WGS 565 White 2009 The Great Women In essence, a 15 year old girl is being abused not only mentally but physically. He corrupted the, “pure principles [her] grandmother had instilled,” with his sexual abuse (Jacobs, 43). As a woman she had no power to fight back physically, nor did she legally have the right to. Dr. Flint said to her that she “was made for his use, made to obey his command in everything; that [she] was nothing but a slave, whose will must and should surrender to his (Jacobs, 47).” At this point she began to feel physically and emotionally weak as a woman: “never before had [her] puny arm felt half so strong (Jacobs, 76).”She was considered a piece of property and nothing more. Dr. Flint never feels a moment of self doubt or sympathy for Harriet because of the slave system.
However, women aren’t innocent in this controversy either. They have some control over the attention they receive based on how they dress and present themselves socially. I know for a fact the reason my friend dresses up and stands out it for the attention. In conclusion I agree with Sheets-Johnstone’s thoughts about women only being seen as body parts and objects. Although some perspectives on the subject claim women live in bad faith and put themselves in situations to be defined as a body part, if there was no routine of male’s looking or the notion to dominate and females attention starvation or feelings to please, there would be no need for a dominant and submissive relationship.
Motherhood had very few advantages for slave women. In fact, it was generally regarded as unpleasant for them. In rare, extreme cases, women even killed their infants in order to prevent the children from growing up in the institution of slavery (can you imagine?). The thought of watching their children grow under the confines of this oppression brought heartache to every mother, every day. While motherhood presented no advantages to slave women, there were several advantages for slave owners for their female slaves to procreate.
Why does the antislavery perspective have to come from a slave, someone who is obviously going to be antislavery and not that of someone with a higher rank in society whose feelings toward the issue would be more considered. It is funny that even though the narrator is considered to be a member of the middle class in the colony, she separates herself from it when it comes to slavery. Because of her rank class in the plantation setting, it seems likely she would
Beli later messes around with a Gangster, who gets her pregnant while married with Trujillos sister, causing much havoc around Beli’s life, including near death. La Inca had used much of her strength praying for Beli, and ultimately saving her life. Beli never became the “typical” Dominican women, and remained sort of angry her whole
Where Marie de France comes from, many people disagree with women having power through literature. They disagree with women having much power at all. Because of this, Marie de France feels the urge to protect herself from those people. She argues that credit and respect should be bestowed upon anyone who earns it, regardless of their gender. Before her story even begins, Marie de France contests the idea of female inferiority.
Pierette Guerin Undoubtedly Trapped By: Emily Hannah Pierrette Guerin is trapped in the unlucky life she has gotten herself involved in. Her family, and the society she lives in refer her to as a whore. Her efforts to free herself from the patriarchal life she was raised in backfired. She has hit rock bottom and is now resorting to booze for her escape. Pierette thought that leaving the tenement and getting the job at the club would free her from the patriarchal life the woman live.
She has a power over Charlotte socially, the younger woman seems to defer to Mrs Guy as her superior, doing as she bids when Mrs Guy refuses to go to Charlotte, saying rather ‘“No,[…]bring them to-night to mine.”’ (p.9) and Charlotte does not question this. Mrs Guy seems to wish to be seen in a position of economic power over Charlotte, and she is quite happy to parade the necklace in front of the younger woman, ‘“Almost? Where, my dear, are your eyes? They ARE ‘Arthur’s!”’ (p.19) and therefore uses pearl necklace to act as a status symbol, Mrs Guy obtaining it is representative of her regaining power over Charlotte (which seems to lessen when Charlotte is in possession of the necklace initially)– appearing as a higher class than her. And whilst towards the end, Charlotte seems to ponder whether or not Mrs Guy has been underhanded in her dealing with Arthur (with the narrator revealing her thoughts), ‘Hadn’t she perhaps in truth dealt with Arthur directly?’ (p.20) she does not directly confront Mrs Guy, nor accuse her of anything (or even ponder if Mrs Guy was wrong).
Even though she thinks it’s unfair she hesitates and recognizes that men and women should have equal rights. Since most writers in the 18th century were men, society looked at women writers more on the negative side or didn’t take women serious. Between 1700s and 1800s, Anna wanted femininity. Considering women writers didn’t have much freedom with their own creativity. She says, “thou mayest command, but never canst be free”(20).
Lai 1 John Smith Dr. K English 154 19 October 2011 Women and The Lottery Through a feminist perspective, women view themselves as strong individuals and would be appalled by a society viewing them as nothing more than a material property. In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”, women had no voice in regards to public decisions and actions. For example, in the short story the townspeople had a tradition to sacrifice one person in the hopes of reaping the best harvest. In most cases the wives would be the first chosen, many feminists would view this as an abomination. Tessie Hutchinson, one of the main characters represents women who are being tyrannized by society because of their gender.