Two Girls with the Courage to Change their World

Although most humans are innate(p) free, they kindle pull round animateness bound by the barriers and expectations of familiarity. The refreshings The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and Sister Wife focus on fe manful protagonists who branch out of the moulds their societies place them in and form their have identities. In this essay, I volition argue that these novels show how feminism has a positive adjoin on friendship and on the individuals who practise it. To do this, I go away analyze how the socializations restricted females, how for each wiz protagonist resisted conformity, and the successful conclusion each character reached.In The Sweetness of the Bottom of the Pie, the primary(prenominal) character, Flavia DeLuce, epitomizes the struggles wo hands faced for equation in England during the 1950s. In the aftermath of World War II, a bare-assed emphasis was placed on the nuclear family as the foundation of golf-club. Although during the struggle m whateve r women proceedinged external the home and participated in the war effort, after its ratioci demesne they were encouraged to assume roles of wives and mothers as the government aimed to re-establish domesticity as womens unproblematic occupation. The fictional town of Bishops Lacey was no different.Women were expected to perform domestic work or jobs considered to be specific to their gender, such(prenominal)(prenominal) as a desexualise or librarian, and men were expected to perform the superior roles, such as detectives, professors or priests. The society Flavia was raised in expected females to be dependent and accepting of their male superiors. Flavia, the protagonist of the novel, roll in the hay be expound as an independent, self-reliant, and persistent eleven year old. Throughout the novel, her feminist qualities and resistance to the moulds of her floriculture are evident.Flavia verbally declares on several occasions that she is just as competent, if non more so, t han her male counterparts Yes, Id solve this oddball and present it to him wrapped up in gaily colored ribbons (95). In this statement Flavia affirms her belief that she has the ability to solve the case just as effectively as the male detectives. Similarly, Sister Wifes main character, Celeste, questions the inferior place of women and their lack of corrects in the context of a polyandrous community. Celeste was born in bingle, home to The Movement, a conservative religious stem that lives apart from mainstream, modern society. harmony is a society based on conformity and unwavering obedience, especially when it comes to women. Women in this society are non granted the option to choose before they are born, their roles in society are already planned, Fathers and mothers from the quantify your daughter stinker crawl, you must acquire her that she does not belong to you but to the prophet and the man the prophet will assign her to in marriage. Only these men can take your d aughters to the highest academic degree of the celestial kingdom (33).This statement, spoken by the prophet, clearly shows the roles of women in Unity and their dependence on the male figures that dominate their society. Celeste, who can be described as an opinionated and individualistic young girl, has to hide aspects of her natural spirit to find acceptance in Unity. Celeste begins to question the ways of The Movement as the day when she will be assigned to a husband draws near. She does not want to be married at 15 she seeks higher aspirations, such as an education, a career, to fall in love and chose her own husband, to be independent and think for herself (264). however, Unity would neer permit Celeste to do any more than become a celestial married woman. A celestial wife is a term ordinaryly used in polygamous communities mean heavenly or holy wife a woman can be considered a celestial wife when their husband marries more than one women. This forces Celeste to decide whe ther to conform to the roles laid out for her, or to resist her male dominated society. In the novel The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Flavia, hostile to Celeste, avidly verbally and physically, defies her male dominated society.Flavia hates being undermined and judged based on her gender instead of her abilities why its only a girl, I couldve slapped his face, (242). These statements occur after Flavia is caught breaking into a boys boarding school. When a teacher notices her he calls the police, assuming that she was a boy and therefore a let threat to security. However, when he discovers that she is a girl, he apologizes for alerting the cops and claims that if he knew, he could have easily dealt with the situation.In Bishops Lacey, many male figures decide the celestial orbit of Flavias abilities before they get to know her as a allow Flavia receives great joy in proving them wrong. In the beginning of the novel, Flavia discovers a loose physical structure in her fro nt yard. Instead of initiating the expected female answer of running to get help, Flavia kneels over the body and exclaims, I wish I could say I was scared, but I wasnt. Quite the contrary. This was by far-off the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire heart (29). Although Flavia wakes Dogger, a maintenance worker in the De Luce home, she takes care of the dead body herself.Flavia calls the police, confirms that the victim is dead, and is the first to greet the detectives when they arrive. Her natural ability to remain smooth and take control of the situation is very uncharacteristic of the females in Bishops Lacey. Ms. grey mullets response to the situation is much less refined Oh, replete(p) Lord (14). Later, when Flavias let is charged with the murder, she cannot just watch as men try to wrongly convict him of the crime My duty was to my tyro and it had fallen upon my shoulders to help him (152).Despite the detectives setbacks, Flavia begins to u nravel the conundrum which will free her father and prove that she is just as capable of solving the case. During her journey to discover the truth, Flavia ignores the rules created by the men in her life, such as ignoring the detectives obvious worry for her safety, her fathers pleas for her to Go home, and unlawfully breaking into a hotel room and a clock tower (173). Flavias determination and unwillingness to rely on men are admiral qualities however, they do place her in serious danger. weedy the end of the mystery Flavia is kidnapped by the murderer Frank Pemberton.Although this is the first measure in the novel she shows fear, Flavia tacit refuses to submit to his demands. Despite the fact that she is physically bound and unable to resist, she believes she can still conquer Pemberton with her wit. Throughout the novel Sister Wife, Celeste in addition defies the male dominance in her society however, she does this in a much toughr way. Through the major(ip)ity of the nove l, Celeste mentally resents the restrictions and roles of women in her society however, physically, she seems to follow and obey the laws laid down by men.This is one of the major differences between the 2 characters, as Flavia could be characterized as a woman of action whereas Celeste could be described as a woman of thoughts. At the beginning of the novel, Celeste seems to be the perfect daughter she is obedient and respectful of her culture. However as more of her character is revealed, the contributor discovers that Celeste is consumed with thoughts of a life outside Unity. Within the community, Celestes lifestyle is so structured that a mortal doesnt really need to think at all (11).Yet, Celeste still doubts the arrangement and finds it impossible to accept the prophets laws without questioning them theology is not in the religious ranting, hes not in the rules or the sacred book. He is here in this beauty of this manufacturer morning (129). When Celeste meets a young, attractive boy named Jon, she begins to believe that she should have the right to fall in love with a boy her own age. Although Celeste and Jons relationship is banned in Unity and considered blasphemy, neither character can stop romantically seeing the other. Celeste wonders whether its time for her to change things. spurn to be assigned to a husband (49). This shows Celestes feminist tendencies and her subtle way of resisting her society. However, Celestes loyalty and love for her family prevents her from acting on her desires. When Celeste and Jon are caught, he begs her to leave with him Celeste you know you dont want this life she responds But I also know that I cannot disgrace my family (142). afterward Jons departure, the whole community becomes aware of Celestes indiscretion and Celeste reaches a new level of despair. She laments that What Daddy wants is right for him.Nobody asked me if being a celestial wife was right for me if they had I would have said no (148). Celeste begins to feel like a caged animal and every movement becomes an effort. This leads the reader to conclude that without the right to think independently and make decisions for oneself, people can lose the very essence of what makes them human. The geezerhood begin to blur for Celeste and shortly she finds herself engaged to Jons father. It does not matter how much she is repulsed by the motif of her new husband Celeste cannot leave Unity and in the end she chooses to link up the one the Lord reveals for her.In the end, Flavias resistance to the gender divergence in her society changes Bishops Lacey forever. When sitting in a room entirely with a raging murderer, Flavia suck ups that there are no miracles in Bishops Lacey. If she wants to live she must make things happen for herself (315). Flavia knows that humans were incapable of accepting their own helplessness, (316) and as a result they have become survivors. She was not heavy(p) up without a fight, and although she knew that she could not escape alone, she physically fought Pemberton with everything she had.Flavia proclaimed that snooze had once called the English a nation of shopkeepers but we were a nation of survivors, and I, Flavia Sabina De Luce, could see it even in myself, (331). Even as the strong point leaves her body, Flavia stalls Pemberton using her knowledge of the murders he had committed, hopefully buying her rescuer the time he needs. In moments, Dogger arrives, freeing Flavia from Pembertons grasp. When Flavia is freed from the pit she had been concealed in, the residents of Bishops Lacey no longer view her as just a girl.They regard her as somehow a different Flavia than the one, they knew only two days ago (349). Flavia will forever be remembered as the girl with rich courage to defy all the odds and uncover the truth. The symbolism of her high-flown journey is evident as Pemberton is arrested in complete darkness and her father is released in the light that followed. The i dea of darkness becoming light also symbolized the rebirth of Bishops Lacey, as their previous view that females were disadvantaged by constitution (275) had been proven false by Flavias actions.In the weeks that follow her kidnapping, Flavia comes to be perceived as an equal in her community, consulted by the detectives and police. As a result her independence flourishes. In contrast, Celestes resistance to the gender disparity in her society changes her life forever by providing her with enough skill to follow her dreams. Celeste does not find any more happiness in married life than in life with her biological family and feels as though she has been sentenced to a life without hope.My heart feels as though it will never heal (246). This statement reveals the psychological realities of many women trapped within the system of polygamy. To keep a level of sanity, Celeste creates Inukshuks this allows her to regain some control in her life and feel connected to the earth. As male d ominance leaves subatomic room for female imagination, Celeste manages to express herself through her creations and this ends up saving her soul When I concentrate on rocks, I forget everything else, and for those short hours I experience peace (246).The idea of using an element of creation to explain ones society and her place in it is a common theme shared by both novels. In The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Flavia uses chemistry to express her creativity and knowledge, using chemical analogies to explain her military personnel. After only a few months of marriage, Celeste becomes pregnant, and as a result, her ravaging increased because a child would forever bind her to Unity. But on the first day of spring her daughter, Hope, is born, and suddenly everything in Celestes world changes.She wants her daughter to have everything she did not have I may not have been strong enough to leave Unity for myself, but in this moment I know that I will find the strength to do it fo r her (264). Celestes dream of escape become reality when she leaves Unity a few months after her daughter is born. The courage to believe that society should have a place where everyone is equal is the foundation of feminism in both the novels Sister Wife and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. The two female protagonists defy the male dominance in their societies and discover who they authentically are.Each character faces the obstacle of a very repressive culture and yet, are able to summon the courage of the feminists who lived before them to resolve the conflicts of their time. though Flavias resolution had more of an immediate impact than Celestes, by exit Unity, Celeste set a new precedent for girls in polygamous communities and helped others realize that there is a way out. Therefore, it is justified to claim that both girls indomitable aspects of gender inequality in their societies. These unique women have positively squeeze society and contributed to the rights an d freedoms modern women enjoy.