comparison/contrast essay
... had just become a mistress at a mansion where she was to be one of her masters wives and do whatever he wants and as long as she pleased him, he would keep her around and visit her more often. Songlian didn’t like these customs and wanted to be free and do what she wanted, not what her master wanted her to do. Lastly in the story Like Water For Chocolate, the main character Tita, shows how she overcomes her family traditions and mothers rules to achieve what she wants. Tita is the youngest daughter of Mama Elena, prohibited by family tradition from marrying so that she will be free to take care of her mother later in life. The novel focuses mostly on her tortured relationship with Pedro, and her struggle and eventual triumph in pursuit of love and individuality. The three stories show how the women all strive for individuality and independence but are being held back. Nora, Songlian, and Tita are all shown having their own struggles and problems in achieving independence because they are all being held back or stopped in different yet similar ways. Nora, from A Doll’s House, can be shown held back from achieving freedom and individuality. Even though Nora is a house wife and is expected to cook and clean all day, she really wants to be individual and live on her own, but is being stopped by her marriage and kids. The thing that is stopping Nora from leaving her husband, Torvald, and living on her own is the fact that she has kids, is married, and is expected by traditional ways to stay with her husband for financial support because not many women had jobs back then even though Nora is not truly happy and not living her life the way she wants to. Songlian, from Raise The Red Lantern, also can be shown being held back from her goals and true desires. Songlian marries the master and becomes one of his mistresses because her father died and her mother couldn’t afford for her to attend school, so she married the master thinking that she could be rich the rest of her life and not have to worry about money anymore. Even though it was nice living at the masters mansion and not having to worry about money, it wasn’t what Songlian truly wanted. Songlian wanted to live on her own and go to school and support herself but was stopped or being held back because of the lack of money and because now that she is one of the masters mistresses she cannot leave. Also, Tita, from Like Water For Chocolate, can be shown being held back from her desires and true happiness. Tita is brought into the world prematurely after her father's sudden death. Mama Elena is the opposite of a caring mother, never forging any bond with Tita. Tita develops a relationship with food that gives her the power outlet her emotions. Because of the lack of bond between Tita and her mother, Mama Elena stands as the opposition to Tita’s goals. Tita wants to marry Pedro because she loves him, but Mama Elena refuses to let them marry because she feels that Tita should be free to take care of her mother later in life. Mama Elena is what is stopping Tita from her goals and goals. All three of these women have their own goals and dreams and desires and are being held back by something or someone but eventually in the end rebel and get what they want. In all three of these stories the women have had to overcome who or what was stopping them to achiever their goals. Nora, from A Doll’s...