Women's Naivety to Male Abuse of Power Anonymous College

As we progressed through this course, many themes have become clear and have been expressed thoroughly in the assigned readings. A very prominent theme around the 19th century, socially and in literature, was the role of women in society. The 1800’s were a time where women still did not quite know their true place within society. They were still seen somewhat as property to their male counterparts, and that was universally known, but there were always the groups of women who knew they wanted more out of the life they live. Many were unaware of why their lives had to be so different from that of their husband or brothers. However, in the case of Caroline Donet in Guy de Maupassant’s Hautot and His Son, this was not quite true. Donet seemed naive to a life outside of that with a man, and saw no issue with this. To her, the ignorance was bliss. Despite her life becoming one repetitive, difficult cycle, she kept herself in the dark in regards to life without a man by her side. Women’s naivety to men’s abuse of power in the 18th century, particularly in France, held them back in ways that went unnoticed by the women themselves, and Hautot and His Son reflects this perfectly.

Around the 19th and 20th centuries, one would expect...