This is likely due to the oppressive social structure that existed when Heart of Darkness was written; both the author and the characters of the novel were the effects of an exclusively patriarchal European world, where men were the sole possessor of positions of power. As Andrew Roberts states, ‘a whole matrix of inter-male relationships involving competitiveness, desire, bonding, the sharing and appropriation of power and knowledge…functioned in this society’. Women in this society were typically used merely as scapegoats by men, often in a sexual manner; they were regarded as a shared desire, or common goal, and were thus excluded from achieving the same positions of power as men. Women in the novel, however, are described in a threatening and sinister
Most of the latest criticism has focused on the role played by women in Heart of Darkness, for some critics like Mclntire; the text seems to marginalize the role of women, and to exclude them from the world of men. For others like Biswas, women do serve to play more role than it seems to be, and the novel is not about men dominant power over women. Both Biswas and Mclntire hold contradictory views, even though they sometimes agree on some points. I am going to take advantages from this contradiction on view, based on it I will first analyze Biswas main arguments and show how it differs from other critics, then I will compare and contrast between him and Mclntire, finally I will relate his text to the feminism theory. Biswas argue that Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness has always been the focus of controversy especially with regard to women.
A woman is human.” The author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni understands the equality both men and women should have, however she also understands the struggles that women who believe in patriarchal societies that live in eastern societies have. Therefore through the feminist criticism lens, the author’s purpose in Arranged Marriage is to show that living in a patriarchal society brings negativity into differents aspects of a woman’s life, due to stereotypical, and even cultural restrictions that they are put under. This can be shown
Sadly, women are taught that they must rely on men because they are too weak to be independent. This creates gender inequality which can be described as unequal power relations, which leads to discrimination based on gender. Gender inequality has made it possible for gender-based violence to exist and persist. Thus, concluding that our society
The play “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell is largely based on stereotypes. The most prevalent one explores the difference between gender roles. Glaspell exerts the repression of women in the 1900s. During that time, women were highly looked down upon by men, and were only seen as the housekeepers and child bearers. This example is displayed throughout the play with the men, however, the women in this play prove that the stereotypes of gender roles held against them are completely wrong, which is shown through the characters, set design, and symbolism.
Unequal treatment towards opposite gender: The society who believes in gender decontamination do not treat men and women equally, it draws a boundary around women while men are free to do any thing they want to do and there are no boundaries for men. Woman are restricted to follow a particular pattern which is designed for them by society i.e men. There are feminists working in favor of woman and fighting for their rights. Misogyny: Misogyny is the hatred or dislike of women or girls. Misogyny can be manifested in numerous ways, including sexual discrimination, belittling of women, violence against women, and sexual objectification of women.
Moreover, the discrimination in social classes leads a path to discrimination in gender roles. People, especially women, were thrust into gender specific roles which withheld them from society. “The diabolical happiness of men on the loose presented an even greater threat to women” shows that women were treated as objects and as something to throw away. One of the things that was thought as useless trash was themselves. It is very clear in the stories that the authors didn’t have very high opinions of themselves.
Feminist have challenged patriarchal knowledge, ideology, values and its practice. Despite a range of common themes within feminists in understanding patriarchy,some of the feminists do not like the term ‘Patriarchy’ for various reasons, so that they prefer the term “Gender” and “Gender Oppression”. Michele Barrett argues that the term patriarchy assumes that the relation of men and women is unchanging and universalistic. She suggested that it can only be appropriate if it defined very narrowly and refers to specific aspects of ideological relations which those of Father- Daughter relationship (Barrett 1980). The use of term often involves confusion between ‘Patriarchy’ as men’s domination of women.
Woman has been worshipped as a Mother, as a goddess, as Nature and at the same time, she is condemned as a Witch and as a Seductress. She has rarely been perceived simply as a ‘Human Being’. Thus, there is a duality in the projection of female in literature. Females are oppressed and exploited in our society as it remains culturally patriarchal in spite of democracy. The men have internally colonized the minds of women, often making them aware of the limitations.
Alice is oppressed because she is a woman, as are the other ladies in the novel. Women have less to say about what they need or want but they have to pay much and also to face the results when the men around them botch. It is dreary to see these frail willed men delineated in the novel who failed to stay up for women, who recognize an overall population where women are set backs of their