Societal Expectations: A Comparison Through 19th Century Lit
Social expectations in society play a major role in many literature stories of the 19th century. Social construction throughout this century grew rapidly because of many different changes occurring in society. These changes include slavery, war, politics and even European migration to the United States. But most of all, the 19th century is sometimes called "the century of society." Literature during this time is a way to look back at how societal expectations were so important in one's social class. In these stories, characters do things that are look down upon in their own social class. They do not fit in with the societal expectation that they are supposed to, which causes the story to focus on their own personal triumph over the society that sees them as "different." In this paper, I will look at three different 19th century literary works and analyze how they approach the issue of their own society's expectations. In the first story, "An Episode of War" by Stephen Crane, the author uses the battlefield as the main setting. It was written around the time of the Civil War, which helps me believe this is the specific war the writer was trying to focus his readers' attention to. The main character is a lieutenant, wh
Although Winterbourne is from America, he has lived in Europe almost all of his life. Her staying out late with older men, her improperness and most of all the way she flirts not only with a lot of men, but mostly with Italian men in public, is seen as very inappropriate in European society. It was, for a wonder, precisely like an historical painting" (Crane 949). Walker, an upper-class woman and Winterbourne, they are talking about Daisy and what she has done to make herself have a bad reputation. In the middle of playing cards, the Swede accuses Johnnie of cheating, which Johnnie quickly denies. Then Johnnie said: "That's the dod-dangest Swede I ever see. The second story, "The Blue Hotel," also by Stephen Crane, takes place in a small Nebraska town called Fort Romper, which is being visited by our main character who is Swedish. It involves the Swedish man, who is visiting Romper, Scully (the hotel owner), Johnnie (the owner's son), the Easterner and the cowboy. A paragraph in the story states:"After the departure of Scully the three men, with the cardboard still upon their knees, preserved for a long time an astounded silence. These stories have shown three different 19th century literary works and analyzed the societal expectations of a non-heroic soldier, a foreigner, and an improper woman. Flirting with any man she could pick up; sitting in corners with mysterious Italians; dancing all the evening with the same partners; receiving visits at eleven o'clock at night. Their reputation seen among others is based on how well they follow their own societies expectations. " The Norton Anthology of American Literature.
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