Life is often hard for most of the people, particularly women in general as they are the ones who are still considered as a “weaker gender.” It is hard for those poor women in developing countries like Afghanistan, who cannot afford basic needs such as clothing, shelter and transportation. Women are titled as care-givers. Although, life consists of many challenges and obstacles that everybody goes through, the way one approaches such challenges and reacts to it varies from person to person. Also, overcoming such hardships of life strengthens one’s soul and it enables them to reveal their inner strength and true character. In Afghanistan, in order for a woman to survive, she must handle adverse situations both physically and emotionally.
The plague of male dominancy and female oppression has spread throughout time and cultures like a pandemic infection, targeting women. Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy” and Janice Mirikitani’s “Suicide Note,” show the struggle and pain that oppressive forces perpetrated on women. Although, both speakers are oppressed the way they end the oppression and the cause of it are very different. Patriarchy has always existed, and it affects women all over the world. For example, banned bride abductions in Central Asia have continued to occur, and the women who resist abduction, risk death, or becoming ostracized from their country (Werner 2).
The voice of the poem gets harsh after a while. It explores the things of today’s taboo headlines such as abortion. This means, if the man girl choses don’t work out, there is a remedy for
This book review is on the book, Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit, which was published in 2014. Rebecca Solnit writes a book of essays that interprets the silence that women hold towards men in their everyday life. Young women must know the reality that we do not live a fairy tale life where women are treated as royalty by their husband or boyfriend. Women are treated as objects in where men could play with them as if they are dolls, whom they pay attention to whenever they would like to or need something from them. Despite what a woman says to men, all men are always going to have the reason, even if they are not right. The silences that a woman holds towards men are creating an even broader issue towards women in the present and in the future. The author mainly argues that women should not silence themselves and their issues such as abuse, harassment, rape, violence, stalking or any other crimes that are hurting them emotionally and physically. “Violence doesn’t have a race, a class, a religion, or a nationality, but it does have a gender” (Solnit, Men Explain Things to Me, page 21). If women continue not to speak up and take action, men are going to continue to take abuse and control over their power.
The author shows a great example of the power these men had against these women in the village. In the time period this story took place, it was amazing to the author to witness that gender inequality was still a very big issue in some places. The author described how shocked she was when she found out that these women were not allowed to
Women have expectations. Society wants women to act appropriately. Women stereotypically do not speak their minds. Poet, Ana Castillo, uses her poem “Women Don’t Riot” to showcase her frustration towards women who continue to stay silent about harm brought onto them. For example, “raped, / beaten, / harassed, / … / won’t ever rise up in arms” (Castillo 26-32), displaying her frustration towards women who continuously listen to a society that says to stay quiet. Castillo develops anger towards the women who bow down to ridiculous expectations. She believes that if women stand united and fight together, society’s ignorance might fade, leading to a lower risk of sex crime. The world wants women to keep being afraid of
Women have power, power over you, me and everyone. What makes them so special is that we (men) can’t live without them. They are sensitive, and at the same time strong, they care, they love, and most important, they are beautiful. Women have come a long way in society throughout time. They 've gone from being nothing to being something. But yet, there are issues with women in today’s society. Naomi Wolf with her essay “A women’s place” and Zulu Kente’s poem “I know you good woman” they address that the role of woman in our society needs a lot of improvement. Women face daily issues such as their voices are not being heard, they are being paid less than men, their opportunities and education are very limited, male sexism through woman, and last but not least, woman are criticized by their physical appearance.
Rights for women has become a norm in today's society that often goes unnoticed by people who life has changed. They often take it for granted the hardship that woman had to endured. For example, during the 1800s African American women were more than likely to be destined to be slaves or indentured servants. In comparison, the first white women settlers were treated as an object of reproduction, as well as servants. In today’s culture women’s treatment has improved over the last decades. The way culture has changed, allowing women to have more power to voice their opinion. From the hardship that woman had to endure, women’s right in the American Culture has evolved, which has led for women to thrive for success.
Furthermore, your last paragraph (para. 3) is, I believe, a significant contribution of the feminist theory. Systematic oppression of female (and other minorities’) voice in history has influenced people’s experiences and responses. The feminist perspective normalizes minority groups’ experiences. At the same time as Muzak (2009) pointed out, it is important that we do not get stuck in the victim’s
By the end of the poem the women narrating have been through various trials and tribulations stemming from growing up, falling in love, racial identity, and much more. Although the play is sad, but the women in this play display unsurpassable strength and fortitude as they work their way through their hardships. By overcoming their struggles they learn to appreciate their race, gender, and unique beauty, and turn to each other for solace and support. In the very last poem in the story, the women open themselves up to the power of female spirituality, allowing this god to fill them and provide them with a sense of empowerment and solidarity. The shared experiences allow the women to grow as human beings and finally embrace who they are together. “I found god in myself and I loved her; I loved her fiercely” (Shange
In Lorde’s keynote presentation at the National Women’s Studies Association Conference, she discussed anger as a response to racism. She expressed that women should not let their fear of anger hinder them from excavating honesty, because when anger us translated into action in order to achieve their goals and guarantee their future, it becomes a liberating act. This was the main inspiration for the poem Niña wrote. I wanted to tap into my anger and express it, resisting the normative belief of a quiet, submissive Asian woman and anger being unlady-like in general. I wanted to show my anger at being objectified by a racist, patriarchal society and Lorde definitely helped me do that.
My Capstone project is a set of five free-verse poems that include one of my own experiences as an Asian immigrant. Poems are a way to express and convey a thought or belief into short, original, and creative literature. In my DOC capstone, I chose to write a couple free-verse poems from different point of views and of different racial views. Using five different races, I depicted the hardships of the time in order to display a creative point of view of the minority groups in the United States. Utilizing DOC terms, there will be deep analyses of intersectionality, dominant ideology, racial formation, emergent ideologies, and residual ideologies. The main purpose of my project is to provide the true hardships many races suffer due to the emergent, dominant and residual ideologies of white supremacy, struggles of immigration, and the struggles of racial formation.
I really like this work of Susan because it is like a guard to protect women’s social status. Everyone all have the right and freedom. This is not only a words, and it should be taken by our behaviors. Nowadays there are still have some gender problems in this world, but I believe that people can overcome it and take a large step to achieve the goal of men are created equal. The literature also can influence people’s concepts in this kind of
The diversities within North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia (cultural, religious, political, etc.) play a crucial part in the status of women and the key features of gender roles in these particular geographic regions. The Middle East and North Africa share commonalities through Arabic and Islamic culture. Establishing equalities for women amongst the current social and political changes of Middle Eastern and North African societies stands as a difficult obstacle to overcome, but in spite of this, women’s rights efforts are still being made. While Islamic culture is dominant in Southeast Asia, the culture of Southeast Asian nations is diverse. Islam and gender in Southeast Asia have contributed to the continuing debate over Islam, feminism, and gender rights in the region. The cultures of North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia are male dominated, but this cultural dominance might not sustain in the future. This essay will compare and contrast the current status of women and the key features of gender roles in North Africa and the Middle East with those of Southwest Asia. Examples will also be provided to justify any arguments that are made.
The poems ‘Still I Rise’ and ‘Unknown Girl’ both explore the way women are expected to behave in specific societies. ‘Still I Rise’ focuses on Maya Angelou’s refusal to accept racism and to allow “them”, white oppressors, to push her down. ‘Unknown Girl’ focuses on Moniza Alvi’s want to be accepted in a society where she belongs, but can’t call her own.