Social Realism Social Realism

Part I: Describe the qualities of life in America that TWO of our authors this week were criticizing. Do these criticisms seem valid to make of today’s America?

Part II:  Try a gendered/ feminist reading of 2 readings not mentioned in your Part 1 response. Describe what the writers seem to be saying about masculinity and/or femininity. Are these stereotypes/expectations still present in contemporary life?

Part One:

I chose to give my opinion about Mark Twain and Edward Arlington Robinson. While reading “ War Prayer”, I realized that not many people in America in this day and age believe in God. In this short story a piece from the passage stood out to me saying, “ God the all terrible! Thou who ordainest, Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword!”( Mark Twain, 2016.) During the 1800’s all the way into the early 1900’s. Many people believed in Jesus Christ.  To not be a christian was like committing death to the community and yourself. No one wanted to be around you. They would prayer for the soldiers before heading to battle and now a’ days America is putting a hold on what people can say in certain places pertaining to religion.  Richard Cory talks about a man who looks like he has the greatest life on the outside. What’s really going on is that we as americans can’t get so wrapped up into thinking someone else life is so much better than ours. That we forget who we are and who we want to be. This has become a growing problem since the first rich person became rich and this idea has never stopped but yet it’s growing. “ Richard Cory, One summer night, went home and put a bullet through his head”. ( Edward Arlington Robinson, 1969.)  Perception is everything, I certainly would not want his life.

Part Two:

In Miniver Cheevy, I feel that men can get away with anything compared to a woman. Men didn’t have the best life but that had more choices in life and that didn’t have so many restrictions that could keep them from doing what they pleased. I quote, “ He dreamed of Thebes and Camelot, and Priam’s neighbors.”(Edward Arlington Robinson,1910). Men had the opportunities back then and even in today’s society to do whatever it is they want to do. Women can do whatever they choose in today’s society but it will not be as recognized and praised compared to a man. In the short story “ The Yellow Paper”, It talked focused on a number of different people. The main people in this story was men, It showed how had better jobs, and in today’s society there are a lot more men who have better jobs than women. It seems to be the way the world works. In the story is also talked about if a women was basically feeling some type of way about something she felt was unfair. They would diagnose her, as if she wasn’t in her right mind. I quote,” John is a physician, and perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster.” ( Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 1892). That piece from the passage is me trying to show the type of jobs men had. Women didn’t have good jobs, let alone real jobs. They were faced with working at home,and constantly being around children.

Works Cited

Perkins, George, Perkins. American Literature Since the Civil War – 2015 edition. McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions, 11/2008. VitalSource Bookshelf Online.