A Woman's Place in Fantasia and So Long a Letter
Throughout history women have always had to stand behind their men (whether it be rules, tradition, etc.). In almost every history context, whether it about wars or people, they have almost been written by men for men. It is not even until this century that women in this country have gained new grounds for the equality that we hope will be as substantial with men’s equality. Despite women’s hopes for equality, there is always old traditions that are so hard to be break that they sometimes keep women in inferior positions. In these two novels, Fantasia and So Long a Letter ,we will explore how the women in these novels deal with modernity and the ways in which it conflicts with some of
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In Ramatoulaye’s letters, we wonder is there is a hint of jealousy? Or resentment at the fact that Aissatou was able to move on and Ramatoulaye wasn’t? Some type of underlying ill is conveyed when Ramatoulaye mentions to Aissatou that she knew her friend’s husband had acquired a second wife when Aissatou herself didn’t. Ramatoulaye will soon find herself in the same predicament as her friend. She cannot move on, although this second marriage pains her and she remains lonely while reminiscing of what love their used to be. It is supposed to be Ramatoulaye’s education and liberal mind that is supposed to prevent the abuses of the old traditions but when she is placed in that situation, she feel helpless because she divorce her husband. She is sanctioned by her feelings, insecurities, and the conditions of her family (she has 12 kids). Her liberal attitude is defeated by that of tradition, she will reluctantly stay with her man. Ramatoulaye writes, “to think I loved this man passionately, to think that I have him thirty years of my life, to think that twelve times over I carried his child. The addition of a rival to my life was not enough for him. In loving someone else he dared commit such an act of disavowal.” and her bitterness is everlasting.
Ramatoulaye remains a liberal and open-minded person and when she comes across other hair-raising situations. She handles them with wisdom and sternness. When Ramatoulaye’s daughter, Aissatou,
As the United States was continuing recovering from the Civil War and embracing the expansion of the West, industrialization, immigration and the growth of cities, women’s roles in America were changing by the transformation of this new society. During the period of 1865-1912, women found themselves challenging to break the political structure, power holders, cultural practices and beliefs in their “male” dominated world.
While this book could be considered very academic, I considered it to be a leisurely read because it was so well written by Kerber. The passion behind the authors want to reveal this unknown historical event of what Kerber refers to as, “ The Womens’ War”, makes the book inspirational. The true meaning of the term “Republican Motherhood”, made the word radicalism come to live in this historical setting. In result of these women changing and breaking the wall of a traditional role, they are finally accepted not just as domestic creatures, but as capable partners to create virtuous citizens. It is an empowering book that opens the reader’s eyes to the one – sided history that previous to this book had been the only text by historians
After studying women and gender history in early America for the past semester, my views about American history have changed tremendously. Having very little prior experience with history, I had many assumptions and preconceived notions from high school history classes. Women were never even mentioned in my previous learning about U.S. history, so I assumed they took on unimportant roles and had little, if any, impact on shaping our country’s history. However, after this semester of delving deeply into the women of early America, I could not have been more incorrect. Although they were not typically in the public realm, we cannot fully understand history without studying women. The following readings uncovered the roles of women in the private sphere and were crucial to my new understanding of the importance of women in American history by bringing women to the forefront.
Women have long been fighting for their right to be seen as equal to men. Even to this day, women continue to fight for their rights, things such as the right to non-gender discriminatory wages. While there may be some arguments over the state of gender equality in the modern world, it is undeniable that there have been great strides made toward recognizing the female 's worth in the workforce and as a human being. Despite these strides, however, things are still not yet ideal for women and many of the issues females face today are the very same issues that have been plaguing them for decades. While it is unfortunate the oppression of women has been so long-lived, the length of that exposure has thankfully enabled many talented writers to both lament over the fact and emphasize the need for gender equality.
The book offer historical analysis of women’s roles after the America revolution. The story sheds light on an enthralling and unknown side of the struggle for freedom in America
Feminism is a prominent controversy in present times and is relevant through literary works. In the article, “Throwing like a Girl,” James Fallows analyzes that saying exactly for what it means in our society, and more importantly if there’s any truth to the stereotype. In the article, “Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History,” Laurel Thatcher Ulrich shows how feminist historians, by challenging traditional accounts of both men's and women's histories, have prompted more vibrant accounts of the past. While Fallows analyzes the styles of throwing to identify a possible theory of the stereotypical saying, “throwing like a girl,” Ulrich discusses and encourages women to be strong and accomplish their goals, by using her phrase “well behaved women seldom make history.”
Two-hundred years is a sizeable gap of time that allows plenty of room for change. American society had been rapidly changing from the early seventeenth century to the late nineteenth century, but despite this, the roles and rights of women have remained locked in place. There were many factors to consider as to why women were not allowed to flourish in their time and exceed these boundaries, and while some accepted it, there were many that opposed and faced these difficulties head on. Two female authors, one from colonial times, and one from nineteenth century America, have written about the obstacles and misogyny they’ve overcome in a male dominated literary career. Despite the two-hundred-year gap between the lives of Margaret Fuller and Anne Bradstreet, they both face issues regarding the static stereotype that women are literarily inferior and subservient handmaids to men.
In the bibliography “Breaking Tradition”, by Kathleen Ernst, the author portrays the changing roles of women during the Civil War and World War II in a variety of methods. These include diction, imagery, and historical facts. By using these methods, Ernst is able to effectively support her claim that women’s roles in society had changed during the Civil War and during World War II.
Women in our country today might seem just as equal as men, but when you look at the whole world, they are nowhere near as equal. This is portrayed in the novel A Thousand Splendid Sons by Khaled Hosseini. From the beginning till the end, it clearly addresses problems like gender equality and the oppression of females in our world through the novel’s setting, the society and its characters. To make it even more evident, the two main characters Mariam and Laila are strong, valiant young women living in a male-dominated society. They don’t start out this way but work their way up to it as they fight for their freedom. This makes them stand out and adds a feminist opinion to the novel as they have their own thoughts.
In “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell and “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, both authors introduce female protagonists that are confined by men’s authority. By displaying the protagonist's transformation, Glaspell and Faulkner highlight the repercussions of gender roles, to show that when women are trapped, they will go to great lengths to retaliate against their oppressors.
American Literature has always been about men and for men. In this essay, we are going to analyze the women’s role in the book, as inferior and weaker gender.
( p. 46, Shyam Selvadurai) This quote demonstrates a change in Arjie’s perception. Moreover, the fact that Selvadurai implicates this quote at the beginning of the chapter is symbolic. He does this to symbolize a change in Arjie through the physical appearance of a supporting character. Furthermore, Arjie is caught off guard which depicts how fictional his thoughts on reality are. During the conclusion of the chapter Arjie’s perception of love and beauty is revolutionized through the “love life” of his Aunt. Arjie goes on to say “…I felt no pleasure, for I knew that, although everything would happen in the way I had dreamed there would be something missing. … I thought of the love-comics and how fervently believed in them, believed that if two people loved each other everything was possible. Now, I knew this was not so.”(pp.99-100, Shyam Selvadurai) This clearly indicates a change in perception in the young boys mind and this would be one of the first steps in the transcendence of Arjie’s character. Selvadurai effectively uses Radha Auntie and many other supporting characters throughout the novel in order to aid the main character evolve. Similar to Arjie, Marjie from Persepolis depicts evolution through the aid of supporting characters. In this novel, Satrappi uses many characters to evolve Marjie’s understanding of the world. For example, at the beginning of the novel, Marjie is introduced to her uncle Anoosh. He is branded as a communist under the Shaw’s
Furthermore, women are often seen as a symbol of cultural preservation and a measure of family honor. In conditions of war and colonial rule, which represents an attack on men’s honor and dignity, attention to women’s roles as prescribed by cultural tradition is often intensified. However, the unusual conditions of war and resistance to colonial rule also may provide openings for women to reconfigure their roles and rights, based on new needs of society.
behavior and a cry for the recognition of women's rights ( ). Instead its theme
Throughout the evolution of the world’s societies, the roles of women seem to act as a reflection of the time period since they set the tones for the next generation. Regardless of their own actions, women generally appear to take on a lower social standing and receive an altered treatment by men. In Mark Twain’s pre-civil war novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, lies a display of how society treats and views women, as well as how they function in their roles, specifically in regards to religion and molding the minds and futures of children. The novel’s showcase of women affords them a platform and opportunity to better see their own situation and break away with a new voice.