Feminism, which is attributed to Harriet Martineau, is encompassed in the pursuit of gender equality. In one way, we can see the film as a struggle to attain gender equality. In the start and well towards the middle of the film, Mrs. X was always seen as subordinate to Mr. X, her husband. Most of the child-rearing roles were put upon her and most of the decisions were made by Mr. X. Mrs. X always seemed subordinate to Mr. X because she always had to go through great lengths to please him. In the end, however, we see the break in subordinancy and we see Mrs. X becoming independent from him .
"In Frankenstein the female characters and their values are presented as a direct contrast to the ambitious, self-seeking men." In light of this statement discuss the presentation of women in 'Frankenstein' ‘Frankenstein’ was written in the first half of the 19th century where women were stifled by powerful patriarchal values. Women were conditioned to believe that the key to survival was with a man’s help. ‘Frankenstein’ is primarily a novel about male ambition and power with women merely featuring on the side-lines. There are three primary narrators featured in ‘Frankenstein’: Walton, Victor Frankenstein and the Creature however we never hear from the women directly.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s literature is based on women’s issues. She wrote fiction mainly depicting her social ideas. In her works, she portrays women struggling to achieve personal autonomy, adapting to independence, and challenging accepted images of women. In her novel Women and Economics, Gilman argues that women need to change their identities in society in order to be equal to men and become part of the world’s evolution. In addition, her novel Herland depicts women at their true, full potential in roles equal to men.
By utilizing the Handmaids as a representation of the females in the Gileadean society, the author exposes the flaws of an anti-feminist society through objectification and the absence of agency. The Handmaid’s Tale illustrates women who are strongly objectified by men. An example of how Handmaids are objectified is through their names. The women are named after their assigned Commander; their name which consists of two parts is constructed with the prefix, ‘Of’, followed by the suffix of their Commander’s name. The main character’s Handmaid name is Offred, meaning that she is property of Fred.
Marilyn Monroe suitably declared, “I don’t mind living in a man’s world; as long as I can be a woman in it.” This idea brings to the surface an ancient battle of superiority between men and women; the battle that is the focal point in Louann Brizendine’s nonfiction book The Female Brain. In The Female Brain, Brizendine argues that men and women, no matter how equally each sex is treated, the two will never level out especially because contrary to a man’s urges, a woman’s actions connect directly to her hormones. To convey and solidify this argument, Brizendine incorporates the logical, credible, and emotional appeals. A woman, among many other things, varies between: a daughter, a wife, a mother, a friend, a boss, an employee, even a lover. However, big or small the role, each woman has innate and inborn parts that separate her from men.
Assess the fashion industry using the feminist perspective Feminists argue that that in society men oppress women and that women do not have equal rights when compared to men, they argue that the family serves the needs of patriarchy and that we reside in a patriarchal society where males are the dominate sex. Feminists take a critical view on most things in society but a main one being fashion. Feminism itself simplifies down to equality. It is shown to be not about attacking men but improving society and having equal chances between both sexes. It states that many women’s focus is on her wardrobe so they can impress the opposite sex as they feel useless if they fail to impress, they also argue that fashion is a more female dominated area, they show that most of the top fashion designers are male ruled and that Radical Feminists such as Germaine Greer believe that all key societies (including fashion) have been found on patriarchy (ruled by men).
Even more restricting than economic rights were the social and political rights of women. They were expected to be silent observers, submissive to their husbands. Women who attempted to claim their views were seen as a threat to social order. This is significant in that the conservation of social order was a very important aspect of the Elizabethan society. Gender roles during the Elizabethan era were clearly defined, with men reigning superior over women.
Due to frustration from male oppression, clubs and the feminist movement, and the counterrevolutionaries, women showed how they were willing and capable of going to all magnitudes to reach their goal of gaining equality to man. Up until the Enlightenment, which spanned portions of the 17th and 18th centuries, women throughout Europe had limited rights. Men expected women to be charming, well-dressed, and pleasing to the eye in order to represent the social status of her father or husband. Mary Wollstonecraft says, “The conduct and manners of women, in fact, evidently prove that their minds are not in a healthy state; for, like the flowers which are planted in too rich a soil, strength and usefulness are sacrificed to beauty” (Wollstonecraft, 171). Whether they were aristocrats, bourgeoisie, or peasants, Frenchwomen’s main job was to take care of domestic needs.
Magazines, advertisements and television create and promote stereotypical images of females. Females are represented as sex objects with nurturing, motherly instincts, only focused on beauty, house hold chores, politically and professionally inferior. Males are depicted as the bread winners, career orientated, professional, political and important. This is in stark contrast to the truths of reality, where women in both Australia and America are professionals, and do infact hold numerous powerful positions in the workforce. This shows the immense influence the media has over western cultures, and how this can influence popular understandings of females.
Life Without Love or Independence? In Jane Eyre and Hard Times, women are portrayed in a negative light throughout their respected novels; females are represented as being second class citizens to their male counterparts, and are unable to have a thought of their own. The traditional views of Victorian era gender roles are both enforced through the outside portrayal of the women that do not fit the mold of the ideal Victorian women yet is also subverted by the feelings the women feel when they left their bonds, or the consequences of living in the suffering of the gender misogamy they endure over their lifestyle. By expressing the men through traditional Victorian masculine characteristics such as being powerful and dominant to their meek and loyal female counterparts, the novels establish early on the barrier that the protagonists struggle with merely being female. In the novels, women are treated like second class citizens when compared to men and are expected to be content with this Victorian idea of patriarchal domination.