Dinner is prepared. The children have finished their homework and the house is debris free. Another day in the life of a married housewife comes to a close. As we look back upon the time of our predecessors, this is the normal routine. Tasks are completed without question and in adherence to the strict expectations of the husband. During this time period, male dominance is evident through the treatment and lack of affection given to the women of the house. "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers," a poem, by Adrienne Rich and Kate Chopin's short story, "The Story of an Hour," equally capture the underlying meaning of matrimony. Both literary works have similar themes portraying a woman's struggle with oppression, marital burdens and the secret want for freedom.

As the poem by Rich opens, Aunt Jennifer is creating a beautiful work of needlepoint. It is through the power...