Gertrude Stein, American writer of the 20th century American
literature, is considered one of the proponents of the modernist tradition.
Modernism is an ideological movement that pervaded literature of the 20th
century, asserting expressionism and individualism in works of art. One of
Stein's famous works, the experimental prose Tender Buttons, centered on
random thoughts about the emergence of new American life, particularly
those affecting the women's sector. Stein's prose work, which is composed
of three sections, namely, "Objects," "Food," and "Rooms." These sections
detail symbolic and subjective interpretations of the author's realities
that she experiences and gives meaning from her society, her surroundings.
Specific examples of these subjective meanings regarding issues on feminism
and sexuality are illustrated in the "Food" and "Rooms" section. In
"Food," Stein puts into symbolic meanings her viewpoints regarding issues
of women repression in the society, as illustrated in the subject "Roast
beef": "â€considering that there is no outrage there is no necessity for any
reparation†Considering everything and which way the turn is tending,
considering everything why there is no restraint†The whole thing is not
understood and this is not strange considering that there is no educationâ€"
This passage show how food is likened to repression of women in attaining
good, formal education, and are used' only or assigned roles that are for
decorative' or symbolic purposes only in the society, which is expressed
in her representation of the string' (a decorative home object) in
"Rooms." In this section, Stein uses the string object as a symbol of
women subjugation, which inevitably "ties" and binds women to bondage under
a patriarchal society. The string inhibits education, and, in effect,
freedom of women because, "there is ed...