The Social And Medical History For Women During 19th Century Bengal

Lahiri uses diction to display a condescending tone towards Mrs. Das, which demonstrates Mrs. Das lack of connection with her family. This is seen when Lahiri is describing Mrs. Das affair with her husband’s friend, and Lahiri states, “She made no protest when the friend touched the small of her back… He made love to her swiftly, in silence, and with expertise she had never known” (Lahiri 130). This quote showcases the condescending tone towards Mrs. Das with the use of diction. Using words and phrases such as “made no protest,” and “expertise,” Lahiri shows how Mrs. Das is not opposed to the affair, but rather welcoming of it, and excited by it. The word “expertise”

The Damage of Gender Inequality in Nectar in a Sieve Nectar in a Sieve, a novel by Kamala Markandaya, tells the tale of a woman named Rukmani and the numerous tragedies and challenges she faces in life during a sudden phase of modernization in India, brought on by imperialism. In the novel, Rukmani, born wealthy and well learned, is married off at 12 years old to an older man, a poor tenant farmer named Nathan. Following this, the book goes on to chronicle the struggles she faces, such as poverty, famine, illness, and the death of many loved ones. Because women are considered inferior to men, this causes further hardship (in already difficult circumstances) in Rukmani’s journey. One of the first examples of how sexism leads to further misfortune in Rukmani’s life, is the expectation that women get married at a young age to be a submissive and obedient wife.

Mahasweta Devi’s short story, “Giribala,” is about the life of Giribala, a girl of Talsana village located in India. Born into a caste in a time when it was still customary to pay a bride-price, Giri is sold to Aulchand by her father. From this point on, we see a series of unfortunate, tragic events that take place in Giri’s life as a result of the circumstances surrounding Giri’s life. There are many issues in Giri’s life in India that Devi highlights to readers. First, the economic instability of the village leads to an extremely poor quality of life for the lower, working classes. Next, the cruel role of women determined by men in society is to either satisfy the sexual desires of men or to reproduce offspring who can work or be sold off to marriages. There are also other social norms and beliefs which discriminate against women that will be discussed.

The commandment, “women must submit to the dominance of man,” (Roland de Vaux) counseled many societies, western and abroad. The precedence of a submissive woman has dated back to the most basic societies, however with the evolution of cultures and communities, the idea of male dominance was undoubtedly amended; this is where humanity divides uncovering the struggle between the oppression of women and the precedence that has been set forth for centuries. Khaled Hosseini and Nathaniel Hawthorne both comment on this societal disconnect in their domestic narrations of female characters. In Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns the character Mariam depicts a women who endures rape, abuse, and imprisonment in her own home under the hand of her husband. Similarly Hester in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is prosecuted by the male leaders of the puritan society as she is forced into solitude for the sinful act of adultery. Together these seemly different bodies of work challenge and confront society’s censure of women as shown by the revelation of unrealistic social standards of women through distinct religious historical settings, the development of characterization, and the narrative point of view of both novels.

The evolution of women’s rights and advancements throughout history is undeniable. The prejudice against women in the workforce and more specifically in the medical workforce is a prejudice that can easily be found till this day. The idea of gender roles, and the separation of women and the “male dominated careers”, still lingers even through decades of change in a developing society. Fortunately, certain women in history have forever influenced the way medicine works as well as how women are looked upon when studying in the medical field. Although there were many male physicians far before the first woman could even be considered to attend a medical school, there were many women that wouldn’t take no for an answer. Whether it was through an

Men, like in many ancient and modern societies, had a higher importance than women and were considered more useful as they were stronger to handle manual labour. The Hindu scriptures dictate that while men and women have different responsibilities and roles within the community, they should both be treated with equal respect. However in reality, this was not always the case. Sea of Poppies addresses this issue with Deeti, the wife of a veteran and the mother of a daughter, Kabutri. Deeti is raped by her brother in law, Chandan, on her wedding night due to her husband’s infertility and is continuously harassed by him. With the quote “You need a son, to give you a helping hand. You're not barren, after all . . . “ (Ghosh, pg. 11), his prejudice against women as well as his pervasive tendencies towards women emphasise the attitudes of people in mid 19th century India, especially men, that tended to denigrate the role of women. Although Sea of Poppies and Their Eyes were Watching God are set in different cultures, they both portray the privation of women and the damaging effects it can have on an individual. Through the incorporation of accurate historical context, the audience is able to evaluate the treatment of women and men in the modern

Compared to my other texts, which seem a lot more aggressive and controversial than this poem, Naheed’s poem is quite ‘tame’ for feminist poetry. However, at the time, after the partition of Pakistan and India, in an extremely militaristic male orientated society, Naheet was well known for her feminist critiques, and they were considered to be very contemporary and contentious. Even now, her discussion of breaking away from the male model of what a woman should be is extremely relevant; “For the wall which has been razed / don’t now insist on raising it again.” Naheed’s argument for a woman’s right to agency and equal opportunities throughout all of her writing has classed her as a feminist poet, though at the time she did not call herself a feminist in 1990’s Pakistan. Her use of plural first person narrative form connects this more classical poem with my other texts, just like women are connected through this sense of

”xiii Indian society is no different when it came to what they expected of their women. In a song composed by a Buddhist nun Sumangalamata, the composer exclaims of her new freedom. She defines herself as “a woman well set free!” and explains that she is free “from kitchen drudgery” and free “from the harsh grip of hunger, from empty cooking pots, (and most importantly) free too of that unscrupulous man.

The God had been very generous in imparting her with exceptional beauty with a sharp mind, rest the world taught her. This determined woman, with light bluish wide eyes, her peach shaped alluring face, her enticing cat walks, punishing her onlookers to look at her once more and once more, during her hay days was among the most sought after call girl of Bombay. In spite of choosing this profession much against her appetite and all the odds against her, didn’t dither in exposing her bosom for the destitute, poor women compelled like her to get in the trade called – prostitution. Bequeathing her entire earnings for charitable purposes, donating some vital parts of her body to the needy and bestowing the ownership of her body on her death for medical

In order to understand women’s health history in America, three key determinants of health; social, policy, and individual behavior, must be taken into account. Therefore, “objects” of women’s health history reveals the framework of the key health determinants. However, the Midwife and the “Pill”, best represent women’s health history due to their influence of the key health determinants.

May we say that by narrating the creation story, our informant has attempted to create an alternative construction of power and agency against the dominant gender ideology that tends to deny a woman power or agency? By insisting that their common source of power is Allah, she skillfully employs her narrative in creating her space yet remained loyal to the dominant gender ideology of her community. She acknowledges her subordination to her husband, and at the same time claimed her own space as a minor malik. She also asserts that she is a partner in their endeavors of cultivation, which reflects her ownership of agency within the structure of subordination. She pointed out that “the Quran says that a wife should be obedient to her husband,

There is no hint of displeasure on her face as she diligently carries out her duty as an ‘ideal wife’. Also why should she have any objection for ‘as long as she lives, a woman’s God and master is her husband’. This scene emphasises the nature of a traditional marital relationship in Indian culture and the presumed duties of a woman as a wife. The text of the Ramayana is considered to be sacred and is followed religiously by people. If it happens to call a woman’s husband her master and God, its influence on the psyche of the people, especially the women, is self

Traditionally, an Indian woman had only four roles and those were; Her role as a daughter, wife, sister, and lastly, a mother. The women in today’s time however are experiencing far reaching changes and are entering into new fields that were unknown to them. They are actively participating in social, economic and political activities. Unlike the older times, women today have received higher education.

In many modern societies, a common belief is that women should have equal standing with men politically, socially, and in the workforce (Alesina, Guiliano, and Nunn 1). This support is generally associated with feminism, which advocates for equality between all genders (Issist). In other societies, women are unable to seek opportunities past traditional gender roles, such as domestication and childbearing (Alesina, Guiliano, and Nunn 1). This ideology is often referred to as patriarchy, which expects women to conform to stereotypes that are based on assumptions about femininity and maternal instinct. The influences of traditional gender roles revolve around conditioning, restraint, and submissive characteristics, which can result in women living in boredom and misery (Yildirim 47). To reveal the corrupt nature of the customary expectations of women living during the 1800s, the author illustrates Hedda’s marriage to George Tesman, as the husband expects his wife to devote her life solely to the wellbeing of her household and family. If Hedda decides to conform to the traditional gender roles of the Victorian era, she will not be able to express her individuality or intelligence. The only purpose that she will serve in society will be to raise children and attend to the needs of her husband. This imposes limitations on her basic human rights, as her society views her as inferior and

As the closest associate of Gandhiji during his epic struggle in South Africa and in India, she suffered in no small measure.One simply marvels and wonders how this quiet, self-effacing woman underwent countless trails as Gandhiji's wife, and how gallantly she agreed to the Mahatma's endless experiments and self-imposed life of poverty and suffering. Women took leading part in it.