ipl-logo

Gender Stratification Of Women In The Film Grease

812 Words4 Pages

“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.” -Roseanne Barr. Throughout literature and time, women have been degraded and are seen as dependent on males through different writings. This is because of the ancient idea that men are stronger and more useful than women. The way that women are described in stories, whether through appearances or way of life, have helped further male dominance in societies and gender stratification.
The way that women’s appearances are described in stories proves men are in control of societies today. In the 1978 movie Grease, the question is as follows, “What’s that matter, aren’t you happy” (Frenchie). “No but I could be. Could you help me?” (Sandy). This highlights Sandy’s changes …show more content…

For example, in the fairytale Rumpelstiltskin, the brothers Grimm analyze gender stratification when they say, “All at once the door opened and in stepped a little Man, who said, ‘Good evening, fair maiden; why do you weep so sore?’ ‘Ah,’ she replied, ‘I must spin this straw into gold, and I am sure I don’t know how’” (Grimm 436). Proving my point, this point shows how the woman was incapable of doing her duty without a man’s help. This demonstrates male dominance because the authors write her as helpless and dependent on men. It teaches readers that men are in control of social normalities and how society views women. A woman cannot even live her way of life without the help and reliance of a male. The description of characters in literature has helped gender stratification to become normal. In the book A General Theory of Gender Stratification, Rae Lesser Blumberg states, “ 'Remember the Golden Rule- he who has the gold makes the rules.' (...) the amount of gold controlled by each sex would be compared”. This quote talks about the comparison of control of men and women. He uses the example to show that if you compared the amount of “gold” each had, it would prove that men have greater power. In literature, men are always the wealthy ones, therefore they make the rules in society. Women being described as lesser than men, whether through riches or abilities, throughout stories and in today’s world proves that men hold a great amount of power in our

Show More
Related

Comparing Susan Glaspell's Trifles And The Yellow Wallpaper

1166 Words | 5 Pages

Common themes in these stories address the dominance of men towards women which affects the physical and emotional well-being of the female characters. The authors use symbolism, similes, metaphors and dramatic irony to exemplify patriarchal dominance and its suppressive treatment of women. In the early 1900s, patriarchal dominance reigned while women's roles were confined to raising children and taking care of their households and husbands. Men

Read More

The Changing Role Of Women In The Early 1900s

271 Words | 2 Pages

Women throughout history were always undervalued by the men. They have always known where their place in society was. Also, women are known for always being at a disadvantage with the men; women have never gotten as many opportunities as men, even in today's world. They always were at a disparity against men. It wasn’t until recently when women were able to be educated.

Read More

Daisy Buchanan's Treatment Of Women In The Great Gatsby

1454 Words | 6 Pages

Does the male domination today compare to the extensive sexism of women throughout history? The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The Great Gatsby, by Scott Fitzgerald, both coherently portray women in American history as submissive to male authority. The Scarlet Letter is a novel based in the 17th century where Hester Prynne, an adulteress, is stripped of her identity through public humiliation, but defies the societal views of her town and bravely accepts her faults. In The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan is portrayed as a perfect, high-class, and beautiful women whom all men fall in love with the idea of her. In both of these respected works of American literature, Daisy Buchanan and Hester Prynne contrast in the roles they partake

Read More

How To Foreshadow Women In The 1920s

661 Words | 3 Pages

In history, and present time, many events foreshadow women obtaining more rights and becoming equal with men. Many people think that women have not gained much power, or are losing it. I on the other hand, believe that women’s rights have not died down but progressed over time. In many circumstances, women have proved themselves, and have gained power over time. Sometimes this power was even seen as a problem.

Read More

Liberty's Daughters Analysis

683 Words | 3 Pages

Women also face unequal opportunity and treatment. In most world history, the man has been the leader and the woman, the follower. Men are more greatly respected and thought highly of. During the 18th century at the time of The Declaration of Independence the inferior attitude toward women was prevalent. Historian Mary Beth Norton wrote about treatment of women in this time period in the book, Liberty’s Daughters.

Read More

Declaration Of Sentiments

1036 Words | 5 Pages

Men have given the media this unrealistic image that women cannot fend for themselves, cannot do hard jobs, or cannot get as far in life as a man. Even in jobs, though a woman and a man may be in the same position, women “earn just 74 cents for every $1 a man earns” (CNNMoney). This is truly unfair, yet men today still say that women are “equal,” though it is obviously false. Women today, though they have more rights than in the 1800’s, are still not in the place we need to be in ranking with men. Women are still abused, sexually harassed and mistreated more than men because of their sex.

Read More

Essay On Women's Suffrage

475 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout history, there has always been a rivalry between the two sexes and in the end the women have always come in second place. Time over time it has been proven difficult for women to hold any type of power that they have wanted except for the tasks that they have been given due to their gender. In society and in their own homes, it has been difficult for women to grow and sustain their power beyond the limits that they have been given. Women have been differentiated from men and have been discriminated with regard to jobs and other types of privileges that they have wanted. Throughout the course of history, they have been denied many freedoms that every man has and they want to be equal to their counterparts.

Read More

Doubt Analysis: Oppression Of Women

845 Words | 4 Pages

Deja Patterson English 3 Honors 2nd Block Mr. Colagross 4 January 2016 Doubt Analysis: Oppression of Women It is said that as a woman you are suppose to stay home, clean up, breed and raise the children. Women were not allowed to hold a higher job or success than men because they might feel intimidated and their ego might actually shirk instead of being inflated. The concept of how women are suppose to portray, have been suppressing women into these roles by both men and women since the earth has been created.

Read More

Sexism In The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe

990 Words | 4 Pages

The men in the novel always feel superior to the women and so, they obtain the more powerful roles while the women are assumed to abide by and admire them. They are perceived as strong and brave. The women are weak and inept. For example, Peter was always taken as the leader, the one who is trusted to lead the others. Edmund embodied the ultimate male trait – aggressiveness – which he uses to menace his siblings.

Read More

Gender Roles In Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being Earnest

928 Words | 4 Pages

In the Victorian era, gender inequality was daily life. Men were most often the dominant power in a relationship whereas women were expected to be pure and innocent. In an era of arranged marriages, women belonged to their husbands and were attached to their households. However, Wilde has questioned these gender roles and created rather independent and powerful female characters in the play. Though Lady Bracknell and Jack have to give their consent as an approval of marriage to their wards, Gwendolen and Cecily, women show dominance over men in each relationship.

Read More

Gender Roles In The World On Turtle's Back

476 Words | 2 Pages

Or when her husband pushes her away from the sky, because she was being annoying. It makes men mistreating women seem like something normal, acceptable, reasonable. Also, it reinforces the desire of war that men have, and how violent they can be, comming to the point of killing their own brother. There is a huge disparity between male and female gender. While ladies are the creators, they still are seen as weak and passive, while boys are dominant.

Read More

Scott Russell Sanders's The Men We Carry In Our Minds

837 Words | 4 Pages

In nearly all historical societies, sexism was prevalent. Power struggles between genders mostly ended in men being the dominant force in society, leaving women on a lower rung of the social ladder. However, this does not always mean that women have a harder existence in society. Scott Russell Sanders faces a moral dilemma in “The Men We Carry in Our Minds.” In the beginning, Sanders feels that women have a harder time in society today than men do.

Read More

Analysis Of Short Story 'Boys And Girls' By Alice Munro

1091 Words | 5 Pages

This proved when the narrator’s mother always tried to get the narrator to do work that appropriate for a lady instead of outside work, however it was not something that she enjoyed. The narrator also was not considered of real helper to her father because she was a female. This proved when her father introduced the narrator as ‘his new hired hand’ to a salesman, he replied, “I thought it was only a girl” (line 76, paragraph 10).This shows how the society view girl as ‘just a girl’ at that time and it means that their roles are not really significant in the society. As being said by Alexander Pope (1688-1744), “Most women have no character at all.” (Bressler, C.E., 2011).

Read More

Examples Of Feminism In To Kill A Mockingbird

1229 Words | 5 Pages

Females in submissive roles were proved by giving examples of when females were looked down upon. An example was when Scout was when Scout wanted to play but was told she could not because she was a girl. Women undervalued was proven by giving the readers examples of when they were treated poorly because they didn’t meet societies standards. Finally, a difference in roles between females and males was shown by informing the readers about the ways that females were told to act compared to males and how it was unfair. Females were treated poorly and had unfair standards they were told they need to meet.

Read More

The Hunger Games Feminist Analysis

1000 Words | 4 Pages

Feminist literary criticism’s primary argument is that female characters have always been presented from a male’s viewpoint. According to Connell, in most literary works, female characters often play minor roles which emphasize their domestic roles, subservience and physical beauty while males are always the protagonists who are strong, heroic and dominant (qtd. in Woloshyn et al.150). This means that the women are perceived as weak and are supposed to be under the control of men. Gill and Sellers say that feminist literary criticism’s approach involves identifying with female characters in order to challenge any male centred outlook.

Read More

More about Gender Stratification Of Women In The Film Grease

Related Topics

Open Document