The Sexist Surroundings that Etrap the Narrator in Various...

I. THESIS: The sexist surroundings that entrap the Narrator in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† Miss Emily Grierson in â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† and Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter ultimately suppress the respective protagonists’ identities as women, leading them to suffer in isolation. II. TOPIC SENTENCE I: The protagonists in the â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† and The Scarlet Letter all live in a sexist environment that confines their lives. A. MAJOR I: The history of each respective setting within the all the stories set the stage for the sexism that ultimately ruins the protagonists’ lives. 1. MINOR I: A â€Å"long hereditary habit,† the derogation of women has been passed down from generation to generation in the Puritanical society,†¦show more content†¦The stereotype that women do needlework out of joy is ultimately false, especially for Hester Prynne, who does not use needlework to find joy but repent for the sin she has committed. The Puritans push her desire for repentance away and requires her sewing for their own needs. 2. MINOR II: The impression that the male holds better judgment over the female’s judgment consequently trivializes the narrator’s serious condition in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† The narrator burdens herself to think that â€Å"there is really nothing the matter with [her] but temporary nervous depression† only because he deemed himself a â€Å"physician of high standing† and the superior one in the relationship (Gilman). 3. MINOR III: In â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† Emily is raised to abide by all of the wishes of her â€Å"dominant father,† and therefore, her voice is silenced at an early age (Snodgrass). The â€Å"human vermin who court her,† harshly judge Emily and try to force her to conform to the traditional ways of the town (Snodgrass). C. MAJOR III: Furthermore, the sexist surroundings oppresses the protagonists’ most basic human rights. 1. MINOR I: The act of individual thinking by Hester is considered to be â€Å"a deadlier crime than that stigmatized by the scarlet letter† (Hawthorne 136). While Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter is a symbol of the sin she committed, overall, she is the symbol that starts to break the Puritanical chains holding back women