The Gentle Lena Essay - 1231 Words

Lena’s gentle, sweet, servant-like behavior was a commentary on the way on the way society saw and treated women in the early 20th century. Lena did not have an opinion of her own, she did not know how to make decisions on her own; she was told what to think, where to work, what to do with her money, her free time and her future; her life was designed by someone else because she was a women and unable to make decisions for herself. In the early 20th century society treated women as though they were not important, their duties were to have children, cook and clean for their husbands and much like children of this timeperiod, women were to be were to be seen but their voices not heard with regards to anything outside of the family. It†¦show more content†¦Upon arrival in America Lena was made to work as a servant, while her Aunt searched for a good husband for her. There was not one moment where Lena questioned why: why did she have to leave Germany and go to Americ a, why did she have to work as a servant, why did she have to go to her Aunt’s house every Sunday, why couldn’t she spend the money she worked hard to make, why did she have to get married when she enjoyed working as a servant for the family, why did she have to marry Herman Kreder when he obviously did not want to marry her. Lena was just expected, as women in that timeperiod were, to just submit to the whims of the dominent member of her family. Lena was so dutiful throughout the story, dutiful to the point where modern day readers may actually get frustrated or angry with this character. Lena lived her life passively and took what came her way without complaint; the cook â€Å"who scolded Lena a great deal but Lena’s german patience held no suffering and the good incessant woman really only scolded for Lena’s good† (Stein 143). Her cousins (Mrs. Hoydon’s children) were mean, rude and ridiculed her horribly, and yet she continued to go to their home every other Sunday as required by Mrs. Hoydon â€Å"†¦but it never came to Lena’s unexpectant and unsuffering german nature to do something different from what was expected of her, just because she would likeShow MoreRelatedRole Of Women And Motherhood Through Modern Literature883 Words   |  4 PagesThe Role of Women and Motherhood through Modern Literature Gertrude Stein’s story The Gentle Lena in Three Lives reaffirms the expectations of women set out by society, yet the main character Lena challenges the role of women in the workforce, marriage, and motherhood. Lena’s gentle, sweet, patient and servant-like behavior affirms the way society saw women. Women had no voice as to what to expect from their lives and for many their greatest aspiration was to be a mother. Lena’s life just likeRead MoreThe Novel The Of Bed, Sighing Gently Into The Luxury Of Lena s Cotton Sheets 1506 Words   |  7 PagesKara rolls over in bed, sighing gently into the luxury of Lena’s cotton sheets. She was still not used to their softness, despite having spent the night in them multiple times. They smell of freshness, likely from the detergent Lena uses, and faintly of the Luthor. Though she might be the only one able to perceive that. Kara takes another deep breath that turns into a hiss when she feels two freezing feet sneak their way under her calves. Without opening her eyes, she mutters, â€Å"Take those feet backRead MoreInfluence Of The Industrial Revolution1207 Words   |  5 Pagesmale from a female seem to linger. Female writers have begun to enlighten others on the significance of the struggle through having to be a re-played stereotype. In pieces such as Barbara Welter’s â€Å"The Cult of True Womanhood†, Gertrude Steins â€Å"The Gentle Lena†, and a love letter titled â€Å"Master† by Emily Dickinson, the labels placed upon these female characters seem to all correlate by having a deeper and more reflective essence. For women, virginity was the highest possible state, widowhood the nextRead MoreAnalysis Of A Raisin In The Sun863 Words   |  4 Pagesof an African-American family by the name of the Youngers, to work together so that every member of the family has a better future. While there are many characters that affect the plot line of the play. Two major characters, Walter Lee Younger and Lena Younger (Mama), influence the plot of â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† to the highest degree. Whenever Walter’s wife or other family members try to argue against his opinion, Walter will harshly yell and scold them about having a better life and that no one understandsRead MoreEssay about Keeping the Family Together in A Raisin In The Sun910 Words   |  4 PagesKeeping the Family Together in A Raisin In The Sun   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What a loving mother! Lena Younger, or Mama, is nurturing and supportive when it comes to raising and maintaining a family. Personally speaking, being nurturing means to love, care for, and show concern over someone. Analyzing Mama’s relationships with family members can show us her view on parenting and ultimately show us her devotion to her family. 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Lena in a thick Australian accent: â€Å"Whadda dickhead.† Clear from this dialogue that her values are very different from the norm. * Close up of dead butterfly with crawling ants, camera switches to close up of Lena. Connection between the character and the butterfly is made – both are beautiful creatures but neither are able to flourish in such an environmentRead MoreExamples Of Matriarchy In A Raisin In The Sun991 Words   |  4 Pagesit is actually also about a matriarchy. Mama is pretty much the leader of this matriarch and Ruth is struggling with this role. The purpose of this essay is to explain how the Younger family household is actually a representation of a matriarchy. Lena (Mama) is the higher matriarch of the household pretty much deciding everything for most of her family members and keeping Walther and Beneatha in line. Mama is the pretty much the leader of the household and the voice of reason throughout the houseRead MoreThemes In Zora Neale Hurstons Spunk1845 Words   |  8 Pages‘femininity’ expected of a young Christian girl in her household,† (Powers 233). The southeastern United States was characterized by its loyal dedication to Christianity. Hurston expresses what she felt was the expectation for girls to be weak and gentle, and men to be virile in the religion that caused a patriarchy to arise in society (Powers 233-34). â€Å"Spunk† illustrates this very society that Hurston grew up to despise. The situation in the story describing Spunk Banks stealing Joe’s wife in additionRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1280 Words   |  6 Pagesin a beautiful house that overlooked the bay and gorgeous gardens filled with lush flowers. Lena Alberto agreed with Fitzgerald in her essay, â€Å"Deceitful Traces of Power: An Analysis of the Decadence of Tom Buchanan in the Great Gatsby,† she wrote, â€Å"Buchanan s only real interests (his string of polo ponies, for example) seem to be identical to those associated with the European aristocracy, men of gentle breeding who maintain liveries of horses† (Alberto 23). In modern day, Tom is a man of wealth