Essay on Women Discrimination

Over the years, women have been discriminated by men, and the feeling that men are superior over women has reigned for a long time. The superiority of men over their wives rendered women to desire for freedom after marriage.  Wife battering has existed from the early days although women have been fighting for their rights and freedom. In the early years, however, men had too much control over women, and therefore instances of wife battering were higher as compared to the present day. Women were beaten over petty issues, and men exercised too much control over their wives, making the lives of their women hard and miserable. The two stories present women who are similar in how they want freedom, their meekness, and that they no longer love their husbands.  

The two characters in both stories are similar: they both want their freedom. In ‘The story of an Hour', Mrs. Mallard, after the news of the death of her husband, she shows frustration and dismay, but when she gets in her room, she engages in a monologue, "free, free, free!" (Chopin 517). She has yearned for freedom for a long time, and when told her husband is dead, she is glad. Her desire for freedom is also evident when her hopes are shunned by the arrival of her husband who had been presumed dead, leading to her death. Similarly, Delia Jones, in the Story, ‘A Genius of the South’, who is a married woman desires to be free from her husband who is beat her few weeks after their marriage. And when her husband Sykes leaves and does not return that night, ‘Delia was glad that she did not have to quarrel…’ (Hurston 535). Her statement clearly illustrates her desire for freedom to free from her arrogant and battering husband.  

Both women in the stories portray a meek character. In ‘The Story of an Hour', Mrs. Mallard, despite being in a marriage that she is not comfortable in, she still chooses to stay. The author states, ‘And yet she had loved him, sometimes. Often, she had not." (Chopin 517). The statement clearly implies that Mrs. Mallard's feelings had changed and she no longer loved her husband and therefore wanted her gone. Similarly, in ‘A genius of the South’, Delia portrays a habitually meek character. The story vividly brings out her endurance in the abusive marriage where her husband Sykes has been treating her with violence and disrespect. His attitude towards her is seen in his statement where he calls Delia an’ aggravating nigger woman’ (Hurston 530) On several occasions, she is abused both physically and mentally, but she still stays in her marriage showing how week she is that she is not ready to quit domestic abuse. 

Another similarity evident in the two stories is that the two women no longer love their husbands. In ‘The story of an Hour’, Mrs. Mallard admits to having loved her husband; however, she had loved him for a short time after which her love for him faded ‘She loved him sometimes. Often she had not.’ (Chopin 517). Additionally, her happiness after hearing of the demise of her husband clearly depicts the lack of love for her husband. Similarly, in ‘A genius of the South’, Delia’s thorough beatings and mistreatment from her husband changes her, and she points out that, "it was too late to hope for love' (Hurston 531). She stayed in her marriage, and at one point it is clear that she now wants to be free, from the pain and agony of her marriage. 

Conclusively, women in society feel the need for freedom as men go to the extent of beating them due to the feeling of superiority. The two essays are a clear picture of how women feel about living in a marriage cocoon without freedom of speech or expression. Nonetheless, despite proper treatment from their husbands, some women still think that being in marriage deprives them of their freedom to some extent. In the present day, there has been a myriad of changes in the society where the women are treated in a better way. The literature is of much significance and value as it helps women with cases of battering in their marriages to stand for themselves and demand for their rights other than live in fear.