Nume:Gheorghe Andreea Madalina

Serie:1
Grupa:2

The Social Position of Women in `Otilia`s Riddle`

Introduction: `The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of thier dreams`.
(Eleanor Roosevelt, first lady , civil rights activist).
Throughout centuries the position of the women has suffered significant changes. Unlike the
modern times, when women are considered , finally, equal to men, in the past they were
totally dependent on men(for instance, on fathers,brothers and husbands). For this reason, at
that time, it was very important important for a woman to fiind a husband. I will divide this
theme of social position into: presenting the most important social positions that women had
all over the centuries( years) and then, I am going to focus on the book called `Otilia`s Riddle`
which represents a semnificative example for the subject I have chosen.
Firstly, I am going to notice that, going through times of trials ,learning lessons, women had,
on the one hand strenghts and on the other hand, weakness. Furthermore, I would also like to
say that, women experienced regulated impulses and emotional states, which were controlled
by private reflection. Secondly, ` Otilia`s Riddle `represents the best example of strong
women, having a social position which became memorable. For example, the title itself skows
an enigmatic girl, a mysterious girl who could be viewed into different situations: every
character of the book could have been a parent for Otilia( especially Pascalopol) and under
this mask of mistery, the readers are involved more and more, becoming more and more
passionated to discover the truth. To conclude, this introduction will reveal not only the face
of a woman but also the moral, social poses she passed through.
Table of contents/ Summary: When we pronounce the word ` women` we think at that person
who takes care of us, loves us but this is not the only meaning. It represents also , pain ,
suffering and so on. Otilia for instance, became a secret for the others charactes , but in fact ,
they did not know how to understand her. That happened with the social position of women.
In ancient times, women were recognized as a tool for taking care of babies, cooking etc. As
people or world have developed higher and higher, even more the social position of a woman
has changed increasingly. Now, we can talk about an equality between women and men,
social capital playing a great role. What is more, nowadays, women could have the same jobs
men have or they could wear the same clothes a man wears( we all know that in the past a
woman wore only dresses, Sarah Bernhardt being the first lady who wore panths in 1890). On
the purpose of the social position of a woman , there were significant debates, such as labor
rights which concern the survival and development of women. On the other hand, we are able
to talk about woman`s emancipation, the ideology of liberty, democracy and selfindependence. For example, in Otilia`s Riddle, the young girl (altough she was adoptated by
Costache Giurgiuveanu) was very independent, being helped by Pascalopol.
In this way, the feminist challenge was achieved through all kinds of positions(social, moral,
political etc) ,shifted in time and modeled until our days. Another important aspect providing
social position of women is the school: the Sample of Schools, Working class schools, MiddleClass school, Afluent Professional School, Executive Elite School. Because of education,
women managed to be on their feet,not to be dependent on men anymore. All this happened
thanks to a moral teaching about life, interior feelings and exterior world.
Making a comparison between that times and our days, we could certainly say that, the social
position of women has considerably changed,the women` life in our days became better and
better and they suffered a great impact which refers to emancipation. As an example, Otilia
herself was loved by Felix and Pascalopol , but in the end of the book, she left both of them.

Nume:Gheorghe Andreea Madalina

Serie:1
Grupa:2

This is the evolution of Otilia: from a girl grown up by her stepfather she became a successful
woman. This example shows the readers that, as Otilia, the social position of women has
changed more and more, from little to bigger.
The End: The theme/subject concludes by analyzing the most important facts which leaded to
this emancipation or those exchanges of social position. In other words, to explore more
concretely what the consequences of this evolution has brought to the entire world.
-another words about `Otilia`s Riddle`;
-another qoute about this theme.
Biblography:
1 Jean Anyon , Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work: Journal of Education,
volume 162, 1980
2 Bowles and Gites, Schooling in Capitalist America: New York, Basic Books, 1976
3 en.genderstud.en/html/scholar/6849-0.htm
4 en.genderstud.en/html/scholar/6854-0.htm