Scholarship the feminist critics Judith Herman and Lisa Hirschman explain that "the greater the degree of male supremacy in any culture, the greater the likelihood of father-daughter incest" (Herman and Hirschman, 263). Concerning southern 1930s, men were certainly seen as superior, so a heinous situation like this is not unthinkable, but no less terrible.
In Catch-22, every female character, regardless of their relative place in life, get devalued to the role of a sexual object. The prostitutes all are treated as property, without autonomy or respect. The only one who reached a position of relative power, Nately’s whore, never even got a name- she is only known by her attachment to a man. Nately’s whore is only in ‘power’ because Nately died
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In the scene of Alexandria’s club meeting, Scout is called away from helping Cal to partake in a conversation she is unable to fully contribute to- an attempt to reinforce and uphold the stratification between privileged white woman preying on the only black woman who is respected in this novel. While Mayella is viewed almost as bad off as a minority, because of her isolation and education and income, Jem concludes that mixed children are unable to socialize with other kids, putting them at the most disadvantaged position. This hierarchy pits women against each other, encouraging inter-community discourse that is entirely …show more content…
Both Catch-22 and To Kill A Mockingbird exemplify universal violence of their time, including warfare, racism, and psychological violence against women. These factors create a ground for the authors to examine and critique societal structures, eventually resulting in a greater understanding of the wider world. Joseph Heller and Harper Lee made valuable social commentary about the treatment of women, societal stratification of people of different races, the dehumanization of international battles, and these critiques have created for a more aware and cognizant