It’s not just that she was a women that impressed me but her outward denial to conform to a world that oppressed her and women all across Europe based on sex. Not many people have the courage to stand up for their beliefs but she did so, knowing that support for her cause was scarce to none. She defended a women’s place in society, as well as flourishing in the literary realm and exercising her ability to converse, challenge, and reason in the art of rhetoric. Through these reasons and preservations, Christine De Pizan merits more than a three quarter page in a history of rhetoric
Curly's wife is powerless in a masculine world, Steinbeck doesn't even give her a name; she is simply Curley's property. Check out this quote where she uses her femininity for attention "Oh!" She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward. "You’re the new fellas that just come, ain’t ya?" (chapter 2, pg 145) Note: my page numbers probably don't match your but the chapter will Point: Steinbeck’s use of the character of Curley’s Wife is the only female character in the novella.
Leon B. Bacon, a niece of Susan B. Anthony, stated later in life that “because of Aunt Susan's love for women and perseverance in her cause, I have today the enjoyment of a great many more rights and privileges than my mother had.” When Aunt Susan herself was young, there were no such things as woman's rights; all the rights were masculine. Women were ruled by a government and a law in which she had no voice. If she felt herself wronged in any way she had no way of making the fact known before the law. It was an unheard of thing for a woman to speak in public. None of the colleges or universities admitted women students.
Day after day she was forced to burden the cruel thoughts of others opinions of being inferior because she was a women and a women with her own thoughts at that. Taking place in 1630, societies thought upon women as the subsidiary sex and not respected in the way modern day women is. The job of a puritan women was limited, care for your house, your husband, and your children. If a women stepped out of those bounds her life became hard and wicked. The only women who were relieved of these bonds were widows who had the privilege of being able to sue or be sued, owning their own home or land and disciplining children and servants.
Women Rights Never Change “Never underestimate the power of a woman” (McClung). There have been many women in history trying to change the rights of women. In Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun the character Beneatha fights her way to the top to make her dream come true unlike Calpurnia in William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar. Both of the characters long for perfection to please their loved ones. Many characters in both plays always seem to believe that Beneatha and Calpurnia are powerless and weak.
In the late 1770’s and the next hundred years that passed, not a lot was accomplished for women. Social changes barely occurred, and when they did the changes were very minor. No matter how hard women fought, their social status in America wasn’t very affected. On the other hand the domestic life for women did make an alteration, even though it wasn’t for the best. Some historic women like Abigail Adams tried to modify women’s rights.
In comparison Fay Weldon’s Letters to Alice, written a few centuries after, shows a clear link of how particular concerns, held by society, have altered. A women living in the late 1800’s had very few rights and freedoms. Education was a thing men and if a women engaged in such activities she was at risk of being shunned by society or “left on the shelf.” Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice follows a young girl, Elizabeth Bennet, who struggles against society’s expectations. Being a smart and well educated women, she is somewhat frowned upon, however this has been disguised by Austen through her dialogue. An example is seen near the beginning of the book in which Mr Darcey and Mr Binley’s brother are engaged in polite conversation.
Marie de France does this to criticize and combat the societal expectations and inherent inequalities in Norman England. The poem begins by Marie immediately introducing and defending herself as a writer. She declares that in her culture, People should praise anyone who wins admiring comments for herself but anywhere there is a man or a woman of great worth, people who envy their good fortune often say evil things about them. (5-10) This introduction reflects the negativity her society has against female writers. Where Marie de France comes from, many people disagree with women having power through literature.
Lady Macbeth is the wife to the plays protagonist Macbeth. I would consider lady Macbeth as not being such a conventional Elizabethan woman being that women in this time where seen as weak and unable to control manly situations however lady Macbeth is shown to be strong and In control of Macbeth which was unheard of in Elizabethan times. An Elizabethan audience would react highly to the sight of a woman being in control of a man because it was seen to be not right to for a woman to be in control being that a man would normally be in control of a woman. The audience will be shocked an astonished by the way in which lady Macbeth acts. However a modern audience will not react as highly as an Elizabethan audience would, as now day’s people are more familiar to women being powerful of different places within society.
It makes no sense to try to do too much” (77-85). In this excerpt, Ismene is portraying her beliefs that women are weak and that it would be useless if they (women) “try to do too much”. It disheartened me when I read this passage, because Ismene is basically telling her strong-willed sister that it would be pointless to fight against Creon; instead, they should yield to Creon’s orders. It is evident by this excerpt that not every woman reacts the same way toward sexism. Some, like Ismene, may internalize those demeaning values and live by them.