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Women in E nglish literature
Women in E nglish literature
How are women portrayed in literature
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Author Elizabeth Hinton makes a major point in chapter 4. She makes a point that Nixon and Johnson’s presidency initially began the process of imprisoning people of color. In discussing both Nixon and Johnson’s policies and describing how there programs functioned in efforts to improve the violence that occurred in urban communities, it was emphasized that Black low-income communities became a target. The shift between Nixon and Johnson altered the great society and the new frontier by expanding it. Social programs and reforms that were created, influencing the way policing is structured.
She passed a man wearing a black jacket which was odd considering it was hot outside. On her way back from her jog she had seen the man again just standing there. So she went through the water to go by him but as she did that the man grabbed her. He dragged her into the woods and attempted to rape her but did not succeed to penetrate. The man beat her up, and brutally assaulted her.
In the article “Princess Paradox” author James Poniewozik begins with a theoretical situation of a parents nightmare by offering the idea that people should not get on board with the current princess craze, which is little girls being given girly items, he then creates a contrast by stating that women can succeed with their own personal future intentions, and goals. Whereas Peggy Orenstein, author of “Cinderella and Princess Culture”, immediately proposes from her own standpoint that the princess movement is detrimental to young girls, claiming that it will brainwash them into becoming someone they are not destined to be, which is ultimately what they see fit for themselves to strive to be. In both articles, the authors validate how pink
Claire Standish is labeled “The Princess” of the group as she is rich, beautiful, and possibly the most popular female at her school. Many people assume her life is perfect and a dream when in reality her parents are on the verge of a divorce. They use, pamper, and indulge her in order to spite each other and Claire is painfully aware of this. The group initially see Claire as a “snobby stuck up bitch” assuming she is solely shallow and materialistic.
Women are useless; at least that’s how they’ve been regarded as throughout history. During the totality of history women have been treated and observed as inferior to men. Women have always been the subjects of judgment, being seen as both weak and as obedient servants by their societies as well as their respective religions. Women have long been the discussion of men, with no input from women. Interestingly, women’s fate has always been determined by the opposite sex, without an insightful analysis from those who will be affected from the boundaries that would be set as a result.
In My Antonia, Willa Cather pens a nostalgic story focused on a two people with a unique connection. Jim Burden narrates the story of Antonia Shimerda, the girl next door who happens to be a Bohemian emigrant. Jim moves to his grandparents’ house after his parents die; Antonia arrives in the United States with her family and little else. The two are vastly different, but bond quickly on the Nebraska prairie. Most people who study the novel acknowledge the obvious impact that Antonia has on Jim and see Antonia as “in one way or another, the center of the novel” (Lucenti).
Hosseini portrays how this treatment of women was accepted in Afghani culture because men’s superiority was derived from tradition. He depicts a culture in Afghanistan where wives were seen as mere possessions, so their husbands found fault with them for the inconveniences they experienced. Hosseini demonstrates the mistreatment of women in Afghanistan through the multiple examples he provides where men laid blame with women for circumstances beyond the women’s control or for which were not solely to blame for, just as Nana had warned Mariam that they were prone to do. The first instance in which Nana’s statement rings true is when Nana found out for herself how easily women in Afghanistan could be held completely accountable for things that were not solely their responsibility.
Equality of genders is a basic human right that all should posses. However, in the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini, the reader explores Afghanistan’s true nature of extreme gender inequality towards women and how it affects all the characters within the novel. The novel explores how within a marriage, women have unequal rights, undergo major amounts of physical abuse, and are emotionally and mentally tormented by their very own supposedly beloved husbands. A marriage is defined as a union of two people as partners in a personal relationship.
Gender ideologies are used to “rationalize the social hierarchy and inequities in the freedom of individuals to make choices about their lives and to influence others. Nowhere is this clearer than in Bedouin gender ideology… the network of values associated with autonomy is generally associated with masculinity” (118). Men are often affiliated with 'autonomy ' and women with 'dependency '. This notion depicts the social hierarchy assimilated within society of the Bedouins. Customarily, within the confines of economic and social systems incorporated into the society, women are seen as dependents, being conclusively reliant upon the male senior provider within their direct nuclear family.
However, their very obstacle was man. Although, the women were often seen as unfaithful and inferior to men, Shahrazed portrays a feminist character by using her sneaky strategy and fearlessness of men to trick the king, save the women of the kingdom and help them overcome discrimination. If the king was to kill every woman after a night with them, this would have caused a population decrease and the kingdom would eventually run out of women for him to marry. This story makes the reader take sides of the women that the king is
In the article, “The Princess Paradox,” author James Poniewozik argues that even though girls may grow up in a household that nurtures extreme independence and feminism, some girls want to be a princess coupled with being a strong individual. Poniewozik is compelled to explain this new cultural aura concerning both feminism and the desire to be a princess. He explains that now, in opposition to the idea of a need for domesticity as well as the polar idea of feminism, girls believe that they can be a princess independent simultaneously. He also explains that the princess must fit the girl, not the other way around. The author overall adequately supports his claim, that a change in media and film has altered girls’ desire to simply be independent, with details; however, he distracts from the topic at times with unnecessary information that
Mahfouz, as well as Said, shared a direct contact with the Arabian lifestyle because they grow up in that society. Mahfouz’s novel depicts the real world with the touches of the supernatural and mystic, but as a form of evil in the world not as exotic and uncivilized as the Europeans did. Mahfouz’s Arabian Nights and Days “takes new depths and insights as it picks up from where the ancient story ends” (Fayez 229). Mahfouz uses the Arabian Nights tales and Shahryar’s and Scheherazade’s society to portray the contemporary social and political issues of his people. Mahfouz aims to show various thematic concerns of the people of the East than the early versions left out.
Abstract women have been living very miserable lives throughout the history somewhere because of gender differences and somewhere base on lame excuses of religion. They do not have equal rights, freedom, opportunities as men and have been suffering gender-based violence perpetuated towards them in the male dominated society. Afghan women show great strength and resistance in the face of adverse circumstances. They have developed traumatic problems and in reaction to their problems, they have grown very resilience to the Afghan tradition and men harsh treatment. The research entitled “Trauma and Resistance of Afghan Women: A Critical Study of Khaled Hosseini’s Novel “A Thousand Splendid Suns”, was intended to critically analyze the novel to explore trauma and resistance of Afghan women.
The role of women in literature crosses many broad spectrums in works of the past and present. Women are often portrayed as weak and feeble individuals that submit to the situations around them, but in many cases women are shown to be strong, independent individuals. This is a common theme that has appeared many times in literature. Across all literature, there is a common element that causes the suffering and pain of women. This catalyst, the thing that initiates the suffering of women, is essentially always in the form of a man.
This highlights the importance of how these acts of cruelty Mariam and Laila faced; ‘fear of the goat, released in the tiger’s cage’ is what ultimately defines their inner feminist strength, ‘over the years/learned to harden’ which shows that Mariam and Laila’s past indirectly prepares them for The Taliban’s arrival. The Taliban take away the basic rights of Mariam and Laila ‘jewellery is forbidden’, but they fail to do so. Ironically, it is the society itself that gives them the strength and platform to strike back against Rasheed, who is a cruel, male-dominating character who symbolised and reinforced everything the term ‘anti-feminist’ stands