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Unaccustomed Earth

(From the chapter, A Choice of Accommodations)

In this chapter of Unaccustomed Earth, the plot is focused on the marriage between Amit and his wife, Megan. The couple is invited to a wedding of an old high school friend of Amit’s who is woman. As the reception lulls on, Amit and Megan begin to realize that there marriage isn’t as happy as it used to be; there’s something lacking in it. The two become skeptical of each other as Megan is suspicious of Amit’s past with the bride. While Amit begins to feel pangs of jealousy as Megan makes conversation with other men at the wedding. 

This chapter of Unaccustomed Earth takes place in the 21st century or present day. The role women play in society is way more progressive than it used to be 100 years ago. But, it is still prevalent in this chapter that women do face judgement if they do not fit in a certain stereotype. Before the wedding reception begins, Amit and Megan are getting ready at the hotel they are staying at. Megan becomes self-conscious because they only skirt she brought has a burn in it. This shows that if women weren’t presentable then they would be judged on what they look like than who they are. This type of mentality in society is what affects a woman’s opportunity to excel and showcase their abilities in career fields. Although women have made many advances in gender equality, there are still some flaws to the mentality that is keeping them back from gaining total equality. 

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I owed the greater apology, but at the same time I knew what was done was done, that no matter what I said now I would never be able to make it right.

Jhumpa Lahiri, Unaccustomed Earth (via the-m1nnow)

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Unaccustomed Earth author Jhumpa Lahiri discussing her book

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Unaccustomed Earth - A Choice of Accomodations (21st century)

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Candide

Voltaire’s novel, Candide, is satirical take on the world and optimism. The story follows Candide’s life as he journeys from one place to the next and deals with what life throws at him. Integrated in his adventures is also the quest to be reunited with his long, lost love, Cunegonde.

Candide takes place during the Enlightenment era, where new ideas and philosophical thinking were in full bloom. For the most part, women played the usual role that women had until the late 20th century. Their jobs included cooking, cleaning, child care, and abiding to the will of men. In Voltaire’s novel, the main female protagonist is Candide’s love interest, Cunegonde. In the beginning of the story, Candide falls in love with Cunegonde because of her pretty looks and their close living quarters. They are separated due to the fact that Candide had fallen in love with Cunegonde and she was the Baron’s daughter. Finally, the two are reunited at the end of the novel. But to Candide’s dismay, Cunegonde had become ugly. This shows the importance of beauty that was placed on women. Throughout the novel, Cunegonde becomes a mistress for multiple different men and are exploited by them. This also shows the portrayal of women being toys for men and their expectation to please them.

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I have wanted to kill myself a hundred times, but somehow I am still in love with life. This ridiculous weakness is perhaps one of our more stupid melancholy prosperities, for is there anything more stupid than to be eager to go on carrying a burden which one would gladly throw away, to loathe one's very being and yet hold it fast, to fondle the snake that devours until it has eaten our hearts away.

Old Woman (Candide by Voltaire) 

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Norman Tealby, Drawing for Voltaire’s “Candide,” c. 1900-50.

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Candide (18th Century)

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Hamlet

William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, takes place during the Middle Ages (14th-15th century). It centers around the Prince of Denmark, Hamlet, who’s father had recently died. While Hamlet takes time to grieve, it seems like everyone else has moved on from his father’s death, making him angry. Hamlet is especially upset at his mother, Gertrude, who married her deceased husband’s brother a month after his death.

During the Middle Ages, men did most of the heavy lifting work and women stayed home. A woman’s job included buying and preparing meals, cleaning the house, and taking care of the children. Back then, women were very dependent on their husband or the patriarch of their household. As seen in Hamlet, Gertrude quickly remarries after her husband’s death. This could possibly be due to the fact that she is the Queen of Denmark and was pressured to remarry quickly to find a new King for the country. In that case, she was fulfilling her duty to her country and was focused on her people’s needs. But, it could have also been for the reason that she was heavily dependent on men all her life. Since it is in society’s expectations of women to be married, she could have easily been influenced by that, prompting her hasty remarriage. Another reason could have simply been that her remarriage was due to sexual needs and comfort. Claudius was there at a dark time for her and thus romance blossomed.

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This above all: to thine own self be true.

Polonius (Hamlet by William Shakespeare) 

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Does anyone know the source for this? My friend sent it to me, but he doesn’t know the source.

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As I Lay Dying

William Faulkner’s novel, As I Lay Dying, takes place in the early 20th century sometime before the Great Depression and in the southern part of America. The novel focuses on the Bundren family’s journey in delivering their mother, Addie’s, corpse back to her hometown where her final wish was to be buried there. Addie has five children and of that five, she has one daughter named Dewey Dell who is about 17 years old.

This story takes place during a time where women were expected to get married, settle down, and have children. Growing a big family was an important factor because more children meant more hands to help with tending the crops and farm. Farming was a huge part of living back then because it was a family’s one main source of income and survival. So, it was the woman’s job to raise the children, keep the house clean, and cook the food.

Throughout everything, Dewey Dell is keeping a secret from the rest of her family. She finds out that she is pregnant and wants to get an abortion. During this time, it was shameful for women to be pregnant without being married first. So, Dewey Dell is forced to secretly seek out medical help in return for keeping her pride. In Dewey Dell’s chapters, it is obvious that she doesn’t understand the concept of abortion and we can infer that she has a general lack of sex education. For example, she asks a pharmacist to give her abortion pills in exchange for $10. He then denies her because that’s not how abortion works and instead tells her to use the money to get legally married. Through this, we can see the importance of marriage in women’s role in the early 20th century American society.

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I feel like a wet seed wild in the hot blind earth.

Dewey Dell (As I Lay Dying by William Faulker)

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Dewey Dell 

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As I Lay Dying (early 1900s)

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Pride and Prejudice

This novel takes place during the late 1700s and early 1800s in a period called the Georgian era. During this time period, women were expected to act a certain way; they were trained to be proper, polite, and well-educated in a plethora of different subjects. This was because of the belief that men only wanted a wife who is pretty and would not speak out against him. If a woman was agreeable, then the men would have it easier in the relationship and the woman could please the man at his every whim.

The main character of this novel is Elizabeth Bennet. She is one of the five daughters that Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have. Mrs. Bennet’s goal as a mother is to have each of her daughters married off, hopefully to a young, rich man. This shows the pressures of society to marry a man who is rich instead of one that you actually share a connection with. But, Elizabeth isn’t like your typical agreeable, soft spoken young lady. She is bold, outspoken, and stands up for herself, which defies the social norm. Although she doesn’t come from an extremely wealthy family, she is still prideful; but not so prideful to where she has become vain.

In one scene, Darcy confesses his hidden love for Elizabeth. He is positive that she will accept him because of his status and the fact that he was considered very rich during that time. But, she doesn’t. Due to the lack of Mr. Darcy’s kindness and chivalry towards her, she felt like she deserved someone more caring than Darcy. Elizabeth did not care about the amount of money he has or his high status, she wanted someone who was deserving of her. Just through the rejection of Darcy, Elizabeth was able to showcase her strength and self-respect as a woman and go against social norms.

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It is truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

Jane Austen