Misconceptions of a Woman

The stories Pride and Prejudice and Story of an Hour, the role of a typical woman is challenged by new ideas. In both stories, examples of the conceptions of a woman and their opposites are shown. In both, history and modern day women are expected to play a certain role in society, in relationships, and even in jobs. Most of these ideas are outdated and in some cases unnecessary. An example of this is when women go for a job interview. When women go to a serious job interview most people expect them to wear a skirt suit because a pant suit would look too masculine or powerful and a woman should be dainty and approachable. This, however, may not be true in all cases; the most polite woman could wear pants and the most unapproachable one could wear a skirt. There are many ways to misconceive a woman and her emotions.

In the Story of an Hour, the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard faces grief when she hears of her husband's death in an unfortunate train accident. This is an example of the typical view of a housewife. Of course, Mrs. Mallard is taken aback by this woeful news. She begins to feel depressed and does not know what to make of it. Most people would expect this of a widow. In most cases,unless the wife had a hand in the death of her spouse she will be shaken by the news. It is expected of her to have disbelief, be depressed angry, or simply want to be left alone. This however is a misconception by most. They do not see the other side of the story.

At first Mrs. Mallard is upset, but then she begins to see the positive side. She realizes that she is finally free. Most people overlook the less pleasant side of relationships. Some women are cheated on, verbally abused, physically abused, or simply neglected. These women are prime examples of that misconception. They have absolutely every right to find joy and freedom in the death of their spouse. Mrs. Mallard took the time to weigh the pros and cons and saw that her life would now be better without her husband. She found comfort in the thought that she could now be who she wanted to be and not what someone else wanted her to be. Her life could now have a deeper meaning than waiting on a man hand and foot every day. Mrs. Mallard's new found peace was however cut short when she saw her husband return home unharmed. At the sight of her husband Mrs. Mallard screamed and died instantly. The doctors assumed that she died from being overwhelmed with happiness. This was the perfect misconception.

Another example of a misconceived woman is the character Elizabeth Bennet from the book Pride and Prejudice. In the time of the story, women were expected to be perfect dolls. They were supposed to take care of their husbands, keep a happy home, and never say a disagreeing word. For those who did not have husbands, they were supposed to center their world around finding one. They were all expected to dress themselves up nicely and prance around giddily in hopes that