Within our society exist extraordinary forces that require women to look perfect on the outside. Society is chock full of subtle, and not-so-subtle demands requiring women to conform to the "norm." Going with the flow is a big part of life. Ideas of conformity are instilled in us as soon as we are able to comprehend the world we live in. A large piece of the conformity pie deals with the role of the woman, and how she should look and act. Three literary works from the death unit that illustrate the conflict that many women encounter are "Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy, "No Name Woman" by Maxine Hong Kingston and "The Woman Hanging from the Thirteenth Floor Window" by Joy Harjo. The reader notes that a major theme of the three works is the long-term effect of outside pressure on the subjects from birth. In these works, each character represents a woman trying to come to terms with, and find a solution to her depression and anxiety.
Too much importance and anxiety is placed on women to surrender to the image of being or becoming a Barbie doll. Dolls often give children their first lessons in what a society considers valuable and beautiful. These dolls often reveal the constant pressure to be young, slim, and beautiful in a society which values mainly looks. In the poem "Barbie Doll," written by Marge Piercy, evidence shows this idea in the poet's use of irony, her attitude on the subjects of both inner and outer beauty, and her attitude on the significance of words interfering with a woman's self-confidence. Piercy employs the stylistic device of irony throughout her poem. It required the "magic" of puberty for a child to point out the negative aspects of a physical body. A healthy, intelligent, and strong woman is compelled by society to bustle "to and fro apologizing," apologizing for failing to mirror the image of a Barbie-like woman that the world seems to want. Though she attempts to defy these expectations by cutting off her "great big nose" and "fat legs," in her death, the woman is displayed in her casket with cosmetics painted on and a beautiful turned-up putty nose.
One of the great works of this literary movement is Maria de Jorge Isaacs. ... The literary work focuses on death, pain and great gods. ... The 'angel home' is a very vital literary simbol in the works of Romanticism. ... Mary's health worsens and leads to his eventual death during your trip. ... This is very common in literary works of Romanticism. ...
Emerson proposes that society seeks conformity, but in order to be a self-reliant individual, one must be an inconsistent nonconformist: Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. ... The virtue in most request is conformity. ... By the time she died in 1850 at the young age of forty, Fuller had already published nearly three hundred works "emerging as one of the best literary critics of her day" (Baym 740). ... Woman versus Women" is a powerful work of literature in which Fuller argues that women can also be self-reliant individuals. .....
The author's frankness in describing sexual relations between men and women upset a great many people. ... Symbolism in Women in Love is a formidable agent of unity. "Women in Love-, a philosophical novel by D.H. ... As Women in Love is based wholly on human relationships, it is interesting to note a type of bonding that occurs, especially between the women. ... It is not until the question of Thomas Crich's death arises that there is a notable separation between the two. ...
