... proudly pure, / But of a meek and quiet spirit" to describe her (Howe 1-2). According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, a priestess is "a woman regarded as a leader" (Merriam). Howe instantly shows discordance to society's idea of what a woman should be as she lends the power associated with leaders to the woman. The man of a family was considered the leader, the one with the power to make decisions and take action. The "Angel in the House" was certainly not this "priestess" Howe mentions (Howe 1). The word "proudly" contradicts "meek;" "proudly" means feeling proper self-respect, whereas "meek" means "overly submissive or compliant" and "humble" (Merriam). By portraying this woman as "proud" and "meek" at the same time, Howe first presents how a woman genuinely should be and then presents what a woman is expected to be. Humble goes on to mean, "ranking low in a hierarchy ...

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