How Patriarchal Oppression Causes Renunciation of the Female Literary Craft

1015 Words5 Pages
How Patriarchal Oppression Causes Renunciation of the Female Literary Craft Orthodox Christian history is a testament to the patriarchal environment women have been subjected to throughout history. Eve was created by God for Adam to keep him company. God also put Adam and not Eve in charge of naming the animals; in fact it was Adam himself who gave Eve her name. Ursula Le Guin explains to readers in a short fiction story, "She Unnames Them," how Eve renames the animals Adam was put in charge of naming and gave her name back as well. Le Guin wrote, Eve went to Adam and respectfully told him, "You and your father lent me this, gave it to me, actually. It's been really useful, but it doesn't exactly seem to fit very well lately. But thanks very much! It's really been very useful”. When Eve ate the forbidden fruit, from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, she changed the course of history, especially for that of females. The onset of the feminism revolt may very well have started with one bite of that infamous apple. Since Eve’s fatal transgression, freedom in a patriarchal environment for women has evolved at a snail’s pace. Life for women in the 1800s was that of many obligations and few choices. Females were controlled by the males in their lives; first, by their fathers, brothers and male relatives and finally by their husbands. Women were expected to find a husband, marry and reproduce and serve her family until they died. Education for women at the turn of the century was a luxury not afforded to many, and if one chose to be single and seek education over domesticity, she was often pitied or ridiculed by both her peers and community. Emily Dickinson is one example of a woman who was able to choose a significantly different path for herself. Because Dickinson was born into a wealthy and affluent family she received the opportunity to be formally educated.

More about How Patriarchal Oppression Causes Renunciation of the Female Literary Craft

Open Document