In this novel, Julia Alvarez manages to capture and express the true feelings of women which deconstructs the stereotypes through Yo. Feminism is defined as “a political movement that works to achieve equal rights for women and men” (Hirsch 113). For the past ages, women were seen in the society as inferior to men and were greatly excluded from education and the right to property ownership. A British feminist named Mary Wollstonecraft argues, “educational restrictions keep women in a state of ignorance and slavish dependence” (Blake 117). The shattering of classifications and stereotypes, and the subversion of traditional gender roles, and the concept of sisterhood or unity among women are among the main tenets of feminist criticism.
An Under famed Rhetorician Rhetoric has been through many stages, from early Greek origins to modern day theory. It has shaped societies and has transformed civilizations round the globe. Due process states that we must accredit those who have contributed to rhetoric along the way. An area of rhetoric I feel that has not been explored enough is the contribution that women have added throughout time; particularly the renaissance period. Due to the limited amount of resources and the restrictions laid upon women for practicing rhetoric, it is astonishing how many women were still able to make a significant impact on the field of rhetoric which I feel has paved the way for women’s liberations rights today.
Maia Seguin ANNE BRADSTREET PURITAN POETRY ESSAY Setting sail to a new world of unknown dangers, the puritan colony was the first colony to part from the English church because of different opinions. In this grand adventure was a women by the name of Anne Bradstreet, the first published female poet. Some may say that she is one of the most important figures in literary history. Not only was enduring the hardships of this new world a great achievement but Anne faced the discrimination of others for being a women poet. 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.
It is hard to imagine the suppression and adversity women lived with only a few centuries ago. Our history has alluded to an inequality of women among men, telling us that women did not deserve the same inalienable rights; the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In Stanton’s “Declaration of Sentiments’, these are spelled out quite specifically and are drawn on by her own personal experience which speak loudly for the voice of women in the mid 1800’s. It is through the work of Stanton and her supporters that women today have the rights and choices they do and through the writings of Chopin and Wollstonecraft which provide an insightful look into the suppressed yet intellectual nature of the women of their day. The contemporary
She wrote in “Thinking About Shakespeare’s Sister”, about the acceptable actions that were performed on women specifically to oppress them. Actions life domestic abuse, arranged marriages, and being the property of the males in their lives. This was hundreds of years ago, but somewhere along the way we gradually gained independence and respect. I see this not as a need for an end to feminism. Society claims that we have reached a point where sexism is not existence and feminist are just grasping onto thin air to keep their agenda alive.
Friedan brings emotion and anger to the plight of women in her era of feminism, highlighting a political issue that remained out of the spotlight for far too long. Modern feminists can learn a lot from Friedan as a pioneer for women speaking out for what they believe despite it being unpopular. Though her work mainly discussed the feelings of white middle class women, her work led to a more comprehensive study of oppression on multiple levels, called intersectionality. Though not a politician herself, Friedan was able to take steps towards bringing on meaningful political change, a problem many women are still facing today especially in the abortion debate. Friedan and Gilman’s work have formed the touchstones for the current feminist movements and will continue to play a huge role as women work to advance their rights further in the coming years.
The Life and Times of E.B.B. Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) During the early nineteenth century, feminists were first coming out into the political forefront. Among them, Elizabeth Barrett Browning emerged as one the greatest woman writers of all time. She wrote of "social reform, for the rights of lower classes and women, and for the cause of Italian freedom (Lewis)." While many aspects and circumstances of life affected her work, she was also able to effect society in many ways.
She wrote at the time how she regretted to be “of the softer sex, and never more than now.” Her book Woman in the Nineteenth Century, initially published as an article in the magazine The Dial, has been considered the first major feminine manifesto. Written in a period when women were not allowed to even have a college education, Woman in the Nineteenth Century is based on the equal nature of man and woman derived from the divine love of God. To compensate the lack of education of women, she hosted meetings with other women in the Boston area to discuss and debate the real purpose of women in life and other topics such as mythology, philosophy, and fine arts. With these “conversations” she gained more widespread exposure and laid the seed in women’s minds about their place in the world. Her work focused basely in social reform instead of individual improvement, which is what makes her work different than those of the Transcendentalists at the
He stresses the importance of inalienable rights that cannot be taken away. This is important because as minorities, women were not being treated with their full rights given by the constitution, it is evident that tolerance and acceptance would be the cure. Imagine the life of a woman just before the 1960s. [2]Women were denied basic civil rights, “trapped” in their homes and discriminated in the workforce. When the 1960’s came along and men were enlisted into World War II, women had the chance to work the jobs of men and have a say in the government.
Alexandra “If Shakespeare Had a Sister” Virginia Woolf grew up facing many prejudices against educated women. As a result of her desire to be well educated, she took personal offense at the tradition of putting down women educated beyond the social norms. Shakespeare’s sister or any other woman would not have been able to rise to his status and maintain her sanity in the face of the rejection, denial and disapproval that would result from the attempt. The use of example is a tool Woolf uses well to demonstrate her points and exhibit her knowledge of classical texts and critical writing skills. One of Woolf’s supports for her essay was that she discusses the everyday life of a woman so far as she has been to piece it together from the few reports she has been able to recover of that time; complaining that there is not nearly enough information on the period only supports her claims.