During this week, we have covered numerous topics, none more prominent than the oppression of women. Everyone had different opinions, allowing me to take into account different views on the issue. In one of the texts we examined, “Oppression”, Marilyn Frye, a philosopher, debates the subjugation of women. She states the cultural customs that causes oppression of women. I do agree with her view that women are oppressed, but I do not agree that it is just women. I believe that men as a gender are also oppressed. Oppression can be defined as the systematic mistreatment of people within a social identity group. Frye uses a bird cage, to explain oppression, saying that one may not view the wires as harmful, but all together, they leave you imprisoned, sometimes without your knowledge. This means that, women may be oppressed without the understanding or realization of what is going on. With one wire or barrier alone, a bird can just fly around it and be free, but when …show more content…
Like women, men are in a double bind. A double bind, is a situation in which a person is confronted with two irreconcilable demands or a choice between two undesirable courses of action. For example, men must show little emotion or femininity and be tough even if they want to. If we obey, then we show our compliance and our acceptance of the situation. Furthermore, we as men must hold doors and pay for things such as dinner, but if a girl refuses for us to do this and we still do so, we are viewed as prideful.
Overall, both men and women can be viewed as oppressed. I agree with Frye’s view that women have been oppressed in the past, but not with the view that men aren’t. The male gender has been forced to conform to society’s view of us, in order to truly be considered a man. If a man is not tough or stern, then he is considered weak. We as a male gender are oppressed and in a double
Two notable novels that center around themes of oppression, Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible and Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest seem to give very different messages, the former detailing the oppression of women by overbearing men and the latter describing the opposite, these messages can be taken together, showing that both men and
Gender Equality Throughout America’s history, women have struggled to obtain basic human rights, gender equality, and general respect from men. These issues continue on into our current day-to-day life and will seem to continue for many years to come. In American literature, there are two women, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth, amongst many, who voiced their struggles as women in America. Stanton’s piece, “Declaration of Sentiments”, is a revised version of the “Declaration of Independence”, and it outlines the many rights women have been withheld from.
This essay illustrates how biased our country is. Although we have multiple amendments that legally make minorities equivalent to males, females are still treated as if they’re completely irrelevant. Boys look and treat girls of all ages like they are objects or property. Males tend to believe they are stronger and more powerful than the women. Although men do tend to be stronger, women could be just as powerful if they took a stand or a little change was made.
I very much agree with Frye’s concept of oppression. She started by mentioning three words: “Mold. Immobilize. Reduce.” She discussed how barriers are set in place to assure women are acting the same.
Frye states that oppression is a system of restrictions and limitations that reduce, demean, immobilize, and purposefully shape an individual to belong to a certain plan or idea, creating a subordination to another group (such as women vs. men). When Frye talks about the birdcage analogy she is using it to explain oppression and the barriers or limitations it puts on a person. Frye also mentions that a person can be miserable without being oppressed and that it is consistent to deny that a person or group is oppressed without denying that they have feelings or that they suffer. Oppression is more abstract than being physically miserable, almost that it is a way of living. We talk about being miserable and suffering somewhat interchangeably
In the developing western world, women have always been considered the weak link of the society. For centuries they have been treated as less intelligent and less important than men, and therefore, subordinate to men. Since, as a general rule, men are physically stronger than women are, such domination wasn’t hard to achieve. For hundreds of years, this mindset has impacted humanity’s understanding of equality and has left its mark on the way our society functions to this day. For the western world over the past few hundred years, and sadly to this day still having its impact on the general public, white males have been considered the most righteous, intelligent, moral, and thus, supreme to the rest of society.
Deja Patterson English 3 Honors 2nd Block Mr. Colagross 4 January 2016 Doubt Analysis: Oppression of Women It is said that as a woman you are suppose to stay home, clean up, breed and raise the children. Women were not allowed to hold a higher job or success than men because they might feel intimidated and their ego might actually shirk instead of being inflated. The concept of how women are suppose to portray, have been suppressing women into these roles by both men and women since the earth has been created.
In nearly all historical societies, sexism was prevalent. Power struggles between genders mostly ended in men being the dominant force in society, leaving women on a lower rung of the social ladder. However, this does not always mean that women have a harder existence in society. Scott Russell Sanders faces a moral dilemma in “The Men We Carry in Our Minds.” In the beginning, Sanders feels that women have a harder time in society today than men do.
Are we, women, just a mere prop to strengthen men’s power and pride? Are women only existing in this world to serve and satisfy men? Back in the day when men are dominating the government and our society, women are just left in their houses. Society sees them as a puppet, a person who is only capable of doing household chores or even a mere baby maker. Freedom is non-existent to a woman’s life and they are treated like criminals who are sentenced to life imprisonment or like a bird whose wings are broken and trapped inside a cage.
With the rise of civilization also came the rise of patriarchy-based societies and the slow decline of the importance of women in society. For the longest time the history of the world has been written by men who have been the head of the patriarchy and have forgotten the role of women in history. It is important to realize that women do in fact have a place at the table with men when it comes to importance in history, and are not just the ones cooking and serving the meal. It is women who tasked with raising the next generation. By looking at women of the past, people of the future can learn and evolve to fight oppression and gain their own power.
This distinction can be used to explore ways in which women have been historically oppressed in the ‘male world’ (Jacobi,
For centuries, women have been exploited by the society. Events of women being prohibited from doing things like voting or working and being forced to behave the way it is considered to be socially acceptable have been jotted down in history. Until today women are still viewed as the weaker sex. In some countries, women are regarded less than human and are treated like slaves. Khaled Hosseini goes into the oppression of women in his novel A Thousand Splendid Suns.
Gender inequality is not a new topic. Throughout history, women have faced significant sexist discrimination starting with being denied basic rights enjoyed by men. In many societies, women have been categorized as inferior to men. Greek poet, Homer, consistently highlighted this ‘women are inferior’ theme throughout his writings of The Iliad and The Odyssey. Even though this degradation of women has currently been brought to light in the 21st century, it continues to remain a serious issue.
I believe there is a very relevant contemporary political issue in comparison with Frye’s essay. She states that the over-use and misunderstanding of the word oppression take's away from its value and therefore the importance of its recognition is lost. I believe that this is paralleled with the words racism and sexism. People don’t understand these terms and just them around loosely turning certain situations into a completely misinterpreted way devaluing the real terms. Especially with racism, it has become so out of hand that people will throw out the word racism so they can get a job or manipulate someone or even use it to start riots and loot.
Many women limit themselves by stay home and not taking on their own jobs, not driving because their husbands don’t want them to, and not following their aspirations because of what their husbands need. It’s almost implied that it has to be that way in many places. Especially in countries like India and countries in the middle east, it’s socially and physically extremely hard for women to to have a position of power similar to what men do. Even if women do get a good job, or a political position, most men don’t take them seriously and don’t respect them. The disrespect doesn’t just fall in India and the middle east, even American women are subjected to oppression that is now a part of the