Indeed it is this tradition that both writers attempt to disrupt at various points in the two texts with varying degrees of success. At the time of writing women were often disregarded as second class citizens and were presented as inferior to men. In this way, these two texts present the difficulties that women experience when trying to assert themselves in male society. Specifically, their identities often suffer due to lack of communication and voice. However the traditional role of femininity that was enforced upon women by a stringent and somewhat vigorous society was changing and these two texts challenge the traditional role of femininity both directly and indirectly throughout.
It is often heard of females complaining how they want to find a true gentleman. What they don't realize, is that gentlemen are not attracted to women, but ladies. Women get men, while ladies get the highly sought after gentlemen. In part, this is due to the fact that ladies automatically acquire the classier lives with gentlemen, simply because they tend to take better care of themselves than a typical everyday woman. Career wise, a lady often seeks out indoor jobs which they know they will enjoy and not feel
The freedom women had during this time was apparent. Women seemed comfortable on the outside but felt that they had to look perfect. Before the 1920s, women had to look pure while women in the 1920s had to look sexually appealing and had to wear the right makeup and clothes. This movement was supposed to make women feel comfortable with their sexuality, but it ended up with women seeing themselves and being seen by men as sexual objects[29]. The fierce competition of getting a man’s attention emerged in this decade and women were
There are quite a few arguments surrounding this discussion of positions between men and women changing. Most of the arguments revolve around feminist opinions. In a nutshell most Feminists believe that women are still to this day being exploited by men. They believe that men are still using women and that they are not equal, when it comes to things such as housework, childcare and paid work. On the other side of the spectrum, some people are discussing the opposite; positions between men and women are in fact changing and it is becoming more equal.
A time when the banner of patriarchy flew over the bonnets of subjugated females. A time when you could choose either to conform, or face social rejection. Some women preferred to rebel in their own graceful ways, but most exacerbated their oppression with frivolous attitudes and behaviors. Beginning with the witty opening phrase, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” (Austen, 3), the author perpetuates a note on the status of the one track mind held by the female gender of this time. As exemplified in Pride and Prejudice with characters like Mrs. Bennet and her child, Lydia, many ladies put money above love when it came to the subject of marriage.
However in modern times, women are almost completely respected and equal, and encouraged to be active members of society and government. Despite being equal, it is men who are often told by society that in order to get a woman they must ‘woo’ her with gifts and actions, as seen in the movie ‘Arthur’. Over the course of time, women have not only been gaining equality, but the way that men interact with women has also evolved, from Disrespect and inequality to respect and equality. In early years, Women got no respect, and were not considered equal. Thusly, the obligations of men were minimal.
Before, women were not as strong or opinionated as a man. They didn’t speak up very much and played their role as a wife. When a woman wants to speak up or has an opinion guys don’t like they are portrayed as a bitch, or it may even be said that they are bitchin. “These days the word bitch is as loaded as the term feminist-both are lobbed at uppity ladies who dare to speak up and who don't back down” (Humphrey p26). She then goes on to talk about how this is not to say that bitch is down with being gratuitously mean or catty; no, we just know that taking a stand is usually more important than being nice.
When the Knight finally does find out what it is that women want, he is told that it’s power over the husbands, that’s a pretty feminist statement for a time when women were still considered property. But as feminist as that may seem, is the Wife of Bath really a depiction of early feminism, or a crazy lady? While some might see the Wife as a feminist, she really is just an over-controlling woman, in her 6 times being married, reprimanding her husband
I did expect this book to be like an argument where she would explain her side and then she would argue the points that the other point of view would have, but this seemed very one-sided. Valenti presented many facts in her book and some very good points, many of which prove that today, women are judged, not on their personality but the status of their virginity, whether or not she is still a virgin. I agree with this quote in particular: "For the record: I think virginity is fine, just as I think having sex is fine. I don't really care what women do sexually, and neither should you. In fact, that's the point.
Continuously in literature women take a backseat to the men; women are often portrayed to be incapable of fulfilling the roles “intended” for men by society. Usually in these stories women are illustrated as weaker or inferior to their male counterparts. Often characterized as helpless or as servant to the man, manipulative and untrustworthy, very rarely do we see woman in charge woman and with power like Clytemnestra in Agamemnon or women who are educating the man for a change like we see Shahrazad do with the many woman of her stories in The Thousand and One Nights. In both stories the doing of both women are seen as negative when actually they are trying to fight so that one day woman can be treated equal to men. Agamemnon takes place