Self-Realization

During the 19th century women were secondary. They became invisible counterparts to their husbands, with no desires, no voice, no identity (Papke). Married women were addressed as Mrs. Smith or John’s wife. Their responsibilities in society were to become wives and mothers. Very few women were educated at this time. They did not need education to take care of their children and be submissive to their husbands. There were some women that took a stand for women’s rights through their writing. They told stories of the oppression and the inequality of women. Kate Chopin and Mary Lee, Lady Chudleigh were two feminist writers during this time period. Kate Chopin’s short story, “The Story of an Hour” and “To The Ladies” a poem by Mary, Lady Chudleigh are two stories that addressed women’s desire for independence, freedom, and sexuality.
Chopin was married at the age of twenty and a widow less than 14 years later. After her husband passed, her writing career began....