Women and patriarchy: Tales of males and ghosts

Having its roots in faiths such as Judaism and Christianity, the term ‘patriarchy’ refers to a system of authority in which males are regarded as superior to females and wield power over them. While some women have submissively internalized the patriarchal system, others have raised their voices and spoken out against it. Short stories written by women writers are one way to examine this system. However, there is a wide disparity in these authors' attitudes toward women. Some depict brave new women who transform and progress as the narrative goes on, while others feature stereotypical female figures who are submissive. The purpose of this paper is to compare the short stories written by Kate Chopin and Rose Tremain to those by Edith Wharton and Clare Boylan in order to determine whether or how much these authors criticize the patriarchal system. It is argued that Chopin and Tremain are the most critical of patriarchy, whereas Wharton and Boylan represent women within a patriarchal framework. Both Chopin and Tremain provide a comprehensive analysis of human nature, regardless of whether they are discussing men or women, with all of their complexity and inner struggles. Authors such as Wharton and Boylan, on the other hand, depict women in patriarchal societies in their natural state, without offering any solutions or suggestions. In their accounts, societal or sexual injustice is motivated by financial considerations.