Selection: Mary E. Wilkins Freeman’s, The Revolt of “Mother”
Critical Approach: Feminism
by: Christian Ray C. Licen
BA English Major in Literature
A Feminist Approach:
The Revolt of “Mother”
A feminist critique of Sarah Penn as the “Mother” simply demonstrates that she is no ordinary woman-slash-wife just driven away by her husband’s chauvinism. The self-righteousness of Adoniram Penn, the patriarch of the Penn family, may have been effective to showcase the distinctive characters each of them exhibits. Seemingly, the crafting of these female character traits, as that of Sarah being the submissive mother- whose only dream of building a house beside the barn be realized by her husband (as promised), and to Nanny Penn, their daughter, who wished to establish her married life separately for the reason that the house they’re all staying cannot contain them anymore, amplifies the feminine voice as a collaborative struggle for identity and sensitivity. How could Adoniram Penn build another barn on the vacant lawn when he knew that his family had only been living in a small house? And as described, “It was scarcely commodious for people as the little boxes under the barn eaves were for doves.” He must have gone excessively mad in building another barn for his livestock without even prioritizing the needs of his family, one of which is to build a more spacious house.
As with any wife or children, taking the case of Sarah and Nanny, one cannot help but whine at such pathetic situation they are in especially that they are deprived, insignificant and unheard. Seeing myself in these female personae, I can almost sympathize with them. Knowing how a wife resorts to routine- from cooking to cleaning the dishes and rearing the children with utmost care- is enough to understand that she also has some human needs- say for example, a bigger house, though it’s materialistic to note. Sarah Penn must have been provided by Adoniram upon the presumption that they really could have earned a lot by the livestock Adoniram is raising. As such, “nobility of characters manifest itself at loop-holes when it is not provided with large doors”, would aptly describe the predicament they’re all facing. It is not only a struggle between identity over responsibility, but a struggle for moral and filial ascendancy.
Pity for Sarah Penn! She is torn between what she believes is right for their family over the issue of submitting with full consent to her husband. But considering the historical context during the early Colonial Period of America, I bet, women were hardly heard and considered. The time when Sarah Penn decisively transferred the whole of their household to the barn, the neighbors thought of them to be insane, “Men assembled in the store and talked it over, women with shawls over their heads scuttled into each other’s houses before their work was done. Any deviation from the ordinary course of life in this quiet town was enough to stop all progress in it” Apparently, they thought it was a deviation, an aberration of their normative cultuire If a woman disobeys her husband, then that is something regarded as “absurd” or worse, “sinful”. But upon the appearance of the minister who wished to talk to Sarah over the controversy, I was somehow assuaged when he has been overpowered by a courageous Sarah, making him empathize with her: “There ain’t o use talkin’, Mr. Hersey, I’ve thought it all over an’ over, an’ I believe I’m doin what’s right. I’ve made it the subject of prayer, an’ it’s betwixt me an’ the Lord an’ Adoniram. There ain’t no call for anybody else to worry about it”, exclaimed Sarah in her rustic voice. And then Mr. Hersey retorted, “Well, of course, if you have brought it to the Lord in prayer, and feel satisfied that you are doing right, Mrs. Penn!” Upon realizing Sarah’s undisputed conviction, he couldn’t do anything at all for such woman is filled with determination to fight what is best for her family.
And when Adoniram arrived, having obtained the horse from Sarah’s brother, he was astonished to see his new home- in the barn! Ludicrous enough but it’s very compelling. And Sarah was right when she told him, “you needn’t be scared. I ain’t crazy!” After all the setbacks and frustrations that preoccupied her, she finally found her peace of mind to settle in the barn. For what else can Adoniram insist than to succumb to his wife? Conclusively, the story ended with Adoniram sobbing in pain. Perhaps, he really regretted over the matter- his impositions and inhibitions. He thus said, “I’ll—put up the--- partitions, an’ –everything you- want, mother,” in his languid submissive tone. And he added, “I hadn’t no idee you was so set on’t as all this comes to”. But it’s better late than never. Sarah’s cunning attitude resolved the issue. This incident mirrors the role of women to change the society. Mary Freeman must have been all set to push through writing short stories that uplift and alleviate the role of women. And indeed, in this story, women not only proved to be triumphant but also sublimely empowered- with the ability to transform a society amid its diversity, the wisdom to evoke change for the better and the heart to understand and nurture each and everyone’s role maturely and sensitively toward nation-building. And where does a mother-woman-girl start? ---- Home.
