GENDER AND MODERNITY essay

Many people therefore wanted to get acquainted with this elephant in the room by the name modernity at great length. Filologia Inglesa, an article writer in the early twentieth century, a period which also symbolized the peak of the rise of modernity defines the term as ‘the cluster of social, historical and cultural developments’ (Luadernos de Filologia 6/1 page 9). These developments included second industrial revolution, the growth of Western metropolitan centers and emergence of consumer culture. It consisted of the impossible yet ever-renewed attempts to escape history, tradition and culture and to capture and convey recentness and immediacy which simply means quality of being modern and contemporary. Modernity in the present age has often been associated with technological advancement while some of its very forms has been little talked about, one including gender.

This new social anomaly is portrayed by the author Edith Wharton throughout her writings in the book ‘The other two’ by a character Alice who uses divorce to climb her way up the social ladder. She divorces Haskett because he is poor, the writer describes Haskett as owing a ‘shabby hat and umbrella, being a ‘small effaced-looking man,’ and who ‘might have been a piano tuner. ’ (Page 27). Alice however stands with the claim that he was a ‘brute’ which is contrary to what is displayed by the writer concerning Haskett, “ a very gentle and caring man” (page 28). Alice again divorces Varrick through the court since the gentleman is blamed of infidelity, rumors however had it that the major reason for the divorce was Varrick’s debts. Walker, an old lady, has a problem with Daisy.

According to her, it reveals a bad picture to see a lady flirting with men every time. “It’s really so dreadful” she said “that girl must not do these sort of things, she must not walk here with you two men. Fifty people have noticed her” (Page 54). Mrs. It could have been expected that the three gentlemen would start arguing on who really deserved to be with Alice but instead tranquility and order prevailed. This shows how modernity had made the three gentlemen to have some level of maturity and accept the facts as they presently were. Marriage. Modernity in a broader way changed the way gender and society viewed marriage. Marriage as expected should have been the pride of every young person at the prime age of being engaged and if Such opportunity would have been availed, they would plunge into it without a second thought.

Dickson for twenty-five years. Both gender struggle to accept the reality of losing trace of their loved ones and cannot move on for a number of years. There mysterious meeting after a long time ignites the love which had existed before between Liza and Mr. Rider to show that modernity never meant lack of affection, He choose to marry Liza an old lady instead of Mrs. Dickson. Walker is seen to be moving from one town to the other during winter with her family whereas the husband Mr. Miller is said to be involved in business back in America. Page 14). Parenting. With the modernized constitution clearly dictating children rights and responsibilities, parenting has proved to be a very difficult thing left only for the teachers. Daisy who stands for modernity in this case wants live her own life as compared to the stringent, old school life her mother wants her to live.

Back then girls would have close ties with their mothers and would receive from them advices on how to interact with their male counterparts, when to be married and characters to carry into the soon to be families. With modernity however, parenting changed leaving the young to act on impulse. Negativities of modernism As much as the writer tries to prove that modernity was of benefit, its negative effects cannot be overlooked. In the book ‘The Other Two’ by Edith Wharton, the writer tries to show that however much divorce legislation was part of women empowerment, it also deprived women of their pride. Haskett and Varick for their low status in the society for the writer portrays them to be poor and ends up using her beauty to capture the attention of Mr.

Waythorn, a very rich and respected person in the society. With modernity also came lack of respect to parents and the elderly. In the book ‘Daisy Miller’ by James Henry, Daisy does not portray even an iota of respect to the elderly Mrs. Miller. By referring to the ‘golden age’ in chapter 4 of the book ‘Daisy Miller,’ the writer reminds the reader of the philosophic notions of nature’s ruin at the hands of civilization. James is implying sub textually that Daisy’s position in the golden age is a state of innocence and goodness, and not something to be insulted. Modernity symbolized in the formal civilized setting of Rome overwhelms her natural innocence and she succumbs to incaution, condemnation and lack of love. Nature overcomes modernity in this case. Conclusion Modernity in reality is a thing that is with us even in the present generation.

References. Lewis R. W. B. Edith Wharton’s: A Bibliography. New York: G. K. Hall, 1999. Print. Edith Wharton, THE DESCENT OF MAN and other stories, The Other Two pp 19 – 35. The Bible. Authorized King James Version (Proverbs 22:6) Charles W. Chesnutt (1899), The Wife of His Youth and other stories of color line, pp 1-10. Sweeney, Gerald. “Wharton’s ‘The Other Two.