Question

At the time Freeman wrote "The Revolt of 'Mother'" women's role in society was very different from that of today. In an essay of at least 150 words, explain how these issues have changed over the last century, yet are still with us now.

Answer 1

"The Revolt of "Mother"" is a short story that was written by author Mary E. Wilkins Freeman and it was publised originally in 1890. This story narrates the life of a common 19th century housewife, Sarah Penn, who combines two very different ways of facing problems; the first is the usual submissive woman, mother and wife, who performs her chores despite the difficulties and aggravations she faces, and at the same time, she is the woman who dares to go against her husband´s wishes, setting off a huge scandal in her town, as it had never been heard that a woman would dare to confront any man, much less her husband, regarding a decision he had made. In a nutshell, "The Revolt of "Mother"" shows what women had to face during the 19th century, with a predetermined role as future mothers and submissive wives, who had no say in anything, but at the same time, it confronts this with a topic that had already started to make a lot of noise, especially in America, and it was the woman´s role in society.

Although most of the situations regarding women which are shown in the story have now changed, it is also safe to say that some of them remain, and are still viewed as valid, in certain societies of the world. For example, in many countries, and even in America, some people still believe that the role of a woman is essentially as a mother and a wife. Women nowadays, it is true, have voting rights, choice rights and a say in their futures, and many never marry or become mothers, but the truth is that in the society of today, people still think that women are essentially this. So, although the submissive and accepting personality trait shown by Sarah, has changed a lot in today´s world, we still see countries in which women are considered and seen as Sarah was seen by the people of her town. And those who dare to step outside of this model, are shunned.

In the end, women have gained a lot of ground as far as changing the way they are seen and are expected to act goes, but it is also true that in many respects, women are still seen, and are expected to act, as submissive housewives and mothers.

Answer 2

In "The Revolt of Mother" Freeman described women's role in the 19th century, when women were the only ones responsible for the household chores and for raising the children. In fact, these were the only things they were supposed to be occupied with as they wouldn't go to school like boys nor would they find a job. Freeman also describes the position of the mother in the family, where she couldn't participate in decision-making which concerned the house and the family including her. All important decisions were taken by the husband and even if the wife disagreed she couldn't do anything about it.

Today, in the Western world, women have gained the right to education and to equal opportunities in employment. Their role in the family has also changed as today the father participates in the household chores as well and he is also responsible for bringing up the children. Nowadays, the women can take important decisions concerning their lives and their families.

However, there some remnants from that era that are still with us today. For example, even if women have gained the right to vote there are still less women in the Parliaments than men. In addition to this, there are plenty of jobs in which they prefer to hire men or where women and men are not equally paid. Last but not least, many people still believe that women should have a different role in the family than men.

In conclusion, although the position of women has improved a lot since the era of Freeman, there are still many issues to be resolved.