Theme of Success in Literature

There is a detail in the history of humanity that remains almost unchanged: the position of women in society. Women were a being destined to procreation, to the home and to please others. During the development of societies, history records the discrimination of man and woman, especially in relation to education, work, and society. In attributing to men, the status of owners of knowledge and to women the feminine role subordinated ideologically to male power; therefore, all resulting in gender inequalities.

An era where a woman would be judged for being divorced, or single. An era in which women couldn’t pursue their dreams, for their only occupation would be housewifery. There were revolutions and evolutions; and yet there are areas where women are treated with inferiority. Miriam Maisel, also known as, “Midge” from the TV series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, is considered a significant example of a revolutionary woman in the late 1950s. Midge became so unapologetically confident, independent and found her voice, despite much traumas and sadness in her life.

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The American web television series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel tells a story of Midge Maisel, a Jewish Upper West Side housewife in the late 50s. Miriam was raised to be the perfect wife, mother, and made to attend and host high society events. Everything changes when she is abandoned by her husband Joel Maisel and, unintentionally, discovers a prominent talent: to be a stand-up comedian. According to the article, Mrs. America: Women’s Role in the 1950s, the author claims, “In the 1950s, women felt tremendous societal pressure to focus their aspirations on a wedding ring.

The U.S. marriage rate was at an all-time high and couples were tying the knot, on average, younger than ever before” (PBS). The reason why this became the norm, for them, was that without that title of being married they would be insignificant. It was more satisfactory to become a wife while one was younger, so she wouldn’t be at risk of becoming an “old maid.” Women back then felt this massive pressure to maintain an appearance of being this perfect wife with their faces full of makeup on.

Therefore, their husband would never see them without makeup. For example, on the show, Midge Maisel always made sure she looked pretty, which leads to going to sleep all covered in makeup. When her husband falls asleep, she would wake up to cleanse it off. Subsequently, Midge would set an alarm to wake up earlier than Joel to get ready once again. In addition, if a bold minded woman stood out or expressed her opinion, she would be judged, so they had to be submissive to men. For instance, on the show, Midge Maisel addressed, “Why do we have to pretend to be stupid when we’re not stupid? Why do we have to pretend to be helpless when we are not helpless? Why do we have to pretend we’re not hungry when we’re hungry?” (Silman). Most people would agree with this quote, for society had this whole expectation of what women should be like. For example, a woman could not be outspoken, she had to know how to cook and clean the house, and to “act like a lady.”

Somehow one had to fit in the mold of a vogue magazine woman or be one of those ladies on the commercial advertisement back then. When Midge found her new self after her separation, she was not only breaking boundaries, but she maintained a sense of self-empowerment. If she didn’t know things, it would be obvious Midge wanted to know them. So, there was no holding back, or another way, her way was always forward. “If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” affirmed Paulo Coelho. The reason this quote is relevant is that one of Midge’s most daunting challenge she had to face was her separation from Joel Maisel. According to the article, A Glimpse into Marriage Advice From the 1950s, by Margarita Tartakovsky states, “Women had to persuade potential partners into marriage since it was understood that women benefited more from matrimony” (Tartakovsky).

In the late 1950s, many marriages would be arranged in a way, but Midge and Joel fell in love. The ability to love someone in your most vulnerable way is one of the most powerful things there is. With no doubt, they maintained a typical life with kids, but that didn’t change Joel’s action. He abruptly leaves Midge. She was devastated and hurt, but she was brave enough to not take him back after what he did to her. In effect, after her separation, Midge realized her profound talent for stand-up comedy. Therefore, finding her way through this obstacle lead her to discover her passion. Another challenge Midge is confronting along on the show is being a woman comedian back in the 1950s. As explained by Alison Stevenson, “Women in comedy have to work 10 times harder to gain not only the respect of our audience, but our peers as well. We have to have way thicker skin, and put up with a lot more bullshit. Each and every one of us has to face the inevitable, unwanted sexual advances, as well as comments on our appearance – not to mention that so many people truly do believe that women are not funny” (Stevenson).

It is apparent some of the obstacles lead back to sexism, for women struggled when pursuing their artistic dream. Notwithstanding, however, their potential was at the same level as any other male artist. Back then, most stand-up comedies were done by men only; therefore, people, even other comics, would judge women comedians. At times there won’t be anyone there to support and stand up for a woman, so you must do it. Michelle Obama said, “As women, we must stand up for ourselves… for each other… for justice for all” (AAUW). Additionally, pursuing a dream is difficult for anyone, for it is not exactly something that happens from a day to the other. It takes effort and persistence to achieve that dream. Midge Maisel is an outlier, meaning she is someone that lies out of the ordinary, outside the normal range. The reason I would refer to Midge as an outlier is that she is very courageous and impactful for a woman in the late 50s. She wasn’t afraid to stand up in front of an audience to do her act and saying exactly what she meant.

In the book Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell he claimed, “Success is not a random act. It arises out of a predictable and powerful set of circumstances and opportunities” (Gladwell, 115). This means that for Midge to obtain her success she had to take risks and utilize the opportunities given to her. Moreover, Gladwell stated, “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good” (Gladwell, 42). Throughout the show, Midge had to learn comedy before she could be good at it. So, she did her research; she practiced by writing down her thoughts or jokes, and practiced her acts at parties. As Steve Jobs assured, “Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith” (Quote). Things will happen in your life that are out of your control. Sometimes one will encounter difficult obstacles to overcome, but you must have faith to keep on going. The moment Midge Maisel became a comedian it was evident that she would have a long road ahead of her to be successful in her career. Not only that but as a woman in comedy in 1950, it attained many setbacks to be successful and achieve her goals. In my opinion, it takes a person with a growth mindset to learn that the ups and downs are part of life.

In the article, Brainology, by Carol S. Dweck it states, “Those with a growth mindset had a very straightforward (and correct) idea of effort — the idea that the harder you work, the more your ability will grow and that even geniuses have had to work hard for their accomplishments” (Dweck). Success doesn’t just fall into your lap; it takes effort and willingness to learn. On the show, Midge demonstrated that kind of attitude and mindset towards her objective. Furthermore, at times your passion or dream often doesn’t provide a liveable wage; therefore, one has to find a job to obtain money to pay the bills. On the show, Joel Maisel said, “Do you know what a dream is? A dream is what keeps you going in a job you hate” (TMMM). I couldn’t agree more with this, for I have learned that to reach your main objective, you must do whatever it takes. After Midge’s separation and discovering her passion for comedy she came to the realization that she needed to get a job. Living with her parents meant living by their rules.

Equally, she wanted to be able to support herself and kids. Finding a job back in the 1950s as a woman was very challenging, for they weren’t qualified for the same job as any other males. Women earned less wage than men, and they were considered as supplemental workers. Those are battles that women started fighting for and in my opinion, they are still fighting today. Nonetheless, as an independent woman, Midge persisted and finally, she was able to attain a job. As a final point, despite the many challenges, Midge had to face her failures as well. For example, she bombed her comedy acts, and nobody in the audience showed any type of enjoyment or laughter. The reason why this is important is that instead of giving up on her dreams, she kept going. As Carol Dweck claimed, “Failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success” (Dweck). Midge Maisel throughout the show demonstrated grit, and the sense that as a woman she did what she wanted to; she didn’t follow by the rules. She stood up for herself.

For instance, in the book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth it states, “Grit depends on a different kind of hope. It rests on the expectation that our own efforts can improve our future” (Duckworth, 169). In conclusion, many women go through tough situations in life that don’t allow them to spread their wings and amplify their voices. Before the 1950s, and even now, women are still being oppressed. The reason why Midge Maisel overcame so many obstacles throughout the show is that she faced each challenge with a mindset of learning from them. The person she is portrays the attitude she has towards her problems and her personality of being a super confident, brave and independent woman. As Maya Angelou once said, “Each time a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for other women” (Angelou).