Evaluate Feminist views on the role and function of religion in society today (33) As a Social Systems, conflict perspective, feminists largely agree that society is patriarchal or male dominated. Radical feminists in particular regard religious institutions as patriarchal as they reflect and perpetuate this gender inequality within society. Moreover, they see religious beliefs as patriarchal ideologies that legitimate women’s subordination. By contrast, liberal feminists are more positive about the function of religion in society today and see ‘signs of hope’ with regards to the role it may play in helping to liberate women from their oppression and subordination. This essay will outline and assess each approach in turn.
Jane is introduced to two major perspectives and as she interacts with Mr. Broklehurst, Mr. St. John Rivers, and Helen Burns, she discovers her own take on religion. Jane is first introduced to Mr. Broklehurst, who has an evangelical perspective towards religion, at Gateshead. He is the headmaster at Gateshead and expresses his religious perspectives in a harsh way. Evangelists focus on personal conversion and emphasize that God works certain changes in an individual. Mr. Broklehurst, who is highly self-righteous, criticizes Jane, “That proves you have a wicked heart; and you must pray to God to change it: to give you a new and clean one” (Bronte, 32) when she expresses her dislike for the book of Psalms.
Conformity corrupts the individual due to societal constraints and scorn. Moreover, conforming to social institutions such as communities of opinion or religions, which offer knowledge as a gift or second hand beliefs, saps the individual the energy required to create new knowledge. As we passively accept other people's ideas, we lose our manhood becoming phantoms, Emerson writes, “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist”. Furthermore, when Emily Dickinson in her poem “This world is not conclusion” states that “... much gesture from the pulpit – strong hallelujahs roll- narcotics cannot still the tooth- that nibbles at the soul”, she asserts that established knowledge claimed by religion works as narcotics which help to silence but, nonetheless, it can not stop our need to solve the
Jonathan Edwards v. Anne Bradstreet In a number of his writings, specifically “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Jonathan Edwards preaches literal fear of an arbitrary, unpredictable and vengeful God. Anne Bradstreet, on the other hand, believed (with human error) in a loving, trustworthy God. It seems almost impossible that these two views trace their origins to a common source. I will seek in this piece to uncover the fundamental discrepancy in the works of Bradstreet and Edwards. In “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Edwards brings into question the salvation of anyone who has not been “born again.” He never directly questions his own salvation, but declares that many in the congregation to which he is speaking will soon find themselves burning in hell.
Finally, it will analyze the way he uses characters and settings to create a believable world that draws the reader into his greater theme. William Faulkner has several re-occurring character types that appear throughout his novels and short stories. One of the most dominant character types is the unfit father figure. In the novel As I Lay Dying, the narrator leads the audience to believe that Anse is leading the family on a journey to bury his lost wife as her dying wishes; however, Anse is the exact opposite. He uses his family throughout the story to achieve selfish benefits.
Content: Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood contains many reoccurring and undermining religious themes. Her main theme includes the redemption of man by Christ. She also depicts the grotesques in society through her use of her subject matter. O'Connor bluntly uses this religious theme to prove that redemption is difficult for her characters because of the distorted sense of moral purpose in her characters. Throughout her novel, a major emphasis is placed on materialism and money.
This is evident in the story, because Zeus is afraid of the mortals, who could potentially overthrow Zeus. Campbell’s theory of archetypes being present in all stories is especially true, to a certain extent, as shown with fire, and intellect. It portrays an archetype evident it almost any story that has to do with intellect. This is also true with the woman, in almost every story, women seem to represent evil, as an archetype, not only in this creation story but the story of Jason, Perseus, and even evident in the Bible-Samson & Delilah. They are seen to evil by representing curiosity, in this case or for self-centered causes.
Moliere’s Tartuffe In Moliere’s satire, Tartuffe, the author fires his caustic wit upon the social topics of religious hypocrisy and the inability of obsessed characters to hear the voices of reason around them. At first glance, the focus of this work seems to be religious hypocrisy; however, it is the underlying subplots of obsessive behaviors stay in the mind’s eye until end. Moliere’s portrayal of obsessive characters is certainly exaggerated, but there is a clear note of truth that rings through in their powerlessness to hear reason. Until the spell that binds them to their compulsion is broken, these characters are unable to hear the voices of reason that are shouting the truth to them. The main actor of this play who displays the deafness that comes with obsession is Orgon with his religious fervor that blinds him to his responsibility to his family.
This said, Addie’s approach to language in the one chapter of her voice reveals her attempt to escape her suppression: as a “woman”, Addie cannot help but fall into the traps of “wife” and “mother”, and their associated duties. Addie ascribes no value to words; they are nothing more than dead sounds. And despite her claim that words are “quick and harmless”, she is tricked by them, and relies on them to take her revenge on Anse. While the word “sin” means nothing to Addie, she is nevertheless consumed by the idea of Sin. How ironic for the reader to decipher a chapter of words when Addie says they are empty shapes.
Although Flannery O’Connor’s short story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, may seem like somewhat of a horror story, it becomes a religious allegory in which determines how good and evil are separated and distinguished. The title of the short story, I believe, can be taken quite literally in context to the story plot. The story is seen through the grandmother’s point of view. She is representative of the older era, the older Christian faith, and the way things used to be. She is a woman seems hard to please, stubborn, and set that the new world is failing the Christian faith.