The stories we have read depict the lives of women around the country as the 19th century came to an end and the 20th century began. Each demonstrates the literary style of realism, and Chopin, Glaspell, and Freeman also firmly place their stories in the regions where they grew up.
In addition to their style, the four stories address some common topics:
Rebellion
Self-Assertion
Defying Tradition
Repression of Women-
To list those topics is the first part of identifying a theme. Next we must phrase a sentence expressing what the story teaches about the topic. For example, if my topic was jealousy, I might say a story had the theme “The main character’s actions demonstrate that jealousy is like a cancer that destroys a person from the inside.”
Assignment:
Select two of the fictional texts you have read in this unit for your theme analysis (You will choose from The Yellow Wallpaper by Gilman, The Awakening by Chopin, Trifles by Glaspell, and The Revolt of the Mother by Freeman)
Select one of the topics listed above and craft a theme statement that is supported by the two stories you selected.
Identify quotations and events within the stories that support your theme statement.
