When she learns that he has lost his parents she calls him careless. Lady Bracknell has no sympathy ... for his situation and refuses to allow a marriage to her daughter because of "minor matters" that may cause some sort of societal back lash. The women themselves are also preoccupied with collective standards that they couldn't even imagine themselves ... that the women are more concerned with the fu...

• Word Count: 627
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... Awakening, tells the story of Edna Pontellier, a young housewife and mother who discovers her need for independence and self-expression in the midst of her "awakening". One of the novel's minor characters, Adele Ratignolle, serves as a foil to Edna, illustrating all the qualities of the ideal nineteenth century housewife which Edna refuses to adopt. The novel's theme of rebellion against feminine ideals ... of the Victorian era becomes most clear when certain facets of the two women's characters are compared. The degree of loyalty that each woman bestows upon her husband serves as one e...

• Word Count: 425
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School