The Rhetoric of “We All Should Be Feminists” Novelist, Chimamanda Adichie lectured an audience on why we all should be feminists. Feminists are people who believe in the social, political, and economical equality of the sexes. Adichie describes a couple of times when she was called or implied herself to be a feminist. Adichie’s focus in the lecture was feminists but her main focus was feminists in Nigeria because that is what and where she knows. Some key points she made were that we should raise our children differently and that gender matters.
A gender bias is not implied clearly in the text although there are clear suggestions towards certain perceptions of the sexes. There seems to be some qualities that guide the development of characters based on whether they are female or male. The gender roles and identities reflect an image that is very typical in the Western world in the early 20th century which makes the text well suited for its time. The context of time explains the perception of Loretta as a weak and sensitive woman while the men, especially Ned Bashford, are portrayed as educated and intellectually intelligent which creates a traditional division between femininity and masculinity. Loretta is continuously described as uncertain and sensitive to emotions and affections
She also created a story full of facts and information, while also adding in her personal experiences relating to her general theme. Overall, throughout her TED Talk, Chimamanda Adichie appeals to logic and authority, yet also emotion, to inform her
In a sense, woman are helpless without a man in their lives and can only survive with the help of a good man. Gender roles are common to suggest, and for men the roles are known as strong, protective, and superior. As for woman, they are portrayed as emotional, weak, obedient, whiny, and submissive. It is heavily demonstrated that women are reliant on men when O'Connor describes how the Grandmother lives, “Bailey was the son she lived with, her only boy” (O’Connor). This suggests that because the Grandmother seems to
A women is expected to be submissive and not question the man. “The first time we quarreled, he said to me accusingly, ‘You don’t cry.’ I realized that his wife cried, that he could handle tears but not my cold defiance” (Adichie 4). Even as a mistress, which is not seen as moral and is not deemed how a woman should act, women are expected to be subservient to men. When she raises her voice and calls him a bastard, she is openly defying her expectations. She insults him when she calls him a bastard but even more she is insulting this power that he has over her.
Within the first stanza of the poem, Cisneros discusses her actions towards embracing her sexuality by “[feasting] on it.” Through a culture’s double standards, it is more acceptable for men to be sexually active as women are expected to abstain from any sexual activity. By attempting to empower women, she defies this double standard. The third stanza reveals that women who identify as feminists are extremely labeled as “man-hating, devastating,/ boogey-woman, [lesbians].” It is significant to note this label because of the present heterosexism. Feminism is commonly mistaken for this idea that women are “man-hating” and believe they are superior to men when in reality, it is a battle to gain equity for both sexes. Empowerment through sexuality is often associated with sexual orientation.
However, when a women is looked at just as herself and not as a rich man’s daughter she is not seen a colleague to men but as an object that is to be pitied. Another example where setting comes into play is the mood created when Mabel tries to kiss Dr. Ferguson after he rescues her. He doesn’t want to kiss her. It takes everything he has just to look at her, but at the same time he can not turn away and escape the look in her eye (Lawrence 463). This creates a sympathetic mood because Dr. Ferguson feels bad for Maybel who has just become poor and attempted to kill herself.
This is one of the misconceptions because not all women are built the same and They all look different and have different bodies. Also the narrator talks about how Clara used to be slightly dumb and when she was she seemed happier when she needed a man to do everything for her. Not all girls are dumb actually many of them are intelligent and happy because that means they are self reliant and it makes men mad because the girl doesn't need them as much. This relates to today's society because many men see women as dumb and reliant on them. They don't see them for who they are, smart intelligent women and as women who can be independent and don't need to rely on men for everything.
Adichie argues that women’s rights are human rights and both genders should approach change together. According to the speaker in the article “When a Woman Says No,” by Ellen Goodman, women are viewed guilty when it comes to rape. The smallest actions or clothing that women do or wear become proof that she gave the man permission to sexually assault her. In addition, in the article “Who’s Cheap?” by Adair Lara, shows how men and women link masculinity and money together. The speaker also says how genders both play a game of whose responsibility is whose based on their sex.
You have gone through extremely difficult times and are able to keep moving forward in life. No woman needs a man in her life to support her. Women work just as hard. Gloria Steinem once said “A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.” If women stand up for themselves when being abused, harassed, or more they will be able to get better and most likely have the man who took advantage of them finally face the consequences. With the support of the TIME’S UP movement, women are coming out and telling their story.