A Feminist's View

Ashley Dashiell
Professor Kym Kennedy
English 104
12 October 2011
A Feminist’s View A feminist criticism is an approach to literature that seeks to correct or supplement what may be regarded as a predominantly male-dominated critical perspective with a feminist consciousness (Meyer 1658). The excerpt from A Secret Sorrow and “A Sorrowful Woman” are great from a feminist point of view. Both of these stories are about marriage and family, but their points of view are different. How would a feminist critic view the characters willingness to want a family or willingness to be separated from her family? How would a feminist critic analyze the time period of the two stories? What would a feminist critic say about the male leads? You are about to find out! The main female character in “A Sorrowful Woman” had a family. She had a husband and a child who loved her, yet she wanted no part of it. She was depressed and angry. “The sight of them made her so sad and sick she did not want to see them ever again” (Meyer 39). A feminist critic might say that a woman needs to be more than just a wife and mother. Women want to be educated and work outside of the home. A mother/wife needs to do more than just housework and child care, they need other duties. They want/need to feel more important. Not all women feel this way though, some women’s life goals are to marry and have children like Faye in A Secret Sorrow. Faye so badly wants to have children but is unable. Faye is a stereotype of how women are perceived. In Faye eyes and others’ women are born to marry and have children. Faye feels that the fact that she can’t have children makes her less of a woman. “You wouldn’t want me any more.” “I’m afraid… afraid to marry you” (Meyer 32-33). Faye believes that because she can’t have children, then she shouldn’t marry either because she would be letting her future husband down. Once Faye realizes that you can have children and a family other ways she is once again content with just being a mother/wife. Both women are relatable. A Secret Sorrow was written in 1981.In that time period, women were still “suppose” to marry and start a family, but it was becoming more common for woman to become educated. Women had lives outside of the home, some woman were even the breadwinner. Even though times were changing, Faye still badly wanted a family. However in 1971, when “A Sorrowful Woman” was written, it wasn’t common to find a working mom. For that reason, the mother in the story became so depressed. She wanted more from life. She wanted to leave the house and the mother/wife duties and do something for herself. She is someone a feminist could look up to because she saw life outside her house. The men played a part in how these two women are viewed. Both Kai and the husband are strong and self-sufficient. The husband in “A Sorrowful Woman” stepped up when he was need, while some might see that as the right thing to do, a feminist critic might say he stepped up to much. He pushed his wife out of the way. He did all the cooking, cleaning, and caring for the child that even if she decided she wanted to be a part she couldn’t. Kai also stepped up and stuck around even though he didn’t have to. Kai and Faye were not married, he had no legal reason to stay yet he did. A feminist critic might say he didn’t take her concerns and worries seriously. He saw her as being suborned and not wanting to marry him. A feminist might think one story ended happily and one not so much, but which one? Faye gave into tradition, is that honorable? From a feminist critic’s point of view she shouldn’t settle for just being a wife and mother. A feminist critic might say “A Sorrowful Woman” is the one with a happy ending. She got out of an unhappy relationship. It is not the idealistic way to get out, but she got out. She is no longer a mother or wife. She is free. There are lots of ways a feminist critic could look at these stories, I just named a few.

Works Citied
Meyer, Michael. The Compact Bedford Introductions to Literature. Boston, NY: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000.