Over Feminist Autobiography Analysis

Women in society were and are treated like second class citizens, and for women, it’s time to be aware of this epidemic. There are numerous reasons why I feel so passionate and drawn to this controversy. Women have suffered for centuries trying to be respected in the eyes of society and men, but the people who’s had and still do have rough time is African American women. As a young African American woman, I find myself addicted to the truth and the hidden flaws behind the women’s suffrage movement. I want to further research on the first women suffrage movement to find out why was it ever okay to exclude black women and working class women.

Many people may assure that gender inequality does not exist in America in 2015. Unlike some decades ago, nowadays women can vote, have access to education and job opportunities and even be part of the government. All that reasons may turn sexism into a non-clearly-visible phenomenon, unrecognized by a large proportion of society. However, none of those inaccurate, simplistic and superficial arguments imply that gender inequality does not exist. On the contrary, there is no doubt that we live in a society in which women are victims of sexism.

In our generation and many before it, sexism has been a universal issue. Sexism is the attitude or behavior based on traditional stereotypes of gender roles. Different genders are “supposed” to have different roles. Women started out having less and unequal opportunities compared to men. This included rights, jobs, even everyday simple tasks. As time and generations went on, women started to gain equal opportunities to do what men did, but it still wasn’t the “norm”.  In the Joy Luck Club, author Amy Tan demonstrates how a younger generation of women attempted to break from established stereotypes and forge into new career paths.

Sexism is an issue that’s plagued humanity for thousands of years. In 2016 in the majority of the world, women achieve the same opportunities for education and higher learning as men do whether school, college, internet education, learning on the job etc. therefore, the very concept of the female inferiority is illogical and impractical. However, due to how deeply rooted sexism has become in society, it’s difficult to say whether progress has eliminated sexism or not. Progress has a positive connotation; it involves advancement, development, and growth into a better form of whatever focus is at hand, therefore we must evaluate the growth of our society and culture and examine whether sexism has decreased at all and if it has, whether it was the growth of our society and culture that stimulated the decrease of sexism. However, it can be difficult to assess the decrease of sexism, therefore multiple factors must be analyzed. Definitely, mindset must be analyzed and therefore modern entertainment must be analyzed to represent the speech of the people. Since women now get equal opportunities in education, we must analyze women in the workforce. However, with increasing participation in the work force, equal opportunities, globalization and forcing needs, sexism is seen as both still existent in today’s society, but also to a great extent less than it was in the past.

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines, is about Grant and Jefferson who are two black men that have drastically different views on life as one of them is college educated, while the other has no formal schooling. They refused to change their old ways and stayed closed minded throughout most of the novel . Being African American in Louisiana during the 1940s facing racism didn’t help Grant and Jefferson since whites did everything they could to degrade them. Towards the end, they evolved into caring and brave characters due to the influence of motherly-like women such as Grant's aunt Tante Lou and Miss Emma, who is Jefferson’s godmother . Miss Emma and Tante Lou, were influential female role models who instructed Grant to visit Jefferson and see him stand up for his rights, and so did Vivian, Mr. Wiggin's girlfriend who encouraged her significant other to follow Miss Emma’s and Tante Lou’s advice.

The internalized misogyny that clouds this country is overwhelming in the sense that woman will never be seen as equals. Girls are taught from a young age that they will never be as good as the boys are. Girls are not as tough, girls are not as strong, and girls are not nearly as smart as the boys are. Even the seemingly “harmless” phrases such as “You throw like a girl” or “You run like a girl” teach us that breaking through the misogynistic barrier that separates males and females is impossible.

“Man endures pain as an undeserved punishment; woman accepts it as a natural heritage”. Pearl S. Buck’s novel, The Good Earth, was focused mainly around the life of a Chinese peasant called Wang Lung. Although the novel was written about his character, another influential aspect of it was the portrayal of women and how they were restrained by the traditional Chinese society during the early 20th Century. Whereby the role of women is suppressed and is expected to be an inferior group in almost every aspect of life. They are only either slaves, concubines, mothers or wives. Their lives were entirely dictated to men.

seeing as though, according to Renzetti (2013) “Feminist criminology”, women became a part of criminological research but received no credit for it.

The theme of this weeks readings was activism and activist movements and how they shape feminism for future generations. Throughout this response I will be comparing the three readings for this week, and I will pick out and analyze specific points and arguments that stood out to me, while also mentioning aspects that I agreed with.

In Thomas Paine’s argument America is a just land that gives equal opportunities for the everyone. This argument does not hold true today because of the judgement and lawlessness made in this country everyday. Since America was established oppression has been a relevant issue. Throughout America every citizen is not seen or respected as an equal. In many cases, individuals have privilege over others due to skin color and gender. Although America was founded on equal rights and freedom, it has turned to the manipulation and exploitation of their citizens. Sexism, discrimination, and corruption have caused a change in the original dream of a truly free land.

Influences derive from all around. People, events, passions, and movements shaped the person I am today. My family set my beliefs and values, but I have grown and developed my thoughts based on experience and research. Medical problems which lead to surgery increased my maturity and everyday thankfulness. I am passionate about many subjects, including art in multiple forms. Many issues are important to me, including feminism in today’s society. Because of feminism, I perceive ideas and cultural norms differently, and I focus on bettering myself and others. It is vital to know where I stand on subjects, and how I live according to that stance.

When Patricia Arquette went up the stairs to accept her Oscar a couple of weeks ago, she used the moment to call the attention of the Academy Awards watching world to the struggles of women in regard to equal pay and general recognition – and while her words fell on open ears with the female audience parts of the internet weren’t exactly happy about it. It’s not that equal pay isn’t an important issue anymore or that one shouldn´t use any opportunity to point out the still very much ongoing trouble women face in the work sphere. No, the thing that made people angry is not only what was said on stage, but the way it was clarified behind it: In Arquette’s opinion, it is time for gay people and all the Women of Colour to

“When I have a daughter, I don’t want her to worry about having equal rights” ( site). This quote by professor, Kyle Morford, makes women rethink about what rights they have and what the future holds for them. These concerns arose after the Republican Presidential nominee,Donald Trump, won the presidential election. Women feel that the conservative candidate may eliminate or jeopardize all the rights women have worked to earn (site). Some individuals argue that women’s rights are not at stake, instead, they claim that women cannot live independently, without the government support. However, many women do live independently without the government 's help, and in order for people to understand why women feel their rights are threatened, they must first be aware of what obstacles women have had to overcome to gain certain rights.

Rape is one of the world’s most horrific crimes committed in the world today. One in every sixth women in the world has been raped, sexual assaulted, or have attempted in contact with sexual assault. Most rape cases involve between the ages of twelve and older. In a report, just in 2014, there have been approximately 35 percent cases of sexual battery within the United States. Almost half of these rape crimes have occurred just in the victim’s home themselves. About twenty-two percent of rapes involved gang rapes. Most of the rape cases that do occur in the world have been underreporting’s.

There is a sudden need to join forces in order to promote the welfare and wellbeing of thousands of suffering women across the globe. In todays’ scenario, women are being subjected all sorts of abuse- mental, physical, sexual etc. This again, reemphasises on Feminism as a science and a tool in order to revive these women out of their shambles and empower them. Feminism has been misinterpreted or misunderstood in literature. It doesn’t talk about taking the rights from men and transferring it to women, but it only talks about providing equal rights to both men and women. In order to create an egalitarian society, feminism is very crucial and significant. In order to guesstimate the real stand of women in today’s world, it