Although loyal and determined, Desdemona’s naïve nature has caused many to believe that she is also of a passive nature. When Desdemona asks Emilia if she would ever cheat on her husband for the “whole world”, Desdemona seems surprised to find that Emilia responds with a simple “yes”. “But for the whole world? Why, who would not make her husband a cuckold to make him a monarch? I should venture purgatory for ’t (Emilia, IV.iii.
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.
Throughout The Odyssey, written by Homer, the treatment of women plays a key role in the overall outcome of the story and is a central issue presented in this poem. In many scenarios it is evident that men are treated with superiority to women. During the era that this story was written, men played the dominant role. Society was organized, directed, and controlled by men, and it was accepted that women occupied a subservient and inferior position. Questia states, “Despite their vital role in Ancient Greek and Roman society, women were not considered full citizens and in most instances required a guardian – their fathers, and later husbands – to represent them” (“Women in Ancient Greece and Rome”).
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.
Jesse Smith Close Reading Anna Barbauld’s poem, “The Rights of Woman,” has a controversial debate, describing how women should take over and rule the world. Baurbauld was a poet, a freethinker but she wasn’t considered a feminist. In the poem, Barbauld acknowledges, “But hope not, courted idol of mankind, on this proud eminence secure to stay”(25). Meaning she’s advising women to stand up and play a higher role than men. But in reality she is scared to voice her true goal of the passage.
Textual Analysis – Gender Roles & Polygamy in the Novel “Sister Wife” Over the course of history women have not always been depicted as strong and powerful figures in literary text. This unfortunately happens to be a reflection of history itself. Women have struggled for arguably all of humanity to be considered as equals to their male counterparts. Although polygamy is painted to be a degrading and offensive practice for women, it still holds the same aspects in a monogamous marriage such as love, respect and a good support structure that traditional monogamous families have. As some Mormon women feel indifferent to being in a plural marriage, most feel as if it is obligatory and a part of their duty to follow their religious and spiritual beliefs as a way to successfully reach salvation.
‘During Jane Eyre, theme of appearance and reality is the cornerstone of the novel’ During the novel, Jane has appeared to suppress her feelings of being an independent woman. Although, this is what Jane appears to want in reality. Feminism at the time was not very good and not very up to scratch. Women were seen as an ornament for men, and men believed that women should do what they say. They were almost treating women like children.
This female genderization of God is the primary reason their books were excluded from the New Testament. Those who were in power during this time wanted to ensure that the word of God matched the social values that they believed in. Ever since the story of Adam and Eve women have taken on somewhat of an untrustworthy reputation. Early Jewish texts describe women as the deceiver of man,
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.
A Closer Look Into the Middle Ages During the Middle Ages, in a time where religion dictated society, women were affected greatly. They were restricted in numerous ways having strict policies pertaining to music, ministry, education, and their role in their communities minimizing their opportunities to reach their full potential. Nevertheless, many distinguished women found ways to prosper. One women in particular, Hildegard von Bingen, had a different perspective and attempted to break this gender barrier that women in the middle ages dared to overcome. The Medieval period was a time where men were perceived as superior in comparison to women.