“The Theme of Women” occupies an important place in the creative heritage of American writers, appearing as one of the markers of the historical and cultural process. As one of the dominant themes in American literature of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it provides the key to understanding the place of women in society and their role in the development of social progress. Showing considerable interest in the fate of an American woman, exploring the features of femininity, the female worldview and women's values, and studying the role of women in various areas of society, American novelists strove to reflect the life of women, the problems of women's emancipation and the feminist movement in an objective manner. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayA characteristic feature of this era was that in the American family, the woman continued to be an exploited being. Since the right to make decisions belonged to the man, norms within the family and at work were constructed according to the patriarchal model; consequently, the woman's involvement in professional work would have transformed this exploitation into a double exploitation. According to Erich Fromm, “the domination of men over women is the first act of conquest and the first use of force for purposes of exploitation; in all patriarchal societies, after the victory of men, these principles became the basis of the character of men” (116). Nevertheless, the most advanced and educated part of American women has matured with the determination to achieve equal rights with men in matters of education, freedom of professional activity, the right to dispose of property and to raise children, freedom from divorce and women's right to vote. The idea of ​​women's equality in the second half of the 19th century embraced a wide range of American citizens and found expression in the feminist movement, which began to question the roles imposed on men and women by society. The theme of women's social and moral liberation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries is one of the major themes in American literature. Among a whole host of talented writers of that time, it is worth noting Kate Chopin and her extraordinary work "The Story of an Hour" and John Steinbeck with his immortal "Chrysanthemums". Although the struggle for gender equality, carried out in every possible way, including through literature, was inherent primarily in women, male writers were able to describe the state of the female soul as amazingly as female writers. Despite the difference between the eras of writing and the plots of the stories, the key idea - a woman's desire to be fully recognized - remains unchanged in these two works. Steinbeck's heroine, Elisa Allen, is a thirty-five-year-old woman who lives in a valley surrounded by mountains and "closed off from everything else in the world", as Steinbeck describes it. She is a kind, intelligent and interesting woman with a strong character. However, her life, subordinated to marriage with Henry Allen, is not a source of warmth and happiness. Even though her husband is a hard-working person and an exemplary family man, she does not get full satisfaction from her marriage or from life in general. Henry doesn't perceive her the same way, so he treats Elisa like a child and takes care of her successfully. However, all this is not enough for her, because she wants something more: she desires a life full of adventure. Instead, she must dedicate her life to caring for the flowers. In turn, the heroine of "The Story of ahour" Mrs. Louise Mallard is a young married woman suffering from heart disease. According to Chopin's description, her beautiful face shows both a state of violent submission and a certain hidden inner strength that reflects a sign of courage. As for Eliza, her marriage is an imprisonment, a cage from which there is no escape. She lives without knowing the joy of family life, patiently enduring all the adversity and dislike of her husband, dedicated to one. such existence by the will of fate Thus, when she is cautiously informed of the death of her husband, apparently dead in a railway accident, she is enveloped in a whole range of feelings ranging from a sudden feeling of grief. and from sadness to the victorious jubilation of the realization of her long-awaited freedom At first glance, in the eyes of the reader, she appears as a selfish and heartless creature, almost a soulless monster, incapable of expressing the mourning that the. situation seems to require. But what is behind all this? Long years of loneliness spread there, because even when we are together, we can feel alone. The heavy perception of the futility of such an existence, which only brings new wrinkles on the face, appears behind this aspect of his life which is hidden from the reader. His behavior provokes ambivalent emotions in the reader. It could be anger, due to the fact that Louise is letting deep feelings pass through her, which society in this situation would consider immoral. On the other hand, it may be a feeling of compassion and an understanding of the motivations for one's actions. This understanding comes at a moment when the reader is invited to feel the air of freedom that Louise eagerly breathes through the open window. of a distant song that someone was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were chirping in the eaves." Her sudden death, at the moment when she sees her husband alive and unharmed, puts things back in order. The report about the train accident was a mistake he didn't even suspect; therefore he comes home without warning, causing his wife to have a heart attack. The doctor's conclusion that she died unable to cope. to the joy that overwhelmed her at the sight of a living husband seems plausible, but it is not true. In fact, her heart cannot bear the deepest disappointment of knowing that all her hopes for a free life. and happy suddenly collapse... According to Freud, Louise's inner conflict lies in the confrontation between her innate desires or "ID", governed by the libido and public opinion or the "Superego" (Kagan, Segal 336- 337). Then enters her consciousness or the "Ego" which tries to find a balance between the "pleasure principle" and the "morality principle", which strive to prohibit her from feeling this vague sensation that she cannot determine at the outset: Something was coming to him. and she awaited him with fear. What was it? She didn't know it; it was too subtle and elusive to name. But she felt it, coming out of the sky, extending towards her through the sounds, the scents, the colors that filled the air. She began to recognize this thing that was about to possess her, and she strove to push it away with her will, as helpless as her two slender white hands would have been. But in the end, she gave in completely, staying in her room. In public, she cannot show her jubilation because it is unacceptable. Relatives expect her to show grief, which she successfully demonstrates, but fate has it otherwise, and her inner triumph and liberation from the shackles of an oppressive marriage turn into intolerable bitterness because of understanding the wreckage of his dreams. At this point, the reader can beintrigued by the question: to what extent should one's own life be disgusted, that only the death of a spouse seems to him a way to get rid of suffering?!The story of Elisa is not so tragic but no less dramatic. His life seems quite predictable; a series of boring days like two drops of water awaits him. Since her vain attempts to get involved in the ranch business are condescendingly rejected by her husband and the absence of children deprives her of the opportunity to taste the joys of motherhood, all this remains with the ambitious Elisa. of the house and his favorite chrysanthemums, because in this his joy. However, his peaceful existence is disrupted by a wandering household utensil repairman. His unusual image, and probably sexual dissatisfaction combined with a rich imagination, pushes her to flirt with him, but he sees a completely different interest in their conversation. In an attempt to sell her useless services, a cunning traveler uses various methods to make her more affectionate, first by trying to be gentle with her, then by praising her own professional qualities, thereby groping her weak point. Using his discernment, he shows feigned interest in his passion – chrysanthemums – and even then he does not immediately achieve his goal. “They smell bad, you get used to it,” he says. “It’s a nice bitter smell,” she retorted, “not unpleasant at all.” He quickly changed his tone. “I love the smell myself” (Steinbeck 232). Eliza, who is touched by his interest, undoubtedly has the purity of her intentions, so she opens her soul to him and becomes more benevolent, giving him the opportunity to earn money. However, the handyman, having received what he wanted, namely money for his work accomplished, leaves her in a state of confusion. After he leaves, she feels completely devastated, suggesting how unhappy her marriage is and how a wandering traveler could so easily inflame her. During a conversation with him, she describes her feelings and desires so clearly, as if she is just waiting for this moment to unfold for him. “I’ve never lived like you, but I know what you mean. When the night is dark, well, the stars are sharp and calm reigns. Well, you get up and get up! Every pointed star is embedded in your body. That's how it is. Warm and lively and charming” (Steinbeck 234). It is obvious that she often fails to express herself, because there is no one to appreciate her. In an attempt to cope with her feelings, she tries to joke with her husband, then she expresses a desire to go to bloody men's fights, and finally to drown her sorrows in wine, but none of these ideas seem to work. bring him full satisfaction. The reason for his emotional confusion is a state of frustration, linked to unmet needs. Here emptiness resides due to the unsatisfaction of one's natural needs for love and recognition. According to Abraham Maslow's theory, human needs are innate and occur on many levels, from simple to complex, ranging from physiological needs like eating, sleeping, having sex and ending with self-actualization needs (McLeod). It is true that man lives only on bread, although there is no bread. But what happens to man's desires when he has plenty of bread and his belly is chronically full? Other (and “higher”) needs emerge immediately and these, rather than physiological hungers, dominate the body. And when these are in turn satisfied, new (and even “higher”) needs emerge and so on. This is what we mean when we say that basic human needs are organized according to a hierarchy of relative prepotency. To.