“And there are so many silences to be broken.” This powerful final line of “The Transformations of Silence into Language and Action” by black, female, lesbian, poet, Audre Lorde is used to conclude her speech to the Modern Language Association’s “Lesbian and Literature Panel.” In this speech Audre Lorde is speaking to a panel of women on how to actively communicate with one another after reflecting on her life due to a near death experience. She claims that they should be putting aside their differences as women and realizing that they need to communicate and “speak up” to thrive. Audre throughout her speech prioritizes this message and attempts to instill this desire to speak up amongst, not just the women in the panel, but rather to more
Silent Speech in Audre Lorde’s Zami: A New Spelling of My Name Even though, she was born on February 18 1934 as Audrey Geraldine Lorde, her name quickly changed to Audre Lorde; “I did not like the tail of the Y hanging down below the line in Audrey” (Lorde 24). She was only 4 years old when she made this decision, already marking her head-strong character, which Audre Lorde possessed throughout her turbulent life. Not only was Audre Lorde a fervent civil rights activist, but also a devout feminist, however she described herself as; “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet” and “dedicated both her life and her creative talent to confronting and addressing the injustices of racism, sexism, and homophobia” (Poetry Foundation). Most of Lorde’s poetry and critical essays are focussed on black female identity, feminism, civil rights issues or a combination of these issues.
In relation to the previous discussion on Margaret Sanger, this chapter will explore the theories of Sanger who wrote in the period of first wave feminism in relation to Betty Friedan; a second wave feminist and women’s activist who, like Sanger chooses to focus on the constraints of female biology despite the difference in time. This direct comparison allows a critical analysis between the parallels and differences of the first two waves of feminism on the grounds of bodily autonomy; investigating further whether these two waves are connected on these grounds and how significant they are in the different time frames. Friedan positioned herself within society as one of the most influential figures to contribute to the development of feminism
In September of 1979, Audre Lorde, poet, spoke about the impossibility of dismantling the patriarchy through oppressive means. The black feminist woman, Lorde, who has cancer at the point of this speech, uses ethos, pathos, and logos in order to guilt the audience into making a change of how black feminists are represented. Ethos is the building of the author's credibility in order to become more persuasive because people tend to believe people who they deem likable or respectable. “I agreed to take part in a New York University Institute for the Humanities conference a year ago, with the understanding that I would be commenting upon papers dealing with the role of difference within the lives of American women: difference of race, sexuality, class, and age. The absence of these considerations weakens any feminist discussion of the personal and the political.”
She says that men denied them opportunities such as voting and others and forced women to become less valued than men. She also was very focused on getting rid of the term separate spheres. Her main points were that women and men have equal rights and women should be able to be involved in
He continues with talking about how women feel inferior to men, but he argues that it may not be as big of an issue as some feminist groups make it out to be. Lastly, he brings to the reader’s attention that differences are
Leading up to the 19th century women beginning to want a new change in the system. Not only just for women’s rights but for equality to be made to everyone. The era of this new decade allowed for so many changes to be made, both good and bad depending on who you asked. Women taught traditions passed down, never being able to branch out on their own were finally able to have new freedoms. These are the women who caused a difference in history and helped fight for right to be equal.
Lorde, throughout her text, makes it incredibly clear that she is comfortable with who she is and the labels she identifies with. However, she acknowledges that others may be fearful of her because she is a black lesbian poet or anything else she identifies with. My opening up about my mental health sparked another personal journey for me: discovering my identity. My predetermined identity labels like my age, gender, and race have never been the source of my questioning, but instead things like style, personality, and image. Just as Lorde had put fear into perspective and stole its power, I too had put it behind me.
(Do note there were feminist ideas during this time, none were acted upon though. Example: Vindication of the Rights of Women, by Mary Wollstonecraft). But during the succeeding movement in France, women’s rights and the feminist movement become more
As with all theories, this feminist approach to Louise Halfe’s “Body Politics” does not come without its flaws. While it can be argued that this poem criticizes the performativity of feminine gender roles in a patriarchal society, this cannot be proven definitively without knowing the author’s original intentions. Furthermore, the poem does not give its readers enough information to conclude that the society the women live in is in fact a patriarchal society. This becomes evident, as there is no reference to any masculine figure – so any assumptions about the masculine-dominant culture are purely speculative. It is possible that Halfe wrote this poem in an attempt to challenge the gender binary, however one stands to question how successfully she is in doing so.
One of her main points that would eventually make its way to modern society was the ability for women to go to school and get an education similar to a man’s. She wanted women to be given the same chance as men so that they could prove their worth to everyone. In a scene she wanted the reputation of women being weak and emotional to be destroyed that way women could have rights. In her book written in 1792, “A Vindication for Women’s Rights.”, she wrote, “To render mankind more virtuous, and happier of course, both sexes must act from the same principal;... women must be allowed to find their virtue on knowledge, which is scarcely possible unless they be educated by the same pursuits [studies] as
"The Need for Birth Control" (1922) written by Margaret Sanger a feminist and birth control activist. Sanger started out nursing before she released in 1912 an article in a newspaper called "What Every Girl Should Know" starting her campaign to educate women about sex, during this time she was nursing women on the lower east side and treated many women who had back-alley abortions or tried to terminate the pregnancy themselves. This motivated Sanger to begin fighting to make birth control information and contraceptives available to women. In 1914 Sanger had published "The Rebel Woman" a feminist magazine that promoted women's rights to birth control, By doing this she was going against the Comstock act of 1873 and faced a possible five- year jail sentence. Instead of facing jail time Sanger fled to England and worked in the women's movement and researched birth control.
Growing up, we were taught to look at the world in juxtaposition. This outlook forces us to order things such as race, sex, and socioeconomic status in categorical or hierarchical terms. In order to be on top, someone has to be beneath you, so those who are oppressors focus on maintaining their positions while still keeping the oppressed under their thumb. In the reading, Lorde speaking more on feminism but I feel like this is inclusive of men as well, but to me, this passage gives a sense of connectivity between various issues and how none of them can truly be addressed without acknowledging the others. This quote shows how oppression is largely universal while demonstrating how uncomfortable topics should not be avoided for fear of said discomfort.
The women of this movement were fighting for something they believed they deserve. Because of the Seneca Falls Convention and the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolution, women were able to express their own opinions. The women’s rights movement led to many different events, impacted other countries, and created a new amendment. The feminist efforts in the mid 1800s were successful enough to allow women to take on occupations and educations they weren’t able to obtain
From the outset, literature and all forms of art have been used to express their author’s feelings, opinions, ideas, and believes. Accordingly, many authors have resorted to their writing to express their feminist ideas, but first we must define what feminism is. According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, feminism is “the belief that women should be allowed the same rights, power, and opportunities as men and be treated in the same way, or the set of activities intended to achieve this state”. As early as the fifteenth century is possible to find feminist writings. Centuries later, and although she never referred to herself as one, the famous English writer Virginia Woolf became one of the greatest feminist writers of the twentieth
