Discuss how the affects of gender roles in the late 1800's manifest in Mrs. Mallard's attitudes toward married life and most importantly, what the idea of her husband's sudden death could mean for her.
Please use at least three scholarly sources. I'll provide an attachment of the short story.
Some notes:
- Marriage was a surrender of autonomy for women of the 1800's, yet it presented companionship and financial security.
- This story is not strictly anti-marriage - it expresses that marriage can be an excellent thing for some couples, but certainly not all. Use this thesis: Mrs. Mallard cares for Mr. Mallard, but the news of his sudden death brings her face to face with the possibility of restarting her life as an independent woman and not a man's property - horrified by the pleasure she feels by the thought of a new beginning, she realizes that it was the satisfaction of fulfilling a societal expectation of marriage that made her believe she loved him.
Sample Solution