"100 Years of Solitude" and "Oedipus Rex"

Paper Summary:

The paper focuses on the sexual power of the women and the means by which they are the controlling forces behind the overt power of man in "100 Years of Solitude" and "Oedipus Rex". The paper highlights how both the Athenian women, and women of Macondo wield power by letting the men think that they have the power, when in reality, they are controlling them physically and psychologically the entire time. The paper notes that this is the break for women from the patriarchal stereotypes prevalent in the societies at the time.

From the Paper:

"Both 100 Years of Solitude and Oedipus Rex are based in patriarchal societies. However, the sexual power of the women and the means by which they are the controlling forces behind the overt power of man as controlling destiny is the subject of the stories, and the object of fascination that propels the dramatic tension along. This is the break for women from the patriarchal stereotypes that make them stand out as literary characters, and as contrasted to the general conventions and roles of women in the societies being studied in the two novels.
"In Oedipus, we can see the two contrasting roles of women in society. They can either stay behind the scenes, playing an invisible aesthetic and passive role in the course of the kingdom, such as the sister Ismene; or more rarely they can assert themselves, which is a product of character, and have an active role in determining the affairs of the government, and propelling the action forward. Jocasta of course in Oedipus Rex plays a central role to the action of the story, as opposed just the nurturing quantity."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. 100 Years of Solitude. Harper New York 2006.
• Oedipus Rex Text. Chapter 2 Lines 1-337. Retrieved August 5, 2008: http://pd.sparknotes.com/drama/oedipus/section2.html
• Thucydides. The Peloponnesian War. XLV: Retrieved August 5, 2008: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=thuc.+2.45

More papers on "100 Years of Solitude" and "Oedipus Rex":

• Book Review # 115192 : "100 Years of Solitude"
• Analytical Essay # 122077 : "The Chorus in "Antigone" and "Oedipus Rex"
• Comparison Essay # 61659 : "Fate in "Job" and "Oedipus Rex"

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