The Luxurious Aunt Flow Cult And The Oppression Of Women

In the article “If men could menstruate,” Gloria Steinem explores the idea of how menstruation would be glorified if it would happen to men. Institutions would change their principles in order to benefit men. By benefiting men, institution would continue to maintain gender differences. As a result, society would use menstrual to justify women subordination.

Submissiveness was perhaps the most feminine virtue expected of a woman. While a man could be religious or pure, a man could not be submissive. The Bible even states, “Wives submit yourselves unto your husbands as unto the lord (Eph 2: 22-33), (Welter, Cult, 159). Adding to her submissive state was her clothing; tight corset lacings closing off her lungs and pinching her inner organs together. Large numbers of under garments and the weight of over dresses limited her physical mobility (Green, 130). In quite common cases the use of a corset would cause a prolapsed, or sagging, of the uterus. Physicians alleged that it was possible for the uterus to invert and protrude from the vagina. One of the most famous “remedies” of the time was to insert a pessaries, or mechanical supports, into the vaginal cavity to help support the uterus (Green, 122). Her clothing could be seen as a way to weaken her already delicate ways. “True feminine genius is ever timid, doubtful, and clingingly dependent; a perpetual childhood,” (Lavender, 3). George Burnap describes a woman’s weakness in his novel, The Sphere and Duties of Woman:

“Look at us! We’re just like everyone else. We’ve bought into the same ridiculous delusion; this idea that you have to settle down and resign from life.” (April Wheeler, Revolutionary Road). It has become a society norm that women are meant to serve housewives; to cook, clean, garden, and nurture children, even though they are much more capable of other things. The role of women is greatly overseen, as they are not perceived to be of their full potential, rather than as societies idealistic expectation. This is because men and those who are wealthy are unable to look past gender and accept women as of equal significance.

The cult of domesticity brought a new view on women’s role and associated virtue with the moral quality of a woman. Virtue for a woman represented her worth which was measured by her innocence and beauty. At the cost of being dependent on a man a woman was provided with protection and financial stability. Through cult of domesticity some women were able to avoid the disadvantages of being a female in the work force. At the time all that was available to women were low paying jobs like domestic servants, factory workers, and seamstresses. In return all they would have to do is fulfill their obligations to their husbands which was to provide love, companionship, and provide a get way from the stress of the work day. Women being able to stay at

Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but since technological and medical advancements in the area of hormones and brain functions it was just called shell shock syndrome. The treatment plan was known for two portions seriously: the rest and the seclusion. Those who were prescribed the rest cure were confined to bed for weeks to months at a time and completely cut off from family members and friends. However, this treatment of confining patients to their beds and cutting them off from family members was mainly used for women. On the other hand, men who were prescribed the rest cure were given two options: “to rest or to travel to remote areas and undertake rugged, outdoors life”. Dr. Mitchell was influenced by the ideas of the 19th Century also known as “The Cult of True Womanhood”. According to the “Cult of True Womanhood” in order to be a “true

Thesis: A “true women” in the 19th Century was one who was domestic, religious, and chaste. These were virtues established by men but enforced and taught by other women. Women were also told that they were inferior to men and they should accept it and be grateful that someone just loved them.

housewife, to stay at home. This is my explanation of the essay, "The Cult of

In The Handmaid’s Tale, there are a few different roles that a woman can hold under the rule of the Republic of Gilead. The Aunts run the training for the handmaids, and are potentially among the most privileged of the women. These women are the only women who are allowed to read and write, no women other than those in the Aunt position have this freedom. There seems to be little relation between the Aunts and the other women, particularly the handmaids. The Aunts are very strict and have harsh rules for the handmaids to follow. A few relationships do form between the Aunts and the handmaids. One particular example of this is Aunt Lydia confiding in Janine about Moira’s escape, and asking her to find out whatever she could from the other handmaids.

Freedom can be defined as the state of being free. During 1800’s lived a woman; of great dignity, strong will, and one desire named Harriet Jacobs. Even though she needed to be something else more than only a slave, she was considered nothing more than a slave girl who would give anything for the freedom for herself and the people around her including her children. Being an escaped slave, Harriet later wrote a book which made her known as Linda Brent. She has written quite a few books and among all her books, the main point of her writing of Uncle Tom’s Cabin was to in the end swage people against slavery. To be a force against slavery and to participate with the sentiments of the women. Freedom means everything to Harriet in Uncle Tom’s Cabin and every other book she has written. She was determined to fight to the death for

Women in Renaissance Italy faced rigid societal standards to which they were supposed to conform. They lived public lives, directed almost exclusively by other people in regards to significant decisions. However, this does not mean that a rise above the oppressive nature of the Renaissance was impossible. Several exceptional women were able to challenge their given positions in a society through their education, practices, seclusion, beauty, and roles. In an examination of several positions, through the Exhortations to Women and to Others If They Please by Lucrezia Marinella and the letters of Laura Cereta, a Renaissance feminist, women can be seen as accepting of their position in society or rebelling against it. Their lives and prescriptive writings show how one can either follow the role given to them or exceed beyond it and become an exceptional woman.

Feminism is the belief in the economic, political, and social equality of the sexes. In the Middle Ages, feminism was not known. Even though women in the middle ages were limited to housework, that does not go to say they were not independent and strong in their own right.It is this mother and wife that Chaucer depicts through the Wife of Bath to show another level of medieval society.Chaucer shows early feminism through his characterization of the Wife of Bath as an independent, confident, and sexual woman.

Gloria Jean Watkins, known by her pen name Bell Hooks (the name of her great grandmother), was born September 25, 1952. She grew up to be the author of more than three dozen books, the topics of which range from gender, race, and class, to spirituality, and contemporary media. Hooks attended Stanford University, The University of Wisconsin, and The University of California, Santa Cruz, eventually earning her P.h.D. In her article, “Understanding Patriarchy,” Hooks argues that patriarchy isn’t only harmful to women, it’s harmful to men as well, in different ways. Patriarchy sets rigid gender roles that say women are to be docile, obedient, and nurturing, while men should be violent, dominating, and aggressive. This ideal greatly emotionally stunts men, and makes it so that they cannot express themselves in any way other than aggression. In this article, Hooks was very effective in explaining and giving examples as to why the patriarchy negatively affects both men and women, and that it is up to both to break free from these constraints and work together to end the patriarchy.

In Uncle Tom’s Cabin, female characters are always depicted as mothers or wives, and these women mostly are the moral guidance of the slaves. For example, Mrs. Shelby, the first masters of Tom, was shaped as a woman with noble moral and deeply influenced by some Christian doctrine. When she was told that Tom was sold, she scolded the slavery system seriously, which indicated that she was also a radical abolitionist. However, most of the men in this book are always shaped as greedy, brutal, and morally weak. Uncle Tom’s portrayal was quiet different from all these male image. Tom was an honest and tolerant man, and he is also pious follower of Christianity, which lead to his choice differ from others in the book. For instance, when Tom was told

Compare the predicament of women in society as described in Cousin Kate and The Seduction. How far do you sympathise with them? ‘The Seduction’ and ‘Cousin Kate’ are similarly concerned with the predicament of women in society. They are both poems which end up in a negative position, and are following the trails of a

In 17th century England there was a major status quo that went by the name of patriarchy. Patriarchy is the idea of men controlling everything, from the household all the way up to the monarchy. In this idea of patriarchy women were thought as to needing a man in their life, whether that was a husband or father. The relationship between men and women was characterized as a woman should be a loyal servant to the man for taking care of her. With the idea of patriarchy in mind Thomas Middleton wrote the play, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside. Patriarchy is a major theme of the play and tackles the issue. However, Middleton doesn’t place himself on a side for or against patriarchy. Instead Middleton uses many interesting, complex, and different