The Year Of The Flood Analysis

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The only way for women to be freed from oppression and commodification is through the collapse of society itself. The apocalypse also freed them from systematic oppression of the past when society still existed. However, men survived the apocalypse as well. Women therefore are not able to escape their oppressors, men and society itself, with the recreation of a chauvinistic society. This recreation of a chauvinistic society of the future evidently leads to the gender oppression of females. Women in either detrimental society is subjugated to fear as a means to prevent their antagonism. In light of this, the men’s authority would not be compromised with fear being a necessary tool.

The correlation of fear in women is depicted explicitly in …show more content…

As previously mentioned, a woman shall be punished severely should she try to escape, bringing up the example of Dora being greatly threatened by her male boss. Following up to her subsequent escape from SecretBurgers to The Garden after being escorted by Adam One, she still sensed the dangers and perils from the male boss Blanco. “[...] Blanco would still be on the lookout for her, down on the pleeb streets - him and his two thug pals. No woman ever got away from him, was his boast. [...] It would take a publicly advertised gang rape or her head on a pole to wipe the slate.” The consequences of her rebellious action - that is kicking Blanco’s head “without even thinking” - is rather similar to those in The Handmaid’s Tale. Women are not allowed, let alone having the freedom, to have what the desire and to be siding the opposition against the figurehead of the authority - men. Hence, in order for men to sustain their power and authority over the women, fear is injected into the society as a medium for conformity. In other words, fear among women is essential so that they would comply to whatever norms and beliefs the society uphold. In the cases of both texts, fear is used to exacerbate the oppression of females and ultimately, the commodification of …show more content…

Their positions as service workers and women make them vulnerable to exploitation and violence. However, the texts prove women to be very capable of survival. Toby and Ren are equipped with emotional fortitude, and practical know-how, which enables them to get through the “flood” and their sufferings. They both realize that there is a possibility for survival and that they have the abilities to fend for themselves. Yet fear still grapples them, in a sense that the main concern centers around the future of the society. The point of assertion for our main argument is the basic causal factor or root, that is their sexuality. The sexuality of women is constantly being undermined or downplayed by men and society in both texts, giving rise to the mentioned fears and the eventual outcome of commodification of