Humanities Essay Outline

Humanities Essay Outline.doc

Christopher Dube

12/3/07

Humanities 5 – P4

Essay Outline

1. Introduction
   
   1. Thesis
      In The “Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, Mrs. Mallard defies the traits and expectations of a woman in that time period, as expressed in “The Cult of True Womanhood,” because she
      
2. Body Paragraph 1
   
   1. Topic Sentence
      Mrs. Mallard begins to realize that she has gained a huge amount of freedom after her husband’s death, and she starts to have intelligent thought for the first time.
      
   2. Chunk 1
      
      1. Quote
         
         1. Her “gaze was fixed away off yonder… indicated a suspension of intelligent thought” (Chopin 1)
            
      2. Commentary
         Following her husband’s death, she first begins to have independent thoughts about herself as an intelligent being
         
   3. Chunk 2
      
      1. Quote
         
         1. “The greater the intellectual force, the greater and more fatal the errors into which women fall who wander” (Cult)
            
      2. Commentary
         The Cult warns women who have intellectual pursuits that if those ambitions become more important than their love for their household and husband, it is a terrible trap to fall into.
         
3. Body Paragraph 2
   
   1. Topic Sentence
      Mallard feels selfishness and lack of dependence on husband, which is also a fatal flaw.
      
   2. Chunk 1
      
      1. Quote
         
         1. “There would be no one to live for during these coming years; she would live for herself… no powerful will bending hers”
            
         2. “She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday that she had thought that with a shudder that life might be long”
            
         3. “What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in the face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized.” (Chopin 2)
            
      2. Commentary
         When she realizes her future potential, Mrs. Mallard has a whole new life open to her. She realizes that in the past, she had not really enjoyed her life, but now she can because she has independence and freedom.
         
   3. Chunk 2
      
      1. Quote
         
         1. “A really sensible woman feels her dependence. She does what she can, but she is conscious of inferiority, and therefore grateful for support.” (Cult)
            
      2. Commentary
         Mrs. Mallard is defying the sensible ideas of the time period and taking her life into her own hands and not relying on anyone’s support.
         
4. Body Paragraph 3
   
   1. Topic Sentence
      When Mrs. Mallard finally dies; it is because of her irrevocable departure from the standpoint of married life into freedom.
      
   2. Chunk 1
      
      1. Quote
         
         1. “He stood amazed at Josephine’s piercing cry”
            
         2. “she had died of heart disease – of the joy that kills”
            
      2. Commentary
         Mrs. Mallard had her hopes up of escaping the grasp of her husband, but the joy that she had built up backfired quickly on her and she died because she could not go back to her submissive ways once she knew the idea of being free.
         
   3. Chunk 2
      
      1. Quote
         
         1. “A “fallen woman” was a “fallen angel,” … To contemplate the loss of purity brought tears; to be guilty of such a crime, in the women’ s magazines at least, brought madness or death”
            
      2. Commentary
         Mrs. Mallard loses her purity metaphorically by defying the set forth standards for women at the time by thinking thoughts of independence and freedom, therefore signing her death.
         

Conclusion
Mrs. Mallard hears about her husband’s death, and soon after begins thinking consciously and intellectually. She realizes that she has an amazing amount of freedom available to her, and rejoices at that idea. This is in opposition to the guidelines set forth in “The Cult of True Womanhood.” Finally, her husband returned, not dead, but ready to resume their relationship as before, but Mrs. Mallard had already felt the possibilities of freedom, and could never go back to marriage. It was the divine consequences that caused Mrs. Mallard to die because she had thought independent thoughts.

The Cult of True Womanhood Assignment

Cult of Ture Womanhood

 

Christopher Dube

11/1/2007

Hum 5 – P4

Cult of True Womanhood

The Cult of True Womanhood has four major themes which are: piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity.

Piety

• Piety is coinciding with motherhood – mothers should be good role models for their children and be devout toward God.
  
• It was the core of womanhood, and one of the most important aspects of a woman that men were looking for.
  
• Spiritualism was more important than any physical attractiveness that a woman had.
  
• Religion is what is best for women because they are naturally dependent on others (such as husbands), so organized religion would come naturally to them.
  
• Religion does not detract from woman’s main goal (serving man), and did not take away from her domesticity. Religion promotes home duties even.
  
• Religion will help in achieving a “constant and useful character”
  
• Women should not let literary or intellectual pursuits take them away from God.
  

Purity

• The absence is unnatural and unfeminine – the lack of it makes a woman a lower being.
  
  • She was deemed a “fallen angel” and unworthy of being called a woman.
    
• Being guilty of impurity brought on madness or death.
  
• Once she was married, here marriage night was the turning point in her life. After that she was no longer pure and was worthless, except tot server her husband.
  
• Women must not let men’s sexual urges make the better of them and must resist if at all possible.
  
• Good advice is not to get to close to a man before you are married.
  
• Young girls may mot be high spirited, because men then think that it is ok to take advantage of them.
  
• If a man would try to deflower a girl, he would be shunned by women, society, and God.
  
• If you bear an illegitimate child, you will go mad and die.
  
• Men should be grateful to women for saving them from shame and temptations when they are trying to have sex with women, and the resist.
  
• Women should never compromise the source of their power to resist mens’ sexual advances.
  

Submission

• It is the most feminine virtue expected of women.
  
• Men are the movers and doers of our world, so women should go along with it silently and submissively.
  
• Men were appointed by god to be superior to women, so women should keep it that way in their actions.
  
• She needed to be humble and submissive all her life until she died.
  
• Women need a protector to guide them in their decisions and such – she knows her proper dependence.
  
• Women are not smart enough for intellect, but big enough to make love.
  
• She should only love because she is loved by a man – love is gratitude for that man loving her.
  
• Women should be “clinging desperately” to men – like a child their entire lives.
  
• Women should try to meet the needs of a man’s wishes even if she does not agree with his intentions about the matter.
  
• Women should definitely not give their opinion to their husbands on matters of importance unless he asks.
  
• Women are tasked to suffer silently and obey everything the husband asks of her.
  

Domesticity

• Women’s place where they are natural and belong is in the home.
  
• Home duties invoke a sense sedateness on women which is good for them.
  
• If she wants to change things (moral and social reform), she must start things in her own home.
  
• Women’s main role in the home is a s nurse and comforter of her family when they are sick.
  
• She must also be good a cooking to keep her family well fed and healthy.
  
• Women should be very happy when their husband was sick because they felt important then.
  
• In her home, women could be constantly doing morally uplifting tasks.
  
• The tasks of homemaking were very complicated; in fact geometry is necessary for dividing cloth.
  
• She could also read in her home, and study, because they are good time wasters.
  
• However, women could also be destroyed by reading books and gathering unhealthy ideas, which they are susceptible to believe.
  
• A literary minded woman must still do the same tasks as any other woman.
  
• Overall, education is not necessary for women to do their tasks in life.
  

Women should marry, but not for money.