Sealing It with Clarissa

Hello, World.

       For this last post, I would like to conclude my discussion of Women's Literature by using Virginia Woolf's style of writing. This style of writing is one that is very jumpy, which quickly transitions between many different topics, and which resembles a train of thought. I believe that writing in this style will allow me to touch upon every subject, topic, theme, etc. that I have discussed throughout this semester. Let me start my creating a list of everything that I have talked about in this blog:

• Increase in female equality
• Domestic life
• The color red in women's literature
• Nature (innate behaviour vs. society)
• Prejudice
• Beauty
• Media and the industry
• The working world
• Beauty vs. intelligence
• Rape
• Identity, ignorance, clothing (Jasmine specific)

      Now begins my train of thought:

       It is amazing how much has improved throughout the year regarding female equality and equity. But, it is also amazing how little has change (especially in people's minds). Women, although statistics show that they are increasingly getting high-paid jobs, attending 'better' universities and becoming more free, they are not necessarily getting the respect and rights they deserve. However, I am extremely proud and happy with the positive change.

       Regarding domestic life, like in Jury of Her Peers (1916), by Susan Glaspell, women are usually expected to be stay at home moms. Men constantly adopt a haughty behaviour which establishes an unfair and unwelcome supremacy. They don't realise that women are extremely bored and not used to their full capability. Well, not used in that manner, used as in useful. Where they feel like they have purpose, rather than being tossed aside. 

       Women's Literature is one that contains numerous references to the color red, especially in The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood. it symbolises an extensive library of things, including periods (a women-specific 'ritual', death, and love. Red itself is a very powerful color and is therefore used often to symbolise the powerful topics within Women's Literature.

       Nature is also a very 'hot topic' sparking many debates and fights within Women's Literature. The idea that female inequality is natural or innate is very debatable. Dr. Umemoto has said in class said all ancient civilisations usually worshipped a Mother Goddess, and society is the cause that all religions and governments now are usually patriarchal. This change demonstrates what I believe: that inequality is completely societal, that it has been built rather than implied.

       Prejudice is usually regarded as something that is only applied to different cultures (different countries, tribes, etc.) but it also applies to women. Woman are said that they can't drive, that they must be beautiful, that they aren't strong or not capable of men's tasks. These prejudices are common and terrible. They must be fought with full force! This is especially true because every woman are different, and even though an attack on women is bad, a generalisation of women is even worse.

       The media and the industry are a great cause for female inequality. Although they directly don't harm them, they kill women internally. They constantly bombard us with advertisements and impossible ideals that rot away our finances and soul. It is so depressing to see so many people force depression and self hatred.

       Women's Literature, and feminism in general fights a constant debate between beauty and intelligence. Women are often said that they can only be one or the other, that they can either be beautiful or intelligent. This is due to the fact that beautiful women don't have time to study, because they are constantly exercising or putting make up on. The same applies for the reverse because intelligent women don't have time to take care of themselves because they must study, research, etc.

       An important aspect of feminism, is rape. As I discussed in my blog sequence, rape is a violation of women because it directly harms and controls the vagina, which is the major symbol for women (obviously because they are the only who has it). Rape is scarily prevalent yet very ignored. This is dangerous because victims become mute and the fight can therefore never be won. This is also supported and emphasise by the glorification of rape through images and videos that the media constantly throws right into our face!

      Jasmine, a fantastic book about cultural clashes, really exemplifies and showcases the struggles that a woman faces as she completely changes cultures. It is so interesting to see that women fight many of the same issues worldwide and that yet, no global effort is being made to end cruelty to women. This novel also discusses in depth the issue that many people (not just women) have: multiple identities. It is so hard, especially for someone (like me!) who moves a lot to identify yourself as one person, or identify one place as your home.

      In conclusion, (wow, a final conclusion), Women's Literature is something that is so often overlooked and ignored, yet really exemplifies a wealth of knowledge. I have learned so much throughout this course and looking back on just the number of topics that I have covered just throughout this post (Mrs. Dalloway-style), I realised how many different layers of feminism there are. Women fight so many battles that are not even acknowledged.

For the last time...

Goodbye, World.

The Consequences of Rape: What it Does to Victims (4)

Hello, World.

       I would like to finish this blog sequence by discussing the consequences of rape. Rape, as previously discussed, is a serious violation of the woman, because it directly violates the major symbol of a woman, her vagina.
      Rape, can be a very emotional disaster, which both physically, emotionally, and mentally damages a woman. In the Beauty Myth, by Naomi Wolf, the author discusses the effects of rape in her section titled 'Sex'. Firstly, she says that there is a "prevalence of sexual violence" which means that rape is common, and more important, violent. It has tremendous consequences (155). One such result is that it "prohibits female sexuality from developing organically, and makes men's bodies appear dangerous" (155). This is especially relevant to a rape victim, who, after she has been violated, will be scared to start a anew with men. Of course, I am not saying that all rape victims become lesbian. I am trying to say that rape, which is such a traumatic experience, can seriously affect and influence a women's perception of men.
       In addition, women, after they become victim to a rape incident, can and most likely will live a life in constant fear. They will be constantly paranoid because something that they thought would never happen to them, or that wasn't common is now a blatant reality to them. Now, they are scared that it will happen again, since they're first catastrophe was so devastating. Not only does rape make men's bodies appear dangerous and scare women from developing a normal relationship again, they become constantly paranoid and fearful.
      Another example of this is in the Vagina Monologues, by Eve Ensler. In one of her many personal stories, she discusses an incident with a man where the women does live in fear. The victim stated that her vagina was "never opened for business again" since 1953! (28). The consequences can be very drastic as is also seen in another interview: 'The Little Coochi Snorcher that could'. The woman interviewed talks about how she was raped, when she was ten, by her father's best friend. After that, she says her vagina is a "very bad place" or a "a place of pain, nastiness, invasion and blood" (79). The consequences are tremendous and impossible to avoid.
       To conclude this sequence, I would like to say that rape is something that is grotesque, scary, yet prevalent. It is something that affects both men and women, ALL, in negative ways. It cannot be ignored, and is something so traumatic that it needs attention. Victims, as hard as it is, need to speak out so that we can win this war against rape.

Goodbye, World.

Well, it isn’t Schizophrenia… (3)

Hello, World.

       In this last post, I will discuss the last two topics of this sequence: the stereotypes and ignorance that Jasmine faces as well as the clothing motif in Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee.
       When one talks about cultural changes, stereotypes and clashes form the basis of conversation. For Jasmine to have switched from one completely different culture (India) to another (America) lays the foundation for Indian stereotypes to be shot at her. This is especially relevant because she lives in Iowa, where, pardon me, but people are not the most sophisticated or educated. A optimal example of this is when Jasmine was cooking dinner for some of Bud's friends:

“You aren’t making the yellow stuff, Mrs. R.?” I detect disappointment.                               “I will if you name it".                                                                                                                I see him whispering to Du, and Du’s bony shoulders shrug.                                      “Globey?” he says. (19).

For me, the attitude in which this was said was very condescending in two ways: naming their food 'stuff' and that Globey seems like a mumble of sounds, rather than a beautiful foreign language.
       Another instance of ignorance, is when she says: “Taylor’s friends in New York used to look at me and say, “You’re Iranian, right?” If I said no, then, “Pakistani, Afghan, Punjabi?” (33). This is typical American ignorance that everything apart from their own little world is the same; all African countries are the same, all asian countries are the same, all European countries are the same. They refuse to acknowledge difference and diversity and Jasmine becomes a victim of that, in her new society.
       Another important aspect of this novel is the recurring motif of clothing. A very important dissimilarity between cultures is clothing and Mukherjee plays on this very frequently. As Jasmine arrives in America, American clothing seems to have such a huge importance. One of the first steps of her recovery from the rape-incident, for example, was a trip to the Mall with Lillian. After she settles down for a bit she says a very powerful statement: “American clothes disguised my womanhood” (145). The clothing serves as a significant symbol because it is so different and new. She feels American inside it because she resembles an American citizen. She finally integrates in the culture she has actively sought.
       Finally, clothing acts as a seal, or a conclusion to her settlement in America. She says that "Lillian used to send me twenty dollars and a pair of hand-knitted pink wool slippers every Christmas" (136). This is important not only because it displays kindness in America, but also because clothing (which is also a general given to survival) is being frequently given to Jasmine. She has finally thrived beyond survival in this wilderness we call America. She has settled and emerged victorious.
       In conclusion, there are many themes, motifs, and metaphors throughout the novel: multiple identities, the clay pitcher metaphor, stereotype, and clothing, which identifies, explains, and discusses the general and major theme of cultural clash in Jasmine, by Bharati Mukherjee.


Goodbye, World.

Well, it isn’t Schizophrenia… (2)

Hello, World.

       In my last post, I discussed the multiple identities (and their consequences) of the main character in Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee. In this post, I am going to continue this sequence by discussing the clay pitcher metaphor throughout the book.

       The clay pitcher metaphor is an ambiguous recurring metaphor throughout the book which undoubtedly has an important significance. Mukherjee introduces it through the villagers in Jasmine's hometown, Hasnapur: “The villagers say when a clay pitcher breaks, you see that the air inside it is the same as outside. Vimla set herself on fire fire because she had broken her pitchers; she saw there were no insides and outsides. We are just shells of the same Absolute," (15). In my opinion, the author introduces this metaphor to emphasize the culture clashes that Jasmine faces to explain the difference between her internal and external selves, the her soul/personality and the variable environment around her. There are numerous dichotomies throughout the book, including a clash between her internal and external selves. Her internal self constantly tells her to have good morals and to stay true to her heritage whilst her external self seeks out happiness (which mainly consists of a significant other). This is evident when Jasmine says: “Fact is, there was a difference. My father was right to notice it and to let it set a standard. But that pitcher is broken. It is the same air this side as that. He’ll never see Lahore again and I never have. Only a fool would let it rule his life.” (43). She talks about the difference between her old and new life, and the consequences that occur because of that difference.
       This dichotomy reflects the same battle between her soul/personality and her constantly changing environment. When she becomes a rape-victim, when she arrives to America, she contemplates suicide and takes a giant step towards death. Her balance, her sanity, and her life are very shaky because her femininity has just been violated and because she has just completed the largest 'etape' between her old culture and her new one. She prays to the God of Death, and says that the “The pitcher is broken” (120). The pitcher, in this instance, represents the emotional balance that can be easily disturbed in a cultural clash.
       I will conclude this sequence with my discussion of the stereotypes and ignorance she faces as well as the recurring clothing motif in Jasmine.

Goodbye, World.

Well, It Isn't Schizophrenia... (1)

Hello, World.

       In Jasmine, a book by Bharati Mukherjee, the main character is an Indian woman whose transition from India to America leads to a clash of cultures where she experiences ignorance, judgment, and an identity-crisis. As we discussed in class, Jasmine undergoes a hero's journey whose individual stages are categorized by her extensive variety of names: Jyoti (in India), Jasmine (as she arrives to America), Jase (a Taylor-specific name for her in New York), and Jane (in Iowa, with Bud). In this blog sequence, I will discuss the many stages of her life represented by her collection of names, as well as the clay pitcher metaphor, the stereotypes and ignorance she faces, and the clothes motif throughout the novel.

       As Jasmine moves away from India to America, the different stages of her travels are so unique and important that a new identity is attributed to her every time. In her home town in India, she is known as Joyti and, as she moves away, she solidifies her departure by changing her name to an American one: Jasmine. Once she moves to New York and falls in love with Taylor, he identifies her with an endearing 'Jase' and Jane, her final name, is given to her by Bud, her partner in Iowa. Her many names categorise the many moments of her incredible odyssey across America. Mukherjee describes how every time that Jasmine adopts a new identity, she is metaphorically "reborn," (163). In a luncheon, she says "I am sure that I have been reborn several times, and that yes, some lives I can recall vividly" which acknowledges her many identities but also tells us, since her memories are so vivid, that each stage of her life is filled with so many dramatic moments that they couldn't possibly all belong to the same victim (126). Each stage of her life ends with a drastic event (such as her husband's death, a rape incident, the sight of her husband's murderer in NY, and her neighbour's suicide).

       Evidently, this results in a lack of identity because it has become impossible to identify Jasmine as one person. The author's writing makes this clear when she describes Jasmine seeing "ghosts float towards [her]. Jane, Jasmine, Jyoti," (21). Understandably, she doesn't know who she is, for example, when she says “In Baden, I am Jane. Almost,” (26). The transitions between life-stages are so drastic and abrupt that they lead to multiple-personalities.

       Finally, one must notice that only one of her names was used as the book's title: Jasmine. We discussed in class how the hero's journey, developed by Joseph Campbell, applies to Jasmine. I stated that this cycle does occur in the novel but only starts from her arrival to America, when she meets Taylor (because Taylor is her final result); by then, her name is Jasmine. I believe that Mukherjee uses Jasmine for the title not only because it represents the biggest stage of her life (her departure from India), but also because it  marks the beginning of her journey in America. As Jyoti 'dies' and is reborn as Jasmine, she begins her adventure in America to find the love and happiness that her life in India didn't give her.

       In my next blog post, I will discuss the clay pitcher metaphor, the stereotypes she becomes victim to, and the motif of clothing throughout the novel to further analyse the culture clash represented by Jasmine's journey.

Goodnight, World.

The Reason For Rape: Man's Motivation Cont. (3)

Hello, World.

       In my previous blog post, I started discussing the possible reasons for rape. I wanted to explore possible explanations, triggers, or influences that encourage men to commit crimes of sexual violence against women. In this post, I will talk more about men attempting to get away with raping or using blame, or excuses to keep their record clean as well as encourage them to rape again in the future.

       Additionally, it must be taken into consideration that men constantly pursue ways of having better sex. A seemingly obvious explanation for rape in fact is quite honest and powerful: Some men rape women simply because it is 'hot'. The same survey in UCLA shows statistics about attractive aspects of rape in men's opinion. The same educated boys also stated, for example, that: "93.1% liked to dominate women during sex" and "63.5% got excited to see a woman struggle over sex" (165). Men, although I think is not a justifiable 'excuse', commit rape actions for fantasy purposes, and unfortunately, these are fed by women's rape fantasies.

       Finally, some men claim to misunderstand women's expressions, although I personally think it's difficult to mishear a capital 'NO!', or to not feel a violent struggle. Men blame many things such as alcohol, drugs, women's clothing, etc. but I think it's pretty evident that rape is within a man's control. Men also sometimes state that women asked to be raped. The same UCLA survey stated that : 83.5% of boys said that some women just look like they're asking to get raped." (165). Well, by definition, it isn't rape if they ask for it. 

       When a man attempts to blame rape on something else, especially the woman, they give themselves a mentality saying "if I can get away with it this time, I can get away with it again in the future". The ugly truth is that rapist often are found 'non-guilty' because lawyers hammer the prosecutors, but also because women are 1) insecure and end up giving in to the pressure or 2) are too scared or embarrassed to share their story and challenge a male oppressor. Although I fully understand the bravery it takes, I urge female victims to stand up for themselves in order to better the world and the rape problem.

       Unfortunately, I haven't developed a concrete answer to why men commit rape. In my opinion, rape seems so grotesque and foreign that I'm glad I can't find a legitimate reason but I do understand more why rape occurs: because they are influenced to do so, because it seems 'okay', because they find it 'hot', or because they feel they can get away with it/blame it on something else.
       In my next post in this sequence, I will discuss the consequences of rape: the effects on women's bodies, their sex-life, and their views of men.

Goodnight, World.

The Reason for Rape: Man's Motivation (2)

Hello, World.

       Since roughly 90 percent of rape is committed by men, where women are the victims, I felt it most appropriate to discuss a man's motivation in order to discover the reason for rape. One might say, well, maybe the man just wants to have sex. However, I really don't think it's that simple. Not only is rape illegal, it is strongly against morals that most people believe in. It also has the power to extremely damage a women as well as prevent her from  ever having proper sexual intercourse in the future. With so many reasons against the action of rape, a man's motivation must be discussion worthy. In the Beauty Myth, Naomi Wolf discusses some possible motivations for men, but also what has shaped men's thoughts and encouraged men to commit sexual violence.
       Wolf states that men are men. They usually exhibit more sexually aroused behaviour and are constantly pursuing sexual actions. Although rape seems to be a very extreme way of satisfying sexual desire, Wolf tells us that Catharine MacKinnon, a research scientist, says that men's desire is similar to a "hydraulic model" and that rape "lets off steam" (137-138). However, this explanation for rape seems to be too simple.
       In the first post of this sequence, I discussed influences for rape. Similar to the media's influence on women depictions, men are affected by images in the modern day industry. Since women are increasingly portrayed as submissive and controlled, men obviously develop a sense that it is okay to commit sexual violence to a woman.
       In addition, Wolf describes a research about men's views about rape:

"In 1986, UCLA researcher Neil Malamuth reported that 30 percent of college men said they would commit rape if they could be sure of getting away with it...When the survey changed the word "rape" into the phrase "force a women into having sex", 58 percent said that they would" (165).

 This shows that men often don't even care about the moral implications, but that they are scared of getting caught. A scary fact, in case you didn't notice, is that these are intelligent, educated boys, who attend UCLA. They are not random psychos, they are ordinary people, like you and me.
       At this moment, I will continue my ideas into another blog post. I will continue discussing men wanting to get away with rape as well as the excuses they use to be able to develop a "if I can get away with it once, I can get away with it again" mentality to encourage them to rape more women.

Goodbye, World.

The Influence of Rape: Media and Commodity (1)

Hello, World.

       A major symbol for a women is their vagina, obviously because they are the only ones who have one. Rape therefore becomes a symbol for female oppression because the vagina has been violated. Female independence and power has been ignored and overcame, and (usually) a male establishes a supremacy through his sexual harassing action. In this sequence, I will be discussing rape: the influences, motivations, consequences, and the male vs. female sides of rape.
       The influences of rape and the motivations for sexual harassment are the root of the problem and should be thoroughly investigate to understand both the prevalence and danger of rape. Overall, the increasing number of rape cases is a direct variation with one important aspect of popular life: the media. In The Beauty Myth, by Naomi Wolf, she discusses the impact of societal beliefs and the impact of culture upon men and women. Wolf states that "our culture is depicting sex as rape so that men and women become interested in it," which explains that our culture is the main cause of sex, that the media is portraying this absolutely terrible action as something interesting, even desirable (138)! The subconscious advertisement for rape has become so prevalent that according to Naomi Wolf, "Images of strangled women, women in cages, do no not push any limits; they are a mainstream cliché of a mainstream social order," (164).
       In pornography, women are depicted as attractive when they are subdued to some dominance, when male control becomes sexually appealing. Wolf takes it a step further and says that "glamorous rape scenes obviously eroticize the sex war," and that rape portrayed in glamour models or in pornography influences real-life sex, which is ordinarily meant to be a romantic and meaningful action (146).
       Now that the media had influenced rape, women who have already been victims of the pop culture and who, thanks again to the media, constantly aim to please men, help drive rape incidents by purposefully depict themselves as submissive, in order to attract men to the idea of control & power because "[their] private submission to control is what makes [them] desirable" (133). As previously mentioned, "Women become interested in [rape],"(138) and "49 percent had submissive sexual fantasies" (141). This situation is extremely dangerous because if the victims of a catastrophe begin to enjoy what they are victims too, the catastrophe is no longer viewed as bad and the oppressors will commit their crimes more comfortably and more commonly.
       In fact, hints of this unfortunate conclusion have already started to appear. Wolf says that depictions of rape are "a mainstream cliché" (164) and that rape, something usually so grotesque, disturbing and horrifying is decreasingly bad, "sexual violence against women is not obscene" (138).
       In all, the media, including pornography, is an important influence for rape. Depictions of submission & male control is increasingly popular and women are now not only beginning to choose to depict themselves in those manners, but are beginning to enjoy sexual violence. This is dangerous and frightening because at the rate we are going, rape will soon be just as enjoyable as a walk in the park, a family dinner, or even worst, romantic sex. As Naomi Wolf puts it, "we often see rape where sex should be" (137).

Goodbye, World.

Does Beauty Take Away From Intelligence

Hello World,

       Throughout history, women have constantly faced a challenge: to choose if they want to be either beautiful or intelligent. This dilemma seems so unfair and untrue yet consistently troubles and affects the lives of the majority of women. In The Beauty Myth, Naomi Wolf tells us that even in ancient Greek mythology and Victorian novels, the two main female characters are categorised: "one being the winner and one loser in the beauty myth" (60). She says that the heroine has always been either beautiful or intelligent/brave. Not only can she only embody one of these characteristics but she must also take place in a constant "battle between the overvalued beauty and the undervalued, unglamorous but animated heroine" (60). The author purposefully introduces a serious division between these traits because, unfortunately, is what attracts male audiences; this inevitably enforces women to believe that they can only ever be either pretty or smart.
       In the working world, which I have previously written about, women face the daily challenge of how to walk the blurry line of appropriate dress. They are subject to radical judgement solely due to a piece of fabric on their bodies that we call clothes. If a woman dresses formally and fashionably, she is accused of not taking her profession seriously and focusing on her appearance rather than her work. However, if a woman doesn't put care into her outfit daily she gets accused of not caring about the work environment she belongs to and is also called ugly and unfashionable. Wolf also discusses this and says that regarding professional jobs "[women] can be dismissed as either too pretty or too ugly"(69).
       However, the most important aspect of this discussion is its cause: men. In A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft discusses men's thoughts about women's beauty and intellect. She says that women "displaying intellectual beauty may be overlooked or observed with indifference" (50). She says that in men's opinion, maybe not so much in our present day, women's beauty is far more important in the fields of comparison. Men, generally, are jealous and egotistical beings who constantly compare their 'prizes'. Wollstonecraft indeed says that men "find their happiness in the gratification [of other men]" (50).
       In addition, society's training has shaped men's thoughts. Wolf says that due to a man's pop culture education, "Men are visually aroused by women's bodies and less sensitive to their arousal by women's personalities"(152). However, for a man to enjoy beauty and be sexually attracted to a female isn't wrong at all. Wolf discusses that the issue is that as a result of the constant pursuit of beauty, men can no longer be drawn to intellectual, friendship (or any other quality except beauty).

"What becomes of the man who acquires a beautiful woman, with her "beauty" his sole target? He sabotages himself. He has gained no friend, no ally, no mutual trust: she knows quite well why she has been chosen. He has succeeded in buying a mutually suspicious set of insecurities. He does gain something: the esteem of other men who find such an acquisition impressive." (174-175)

       Wolf tells us how the choice that women face between pursuing beauty or other qualities has triggered views that prevent women from wanting to embody beauty-less qualities because men actively chase beauty over anything else.
       As Naomi Wolf said, "The beauty myth posited to women a false choice: Which will I be, sexual or serious?" (273). In my opinion, it is absolutely false that a woman must choose between beauty and intellect. A modern day female must ignore this ridiculous decision and realise that a combination of these qualities is not only possible, but beautiful. One must also note that it isn't necessary to find a balance between beauty and intellect, for there should no limits to your care for appearance or your intellectual capability, and that you should strive to your full potential.  So, in all, of course intellect doesn't take away from your beauty, and vice-versa. In fact, it compliments it.

Goodnight, World.

Triple 'W' | Working World of Women

Hello, World.

       An important part of feminism, and the equality they fight for, is the right to not only be able to work, which was hardly prominent before the Industrial Revolution, but to be able to be comfortable in a work environment and given the same professional experience as men.
       Often, women are challenged with not being viewed as capable beings of professional work and are often treated this way; this sometimes results in harassment, mistreatment, and lower payment. In Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, she discusses this professional capability of women: "A fine woman, who inspires more usblime emotions by displaying intellectual beauty, may be overlooked or observed with indifference"(50). She says that not only is a woman's beauty more important than her intellectual curiosity and capability, women are usually overlooked, even if their "intellectual beauty" is valid and/or greater than a correspondent male's. This also reminds me of Hannah Rosin's article The End of Men, where she says despite the inequality that women face in the working world, they usually preform a better job then men do.
       In addition, jobs which are reserved solely for women still remain extremely critical and usually only hire women for a period of a few years. In The Beauty Myth, by Naomi Wolf, Wolf gives us an example of a "waitress, fired because she had lost her Bunny Image" (32). The waitress, in normal english, was fired because she wasn't beautiful enough anymore. Wolf later tells us on what characteristics the waitresses are judge on: "A flawless beauty", "An exceptional beautiful girl", "Marginal [...] aging", and "Has lost Bunny Image [...] aging or an uncorrectable appearance problem" (32). I understand that being a Playboy waitress involves a certain degree of beauty, but am I the only who thinks that being sent to the street because of your appearance, especially once you've (usually) given up talent to become a type of model, is completely ludicrous? The pressure put on women in the working world is astonishing.
       Finally, women are often subject to discrimination and victims of harassment in the work environment. Wolf talks about the pressure women undergo even just choosing a suitable outfit for work, where formality becomes a catwalk (42-44). However, something extremely surprising and interesting is the fact that victims of harassment, I would expect, should be strong about defending their dignity and fighting for their betrayed position. Instead, women, who usually have already admitted to themselves that working men are 'greater' than they are, respond in court trials (not just to their friends), but legal court trials, that they may have "possibly provoked the comments by dressing inappropriately" (43). The men's lawyers also often convince the women to feel this way and in the end, the court that is meant to bring 'justice', enforces inequality and corruption.
       In all, the working world for women is yet another example of the inequality that women face in daily life. They fight so hard to even earn the right to work, and their reward for this tremendous effort is discrimination and harassment. Of course, not every working women undergoes mistreatment, yet professional jobs, to say the least, have  room for improvement.

Goodbye, World.

Cigarette | Killing Us Internally

Hello, World.

       In 1979, Jean Kilbourne released her first of a series of documentaries attacking media, the industry, and its affect on women's lives. Since then, she has produced an additional three documentaries, about once a decade, noticing change, improvement and worsening of the significant impact that the media plays on women's health and life. She titled them all variations of the phrase: Killing Us Softly, which I thought was interesting. In my opinion, there is no clear or obvious meaning; the title doesn't shout out a message (in fact, quite the opposite). How can a title containing the word 'softly' shout out a meaning? 

       Now you are most likely thinking, OK, I get it, why do you care so much about the title? Well, in understanding Kilbourne's title, it is possible to conceive a summary and overall conclusion of all of her points (including sex appeal, domination, food, etc.) in a one-sentence goal: 

The modern day media's consistently produces films and images of women to enforce and impose certain societal views towards them, ultimately affecting how men treat women and how women treat themselves; whenever a message is conveyed, it is achieved through our subconscious. 

The fact that this is achieved through our subconscious, is extremely important, and accounts for the "Softly", within the title. An advertisement company's chief was actually quoted in this documentary saying that only about 6-10% of an advertisements message is received through the eye and that roughly 90% of all information is directly received by our subconscious. This is extremely powerful and dangerous, because, since most of the information processed by our brains heads straight to our subconscious, even the most disturbing, harmful and scarily effective messages are believed and accepted within our mind without us even realising it. Kilbourne said that a lot of people have told her that "Advertisements don't affect me, I just censor them out". Clearly, you can't. Most of us are vulnerable to a cornucopia of information that we have not even realised we processed.
       Since the media and the industry, especially more recently have been negatively affecting women's lives, as discussed in the documentary. Therefore, the societal views of women, as portrayed by the media, is killing us...softly.
       However, in my opinion, I think it is noteworthy to expose the exponential growth of the media's influence on society. Only starting in the 50s, pop culture has been increasingly influential, and with the introduction of the Internet in 90s along with the widespread availability of TVs, media has severely and increasingly impacted our lives. The media is a corrupt, invading motor of the cause of many problems in female culture such as: attitudes, inequality, domestic violence, eating disorders, and extensive cosmetic surgery. I think that this overwhelming and frightening growth and impact can no longer be described as 'soft', but rather as internally.
       We as humans, especially women, have become victims of the society we created. Therefore, our new definition is as follows:

The modern day media's consistently produces films and images of women to enforce and impose certain societal views towards them, ultimately affecting how men treat women and how women treat themselves; the industry's impact is constantly growing and increasingly powerful not only making us more vulnerable to subconsciously delivered information, but similar to the cigarette, is killing us internally.

Goodbye, World.

Confidence is Beautiful

Hello, World.

       I would like to discuss one of the most important aspects of both female daily life and feminism: beauty. I also feel like this would be a good preliminary writing to a book I'm about to read entirely dedicated to beauty, especially its role and consequences in female life, called The Beauty Myth, by Naomi Wolf. For centuries, the importance of beauty amongst women has been prevalent: being fat in the 17-18th centuries (because it showed you were wealthy), being pale in the Victorian times (symbolic for pure), and even in our modern day, where girls constantly invest in fashion, cosmetics, even surgery to constantly attempt to reach that level of ideal beauty.
       Mary Wollstonecraft's Vindication of the Rights of Women, although not directed and focused on beauty discussion, the physical appearance of women is often touched on and mentioned. Her main argument, presented to us in the very first few pages of the book, is that "women [are] intoxicated by the adoration [of men]" (3). Women, triggered by an inequality between the two sexes, have constantly tried to win the approval of men, since they are the 'greater sex', and therefore widen the gap by admitting and enforcing that women are only great if the men say so. In fact, she later says that men "find their happiness in the gratification of their appetites" (50). She says that in addition to women constantly fighting for male approval, men have  become complacent with women's efforts and have evolved into beings who believe the only way to be happy is if their woman have tried hard enough to earn their counterpart's appreciation.
       In addition, Wollstonecraft makes the point that if an ideal woman is pretty, if her surface, her perception is aesthetic, then she merely becomes something to look at: an object in theory. She says that men "render [women] alluring objects for a moment", that is when they are scrutinising and analysing a female's beauty (3). This is important, and rather sad in my opinion, because due to maple supremacy, and then due to a need for male approval, women increasingly aspire to an ideal judged by men. Now, since men powerfully associate this ideal with beauty, a superficial view of the physical aspect of somebody, women therefore aspire and surprisingly yet actively pursuit this surface view. Not only do men create a social chasm between the sexes and encourage women to become a superficial ideal, women embrace this and encourage this pursuit instead of fighting.
       Using Wollstonecraft's argument to support my opinion, I believe that beauty should be an ideal created by yourself, that should only compliment rather than invade your life, in order to increase confidence and show effort and care to the people you love.

Goodbye, World.

The Ugly Face of Prejudice

Hello, World.

       Earlier today, I saw an episode of a show called The Ugly Face of Prejudice, on the 4 O.D. Channel on Youtube. This show groups a pair of people, one who is completely engulfed in making sure they are as beautiful as they possible could be whilst the other has a physical deficiency, usually in the face, which resulted from either birth or an accident. The aim of the show is to take two complete polar opposites and 'force' them together to encourage them to step in the shoes and walk two moons in the other person's shows. This allows us as viewers to deeply understand lives in two complete different worlds and help us realise how a mere physical appearance can change your life. Inevitably, Beauty becomes the central topic of this show, whilst touching upon and discussing many of its subtopics such as surgery, media, and even street walking.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/beauty-the-beast-ugly-face-of-prejudice

       In the first episode I saw, the pair consists of a man named Leo (shown left on the picture) who as a child was caught up in a fire at age 14 when his school burned down. The fire had scorched his face and hands, turning skin to charcoal and massive scars and disfigurement on his body. The woman named Yasmin (shown right on the picture) is a normal human being who has constant self-confidence issues and finds it near impossible not to wear cakes of make-up in order to cover her 'oh so apparent ugliness'.

       As they have dinner their first night together, they start discussing their beauty problems and the woman, carried away by her ego problems jumps into the topic of surgery head first, quickly ranting about breast reductions, face lifts, liposuction, etc. The man, already taken aback, seems confused and asks her, why would you get surgery. He says its artificial, it hurts, its dangerous - the usual arguments against surgery. However, soon after, he said something that took me aback. He said, that for people with disfigurement, surgery is viewed as 'the cheap way out'. He said that as a child he had already received many surgeries and the last thing he wanted was to get another artificial alteration to correct his face. I found this interesting as I only ever viewed cosmetic surgery for beauty queens, barbies, and models and of course for injury. However, never did it occur to me that someone who had undergone practical surgery would despise it so much. It was a very interesting argument, and in my opinion, I think they are absolutely right that one must embrace any fault they have in order to be happy.

       Half way through the show, another man named Adam Pearson appears on the show, because he himself has a facial disfigurement. He discusses how people with disfigurement never appear on the media because they are not the ideal beauty that people look out for. He, along with a one-armed friend of his, posed for the famous advertisements of David Beckham in Armani's underwear ad and Eva Herzigová in Wonder Bra's ad, respectively. He then printed billboard sized ads of these images and posted them up just like normal ads and the response from the general public was incredible. The professionals within the modelling world all said (quite harshly as well) that this was not good advertisement as people would never aspire to look like that. However, the public all said that was extremely inspiring showing that anybody can do anything no matter what they look like.

      

     

http://www.channel4.com/assets/programmes/images/beauty-the-beast-ugly-face-of-prejudice/

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http://cdn-ugc.cafemom.com/gen/constrain/500/500/80/2010/10/20/16/dx/3w/pohj3q61w0wmqb.jpg

        Finally, Yasmin and Leo had a night out together on their last day together. They merely went out to a restaurant and bar and they each had a chance to showcase the public's reactions to how they look like. In general, they look at Leo like "why the hell are you with a girl like her?" and made extremely rude and obvious comments about Yasmin's breasts. This was shocking to me that people could summon up the 'courage' and complete ignorance to say remarks like this. However, to the pair, this was natural.

       That was a huge wake-up call for me and I feel like I've learned a lot about living with a physical deficiency or being obsessed with how beautiful you look.

Goodbye, World.

Nature, Capital 'N' (Cont.)

Hello, World.

In this post, I will continue discussing A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, by Mary Wollstonecraft, and how nature and society are examined to understand their effects on female inequality.

       Wollstonecraft not only discusses how nature has affected what roles society has created for each gender, but also the concrete beliefs and attitudes that each sex has developed against each other; this is more significant towards women. Wollstonecraft discusses upbringing and education and how we are raised to believe something.

"One cause of this barren blooming I attribute to a false system of education, gathered from the books written on this subject by men who, considering females rather as women than as human creatures, have been more anxious to make them alluring mistresses than affectionate wives and rational mothers"(1-2).

       The most important part of Wollstonecraft's argument is how 'education  has shaped men's views of women as objects rather than as human beings. Men, and women actually, have been raised to believe that not only are males superior, but that women are so alienated that they are almost their own species. Wollstonecraft is more broadly telling us that a big factor of gender separation and discrimination is the way we are raised, the fact that the society we are born to has encoded us with specific views and beliefs towards women.

        This issue strongly reminds me of the Civill Rights Movement of African-Americans (1955-1968). White children were raised and bred with a hate towards African-Americans, where racist parents enforced racism in their completely unaware, immature, and barely educated children who most likely had never developed their own opinion. This increased and drove thoughtless racism and hatred in small children to construct a new generation which mirrors the horrors of the previous one.

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ktc044PLf21qa4ff3o1_500.jpg

       Lastly, I want to touch upon Wollstonecraft's direct views regarding the effects of upbringing on gender discrimination. Very interestingly, she talks about child play behaviour, which similarly to my Civil Rights Movement example, discusses how a child's education shapes his thoughts and beliefs later in life. "Girls and boys, in short, would play harmlessly together" is the main idea the Wollstonecraft conveys (45). She says "the doll will never excite [a girl's] attention unless confinement allows her no alternative" and that they would play just as happily participating in 'boy-restricted' play activities (45). 

       In my opinion, this is just yet another example that Wollstonecraft discusses in order to prove that in most situations, confinement seems ridiculous and that female oppression has led to nothing except unexplained prejudice and a lack of equal opportunity, from child play behaviour all the way to adult professions. She stresses the importance of how nature shapes the division of the sexes, but more importantly how society, and mankind, is the true cause for female inequality.


Goodnight, World.

Nature, capital 'N'.

Hello, World.

       Within the first sentence of Mary Wollstonecraft's introduction to A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, she mentions Nature and discusses its affect upon gender separation and inequality. She tells us that "either Nature has made a great difference between man and man, or the civilisation which has hitherto taken place in the world has been very partial" (1). She says that the reason, the explanation, for "a great difference" between both sexes is either that Nature has individualised both females and males and has made us so unique that we are naturally forced to be unequal, or as history has unravelled and civilisations have developed, we as humans, our personal opinions, beliefs and views, and the societies we belong to have shaped our attitudes to the other sex, usually of men towards women (1). By the way, notice that huge sentence; I'm clearly trying to imitate Wollstonecraft's writing style.
        Anyways, I want to investigate why Wollstonecraft has used a capital N every time she has written the word nature, such as: "this is the law of Nature" (2) and "Nature invariably produces certain effects" (4). In addition, I want to discuss the times where societal beliefs and actions have been blamed upon nature.
        As mentioned earlier, the word 'Nature' appears many times in the very first few pages. Nature, in its context, describes and categorises all actions and beliefs that seem innate and have become a norm. In fact, her treatment of Nature's definition is similar to socialisation; we can therefore say that Nature describes and categorises all actions and beliefs that seem innate and have become a norm in society. Wollstonecraft's tells us how the obvious gender differences between MOST men and women that nature has indeed created, such as the notion that men are stronger, more violent and wise, whilst women are more pure, intelligent, and caring, has led to stereotypes and discriminating norms. Man, being the stronger sex, is more likely to own a position of power or to be assigned an important task. Woman, on the other hand, is more likely to stay at home and take care of her family. Not only does nature assign specific roles to each gender, it strongly prevents each gender, more importantly women, to step out of their confinement and restricts equal opportunity. This has been seen throughout history, and A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is one of the earliest written protest regarding gender issues.
     I wanted to try to fit all my thoughts and arguments on the affects of nature and society regarding female inequality in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in one blog post, but I haven't been able to. I have a lot to discuss! Therefore, I will be starting another sequence, which I will post very shortly. There, I will discuss more about female inequality that society and child upbringing have also severely affected. But for now,

Goodbye, World.

Red. Tulip Red.

       Hello World,

          In my last blog entry I started discussing the colour red in The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, as well as the lack of freedom and the suppressing and male-dominated world the main character, Offred, finds herself in.
        The next symbol that red serves as is that of the past. Before the major transition, the world seemed to be like the one we now live in. Offred often dreams of the past, of Luke, and of her daughter. Regarding red. In the early chapters of the novel, Offred and Ofglen go on a shopping excursion and at one moment walk by some people, hung dead, with white bags over their heads, and displayed as examples of some sort of treason. One of the dead men's blood "has seeped through the white cloth, where the mouth must have been. It makes another mouth, a small red one, like the mouths painted with thick paintbrushes by kindergarten children." This graphic quote really stood out to me because they were hung for treason, most likely committing something that was acceptable in the past, or revolting against unwanted change. In my opinion, the red smile represents the past, and the happiness consisted of. 
         In fact, in the page across it, Offred says that "the red of the smile is the same as the red of the tulips in Serena Joy's garden" (43). This is interesting because it undoubtedly symbolises the change of society and how current authority is bittersweet. The tulips and the garden symbolise the power and opportunity that the Commander's wife has however, since the red is the past, the "oh-so perfect present" is in fact a snake underneath the innocent flower (Macbeth).
         Red also seems to be a symbol of the main aim, the function, even the goal of women or as the back cover puts it: "The Republic of Gilead offers Offred only one option: to breed". Due to a decrease in population, extreme measures have been taken in order to provide an optimal (most importantly safe) world in order to facilitate childbirth. Women participate in a routine "Ceremony" which "goes on as usual", involving the Commander attempting to impregnate a Handmaid (104-105). This graphic scene demonstrates the importance of childbirth, encoded within the Handmaid's beliefs. She believes that getting pregnant is "a way out, a salvation"(71) and her period, a sign that she indeed hasn't conceived yet, is extremely undesirable: "Each month i watch for blood, fearfully, for when it comes, it means failure." (83).
         Overall, so far, red has symbolised constraint, the past world Offred used to live in, and the purpose of women in this new society: to procreate.
        I now conclude my sequence upon discussing the colour and what it symbolises.

Red. Blood Red.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/1/2478818_18f67c69dd.jpg

          Red. In the first few chapters of The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, the colour red is clearly introduced as a primary and significant symbol and/or theme. Even Handmaids (notice the capital 'H'), the category of women that the narrator belongs to, are uniformly dressed in a red gown with white "wings" (some sort of head-wear). The character's name, as stated on the back cover is Offred. Although, it most likely means of-fred, fred being her Commander or her father. However, I think the spelling also flashed the colour itself. Off-RED! In the second chapter, the first real chapter of the story, the main character puts on her "red shoes" and her "red gloves[...] finger by finger (18). She then says: "Everything except the wings around my face is red: the colour of blood, defines us," (18).
          As readers, in the beginning, we are literally bombarded with the colour red. You know, I've realised, whenever a colour stands out as a symbol in an English-class novel, it's always red. Last semester, I read a book called The Tess of the D'Urbervilles, by Thomas Hardy, in which red also played a big part. In that novel, red symbolises love, offence, violence, and male supremacy and I wanted to not only to investigate what the colour red symbolised in The Handmaid's Tale, but also any additional thoughts regarding the themes that "red" highlights. 
         Firstly and most importantly, I think red symbolises the loss of freedom of women, in the transition from their 'old world' to the current one. As I have mentioned before, the uniforms they are bound to, are almost entirely red, clothing that they would have never been forced to wear before. Offred expresses her suppressed discontent (wow, that's a mouthful) by telling us that she "never looked good in red, it's not [her] colour" (18). It seems the gowns are a symbol of the control and authority of a higher power (most likely male), and that the women, especially in the beginning phases of this new world, feel like they have loss control over their lives and are forced to do things they don't want to. This is the beginning of an extensive list of do's and do not's that suppress women freedom.
            In fact, regarding freedom, I think the political view of women's rights and female power can be summarised by Aunt Lydia's lines" There is more than one kind of freedom...Freedom to and freedom from." (24). I think, that not only is it true that there has been an evident change, but there is a scary shift in women's thoughts. The world has changed in order to 'help' women and to increase security, but so far it seems to cost a heavy price of happiness and independence. Although all I can really do right now is speculate, it seems that the higher-power women are the ones that are more brain-washed and abiding and enforce the new concepts of male supremacy. Aunt Lydia for example also tells Offred that "this is not a prison but a privilege". 
          Personally, that line really angers me. It's as if we are forced to be grateful for something we despise, a living hell. I think that this tension, this anxiety, this intensity is exactly what she wants the reader to feel, and my God is she doing a good job! 
            Okay, I will continue to discuss the symbolism of the colour red in the novel in my next blog post, but right now it is getting late and to be honest, I am rather excited that I've started a sequence! Goodnight, world.

FBI - Female Bird Investigator

      

         In a Jury of Her Peers (1916), by Susan Glaspell, a pair of adult women secretly investigate the death of John Wright, Mrs. Wright's/Minnie Foster husband, who was strangled to death. The women must work secretly because the men are the detectives and the sheriffs and the women weren't meant to do anything unless they stumbled on evidence. I think this short story is one clearly to promote female capability in masculine shoes. In fact, they do a better job! Martha Hale and Mrs. Peters discover all the evidence ("dirty pans", "half-sifted flour", a "shabby black shirt", "a bird-cage", and "a dead bird") that the sheriffs couldn't find and end up discovering both the correct suspect and the motive.

         I think the most important aspect of the story is that concept of reversal of roles. Men, especially in that time period, are the only people with high and powerful positions leaving the women to do domestic work. However, similar to the movie Legally Blonde the women use their so called ‘ridiculous’ activities and habits in order to perform a better job than the men would even with their high intelligence and supremacy. In fact, if you think about it, every evidence and clue necessary in order to discover the truth about the case was an example and symbol of female domestic work, such as the “half-sifted flour”, “the dirty pans”, “the dirty dish towel” and “the broken oven”. Most importantly, using female activities was the only way the supposedly “only possibly solved by men” case could have been solved. The women were able to relate to Minnie Foster, her work, and the poor environment she lived in and could therefore discover not only the true suspect but also the motive for her husband’s murder.

         This concept is also enforced by the men’s attitudes about the women’s careful attention to the subtle housework evidence. The men glance shamefully at any poor housework and express their opinion by commenting and purposefully harming the examples of poor housework such as when the “county attorney deranged the dirty pans under the sink with a disdainful push of the foot”. In fact, even when the women discover the motive and the evidence, the men continue to tease the women about their domestic activities which represents the men’s ignorance and that the women are just as, if not more capable in doing a “exclusively male” job.

         Finally, the women don't notify the authorities of Minnie Foster's death. Being women in the early 1900s, they are constantly degraded and oppressed and therefore, whenever they can, they group up and collaborate. In this story, this is symbolically shown through routine and repetitive eye-contact between Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters: "In a covert way, Mrs. Hale looked at Mrs. Peters. Mrs. Peters was looking at her". In addition, even when the two women discover all the evidence they need, yet whenever the men come back to the kitchen, they hide it away from the men in order not to betray Minnie Foster.  "Mrs. Hale slipped the box under the quilt pieces in the basket, and sank into the chair before it".

         I think this story was just an expression of Glaspell’s opinion regarding female equality and opportunity within the working world and showing a severe discontent with not the only the domestic housework a female is enslaved to do but also the discard of their talent and capabilities.

"The End of Men" - I Think Not!

Hello World,

       I recently enrolled in a class of 'Women's Literature' and I wanted to start this blog with a short writing discussing a recently published article titled 'The End of Men' by Hanna Rosin in The Atlantic. Rosin discusses the decrease of men-related supremacy and how we have no reached "the end of the age of testosterone".
       Although I agree with a number of points she has brought up, she has failed to correctly analyse this monumental change of women equality which resulted in a poor conclusion that I don't agree with. The best thing Rosin does in her article is her inclusion statistics that prove a change in women's rights such as "women now hold 51.4 percent of managerial and professional jobs - up from 26." and "[Women] hold about one half of all banking and insurance jobs". Evidently, this represents a change, after so many years (well, more like centuries), in equal opportunities for women. However, Rosin says that this increase in feminine power will eventually surpass its counterpart. Supposedly, "[men] are failing to adapt" and that they will soon be "annihilated".
       I believe that this isn't a masculine apocalypse! This is not the 'End of Men'. I feel that FINALLY, humankind has reached a gender equilibrium. We have realised that inequality must be fought and we are so close so our goal. Feminine supremacy shatters this idea and therefore I think we will not reach the 'End of Men'.