Essay on Analysis of Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig

In analyzing portrayals of women, it is appropriate to begin with the character of Margarita. For, within the text, she embodies the traditionally masculine traits of bravery, resilience, and violence as a means of liberating herself from an existence of abuse and victimhood. Even more, the woman plays upon stereotypes of femininity in order to mask her true nature. The reader witnesses this clever deception in a scene where the character endures a “wholesome thrashing” from her huge, violent, and grizzly bear-like husband, Guerra (81). Although Margarita “[submits] to the infliction with great apparent humility,” her husband is found “stone-dead” the next morning (81). Here, diction such as “submits” and “humility” relate to the traits of weakness, subservience and inferiority that are so commonly expected of women, especially in their relationships with men. Yet, when one

The Memoir Spider Eaters by Rae Yang is her personal account of her life during the Maoist revolution. In addition, she reminisces about her trials and tribulations during her active participation in the culture revolution and the great North Wilderness. Her family also had various misfortunes due to these changing ideological beliefs spread by the revolution. This memoir illustrates in great detail what Yang experienced under communist rule. Spider Eaters opened up a door to a young girl and her families struggle to be good Samaritans under communist rule and their final disillusionment of the revolution they whole heartedly believed in. Yang and her family struggled with the vast ideological changes during the Maoist Revolution, in turn,

This essay will be going through the different types of love, and the power that they wield. Throughout the novel, different characters hold different powers of love. First, Clara’s love towards Ferula and Pedro Segundo will be discussed. And second, Esteban’s obsessiveness with Clara will be looked at closer. The bonds of love are stronger in relationships that aren’t acceptable compared to relationships that are acceptable in society.

Yunior is a hyper-sexual, athletic male, who was “Fucking with not one, not two, but three fine-ass bitches at the same time and that wasn’t even counting the side-sluts I scooped at the parties and the clubs… who had pussy coming out of his ears” (Díaz 185). His descriptions show how little he cares for these women, and that he only sees them as his conquests. Women, to him, are a notch in his belt, a sign that he is as masculine and he is expected to be. The ideas that women are sexual objects and a man must conquer as many as possible to be masculine is an ideology sustained in the Dominican Republic and ingrained in the minds of its people. Even when faced with the woman he could truly love, Yunior could not let go of the practice of proving his masculinity by having sex with multiple women, “One day she called, asked me where I’d been the night before, and when I didn’t have a good excuse, she said, Good-bye, Yunior” (Díaz 324). He chose to lose Lola because he was too stubborn to let go of his habits. This book is misogynistic because of the lack of respect for women expressed through characters like Yunior, and the ideas expressed through him that one’s sexuality is dependent on one’s attractiveness to the opposite

In “Two Boys Kissing, ” David Levithan shares the stories of seven teenagers who are all gay, and the experiences they have while coming to terms with it. Even though three of the main characters have different stories and are at different stages their everyday experiences are influenced by gender as a process, the social construction of gender, and oppression. These three concepts shape and influence the stories shared in this book, but the main theme stands true and that is to be proud of who you are as a person and an individual no matter who that may be.

Respondent has realized he is gay and has met a male companion who doesn’t reside with him presently, but someday might. Chastity testified that she feels weird around Respondent’s male companion. Psychologist, Dr.

Sexuality has an inherent connection to human nature. Yet, even in regards to something so natural, societies throughout times have imposed expectations and gender roles upon it. Ultimately, these come to oppress women, and confine them within the limits that the world has set for them. However, society is constantly evolving, and within the past 200 years, the role of women has changed. These changes in society can be seen within the intricacies of literature in each era. Specifically, through analyzing The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, one can observe the dynamics of society in regards to the role of women through the lens of the theme of sexuality. In both novels, the confinement and oppression of women can be visibly seen as a result of these gender roles. Yet, from the time The Scarlet Letter was published to the time The Bell Jar was written, the place of women in society ultimately changed as well. Hence when evaluating the gender roles that are derived from sexuality, the difference between the portrayals of women’s oppression in each novel becomes apparent, and shows how the subjugation of women has evolved. The guiding question of this investigation is to what extent does the theme of sexuality reflect the expectations for women in society at the time each novel was written. The essay will explore how the literary elements that form each novel demonstrate each author’s independent vision which questions the

As the article is read, different factors propel the writing to its current standing. No factor could be eliminated from this writing without a significant decrease in quality. The article never lost my attention with its absolutely remarkable content. Notably, an unclear purpose arises as the reader finishes the text, due to the contradicting message at the very beginning of the article. Read the beginning, seen is a message of tragic internet disasters, but finishing the piece leads to discussion of a change in social views concerning sexuality as the author call for the loss of framework for a relationship to be seen only as a man and a woman. Nevertheless, this piece leaves the reader curious for more, which is a staggering technique to seal the piece to a holding finish as it leaves the mind and the soul of the reader rather at ease or completely stirred

Irene’s queer personality lives repressed in her id and the attraction can be noticed through many too detailed descriptions of Clare body parts and personality. “Her lips, painted a brilliant geranium red, were sweet and sensitive and a little obstinate. A tempting mouth” (45). It is impressive to see how this supposedly straight woman describes Clare’s mouth as tempting, yet she does not stop there, because Irene also describes her voice, “What was it about Clare's voice that was so appealing, so very seductive?” (52). The utilization of these adjectives is questionable because even when Irene talks about her husband Brian, she never uses adjectives that could express desire or even love. Irene is aware that her marriage is an arrangement where according to Brian sex is a just grand joke (60).

In her book, Loving in the War Years, Cherrie Moraga narrates her experiences and progresses ideas concerning her existence as a Chicana and a lesbian in American society. She uses variety of literary forms that include short stories, poems, personal reminiscences, and essays. The confusion and personal struggle Moraga recounts speak to the readers as one by the usage of Moraga’s words. Moraga evident usages of her poetries and autographical essays force the reader to understand that her lifestyle has numerous background, and she is not subject to one. Moraga progresses to a level where she is able to join those two worlds into a recurrent strong memoir. Moraga is defining her own blend of two cultures. Moraga dares her readers to

It is, at times, stated that paradoxes allow for misinterpretation in almost every aspect of life. Wherever those paradoxes appear, conflicts, both external and internal, arise and misunderstandings ensue. In the two novels The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende and Kiss of the Spiderwoman by Manuel Puig, however, the characters Alba and Molina, respectively, create paradoxes through their subversive actions. These paradoxes create conflicts in self-interest, which, in turn, reveal the impossibility of actually knowing or understanding one’s true motives.

Ironically, Rossetti’s portrayal of seduction is in stark contrast to accepted notions of the Victorian period in that the male characters signify dangerous temptation, not the troubled females. The goblin men confirm this contradiction by representing the venomous effects that experienced seductive men have on innocent naive women. Rossetti’s ironic gender split exemplifies her progressive attitude of feminist thought while also serving as a depiction on the principles of Victorian society.

Junot Diaz, the author of “A Cheaters Guide to Love” writes his short story with many different references to anti-feminism. He writes about women in different ways to show them as powerless, and un-superior to the main character in the short story. From this short story, Diaz conveys the main characters ways when he shows the him talking about, the girl he calls to have sex with, the women at the yoga class, and the files read at the end of the story that show the fifty girls he cheated on his fiancé with. Diaz creates his main character and puts him in the second person to relate to the reader, but show his anti-feministic signs.

Molina and Valentin obviously have contrasting views on sexuality and politics, but come to tolerate each other.

says Anthony Rotundo, attempting to define the boundaries between romantic friendship and erotic love, in relation to same gender friendships, in the late nineteenth century (Miller 4). Same gender relationships could exist on a physical level, expressing affection, without bringing up questions of sexual preference. Further, F.S. Ryman, a gentleman in his twenties, wrote of the very