power vs powerless
The Idea of Male Power vs. Female Powerlessness in "The Young Housewife" is a poem by William Carlos Williams that deals with many issues. One of the main issues that this poem deals with is the conflict between male power and female powerlessness. Although at first glance the poem may not seem to be have this theme in it but Williams's work is filled with multi meanings. It all determines how one would interpret the poem, from the literal meanings to the underlying meanings and symbolism. In the first stanza Williams describes the woman as moving "...behind the wooden walls of her husband's house"(2-3). This can be taken in a couple of different ways. First of all you could look at it literally and picture the girl in the house moving about do various thing
He owns the house and the woman is being let to live in it. In the second stanza Williams says, "Then again she comes to the curb"(5). This can be taken as the woman looks dead, and has no direction in life anymore. In the final stanza Williams writes "The noiseless wheels of my car rush with a crackling sound over the dried leaves. It appears that the man in the story stopped to 'inquire' the woman, without really having any feelings towards her. All of these references make me feel that that the woman in the story was really powerless and had no control in her life. It is degrading and gives the woman a bad reputation, and demoralizes them in a way. Going along with the idea of a more sexual theme Williams refers to the woman as ". You could also look at it in the way that the woman is being controlled by her husband. The woman may depend upon her husband for things. People drive over leaves all the time without thinking twice.
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