A Modern Woman in Not-So-Modern Times "Mother's Revolt" by Mary Wilkins Freeman first appeared in Harper's Bazaar in 1890, as a short story. History is full of conflict everywhere. Sarah Penn's (mother's) conflict is driven by her strong belief that she should receive fair treatment from her husband. She is in conflict with her husband, with the community and with the gender role defined by the social conventions of that era. Sarah's conflict with her husband begins immediately in the opening sentences of the story. Mom asks a question that dad doesn't want to answer. The mother confronts her husband, saying, “Look here, Father, I want to know what those men are digging for in the field, and I will know.” The father tries to ignore the mother by not answering her question. When he realizes that she will not accept his silence as an answer, her father replies, "I wish you would go into the house, mother, and mind your business." The father's actions set a clear tone to the reader that men should be responsible for making decisions and the woman's role is to go along with whatever decisions she feels are best for the family. Sarah continues to discourage her husband until he tells her about the barn. Sarah replies, "A barn? Won't you build a barn over there where we would have had a house, Father?" Conflict arises again between Sarah and her husband when she demands that her husband come and talk. with her. Sarah starts by saying, “I want to know what you're building that new barn for, Father?” My father's quick response is, "I have nothing to say about that." Sarah continues her dialogue by saying: "I will speak to you very clearly: I never had any sense in marrying you, but I will now. I have never complained, and I have never complained. Now I will complain, but I will speak clearly. Sarah begins to complain about how Farther puts the stables and the cows before his family obligations. Her husband responds by saying: "I'm not doing it I have nothing to say." Sarah was angry as always and begins to cry. Adoniram goes to Vermont to buy a new horse he has always wanted. Once again he makes decisions for the family without consulting Sarah.