However, scholars noted that there are many inconsistencies concerning this, seeing that though the Bible did say this, women were still treated as inferior to men, and that women were limited to the home. They still were seen as a means to produce children, more of an object for sexuality, and be silent while serving her husband (Ellwood 325). Some Christians even blamed women for “the sin of humanity that necessitated the death of the savior,” and they were referred to as “the devil’s gateway.” Celibacy soon became a choice of women because it soon became more holy than marrying someone (Ellwood 325). Because of these views of women, they became the popular blame for many problems, villages and towns were suspicious of women. This was seen in the Witch Trials of Salem, and these women were a woman who sinned or stepped out of their place t hat was put upon them.
To ensure that people continued to believe this concept the church used this verse from the bible as proof “woman in her greatest perfection was made to serve and obey man.” This belief put women in a state of being mentally isolated from men. Being second-rate citizens meant that few of them received any formal education; because they lacked schooling they became intellectually isolated from anyone whom had received any type of formal education. During this time period women were beaten into submission when they failed to instantly comply with the orders any male relative gave them. Shakespeare wrote about many of these Elizabethan beliefs in his play Othello. The play centralized around the lust for one very beautiful, young girl Desdemona.
Faulkner addresses the issue of religion through the characters of Cora and Whitfield, and their hypocritical characteristics give a representation of Faulkner's views on Religion. To iterate, Cora frequently spouts ridiculous religious axiom's that often times contradict her actual way of life as in her first chapter when she states "the lord can see into the heart. It is his will that some folks has different ideas of honesty,"(Faulkner 9.) Following this exclamation she criticizes Addie and her raising of a "tom-boy girl", contradicting her own statement of tolerance and demonstrating the notion that religious people are infatuated with hypocrisy (Faulkner 9.) In addition to Cora's hypocrisy, Faulkner's decision to make the religious figure Whitfield a conniving adulterous further displays the idea that religion, especially organized religion, is filled with ignorant hypocrites.
The growing power of this ‘religious right’ heightened feminist fears that the gains women had made in previous decades would be reversed. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood explores the consequences of the reversal of women’s rights. In the novel’s dystopian world of Gilead, a group of conservative religious extremists has taken power and turned the sexual revolution on its head. What feminists considered the great triumphs of the 1970s—widespread access to contraception, the legalisation of abortion, and the increasing political influence of female voters—have all been undone. Women in Gilead are not only forbidden to vote, they are forbidden to read or write, dress codes are used as a way to subjugate them; ordinary colours become symbolic of their social status while masking individuality, which is discouraged in the regime.
A place where there is absolute belief in religion and reproduction and where women are forced to cover themselves but at the same time are committing sinful sexual acts such as adultery sounds like a society which is inexplicable. The Handmaid’s Tale portrays a Biblical society named Gilead. The element allusion is used in the Handmaid’s Tale to show how higher officials can pervert the religion to their own benefit. Also the ceremony that takes place between the Commander, Offred and Serena Joy has another Biblical allusion. A part during the ceremony is where the commander sheepishly only reads parts of the Bible, and those parts only emphasize reproduction and childbearing – “It the usual story the usual stories.
According to Dryden, satire is the corrective ridicule or fine raillery of something. It’s a literary genre intended to voice an opinion or bring about a change. In this passage from Huck Finn, Twain introduces both Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. They are both portrayed as nagging old women whom Huck Finn is not amused even the slightest way. Widow Douglas is a hypocrite who tries to teach Huck about religion.
She believes that feminists and feminism attacks marriage and women who believe in marriage and simply being a good mother and wife. An example O’Beirne uses to express these attacks is an excerpt from a book call “The Future of Marriage” by Jessie Bernard. In the excerpt Bernard says that marriage simply holds women back: “Being a housewife makes women sick.” “To be happy in a relationship which imposes so many impediments on her, as traditional marriage does, women must be slightly mentally ill.” O’Beirne says that the feminist movement did nothing but confuse gender roles and weaken the family structure that was established. I personally am not quite sure which side to take so I’m sitting on the fence. I believe that feminists and their movement did do a great deal of good for our society as a whole.
She makes us question our religion, our education, our agriculture, and our principles. She brings forth the problems we often hide and ignore. Throughout the novel the men keep their society’s downfalls secret from the women much like we try to do ourselves. This quote reveals one of our society’s issues by focusing on our beliefs on marriage. Gilman provides the point of views of these women who know nothing of marriage to allow us to see our own society’s faults in the way we think things should be.
the laws of man cry out against it. the voice of God cries out against it- and so do I.”(284) This humorous approach of satire to pointing out society's general misconception of females is again present when Howe discusses a woman's viable options to get what they want and how to achieve there desires. She goes on to say “Women, we don't need vote in order to get our own way”(288), but rather cry ,“crying always brings them around. get what you want.”288) “Make a scene.”(288) “That is so much more dignified and refined than walking up to a ballot and dropping in a piece of paper.”(288)
Competitiveness within the women seems to push the women to judge what is right and wrong, based on jealousy and envy as much as religious and social morals. We also see this competitive spirit forming moral judgment and actions in Edith Wharton's story, "Roman Fever", where again, the focus is the moral decisions made by women and the male is blameless. As the story unfolds we learn that both ladies, in their youth, loved Delphin Slade, and Mrs. Slade realized this and thought of Mrs. Ansley as a threat. For this, she had always considered Mrs. Ansley an adversary, "Would she never cure herself of envying her?" (Wharton, 1072) The story evolves to paint the picture of a female competition in which Delphin is but a pawn, blameless and controllable by women.