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【Abstract】This article focuses on the character of the protagonist featured in the Gail Godwin’s short story “A Sorrowful Woman”. Through the application of Feminism， this article explores reason of the protagonist’s death and concludes that the protagonist fails to rebel against patriarchal oppression and has to commit suicide as a last resort.
【Key words】Feminism； patriarchal oppression； Death of the angel
Beginning with “once upon a time”， Gail Godwin’s short story， “A Sorrowful Woman”， is quite the opposite of a fairy tale. In the text， the protagonist， the sorrowful woman， used to be a fair wife and dutiful mother. She not only has a receptive， gentle husband who dotes on her， but has a tender， lovely son as well. It seems that she’s one of the luckiest women in the world who should be grateful. Yet， she has withdrawn from her husband and son and commits suicide.
Why her behavior is much abnormal compared to the ordinary women？ In order to answer this question， let’s examine the multiple personality traits of the woman. As a housewife and mother， the protagonist leads a fairly structured life. She is confined to the domestic sphere， nurturing the child， maintaining the household， and serving the husband. She is supposed to be an angel in the house. As an angel in the house， a woman should surrender her personal comfort and desires so as to serve her husband and children. However， after being a wife and mother for too many times， the protagonist starts to reject this stereotype. She begins to hate the sight of her husband and her son. She locks herself away from the son who longs for her affection. She even hits the son when the husband is there to witness. As the story unfolds， she even completely isolates herself in the white room. Her much abnormal behavior indicates that she attempts to break the bonds of her patriarchal society. Moreover， she even manages to reshape her own personhood and to redefine herself. In the white house， she pictures herself either as a virgin queen or as the previous girl full of energy. In addition， she becomes a highly gifted woman who tries to use her gift for poetry.
Nevertheless， the woman fails to rebel against patriarchal oppression and commits suicide as a last resort. Why she commits suicide？ First of all， the woman fails to free herself. Throughout the story， the woman is confined at home living in considerable isolation. Is she as adventurous and as agog to see the world as men？ Yes！ However， even as a rebellious angel， she could only put on old sweater she had loved at school in memory of her good old days. She could only read long novels about other people in order to touch the rest of the world. The French say that to part is to die a little. Being an angel in the house too is to die a little. Second， the commands of the patriarchal society has haunted and tortured the protagonist all the time. That’s why she blames herself： “It’s all my fault， I know. I’m such a burden， I know that” （Godwin 61）. The last but not the least， the husband’s misunderstanding about the protagonist is one of the factors that contribute to her death. Feminists argue that “by not giving voice and value to women’s opinions， responses， and writings， men have therefore suppressed the female， defined what it means to be feminine， and thereby de-voiced， devalued， and trivialized what it means to be a woman” （Bressler 144） . In the story， the husband claims that he understands his wife. He comforts her， “We will manage until you’ve better， however long that is” （Godwin 66）. Yet， who shall measure the heat and violence of the protagonist’s heart that thirsts for freedom and gender equality？
In conclusion， Gail Godwin’s “A Sorrowful Woman” highlights the idea that not all women might be content with the role as a housewife and mother. To be an angel in the house is not only to be noble， it is to be dead. Women not only deserve care， respect， and love from men and the society， but they have equal rights to fulfill their promise and define themselves as well.
References：
[1]Bressler，Charles E.Literary Criticism： An Introduction to Theory and Practice.Beijing： Higher Education Press，2004.
[2]Godwin，Gail.“A Sorrowful Woman.” Scenes from American Life： Contemporary Short Fiction.Joyce Carol Oates，ed.New York： Random House，1973.
作者簡介：叶凌仙，女，汉族，浙江绍兴人，研究生，研究方向：英语语言文学。
【Key words】Feminism； patriarchal oppression； Death of the angel
Beginning with “once upon a time”， Gail Godwin’s short story， “A Sorrowful Woman”， is quite the opposite of a fairy tale. In the text， the protagonist， the sorrowful woman， used to be a fair wife and dutiful mother. She not only has a receptive， gentle husband who dotes on her， but has a tender， lovely son as well. It seems that she’s one of the luckiest women in the world who should be grateful. Yet， she has withdrawn from her husband and son and commits suicide.
Why her behavior is much abnormal compared to the ordinary women？ In order to answer this question， let’s examine the multiple personality traits of the woman. As a housewife and mother， the protagonist leads a fairly structured life. She is confined to the domestic sphere， nurturing the child， maintaining the household， and serving the husband. She is supposed to be an angel in the house. As an angel in the house， a woman should surrender her personal comfort and desires so as to serve her husband and children. However， after being a wife and mother for too many times， the protagonist starts to reject this stereotype. She begins to hate the sight of her husband and her son. She locks herself away from the son who longs for her affection. She even hits the son when the husband is there to witness. As the story unfolds， she even completely isolates herself in the white room. Her much abnormal behavior indicates that she attempts to break the bonds of her patriarchal society. Moreover， she even manages to reshape her own personhood and to redefine herself. In the white house， she pictures herself either as a virgin queen or as the previous girl full of energy. In addition， she becomes a highly gifted woman who tries to use her gift for poetry.
Nevertheless， the woman fails to rebel against patriarchal oppression and commits suicide as a last resort. Why she commits suicide？ First of all， the woman fails to free herself. Throughout the story， the woman is confined at home living in considerable isolation. Is she as adventurous and as agog to see the world as men？ Yes！ However， even as a rebellious angel， she could only put on old sweater she had loved at school in memory of her good old days. She could only read long novels about other people in order to touch the rest of the world. The French say that to part is to die a little. Being an angel in the house too is to die a little. Second， the commands of the patriarchal society has haunted and tortured the protagonist all the time. That’s why she blames herself： “It’s all my fault， I know. I’m such a burden， I know that” （Godwin 61）. The last but not the least， the husband’s misunderstanding about the protagonist is one of the factors that contribute to her death. Feminists argue that “by not giving voice and value to women’s opinions， responses， and writings， men have therefore suppressed the female， defined what it means to be feminine， and thereby de-voiced， devalued， and trivialized what it means to be a woman” （Bressler 144） . In the story， the husband claims that he understands his wife. He comforts her， “We will manage until you’ve better， however long that is” （Godwin 66）. Yet， who shall measure the heat and violence of the protagonist’s heart that thirsts for freedom and gender equality？
In conclusion， Gail Godwin’s “A Sorrowful Woman” highlights the idea that not all women might be content with the role as a housewife and mother. To be an angel in the house is not only to be noble， it is to be dead. Women not only deserve care， respect， and love from men and the society， but they have equal rights to fulfill their promise and define themselves as well.
References：
[1]Bressler，Charles E.Literary Criticism： An Introduction to Theory and Practice.Beijing： Higher Education Press，2004.
[2]Godwin，Gail.“A Sorrowful Woman.” Scenes from American Life： Contemporary Short Fiction.Joyce Carol Oates，ed.New York： Random House，1973.
作者簡介：叶凌仙，女，汉族，浙江绍兴人，研究生，研究方向：英语语言文学。