Milky Way Thesis

The female body has consistently been a topic of debate among society. What were once considered powerful and mighty by the Ancient Greek and other Old World cultures, the breasts and vagina are now perceived as taboo and dirty. Over time, society has discouraged women from enjoying their bodies and has taught them to be ashamed of their “naturally deficient and defective genitalia”. While men are allowed to flaunt their sexuality and boast (often falsely) about the size of their penises, Women are told to suppress their sexual desires. The changes in cultural perceptions of the female body ultimately began when women became more prominent in the workforce which led to the patriarchal need to destroy the image of the female. The destruction

Post menopausal women were considered wise and powerful and were often depicted in statues and icons. Breasts were considered sacred not only for their ability to nourish children but because they were a source of wisdom. The story of the Origins of the Milky Way depicts the power behind the female breast when Hera released her breast milk into the heavens. The power of the vagina and breasts come from the mystery behind them. In ancient culture there was little to no research on female anatomy, even today the amount of studies on the vagina are limited compared to those on the male genitalia. With no scientific understanding of the vagina, societies were left to form their own interpretations. This is why cultural thought and perception of the female body has changed over time. As society transformed, perceptions changed and women were forced to adhere to the new

The Vagina Dentata which typically embodies female empowerment was changed to display the need for the man to conquer the women. This is portrayed in the movie Teeth when Dawn initially researches the Vagina Dentata. The website that she discovers states that “a hero must do battle of the woman, the toothed creature, to break her power. The myth springs from the primitive masculine dread of the mysteries of women sexuality.” Dawn represents a female easily manipulated by patriarchal expectations. When she realizes she has Vagina Dentata she immediately goes to a boy’s house in order to have someone break the power of her vagina. Dawn is not empowered at this point because she has fallen to the patriarchal belief that female sexuality is taboo and dirty. However, Dawn becomes empowered when she realizes that not only does Ryan not have the ability to tame her, but that her powers do not need to be tamed. At the beginning of the movie, Dawn strongly believes in the societal belief that female sexuality and masturbation needs to be suppressed. However, by the end of the movie she learns to love her body and to embrace her sexuality. She ultimately becomes empowered when she realizes the patriarchal expectation for females is false and begins to use her sexuality to her advantage to gain what she wants. This is shown when she uses her Vagina Dentata to get back at her