The Oppression Of Women In Sondra Smedley's Daughter Of The Earth

Language: In On the Equality of the Sexes, there are a few phrases that seem to show some importance. “There is something new under the sun” is italicized in the text. She is saying that there is going to be some change coming soon with women’s education. She also uses the word superior, or superiority, quite a bit in the text. She questions whether or not mental superiority between sexes actually exists. She also talks about imagination a lot. She makes the point that society constricts how women use their imaginations. The way she uses domestication in the text is in a negative way. She uses the phrase “fertile brain of a female” and by doing this she is trying to show that females’ brains are productive and capable of becoming so much

Throughout the history of American Literature there has been a common theme of male oppression. Especially towards the end of the 19th century, before the first wave of feminism, women were faced with an unshakeable social prison. Husband, home and children were the only life they knew, many encouraged not to work. That being said, many female writers at the time, including Emily Dickinson and Charlotte Perkins Gilman, were determined to examine the mind behind the American woman, through the lens of mental illness and personal experience.

Masculinity is represented in various ways within The Lais of Marie de France. Masculinity is sometimes depicted in untraditional ways through animal representation, the dominance of women, and in negative a light through the prideful and selfish acts of the male characters. The qualities, which are often seen as manly, are quite apparent in an animalistic form of masculinity in the deer in “Guigemar,” in comparison to the female lover. The women in “Lanval” show a sense of manhood in their authority and power over the situations of the story. “Les Deus Amanz” tells a poignant story of two men, and how their over masculine traits of pride, jealousy, and possessiveness lead them to the exact places in which they were avoiding all along. All

Marie, Alexandra, Myrtle and Daisy all in some way feel as though that they have been restrained from doing things they want because of traditional gender roles causing only men to be able to do things women can’t. Marie is greatly affected by this because she wants to be with Emil and she was already tied down to her husband, Frank. The time period these novels were written in, society looks down upon people who get divorced and especially if a woman initiated it. So, people are stuck in unhappy relationships because they can’t get divorced from their spouses. Marie definitely realizes the freedom that men have and she becomes very envious of the men in her life because she can’t do

Biases and inequality towards women have been a problem in society since men foolishly decided to give women the stereotype of being housewives and only good for breeding children. Those who refuse to follow the stereotype are considered promiscuous, or unfaithful towards their significant other. This stereotype was highly expected of women during the early twentieth century, and was also exhibited in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men towards Curley’s wife. Of Mice and Men took place in the 1930s, and the plot follows two best friends trying to achieve their dreams, which lands them in a ranch that will do them nothing but harm. In this ranch, only the strongest may survive, and those who do not follow the usual stereotype were considered weak, and will most likely die. Steinbeck’s theme of death is always feared, but to some it is a way to leave the misery that is the world reveals the social injustices in society causes gender discrimination towards Curley’s wife. The hostility and bitterness towards Curley’s wife did not just lead to her death, but also saved her from the loneliness and isolation she had to go through on the ranch.

The notion that women belong to men, is a statement indicative of a female’s vulnerability. At many times within the novel, the idea that women are weak and feeble creatures is portrayed,

Women are classified into different categories. If you are able to have a baby, you are valued higher than other women. Unfertile women are referenced as “unwomen”. Throughout the book, it is evident that there are a few unorthodox characters.

Throughout the years, sexism has had a tremendous impact on women. Women in the 1920’s, and even before, were known as a man's possession, because they were considered the “weaker” sex. People, mostly men, had an idea of how women should be and how they should act, they were not allowed to work, be free, and in some cases not to talk or even look at other men, without being called a cruel name. In the book, Of Mice of Men, a character who is known as Curley's wife is the only woman on their farm and is secluded from everybody, with the exception of her husband, Curley. She was one of the many ladies who were mistreated all around the world during this time. Curly has taken ownership of her life and does not give her the option of doing what she wants or needs. Sexism has been an issue throughout every woman's life, including our character in the story, who has been struggling to get attention from someone who is willing to give it. It is clear that Curley’s wife is a victim of sexism, which would have shaped her into the woman she would have become.

Gender is only viewed as a small part in the social system which actually determines the role that men and women have in society. It is Rubin’s belief that the social and political systems are the first cause of gender discrimination and the oppression of women in a society. It is these conventions and customs that are ingrained in the minds of children from a very early age. Girls are taught to perceive themselves as less gifted by nature because of their anatomical characteristics. These conventions could make Guilliadun feel as that though she needs to accept her husband’s adulterous choices because that is how women should be treated by their husbands, or so they have been told.

Men possess all places of power, trust, profit, and make laws; while women suffer in this world where those men are taught and practice superiority over them (Pollak 5). Mary Astell, a feminist philosopher, asks, “If all Men are born free, how is it that all Women are born Slaves?” (5). In Europe during the 18th century women struggled brutally with oppression and expectations that this society deemed to be the standard. Heinrich Leopold Wagner’s text, The Childmurderess, introduces a young lady name Evchen.

The Age of Enlightenment encouraged writers to break away from conventional thought and express their ideas and opinions through reasoning. Mary Wollstonecraft’s “A Vindication of the Rights of Women” and Marquis de Sade’s “Philosophy in the Bedroom” examine the conventional norms in their respective author’s contemporary societies. In both accounts, Wollstonecraft and Sade prescribe the path humanity should take in order to improve the human condition.

In the beginning of the work, Mill explicitly argues against the belief that women are not equal to men. He criticizes the legal subordination of the women to men and says that it is one of the greatest hindrances to human improvement. (Mill, 196) Based on this criticism, Mill seeks to delegitimize the gender hierarchy in place during his time. He argues that the subjugation of women rests solely on theory, as no other gender hierarchies have ever been tried. He then says that the subjugation of women did not occur as a result of purposeful deliberation about what would benefit society at large. (Mill, 197) Mill says that the subjugation of women occurred solely because women were in a state of bondage to men from the conception of humankind. (Mill, 197) Finally, Mill explains that laws and political systems recognize people’s relationships with one another and then convert what is a physical fact into a legal right. (Mill, 197) Mill’s arguments show his ability to thoroughly analyze the origins of women’s subjugation and his desire to change them. Mill recognizes the weakness of the arguments in favor of women’s subjugation. He also recognizes that the subjugation of an entire sex equates to an inefficient society. Being attuned to the social realities of women at the time allowed Mill to encourage more egalitarian relations between men and

With these types of oppression of women in mind, Mill wanted to create equal rights for women and men because if there were equal rights, it would benefit society as a whole. Therefore, Mill argues that women deserve the right to divorce, legal guardianship of their children, the right to property, the right to a career, and the right to education. Mill argues that women should have the right to divorce because of the amount of times that there is an unhealthy relationship among partners, which can be abusive, unfulfilling, and unsupportive. Men were the only ones allowed to initiate divorce and laws in place, along with societal values, made it extremely hard for women to divorce their husband. If a divorce occurred between husband and wife,

The economics of intimate partner relationships play a role in patriarchy and the reinforcement of women abuse. Martin (1981) states that meritocracy is a discourse that everyone has equal opportunity in the workforce. It fails to recognize the barriers that prevent people from having the same opportunities as others. For instance, women face many social pressures that prevent them from working in the public sphere such as discrimination, sexism, being pushed down to apply for certain jobs because it dominated by males and may not have the physical requirement like body mass. Martin (1981) argues that capitalism supports patriarchal families and the idea that a woman's place is considered to be in the private sphere, the home, while a man is to be in the public sphere. Martin (1981) states that capitalism is about competition and succeeds when barring disadvantage or vulnerable populations including women from advancing to the top of the hierarchy so that people, predominantly white males, would remain in power. One strategy to prevent women from advancing in their career is to receive minimum wage and less income than men which therefore makes them easily replaceable in the work force. This defines women as temporary workers (p. 41). This leaves women economically dependent on men and gives a reason

“For most of history, Anonymous was a woman,” Virginia Woolf once boldly stated. Though she was from a privileged background and was well educated, Woolf still felt she was faced with the oppression that women have been treated with for as far as history goes back. Her education allowed her to explore the works of the most celebrated authors, but one who she had a long and complicated relationship with was the Bard of Avon himself, William Shakespeare. As one of the most highly regarded and well studied authors of all time, Shakespeare has been elevated from mere playwright to a pillar of the British Empire, instrumental to the institutions that boasted British superiority. It is evident throughout Woolf’s writing that Shakespeare’s works were highly influential. Her novels frequently allude to his plays, most notably Orlando, Mrs. Dalloway, and also in her famous essay, A Room of One’s Own. Though Woolf admires Shakespeare’s androgyny (specifically in A Room of One’s Own), she also makes the case that his treatment of female characters does not allow for the women to be three-dimensional, therefore leaving them flat and lacking in depth. Even though for the most part Woolf’s assertion is correct, there are several examples in Shakespeare’s plays that suggest otherwise, namely in the play Othello. Additionally, in a similar vain, one could explore Shakespeare’s treatment of other minority groups in his works, such as Jews and anyone who is not English. Though it is easy to