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Complete paper on Analyzing the author’s style in The Revolt of Mother by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

Complete paper on Analyzing the author’s style in The Revolt of Mother by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

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Analyzing the author’s style in The Revolt of Mother by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

Mary Wilkins Freeman is best known for her writing about the rural life and lifestyle of

its natives. The revolt of Mother was first published as an article in Harper’s Bazaar in 1890 and

then became the second short story by Freeman towards the end of the nineteenth century. As

much as Freeman emphasizes on the rural life in her writing, The Revolt of Mother takes a

complete turn and goes straight into the women’s life and their oppression and treatment as lesser

human beings than the men. This mood is seen in Freeman’s later writing during this period.

Sarah portrays the woman living in America during the end of the nineteenth century. In

this era women were practically subservient to their men especially if one was married. Sarah and

her husband had been married for forty years and yes that’s a very long time but there was

something about the way things were done around Sarah, her husband and their daughter Nanny

and son Sammy that strikes the mind of Freeman.

It does not make sense that Sarah, the Mother, should wait for forty long years and more

for a promise from her husband of a house that could accommodate them and their needs. For all

this while Sarah had been the devoted mother and wife who ensured that all the needs of the

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husband had been met, she had been the submissive wife. It is here that Sarah feels compelled to

change the status quo against women as it stands without challenging the male dominion.

The story is cited in early spring, there is digging going on at an adjacent field and a

conversation springs up between Sarah and Adoniram, the husband, about building a barn at the

same place the new house was to be built. As if it is not a big issue Sarah takes the husbands

refusal to discuss the issue as the only way to end the discussion.

Sarah’s weakness and to women in generally is portrayed in her description, a mild

forehead and gray hair. This paints a picture of being too weak to defend herself from the

oppression she is going through. Freeman refers to Sarah as ‘Mother’ to represent the women or

female race in general. Women’s submissive nature is brought up when Sarah drops the

discussion about building a barn when the husband asks her to.

Adoniram’s refusal to discuss building a barn where the new house was supposed to be

built reflects the stand the male race takes about women having no say in matters, and worse in

this case because houses are a women’s palace. He disrespects her wife by not answering her

question and refusing to converse with her about his plans. A woman like a child would expect to

be giving reason; if we cannot build a house there then what will we do with the land? That is

why Sarah asks about the building of a barn while there has not been a new house for forty years.

There is an instance when Sammy stands up before his mother to protect he from any

confrontations with his father when they move to the barn, and Sammy’s eagerness for his father

to find out about that her mother Sarah had moved to the barn shows the new era, the different

men and their different ways of treating the women. It is a form of dramatic irony by Freeman.

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Name Tutor Institution Course Date Analyzing the author's style in The Revolt of Mother by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman Mary Wilkins Freeman is best known for her writing about the rural life and lifestyle of its natives. The revolt of Mother was first published as an article in Harper's Bazaar in 1890 and then became the second short story by Freeman towards the end of the nineteenth century. As much as Freeman emphasizes on the rural life in her writing, The Revolt of Mother takes a complete turn and goes straight into the women's life and their oppression and treatment as lesser human beings than the men. This mood is seen in Freeman's later writing during this period. Sarah portrays the woman living in America during the end of the nineteenth century. In this era women were practically subservient to their men especially if one was married. Sarah and her husband had been married for forty years and yes that's a very long time but there was something about the way things were done around Sarah, her husband and their daughter Nanny and son Sammy that strikes the mind of Freeman. It does not make sense that Sarah, the Mother, should wait for forty long years and more for a promise from her husband of a house that could accommodate them and their needs. For all this while Sarah had been the devoted mother and wife who ensured that all the needs of the husband had been met, she had been the submissive wife. It is here that Sarah feels compelled to change the status quo against wom ...
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