Essay Comparing The Female Bell-Cricket And This Powder Box
In both The Female Bell-Cricket and This Powder Box, Nakamoto Takako and Uno Chiyo explore the notion of female sexuality as power. By asserting their sexuality, the female protagonists in both texts deliberately defy socially-prescribed female virtues of chastity and obedience. This ownership of their sexuality grants them power in their relationships with men and liberates them from the submissive position that women are traditionally expected to be in. It is crucial to note, however, that the depicted ‘strength’ of the two female protagonists is ultimately a constructed façade; they are still tied down by society’s prescriptive ideals of “femininity” and “love”, and have their behavior propelled by their relationships with men.
The explicit depiction of female sexuality in both texts underscores the two protagonists’ seeming disregard for and
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