In the memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi and the novel Revolutionizing Motherhood: The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo written by Guzman Bouvard, the repressive revolutions played a pivotal role in the lives of women. Through the Iranian Revolution, restrictions in the public and private sphere were evident by imposing censorship constrains. The Argentinian revolution, on the other hand, allowed limited civil rights by actions of the military junta. Despite these conditions, women managed to find empowerment through forming groups and rebelling against government in both the public and private sector. To fully understand how women in the Iran Revolution found a sense of empowerment, the restrictions must be fully addressed …show more content…
Choosing illegal western books and joining book clubs permitted women to gather in the private sphere (Nafisi, 39). As nothing secular, western, or challenging Islam was condemned, assembling was a sign of rebellion. Although western literature was censored, women felt empowered by being able to read what was prohibited. They were able to learn about the outside world and finally discuss what was avoided in Iran. Reading these books that considered themes of marriage and western ideas was therapeutic (Nafisi, 194). Another key example is when Azar teaches her students about The Great Gatsby. This novel would give her students “a glimpse of that other world that was now receding from us, in a clamor of denunciations” (Nafisi, 108). Adding a fictional book to the curriculum would convey the reality of the world consisting of suppression. This was a form of escape for women now within the public sphere. Women were now allowed to go to college and in cases like Azar Nafisi, also teach (Class Discussion, April, 26, 2017). In a patriarchal system that favored men, women could now gather in a place other than the private sphere. Similar to the Iranian Revolution, the women in Argentina experienced hardships in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. During the Dirty War, an unofficial war was proclaimed by the state on the Argentine population. This was done through acts of kidnapping, incarcerating, and even killing those opposing the
The 1930s were a period of many changes in Spain, especially because Francisco Franco started ruling the country and the political problems that arose. Things slowly started changing for women because of the foundation of Mujeres Libres, a female anarchist organization that fought for female rights. Until then, the general view of women was that of Proudhon, which meant that women were to be seen as reproducers whose role was to contribute to the society by taking care of their household and their children . This was especially common in the rural areas of Spain, where women could even be forced into arranged marriages against their will and almost had no say in what happened to them. The main oppressor of La Casa de Bernarda Alba is actually Bernarda, the mother of
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
During the Iranian Revolution in 1979 transformed Iran’s political,social,and economic structure. Secular Laws were replaced with Islamic laws creating an outburst. Women were often abused,raped,treated as slaves,and accused of false imprisonment. These tortures things that most women had to face are against the Islamic religion.
The Iranian government forced its control on children by forcing segregating the schools and making girls wear the Iranian headscarf. Wearing the scarf represents the concealment of childhood in Iran for Marjane and her friends. Reformation in Iran comes with the protests, violence and eventually war which disguise the chance of childhood for the youth of the country. Marjane says, “we found ourselves veiled and separated from our friends” (4). Concealing these children from the childhood they deserved left them to deal with fear, anger, loss and death. Her story highlights the lack of stability children need to grow into responsible adults. Marjane’s story represents the thousands of children in Iran who are lacking the proper elements for child development because of the revolution.
During the Mexican Revolution, Mexico as a nation torn in many directions, people gave up simple farming lives to take up arms against causes that many of them did not fully understand. Gender roles during the period in Mexico were exceptionally degrading towards women. Having little more rights than slaves and treated as trophies or property more than human beings, women role in society was nothing near that of a man’s. In The Underdogs, Mariano Anzuela highlights the issue of gender roles by continuously illustrating the punitive role of women and their mistreatment. Augmenting Anzuelas work with citations from Oscar Lewis and Stephanie Smith will paint a picture of the degrading gender roles for women during the Mexican Revolution. Highlighted points brought up by Azuela are how men speak with and treat women, women’s place in society, and general disregard for women’s feelings.
All they wanted was an answer to one question “Where were their children? Their sons and daughters were “missing” and all they were told was” We don’t have any answers! The citizens were afraid, even high authorities of religious groups turned a blind eye. In 1977, with Argentina under a violent military dictatorship, a group of mostly house wives living in a fear oppressed state made a stand and found their voice. They demanded to be heard and while the regime was enforcing their control and power over Argentinians political views through torture and disappearance; a mother’s devotion to her child and the political resistance transformed these mothers into a political force. They are the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, who effectively mounted a civil rights movement that forced the top military officials to be charged for their crimes and have sustained an
From 1976 to 1983, a military group was in charge of Argentina after overthrowing the government in the 1930s (Tolerance. N.a. N.d). The military silenced the people who opposed or spoke out against them. The people who actually spoke out suddenly disappeared. These people were either imprisoned, tortured, killed, and never seen again. The most common person disappeared were children who opposed the military. Lawyers, and people who questioned the military (Tolerance. N.a. N.d). In Buenos Aires, Argentina during the 1970s, a group of women gathered in the Plaza de Mayo, in front of the president's palace and government buildings, to speak out about their missing children. The “Mothers of the Disappeared” formed the first public protest against
Even though Camila and War Paint's stories are woven throughout the "bigger picture" of Azuela's novel, their characters are meticulously developed and show readers how women within their roles in society and revolution were
In Chronicle of a Death Foretold, the way women have been represented and characterized gives us an idea of how the female gender are treated differently from the male gender as well as children in Latin America during the 1950s. The husbands were given all the authority, also known as machismo, whereas women weren’t allowed to take charge of anything, and were portrayed as weak and impotent.
The call for feminism marks the beginning of an extensive journey with the quest to inspire women and to advocate women right in a male governed the world. Gloria Anzaldúa and Maxine Kingston both scrutinize feminism in the framework of “Borderland: La Frontera: The New Mestiza” and “The Women Warrior” encouraging women to occupy a strong position in the post-colonial male led civilization. The author both traces the journey of women struggle to achieve rewarding role within the structure shaped by men. The alliance of different voice from disregarded women gestures a strong theme that inspires Maxine Hong Kingston and Gloria Anzaldua to write enthusiastically within the feminist topic to dispute the patriarchal society.
This was one reverse too far, for Iran's young “cherish a packet of grievances, ranging from the acute shortage of jobs to the social restrictions that ban most boy- and-girl outings. Restrictive though it is, the system allows discussion of these complaints, and many niggling rules have been quietly eased since Mr. Khatami took over” (Anonymous Iran's second revolution? 13). It was, however, after the police and their allies, the Islamist bully-boy militia, raided the dormitories in Tehran University, where they killed at least one student and probably more, that the shout for change began to penetrate “out-of-bounds areas. The students started to call for fundamental reforms, questioning the legitimacy of clerical control” (Anonymous Iran's second revolution? 13). They even went so far as to challenge the sacrosanct heart of Iran's Islamist edifice, the ultimate authority of the “supreme leader.”
The emergence of the Islamic Republic in late 1970’s Iran demonstrates how middle class Iranian people purged themselves of the Pahlavi Dynasty in an effort to continue down a more righteous and egalitarian path. As a result, the country underwent a complete social upheaval and in its place grew an overtly oppressive regime based in theoretical omnipotence. In response to this regime, the very structure of political and social life was shaken and fundamentally transformed as religion and politics became inexorable. As a result, gender roles and the battle between public and private life were redrawn. Using various primary and secondary sources I will show how the Revolution shaped secular middle class Iranians. Further, I will show how the
During the Argentine dictatorship known as the Dirty War (1976-1983), thousands of people were systematically abducted by the government in order to eliminate all opposition to the regime. These "disappearances," which the dictatorship never admitted to committing, happened across class and age lines, but most of the kidnapped were young students and blue-collar workers. Despite the fact that associations and meetings of any kind were forbidden, a group of housewife mothers decided to protest the disappearance of their children. They began to gather every Thursday afternoon at the same time in the main square in Buenos Aires, Plaza de Mayo, walking alone or in pairs
Gender inequality has been ongoing issue since the beginning of time. The Cuban Revolution brought along many changes that were to be positive change bought upon by the Cubans. However, the revolution saw ‘gender inequality’ as more of a dilemma than race. Ultimately, black cubans ( Afro-Cubans) were Cuban. The government could not deny that, as the revolution came about Afro-Cubans were granted the same rights as whites. The job market, education, and public places were coming together and be one Cuba. “ Women were encouraged to form their own organization, the Federation of Cuban Women, under the auspices of the Communist Party, and identify and challenge the problem that faced them specifically”. ( Chomsky 141) For instance, the revolution
In today’s vast, democracy-fueled world, the concept of feminism has gradually taken on a significant role when it comes to modernity. The advocacy for equality of all women proves effective and boasts an undying faithfulness from women everywhere. Within the boundaries of the United States of America, feminism has grown since the establishment of the nation and continues to grow today, an issue that has especially risen in light of the recent election. However, beyond this great nation’s borders, feminism does not die in even the slightest way. Women all over the world are fighting for their equality and right to complete and total fairness. Despite the worldwide movement, it’s often overshadowed by other issues going on. Iran, the focus of Jasmin Darznik’s The Good Daughter: A Memoir of My Mother’s Hidden Life, played (and continues to play) host to perhaps one of the greatest flawed societies when it comes to feminism. Through her powerful, poignant memoir, Darznik brings us into the midst of a particular lifestyle and the reality behind treatment of women in Iranian society.