Feminism has been a matter of intrigue from across the civilizations man has ever passed through. Women have always fought for their rightful dominance, involvement, and expression at home, in their workplaces, and in various fields which are considered male-dominated. Women still face gender stereotypes that diminish feminism, resulting in symbolic or literal suffering and deaths. Over the years, writers, critics, and scholars over the years through their works have addressed feminism. Emily Dickinson and Robert Browning are two examples of individuals who, in their careers, “I’m Wife–I’ve Finished That” and “My Last Duchess,” respectively, address femininity and the death it faces.
From a robust perspective, Emily Dickinson’s “I’m Wife–I’ve Finished That” takes a feminist attitude towards marriage. Emily is not engaged or married, but she illustrates to the reader how women’s lives differ after they are married and before they match. Dickinson’s pessimistic tonal variation in the poem indicates that feminism faces “death” in the context of marriage. She interchangeably uses “wife” and “woman” in her text to show disapproval and approval of marriage, respectively (Dickinson, 2017). Dickinson opens with an address to traditional society. Dickinson’s. Her discourse symbolizes all women who are brave enough to defy outdated standards (stereotypes) (Dickinson, 2017). These conventions reduce women to the status of simple subordinates of their owners, their husbands whom they are obligated to follow their rules.
Additionally, Dickinson also emphasizes the complexities of a girl’s existence. A woman is an unusual, unequal component in a hierarchical culture; she can’t compete with the males. As a result, they are obliged to live beneath men’s protection. This concept of discouraging a female from living a manly life is shown with her physical presentation of an eclipse. According to Dickinson, women’s lives are overshadowed by men’s dominance.
Consequently, they are deprived of advantages and achievements regardless of their talent. Society believes that if women are allowed to make their own decisions about their life, they will not be good partners to their male counterparts (Dickinson, 2017). This common notion served as the cornerstone for the preceding ages. According to this assertion, women face metaphorical death since their presence is not recognized; men draw them to these ”deaths.”
In support of Dickinson’s text, Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess,” Browning’s poetry depicts power inequalities among female and male relationships and frequently adopts dramatic monologue in demonstrating the distinctions arising between women’s and men’s interests. The literature represents the discrimination women face against males. Browning writes, “that’s my last Duchess painted on the wall/Looking as if she were alive.” This describes women as products that can possess or lack names and can be used to display some valuable services or items. Additionally, Browning indicates that since a woman is an object, a man (Duke) can control their interactions. The Duke feels that his last Duchess-friendly nature is derogatory to his power and position (Browning & Dharker, 2004).
Regarding this poetry, women suffer symbolic deaths since even their interactions are limited. Any person regarded as a “puppet” can contemplate psychological and even emotional “death.” Based on the two poems, Egocentrism in men is a significant cause of femininity death. Mainly, in Browning’s poem, women are things to be manipulated, possessed, and afterward discarded when no longer helpful. In this view, women will continue to suffer symbolic death, leading to literal deaths.
References
Browning, R., & Dharker, I. (2004). My last duchess. ProQuest LLC.
Dickinson, E. (2017). I’m” wife”—I’ve finished that—. The Poems of Emily Dickinson.