preview

Analysis Of Cinnamon Peeler

Decent Essays

The Cinnamon Peeler

Feminism has been around for centuries. Victim feminism leads to negative perceptions and the alienation of women. Women seem powerless and almost to the point of rejecting any power they do have. It portrays women as “just that”, a woman. There to do the woman's job, and only that. By examining the poem “Cinnamon Peeler” by Michael Ondaatje, the reader gets a feel of victimized women and the inequality of women in a male dominated society. The Cinnamon Peeler himself is portrayed as a wealthy and prosperous man. Cinnamon is an exotic eastern spice, so this symbolizes social and economic status. He is portraying himself on a higher status than women.

The sentence “If I were a cinnamon peeler I would …show more content…

This ankle. You will be known among strangers as the cinnamon peeler's wife.” He is speaking in detail about the female's pubic hair and private body parts. This exposes her and makes her feel bad or embarrassed about herself. By making her feel degraded and exposed this way, he gets upper hand on her, which makes it much easier to be a controlling man

There are signs of a clearly male dominated society. With women being defined in terms of the males in their lives. For example, “The Cinnamon Peelers wife”, “the Lime Burner's daughter” and “The Grass Cutters wife”. Michael Ondaatje tries to convince the reader that women are just women. Not individual unique girls. He explains how they are labelled by their male husbands, brothers or fathers. He portrays women as non-competitive, cooperative, and peace-loving. He does not define them as fearless, powerful and independent. Another example is when Michael says “You touched your belly to my hands in the dry air and said I am the cinnamon Peeler's wife. Smell me.” This is another example of labelling a woman. By touching her, he makes her, his. She is no longer an individual, she is only considered “the Cinnamon Peeler’s wife”. This is a sign of sexual domination. He makes it sound like he owns her.

When Michael Ondaatje states “I could hardly glance at you before marriage never touch you --your keen nosed mother, your rough brothers. I buried my hands in saffron, disguised

Get Access