Month: April 2019
Throughout Various Regions of the World
Introduction
Gender roles and expectations have constantly evolved throughout history. Many of the practices that used to restrict the rights of women have been gotten rid of, thus giving women are more equal footing in modern-day society. However, even with the rise of awareness for women's rights, many women are not afforded the same luxuries and opportunities as women who live in countries that are more developed. In places such as the Middle East, women virtually have no rights whatsoever. In My Daughter, Malala, Ziauddin Yousafzai addresses the issues that Pakistani women face. They are used as bartering tokens in marriages, and are restricted from leaving their homes, unless a man accompanies them. In Kenya, women are treated just as poorly as Middle Eastern women are. In A Girl Who Demanded School Kakenya Ntaiya details the struggles that many Kenyan women must put up with. Arranged marriages are also a common occurrence in Kenya. Kakenya Ntaiya, a native of the small Kenyan village of Enoosaen, was engaged at five years old. She had to agree to undergo female circumcision, so she could stay in high school. Once she graduated, she was able to get permission to go to college in the United States of America. She was the first girl in her village to ever leave and pursue a higher-level education. In Our Century's Greatest Injustice, Sheryl WuDunn speaks on the numerous occasions that she was witnessed women being deprived of their rights. In My Daughter, Malala, A Girl Who Demanded School, and Our Century's Greatest Injustice, it is evident that despite being disadvantaged through cultural, religious, and societal means, women all around the world are still striving to better themselves and break the molds of traditional gender roles.
My Daughter, Malala
In My Daughter, Malala, Ziauddin Yousafzai speaks on the climate regarding women and their quest for equality in Pakistan. Ziauddin is an educated man who was freely allowed to go to school and learn when he was younger. This is the same for all boys in Pakistan. If Pakistani boys want to further their education, it is completed accepted. This, however, is not the same for girls growing up in Pakistan. In Pakistan, men are the dominant figures in society. Everything is decided by men, and often times, they do not factor in the opinions of women. Pakistanis believe that men should have the final say in any discussion, and any woman who tries to give her input can be punished severely, or even killed. This causes many women to stay inside their homes since this is where they are the safest from inequality and ridicule (Men and Women, Gender Relations). In Pakistani culture, it is only acceptable for me to receive an education. This allows men to get jobs that require skill, which in turn allows men to get paid more. Since women can't go to school, they are confined to the home. Ziauddin Yousafzai's daughter, Malala, decided to go against the grain and go to school. Her defiance of gender norms angered many Pakistani men. The terrorist group, the Taliban, was so enraged that they attacked and shot Malala in the head. Thankfully, Malala survived the attacked, and she continues to speak out against the outrageous treatment of women in Pakistani culture. Malala and her father use their newly-found platform to help provide awareness for the issues that Pakistani women face on a daily basis (Yousafzai, 2014). The way women are regarded in Pakistan is slowly changing for the better. With more exposure and awareness for their cause, the Yousafzai's will hopefully be able to change Pakistan's gender disparity forever.
A Girl Who Demanded School
In A Girl Who Demanded School, Kakenya Ntaiya discusses the disparities between men and women in Kenyan society. In her TED Talk, Kakenya Ntaiya recounts the story of when she first learned that she was engaged to be married. Shockingly, Kakenya was only five years old. Prearranged marriages are oddities in developed countries, but they are the norm in developing ones such as Kenya. As she was growing up, her mother and grandmother would point out her husband whenever he would walk by. From the age of five, Kakenya was trained to do all of the tasks and chores that were expected from a wife. She collected water, swept mats, and milked cows (Ntaiya, 2012). Like in many other developing countries, Kenyan men are the ones tasked with getting skilled jobs. Men are the breadwinners in society, and nearly all of the family's financial responsibilities rest on their shoulders (Kenyan Culture “ Family). Although many Kenyan girls do not attend school, Kakenya was determined to receive her education, because her mother was not able to go to school. This was easier said than done. Kakenya Ntaiya had to bargain with her father just to be able to complete high school. They agreed that Kakenya had to undergo female circumcision before she could finish high school. Kakenya Ntaiya graduated with very good grades. Her grades were so good that she was able to get a scholarship to attend college in the United States. Although her college was completely paid for, Kakenya still had to raise enough money to get a plane ticket to the United States. Many of her village elders were originally skeptical about helping Kakenya. Most elders felt that such a great opportunity should go to a male villager, and not a female. Thankfully, the elders eventually decided that Kakenya's cause was a worthy one, and they raised enough money to fly her to America. Once she graduated, Kakenya returned to her village of Enoosaen. In Kenya, many schools only accept boys or have limited spots for girls. Because of this, Kakenya founded her own school, designed for the sole purpose of educating young girls. The girls are taught leadership, empowerment, and other life skills. Kakenya's school has grown exponentially since its initial founding (Ntaiya, 2012). The status of women is rising in Kenya each and every year. Many women are receiving higher level education, which provides them better-paying jobs (Kenyan Culture “ Family). Hopefully, more Kenyan women will continue going to school, which will, in turn, help raise awareness for women's rights.
Our Century's Greatest Injustice
In Our Century's Greatest Injustice, Sheryl WuDunn speaks on the terrible realities that some women have to deal with each and every day. WuDunn states that the biggest moral issues of the 18th and 19th centuries were slavery and totalitarianism, and she believes that crimes against women are biggest issues that will plague society in the 21st century. She states that millions of girls all across the globe are at risk of being raped, neglected, or sold into slavery. WuDunn notes that the number of women and men living on Earth is almost split evenly 50/50, but when living conditions and quality of life are at peak level, women have been found to live longer. However, in developing countries, when living conditions are lower, boys are 50% more likely to survive than girls are. This is due to parents feeling less compelled to provide for their daughters when their sons are in need. Parents in poorer southern Asian countries are also less likely to enroll their daughter in school. Rape and prostitution were two of WuDunn's major talking points. India is one of the biggest hotbeds for sex trafficking. Many Indian men want to preserve the decency of their women, so they hire prostitutes from Nepal. Often times, they don't even pay for the women's services. They just rape the women, and sometimes they kill them. WuDunn believes that through education, she can get people in first world countries to donate money to charitable causes in third world countries. She also feels that people in developed countries need to rid themselves of the idea that people in third world countries are helpless and hopeless (WuDunn, 2010).
Conclusion
All around the world, women are being deprived of basic rights that all people, no matter their gender, deserve to have. In places like Pakistan, little girls are rarely allowed to go to school. The ones that do are instantly put at risk of attack. In Kenya, girls are forced into prearranged marriages. They have no choice in the matter, and they can be killed for trying to object the union. People who live in developed countries can help to raise awareness for women and the struggles that they go through in under-developed countries. By donating and volunteering, people can help impact the lives of women who live thousands of miles away. My Daughter, Malala, A Girl Who Demanded School, and Our Century's Greatest Injustice all illustrate the drive and determination women have to better themselves and the situation for other women. Women like Malala, Kakenya Ntaiya, and Sheryl WuDunn will continue to raise awareness for the hardships that women have to endure all over the world. These women are the light that leads oppressed women to continuously overcome the stereotypical gender roles that often confine them.
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Difference between the Physical, Emotional, Social, and Mental States of a Man and a Woman
A male is seen as dominant, strong, aggressive, and impulsive. The person in the relationship that does all the hard work and makes the important decisions. A woman is seen as submissive, weak, passive, and motherly. The stay-at-home partner to careen her children and support her husband lovingly, no questions asked. Women in our society are disparaged, underestimated, and questioned more than the male sexual orientation. A lady today has less access to fundamental and advanced education, they have more safety and health risks, and less political portrayal.
It is a fact that women in our society have less access to higher-level education than men do. In the article, Girls Education, it is an observation that in third world countries, the girls in the family are usually required for household chores, water hauling, and tending to children (The World Bank). These everyday chores limit the ability and time for schooling. It is the man's job in the household to have the paying job, hold the political power, and be the domineering voice. This also gives the male many opportunities to physically, and even violently, control their spouse at times. It is also said in the same article by The World Bank that poor families that cannot afford schooling prices for every child will prioritize education for their sons (Girls Education). This is important because it shows families that are considered poor would assure education for their male children only. However, there have been recent studies that say an educated female will be more likely to put off marriage, have less children, pay for any school preparation costs themselves, have healthier kids, and more likely to initiate in political processes than a man is (The World Bank). Being more educated would allow women to raise astute children and advise the husband more in everyday choices and decisions.
In addition to less education, women also have more health and safety risks than a man in modern times. As reported by Rhitu Chatterjee in her article from the National Public Radio, more than 81 percent of women in the workplace have been victims of sexual harassment, 51% of that including being touched without consent. More than 66% of these women that admitted to the harassment also admitted that they were hassled in public areas (Chatterjee, Rhitu, NPR). Male harassment in the workplace stands at 34%, and only 17% from unwanted touching (Chatterjee, Rhitu, NPR). These numbers pale in comparison to that of females, considering that at least four out of five women will be harassed sexually at least once in their career. Sexual harassment is unacceptable and despicable for anyone to go through. It unsettles the workplace's safety, trust, and reliability of the entire team.
Similarly, accompanying the safety risks of a workplace, women also suffer from gender bias when it comes to their health and medicinal equality. An article written by Vera Regitz-Zagrosek on the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, claims that gender medicine must consider the needs of both sexes. She points out that medicine cannot be a one-size fits all practice, but a gender-specific healthcare. This is essential because men and women are different in their physical and mental being. They will report symptoms differently, react differently, and must even be treated with drugs differently (Regitz-Zagrosek, Vera). Biological aspects in the female and male body include differences such as reproductive function, concentrations of sexual hormones, the expression of genes on X and Y chromosomes and their effects and the higher percentage of body fat in women (Regitz-Zagrosek, Vera). This will alter how certain parts of a gender-specific body will need to be taken care of and diagnosed as opposed to having one listed response.
Lastly, women are insufficiently represented when it comes to their ability to have political portrayal and power. Women are limited to their acceptance in executive positions, and even if they are allowed executive power, they stick women with civil discussions that stereotype women including water, infrastructure, sanitation, roads, education and health (Political Empowerment. Harvard University). Even though women have the right to partake in politics in ways a man does, such as voting and running for office, the actual number of women parliamentarians is only 21% worldwide (Harvard University). Women make up at least 51% of the population, and only own 1% of the world's wealth (The World Bank). Thus, leaving men with 79%, 49%, and 99% respectively. Even if an education is attained, and a woman secures a high paying job, it will be 20% lower than men's, says the World Bank, in their article Girls Education. Meaning, that men are paid more in all careers, not in one specific area. If there were more female political representation, girls would be more likely to speak out against assault, participate in politics, and even involve themselves in education more rather than house work (Harvard University). There would be more cooperation from females in needed areas like politics. This could retain the support of half the country and unite everyone as a team instead of having a power struggle of men vs. women.
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Difference between the Physical, Emotional, Social, and Mental States of a Man and a Woman. (2019, Apr 26).
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About Declaration of Independence
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About Declaration of Independence. (2019, Apr 26).
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An Interpretation of the Declaration of Independence
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An Interpretation of the Declaration of Independence. (2019, Apr 26).
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The Process of the Declaration of Independence
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The Process Of The Declaration Of Independence. (2019, Apr 26).
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The Purpose of the Declaration of Independence
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Rhetorical Analysis of the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence uses rhetorical devices, such as logos, pathos, and ethos, to justify and define the American people as an entirely separate populace. The precise language paved the way for the freedoms that Americans enjoy today. Thomas Jefferson appeals to the audience's sense of reason through his use of logos. He presents a clear argument that justifies the American desire to become an independent and free nation by listing the King's specific offenses against the colonies, such as He has refused to Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. and highlights the shortcomings of British leadership, ...the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations As a result of the detailed list of the King's injustices, Jefferson is able to present a contrasting argument that relies on a logical? cause and effect' stance and convincingly justifies the need to declare independence from Britain.
The construction of the Declaration of Independence also appeals to one's emotions through Jefferson's precise use of pathos. By concentrating the emotional side of the argument on self-evident truths, such as ...that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain, unalienable Rights Jefferson is able to inspire his audience to fight for their deserved freedom. Additionally, his writing is driven by a passionate and rallying tone throughout the document, which helps to encourage the audience to approach their independence with similar intensity. Jefferson's use of pronouns throughout the Declaration promotes an?Us v.s. Them' mentality, specifically by defining the American population as one people and Britain as another. This technique creates an emotional response that causes the audience to view British leadership only as an enemy, further justifying the need for independence.
Thomas Jefferson's strong use of ethos creates a credible stance for the entire Declaration. At the beginning of the document, he acknowledges those who doubt the American vision of independence, ...a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. By recognizing the counterargument, including the injustices committed by Britain's leaders, Jefferson is able to create a stronger position that worsens the King's credibility while strengthening his own reputation. In conclusion, the Declaration of Independence uses convincing techniques of logos, pathos, and ethos to justify the need for American independence. Jefferson's convincing use of these techniques changed the way that the world viewed personal liberty, independence, and freedom, and ultimately created the American values that citizens honor today.
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The Declaration of Independence on 1776
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The Declaration of Independence in History
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A Huge Effect of the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is one of the most well known documents that Americans know of today, this document has been the source behind many great achievements, not only in 1776 but those 2018. The primary purpose of the Declaration was not to declare the colonists independence, but to proclaim to the other countries the reasons behind declaring independence. The Framers wanted to invite the world to hear what they had to say about their ties with Britain. The Declaration of Independence has impacted everyone's lives on a daily basis, this document is the reason people can live in harmony, it creates a balance between the people and what they want in government. David Armitage said in his article that the audience of the Declaration is mankind (Armitage). The Framers not only had to include those who might have been cast offs with their former alliances to the British crown (Armitage).
The Declaration tells the world what the Framers believed was the proper way to govern people, while not everything that comes out of the document leads to prosperity immediately, it created the basis of the United State, providing the future with a chance to come along and make changes. This document was intended to lay out the causes which compelled the colonies to declare independence from Great Britain. To show that they were serious about gaining their freedom, and stating they were prepared to backup their claims they made against Great Britain. This document had a huge effect, not only in the seventeen hundreds, but into today.
While making the Declaration, several key concepts were invented to protect the people such as having natural rights, establishing universal truths when they didn't have them before, the knowledge of who was in control of the county also known as popular sovereignty and lastly social contract theory. These concepts were a peaceful way of making the colonies a country and being able to adapt as a country overtime, with the encouragement of change and growth of the people.
Breaking ties with Britain
The Framers drafted the Declaration during the American Revolution. During this time there was a revolt of Britain's thirteen American colonies against rule of the British Crown. According to the Big Ideas Simply Explained: The Politics Book, by Dorling Kindersley Publishing, explains the reasoning that the Framers had for wanting to abolish ties with Britain (Dorling Kindersley Publishing 157). The book explains that by 1763 the British had won a series of wars against France for possession of the colonies (Dorling Kindersley Publishing 157). These wars eventually depleted the British funds, since the huge cost of the wars (Dorling Kindersley Publishing 157). The Parliament needed to come up with money; they achieved this by taxing the Framers. The Framers did not like this, so they protested in Boston, against taxation without representation which led to British military intervention (Dorling Kindersley Publishing 157), and in turn spiraled into war.
It wasn't until the First Continental Congress of 1774, that the Framers demanded that they have their own parliament; then a year later, at the Second Congress, King George III spurning all of their demands, the Framers, finally, pushed for total independence from Britain (Dorling Kindersley Publishing 157). The main issues the Framers has with Britain were trade and taxes placed on goods so that the colonies had to pay for the cost of Empire (Dorling Kindersley Publishing 157). Britain was deeply in debt and as such, the king wanted to impose on the colonies in the way of taxes to alleviate some of the costs, while contributing more to the common security of Great Britain. Carl Lotus Becker claims that the Framers wanted to justify to the world the reasons for removing ties with Britain (Becker 7). Becker was an American historian that was mostly known for his work on early American intellectual history and on the 18th-century Enlightenment. He believes that the Declaration's statement of causes is not the record of what the king had done, meaning the list they provided is not everything that the king has done, but rather a list they they need to have assessed by the king of Great Britain so that the form of indictment, could be what the Framers needed to clear the themselves of all responsibility (Becker 7).
The Declaration was a sly way of making the Framers not rebellions. In the eyes of large countries, rebellion is always serious (Becker 7). What the Framers needed was a place for rebellion, they needed a theory of government that provided rebellion and make it respectable (Becker 7). The Framers knew this, so they made that possible with a government that could be modified over time so that the people can always come first. The Declaration was to present their causes in a way as to flaunt moral and legal justifications for its own rebellion (Becker 7). Before announcing the specific grievances against the king, Jefferson formulates a philosophy which the case of the Framers solidly rest (Becker 7). One that affirms the right of a people to establish and overturn its own government for the new philosophy (Becker 7).
Establishing Universal Truths
When the Framers were deciding what they wanted the United States to be, they needed to find a common ground between themselves, so that they could formulate the new government. They did that by understanding and implementing universal truths, the meaning of the word truth is a statement of which the content corresponds to the world around them. If the word universal means always and never ending; then a Universal Truth is a statement that will always and forever be a statement that reflects the reality. This was the basis the Framers used when creating the the United States. They wanted to make rules and regulations that would better the people, but to do this they needed to have rules that everyone would agree to. This would create a social contract.
The Politics Book points out that, when deciding what the Framers wanted, they would look back to the history of the world. When searching they would find monarchies and corrupt governments that were governing over unequal societies (Dorling Kindersley Publishing 156). Meaning that the Framers knew that the government that was right for them excluded most forms of unequally so the solution that Thomas Jefferson and other intellectuals, looked to thinkers such as the liberal philosopher John Locke. Locke studied the need the government had to hold a social contract with the governed, and studied how that could affect the rights of humanity. The Declaration of Independence marked a break between the a newly way of thinking and the older thoughts that were not incompatible with the new thinking of all men are created equal and to transgress their inalienable rights (Dorling Kindersley Publishing 155). The Declaration formed the basis of the new contract theory. This new theory contained the rights of the people and in theory made everyone equal.
Natural Rights
When reading the Declaration, it claims everyone has natural rights. To explain what a right is, it is a claim that a person may make against someone else who would have taken something that does not belong to them. A right is something that can be earned such as a voting right, it is something that comes with age. You can be born with rights, or you acquire it by marriage. So this can be many different things, for example if you have something, like your backpack or your cell phone, then you own them, and have a right to them. They are yours, if someone steals from you, then you have a legitimate argument against that person. They owe you, your possessions back or better yet they had the responsibility to have not have taken it in the first place. With a right explained, a natural right, is a claim to what one rightfully owns by birth. This is best explained with rights that cannot be taken away such as the rights to live peacefully and in turn make a living. One example is when the parents of someone die, usually the children have a natural right to the belongings that the parents have acquired. This right is given to you because the owner of the belongings is gone and so you are the next person that can take it.
It is from this philosophy that the phrase all men created equal came from. Augustine Peter Lawler is a Political Philosophy and American Politics Professor, in his paper he says that even though the government is limited by the personal progress toward wisdom and virtue, or the the struggle between the value of the person versus the nation (Lawler). He says that particular individuals that are open to the truth about who they are as free and relational beings can create a pathway for others do do as well (Lawler 85). The American devotion to justice does not require money, land or resources, but our personal content in the name of liberty (Lawler 85). It's our understanding of theses notions that affirms the dignified personal significance of beings who have achieved freedom from government, the freedom of families, and freedom of the church (Lawler 85). The truths announced in the Declaration are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Meaning that the people believe they are entitled to unalienable rights that no one can take away, along with the rights to have a peaceful life without the fear of having their lives upturned because of something out of their control. Now they have a solid backing of the Declaration of Independence to affirm what they believe to be important parts of life.
Popular Sovereignty
As the Framers were making the laws and regulations, there were times when they needed a new policy. When these times arose, it was questioned whether the people should get to decide for themselves whether their states would enter the Union as free or slave states. This is known today as popular sovereignty. Popular sovereignty would be defined as the supreme power, authority, or national control over a country's territory. One example of this is when Anne Elizabeth Reese claims that in order to protect the state sovereignty, the contemporary way of reading the declaration known as textualism, has reinforced the Tenth Amendment (Reese). However, the textualists have overlooked the Tenth Amendment final four words, which reserve powers to the people (Reese). By ignoring the people in the Tenth Amendment, Americans have ignored a vital structure of protection against the federal and state pressure in America (Reese). What she is saying is that, in order to fully cover one aspect of the written doctrine, we miss a completely different part of the text. When writing the Declaration, they most likely didn't think that we would take each word under a microscope, but to be able to read and understand who has the rights and what they believe everyone is born with. This is connected with popular sovereignty because when government gets their powers from the people, it is also ingrained that this concept should also provide that the government should be in alive and flourishing, and while doing so should fulfill the government's purpose of benefiting the citizens.
If government is not taking every action that is necessary in protecting the people, when the whole belief in the government is to benefit the citizens is nonsense and we should redo our philosophy. When the government ceases to doing everything it can to protect it people should be to disbanded. This is what Jefferson was saying in the opening paragraph of the Declaration, when he provides the reasons for its publication. He wanted the government to be active in the country but not to the point that it was stripping the people from their rights.
Social Contract Theory
When understanding social contract theory, it is the compilation of all our basic or natural duties that Robert Grant defines to be social contract theory. Grant, says that the social contract is that fundamental compact that consists of the rules imposing basic duties, assigning rights, and distributing the benefits of political, social, and economic cooperation, unanimously agreed to by reasonable people in a state of perfect equality and absolute impartiality (Grant). This is not the result of a historical event; it is the result of rational and legal analysis and hypothesis, in other words this is a huge achievement in the culture, but not the turning point (Grant). This is where everyone agrees to the stipulations on this area of land. There are basic duties and natural duties since they arise from our nature as human beings, natural duties are not perfected until we form ourselves into social groups, duties are relationships (Grant). Human rights are universal since the reciprocal basic natural duties established by the social contract are general in their application to all people and at all times (Grant).
Impact on Modern Culture
The ideal of full human equality has been an ongoing challenge that not only the Framers of the Declaration had to face, but for the people of today. Throughout several generations, the nation has accepted some of its faults and we have achieved a new era of equality. The Framers did not see equality as a positive social goal, since, they never addressed this a notion to change the lives of the minority's. Nevertheless, through the creation of the Declaration of Independence we, as a notion have created equality among all men and women. This was not done lightly, nothing happened overnight but the minority has overcome many great struggles, with the backing of the Declaration of Independence. Overtime we can see the effects that Jefferson's words when he wrote the first sentence written in the Preamble: We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.
Throughout recent history we have accomplished so many different changes, from the freedom of slaves, establishing equal voting rights, and advance as a society, to better the equality among men and women. Today women have been given every opportunity that men are now given and are truly equal among men. The words that were written in the seventeen hundreds still stand today, and might even be even more powerful. The people being oppressed today have a longer and harder road to follow to gain the same rights, so makes the declaration even more powerful because we see the language being used and as a nation take up the issue get addressed. Since this was not the original purpose of the Declaration, when the Framers did not have quite that radical an agenda. There was the possibility for social changes was certainly discussed in 1776, but nothing like the changes the declaration has stated. Since the Framers were on the radical side of philosophy with their belief of "it is the right of the people to alter or abolish" their government, the Framers wanted a new government idea where, in that government the people held the rights to what that country would govern. The new government would let the people reject a monarchy and replace it with a republican government, making this a huge cultural change. While the Declaration did not initially lead to equality for all, it created a pathway that allowed the start of equality for all.
To conclude, the Declaration has been used by the people of the United States, this document is meant to change with the people. The Framers made this important document that will always be valued in America, so that future generations will be able to learn and adapt. This document lets people be who they are be able to have rights for that. In the time since the Declaration has been written, the several key radical concepts that were invented for people such as having natural rights, establishing universal truths, popular sovereignty and social contract theory, have impacted so many people. Not only does this document tell the world what the Framers were thinking when they declared from Britain, it tells the future generations what is not acceptable. These concepts were important in the years after the Framers wrote them because whenever we as a country need change, there is an achievable way to make it happen.
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A Huge Effect Of The Declaration of Independence. (2019, Apr 26).
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The Declaration of Independence and Human Rights
Within the late 1760s and early 1770s, the North American colonists had a strained relationship that seemed to only get worse with the British and the king’s imperial policies of taxing and trading. The colonists attempted to fix the relationship by such things as the Olive Branch Petition. The Olive Branch Petition was approved by the Continental Congress in July of 1775, to try and avert a potential war with Great Britain.
The Olive Branch Petition secured the colonies allegiance to the British Crown reassuring the king that the colonies did not yet seek independence from Great Britain, while also seeking to reach a negotiation over the unfair trade and tax regulations. The petition discussed options of taxes equal to those living in Great Britain itself, and free trade, or simply no taxes or harsh trade regulations. This petition was delivered to the king in London on July 8, 1775, and When the petition was rejected, a Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition affirmed that the colonies were in the state of rebellion. 1 The bad blood between colonial leaders and the British crown was far too serious to ever return to how life was for them in the past. The king’s rejection of the Olive Branch Petition gave those who wanted a revolution a reason to push for the colonies’ independence, and made many colonists believe that there were two options in the situation: complete independence from Great Britain or complete obedience to the British rule. The colonists felt as if their lives were being deprived as their civil liberties were being taken away, therefore the Continental Congress gained strength every passing day thus, leading to the formation of the Declaration of independence, and heated political arguments focusing on the act of independence itself.2 The United States of America’s founders understood that revolting against the almighty British Crown would raise quite a legal dilemma, however; the colonial leaders understood that the independence was worth the risk. This is one reason why the Continental Congress chose five delegates, including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, and gave them the task of designing a formal document confirming the 13 colonies’ break off from Great Britain.
Such a document as this declaration had to be as persuasive as possible to varying parties. Americans would read the document and join the cause, Britons would be sympathetic to the cause and push for royal restraint, and foreign powers would help the colonial militia.
The formal document of rights and grievances is known as the Declaration of Independence, was ratified on July 4, 1776. The men who had signed the Declaration of Independence truly believed that they had legitimized their rebellion, however; the British men and royalty viewed the rebellion as an act of treason against the British.3 One’s belief of the legality of the Declaration of independence lies within his or her view of natural law and physical law. Natural law regards the moral principles and guidelines for all humans, while physical law in this context refers to the legal law under the British Crown. Under the topic of natural law, the Declaration of Independence is unquestionably legal, because government is only set when the people of the land consent to it, and in this case, the colonists did not consent to the actions the government were taking. The Declaration of Independence justified the colonies’ independence from Britain based on the natural law and universal human rights. When human rights are taken out of consideration, the colonies’ independence was technically illegal and subject to treason.
There was no legal confirmation in favor of a group of citizens to establish their own laws due to them wanting to, which is what the colonists did. The Declaration of independence itself appealed to natural law, which to most people had no defined concept of, and to self-truth, which most people often had varying definitions of. Most people may have had differing definitions of human rights, however; it can be agreed that the certain rights were mentioned in the Declaration of Independence should truly never be taken away. The colonists are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.4 These rights were violated by the British crown, therefore making the independence of the colonies justified. When it gets to a point where a group of people are being ignored and are being oppressed by the law, natural law and human rights should come into consideration. As stated in the Declaration of independence itself, the colonists’ repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. The Declaration of Independence includes a list of grievances that the colonies had repeatedly faced and attempted to reach out to the king in order to find a resolution. The colonies had tried many different peaceful measures that include boycotts, which only ended in more damage and ruling to the colonies.
The people were being oppressed and no actions were taken to improve their situations, the king ignored their resolutions and went on his way. Any king who does not care for the needs of the people he rules over should not have the right to rule. These grievances include such topics as taxation without the colonists’ consent, a lack of colonist representation in the British government, and the right to trial by jury. The stamp act, which taxed newspapers, regular paper, and wills, along with the Townshend acts which taxed tea, glass, paint, and lead did not only regulate trade as British royalty had made it seem.
These taxes were placed on the colonists to benefit England. The colonists were rightfully enraged, considering these taxes were abusing the colonists’ rights as Englishmen due the law of England that made it clear that someone may not have taxes placed upon them if he or she does not have representation in government, straining the relationship between colonists and the mainland. Another excerpt from the Declaration of Independence states that the king, plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. The colonists were being treated far worse than poorly in their opinion, as the mentioned grievance stated that the king was ruining their towns, their lives, and rights as Englishmen. The rights of the colonists were slowly being stripped away, and they could do nothing to fix that. In a piece from the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms the second Continental Congress mentioned that, The parliament can ?of right make laws to bind all cases whatsoever. The British government had the power to make laws so aggressive that the colonies were set under complete control of the British government.
The colonist then had no choice other than to give in to complete rule or to declare their independence. Since the rule under the British king was unjust towards the colonists, they were justified on their action to declare war.5 Any chance they got, the British royalty had centralized the power and every decision to be made was taken into their own hands, while the colonists and little to no ability to oversee or take care of their own legal cases with local and state governments.
Laws were enforced upon the colonists without their consent, leaving them with no say in government at all. Any local laws created to limit harsh and abusive government actions were ignored. 6 Colonists in America did not have easy lives. Most of the colonists’ parents or grandparents came from England around the time of the Declaration of Independence, and had to suffer through horrid winters, unfriendly Native Americans, and harsh foreign encounters. The hardships that the colonists faced on the daily basis supplied them with a stronger bond within each other, and they sought out more freedom while away from the mother country. The colonists yearned for more freedom, however they were constantly being oppressed by the ruling of the king and his laws.
The colonial leaders reached out to the king many times in order to make peaceful negotiations, however their attempts at peace were denied. The colonists had been through many different options to make peace with the king such as boycotts, yet they were ruled over more strictly every time they took the chance. The colonies then had no other option to help themselves before any further unjust actions were taken upon them than to declare their independence. The colonies were just in their actions towards independence, and did not violate any oath they had taken, due to their human rights being stripped away.
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The Declaration of Independence in the USA History
The United States of America celebrates Independence Day on 4th of July. This crucial day carries lots of significance for the American people. It is very important to understand the document that led Americans to decide about the separation of the United States from the British regime.
The war between France and Britain lasted 7 years. Britain eventually had victory in the War. This massive victory brought a great joy in Britain and also in American colonies. However, this victory turned out to be very expensive to the British government. In order to recover the tremendous debt of the war, Britain levied a number of taxes to the colonies. The Sugar Act was put in action in 1764 which imposed taxes on sugar and other goods. The following year, the British government imposed taxes on all paper documents through the Stamp Act of 1765. Colonists had to pay taxes on each printed paper that were used in the colonies (Stamp Act). 2 years after, in 1767, the Townshend Acts put further taxes on almost everything that were imported by the American colonies. (Townshend Acts). The British government wanted revenue from the American colonies through taxes. However, the Tax Acts imposed by the representatives in Britain were not the representatives from American colonies. This brought a huge tension in the American colonies. The colonial representatives were furious to the British government which led to the consequences of rebellion in colonies against the British government. The unconstitutional acts against the American colonies rose to the mob violence (Declaration). These mobs started destroying every sculpture which related colonies with British regime. In retaliation, the British government sent troops to stop mob violence which brought more tensions in the colonies since these troops started beating and harassing the mob members. Also, the pamphlet Common Sense written by Thomas Paine forced many colonists to consider Independence as the best option (Goldfield,115).
The colonial leaders then began to think of leaving behind the relationship with Britain. The second continental congress started a campaign to cut off the British rule in Colonies. They proposed Thomas Jefferson to write the declaration of independence. In the declaration of Independence Jefferson points out the inevitable reasons to overthrow the British rule from American Colonies. The unanimous decision of the declaration of Independence proposes the impelling causes to the separation. Jefferson writes, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" (Declaration). He is making a conclusion that if any government tries to take away the rights of people given by the Creator, the citizen of that government has moral duty to abolish the government and form a new one in order to protect their rights. Jefferson is indicating that the current government is an evil which is torturing its innocent citizen. He clearly remarks the illegal actions of the King of Great Britain towards the colonial citizens in the Declaration of Independence. Some of his illegal actions are rejecting the laws in colonies, taxation on the imports, disregarding the judicial powers, military dependency, cutting the trades off with the rest of the world, disallowing the legislature system, controlling the sea power, etc. The colonists were not ready to accept another day of British rule. And hence, they declare the right to be independent states Along with the declaration, they wanted to have their own government through which they could do all the actions that an independent country does. They wanted absolute zero connection with Britain (Transcription).
Unlike the other founding documents, the Declaration of Independence is not legally binding, but it is powerful (Independence). The British government had been ignoring the past documents that were related to the separation of the Colonies from British rule. However, the Declaration of Independence had shocked badly to the throne. In reply, the British government wrote to the Colonists contradicting the credibility of the declaration document. British King was dissatisfied with the declaration document the way it had blamed King George III for the slave issue. Britain was also unconvinced with the document's statement all men are created equal because they saw that colonists were still owning slaves. Although Britain tried its best to disregard the declaration of independence by criticizing it, the colonists completely ignored Britain's comments. In reply, the British sent troops to the colonies within a month of the Declaration of Independence. This time the colonists did not tolerate any of the troops' oppression. And hence they started fighting back. Even though the British government tried to console the Colonists, the Colonists were firm about their decision to never fall under the British regime again (Surber). The revolutionary war in the British colonies soon became global. It started to look like the war between two different nations. European countries like Spain and France did not like Britain in that period. They found a way to get back at Great Britain by supporting the Americans. With the help of these foreign countries, the colonists became more powerful and were able to win the war against British rule. With the end of the revolutionary war, the United States of America became a free and independent country (Effects).
The significance of the Declaration of Independence has evolved along with the time. Within the next two centuries of the declaration of independence, more than 120 nations have declared their independence. All these nations look back at the declaration of independence of the U.S.A as an ideal document. The Declaration of Independence needs to live as long as the United States of America lives.
Works Cited
- Effects of the Declaration decofind1776, https://decofind1776.weebly.com/effects.html. Accessed Nov 23, 2018.
- Goldfield, David, Carl Abbott, Virginia DeJohn Anderson, Jo Ann E.Argersinger and William L. Barney. Chapter 6: The War for Independence: 1774-1783 The American Journey: A History of The United States. Hoboken, NJ, Pearson, 2017.
- Stamp Act History, Nov 9, 2009. https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/stamp-act. Accessed Nov 20, 2018.
- Surber, Katie. British Reply to the Declaration: Summary & Analysis Study, https://study.com/academy/lesson/british-reply-to-the-declaration-summary-analysis.html. Accessed Nov 22, 2018.
- The Declaration of Independence Archives, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration. Accessed Nov 22, 2018.
- The Declaration of Independence Archives, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration. Accessed Nov 22, 2018.
- Townshend Acts History, Nov 9, 2009. https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/townshend-acts. Accessed Nov 21, 2018.
- Why Was the Declaration of Independence Written? History, June 29, 2018. https://www.history.com/news/how-the-declaration-of-independence-came-to-be. Accessed Nov 20, 2018.
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Gender Equality and Culture
In this society we have to face many different people that involve gender issues. Different personalities with either gender have created a culture for others to follow or to be in. It has both positive or negative effects to different individuals throughout history and it led to many different gender issues revolving gender inequality. These problems have been set in stone and often brought up in history books which the following generations use to learn about past events regarding gender inequality such that, women are treated and viewed unequal to men. Women carry different responsibilities compared to those that men have, where they must be stronger than men in order to compete with others in society. They have to struggle with these responsibilities and try to prove themselves that they are capable of handling situations in order to survive in the biased cultural norms. For instance, in the novel Sing, Unburied, Sing written by Jesmyn Ward, there are various characters that have different styles of living based on their gender roles. There are several examples from the novel where the characters have to face cultural norms and social standards which have greatly affected their lives and it causes similar results to many others that had the same effect on their lives.
One of the characters which shows as an example of a female character struggling within society would be Leonie, the mother of two kids named Jojo and Kayla. Leonie has trouble taking care of the kids and face difficulties from a mixture of trauma, structural oppression, and her own flaws. The relationship between Leonie and her kids can be seen as painful. Because the lack of parental support leads to a cruel relationship between mother and her two children. They are left without a parent to look after them leaving Jojo being the older brother to take care of his younger baby sister, Kayla. One of the reasons for Leonie’s mistreatment towards her kids is because of drug use. Her usage of drugs is related to the influence made by her husband, Michael as well as his absence that leads to lack of spousal support. Leonie also had been led to use drugs because of the traumatic event by the murder of her brother, Given. Leonie loved her younger brother very much but unfortunately she lost her brother because he was murdered by her husband’s cousin. Given was Leonie’s life line which supported her as a mother of her two lovely children. However, after his death she missed him dearly which caused her to result to drug use. When Leonie takes a lot of drugs she becomes high and this leads to Given to appear in spirit. Because of this Leonie consistently is using drugs as a way to see her brother for moral support to prevent her from self destructing. Another reason of Leonie’s drug use is influenced by Michael because he has his own traumas which led to his own drug use and leads to him being sentenced to prison. After struggling with her brother’s death and her husband’s absence she allows the usage of drugs to keep her from insanity. Leonie also faces numerous racial issues in the society where she lives.
The question of Leonie’s ability to be mother is clear that she is unable to be a supportive mother with her extreme usage of drugs. Without a clear mind she is clearly incompetent to show love for her kids because she is blinded by love for her husband and brother. In Prezi.com, it shows that “Leonie's incapability to depict the stereotypical gender roles of a mother and a daughter seems to be related with the fact that she was not able to identify with her mother.” The face that Leonie being unable to identify herself with her mother shows her unable to portray herself as a supportive and loving mother towards her two children.This leads to a negative stereotype where a mother is portrayed as loving, caring and supportive to her kids which Leonie lacks towards her own children. This is where gender can be seen as sociocultural construction. The fact that she is a mother of her kids should bring out her responsibilities to take care of them because they are dependent of her however she fails to do so because of her right state of mind. The lack of her parental presence leads to Jojo developing his own characteristics and views within society. In scalar.usc.edu, it shows “those characteristics and traits sociocultural considered appropriate to males and females” meaning the dimension of gender is gender identity or thinking of as male or female are viewed differently from one another. This shows that Leonie’s approach on gendered identities of how men take drugs just the same when women take drugs. The difference between the two genders resulting in drug use differ because men take drugs due to stress from working, making hard decisions and face the consequences, however for women taking drugs is a different approach. Women drug use creates different results like carelessness towards their children, losing the ability to show good signs towards their children and setting bad examples as a parental figure to them. Another negative stereotype can be masculinity. For instance, in The Washington Post, it said “A real man is stoic and unemotional. A real man is physically strong a protector. A real man doesn’t show weakness, ask for or show vulnerability.” This compares to Leonie being a mother because it puts herself in the position to support her children and pull off a strong demeanor in front of them. It caused her to question herself can she be the strong parent, who shows no emotion and provide for her family while her husband is gone and also be the loving motherly figure?
There are many cases where Leonie had trouble being the so call “man” in front of her kids. The man is seen responsible for the kids, taking care of everything, protecting the kids and giving the love to the kids. However, Leonie fails to do so because she cannot control her emotions and keep a straight mind in order to provide the guidance and support which her children need. Obviously, Leonie can’t be the man for her two children because of her incapabilities to control herself from the usage of drugs. Her unstable emotions and inability to face her responsibilities causes her to show the lack of parenthood which she should towards Jojo and Kayla. This reveals that Leonie needs a male figure in her life to keep her in check and be the loving mother for her two children. That figure used to be her brother, Given who was there for her when she needed someone to talk to and helped her face the gender and racial struggles in her life. But unfortunately, with the lack of her brother’s presence as well as her husbands she is unable to control a straight mind which causes her to result in using drugs to vision her brother. This reminds us of Leonie’s feminine side where she is in need of the male figure in her life. She is unable to be the provider for the family because she believes she lacks the characteristics to be a loving mother for her two children. Leonie’s portrayal of stereotypical feminine traits is related to the gender roles within the book. In page 48, it shows “I didn’t want to go in the house just in case Mama decided to give me one of her plant lessons.” This show she doesn’t want to get lectured by Mama because she is afraid and is aware she will be lectured again and again being a bad example. She acknowledges that she is a lacking mother when she admits, she is “The one I’m never good enough for. Never mama for. Just Leonie, a name wrapped around the same disappointed syllables I’ve heard from Mama, from Pop, even from Given, my whole fucking life.” (Leonie, 147) Leonie’s main issue is dealing with herself and how she doesn’t trust herself well enough to take care of others, she is aware of her flaws but she doesn’t try to change them. She desires to be the dependent in her family and is blinded by love for her husband which causes her to disregard her responsibilities. “I stand there watching my children comfort each other (...) I could reach out and touch them both, but I don’t.” (Leonie, 101) Without a male figure in her life, Leonie will continue to be the helpless mother who believes the male figure in her children’s life should be responsible for the love of her children. This is where Jojo’s personality and characteristics’ develop to catch his mother’s faults.
For the young boy Jojo who is unusually serious and mature for his age because of his mother, Leonie’s irresponsibility means that he has effectively taken over as parent of his three-year-old sister, Kayla. Even though Jojo is intelligent for his age he still doesn’t understand Leonie. In the book, Jojo is a strong kid that picks up after his mother’s slack by taking care of his little sister and learning while watching everything happen around him. He shows much love towards his Pop, River who is his mother’s father. He’s desperate to imitate his grandfather, and this is his attempt to prove that he’s old enough to look at death like a man should. In TheAlantic.com “Jojo’s understanding of manhood is complicated by both the people and places in his family’s history.” This shows that Jojo is living in a difficult family whose mother is black that struggle with the use of drugs. His father is white who sent to the brutal Parchman penitentiary. For Jojo who is growing up at this young age to have both parent struggling is tough especially when he has a three year old sister to take care of as well. Jojo has his own responsibility to help and take care of his sister, he feels the responsibility of being the opposite of his mother and father by setting good example for his younger sibling.
Overall the story shows the relationship between Leonie and Jojo play in different gender roles. They have shown their example of how gender roles have affected their personal life and how their gender roles correspond with one another to support the family. Leonie’s lacks the characteristics of a motherly figure because she does not have a male figure by her side. This allows Jojo to be responsible and try to make up for her lacking characteristics. This shows how their gender role presents itself shown by their characters and how they play out throughout the story.
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Gender Roles in Different Cultures
Gender roles in society have existed for thousands of years and have been essential to the survival of humans. For instance, women in Native American tribes would go out and gather materials, care for the children, make clothing, and prepare the food needed for the tribe in order to survive. Men were expected to go out and hunt wild game, fighting in wars against neighboring tribes and colonizers, crafting tools for said wars, and building. This is only a snippet of what gender roles are in a specific society. Gender roles are very subjective in this day and age because of the progressiveness in our civilization.
DEFINITION:
Gender roles can be described as the way we act around others in our communities, speak, dress, and behave according to the sex we had been assigned at birth. In the Western culture of within the United States, females are usually expected to act with class, speak properly, be polite, and just be genuinely feminine. For men, they are expected to exert hyper-masculinity by being aggressive, showing strength, and being macho. However, this specific set of rules for women and men is very subjective and applies to most of the Western world. Countries in the Middle East, like Saudi Arabia, have strict gender roles. Women in particular are expected to conduct themselves in a certain way or they face the risk of dishonoring their family and even risk punishments as harsh as death.
RESEARCH:
Women in Middle Eastern countries rarely are able to participate in politics, walk the streets on their own, or marry who they please. These are the roles of most Middle Eastern women. Only in recent years have some of these expectations have changed. In 2015, Saudi Arabia passed a law stating that women have the right to vote and that same year they were able to run in elections like their male counterparts. Six years later a woman was finally appointed as a government minister. As for marriage, men are able to have multiple wives, but women are not. Divorce for men is as easy as saying I divorce you three times, literally that is how men in Saudi Arabia divorce their wives, but for women the process of divorce is long and painful. The woman loses custody of her sons and/or daughters, if they are a certain age, to her ex-husband.
Completely opposite of the gender role ideology of the Islamic society is Ancient Egypt. Women and men were equals and respected the same. Women had the same rights as men. Both sexes held similar positions of power. Of course women were most likely to cook and make clothing while men went out and fought in wars and provide food, but they were still respected in their roles. A woman could be a pharaoh just like a man could. Instead of major gender roles, there were classes. In just about each class the roles between women and men were respected equally
APPLICATION:
Gender roles definitely play vital role in my life. As a teenage female, I am not allowed to do the same things that teenage males are able to do, for safety reasons. Growing up I wasn't allowed to spend the night with a female friend if she had older brothers. I always had to tell my mother of my new friend's family members, who lived with them, and what their gender was. I understood that she was worried about me being taken advantage of, but it was honestly annoying. Girls being overpowered by men. An unfortunate gender role norm for me at that age. Another gender role norm for me is that I am not allowed to walk certain places by myself. I frequently visit North Carolina Central University on the weekends and I must admit that the surrounding area is known for being a little sketchy and dangerous at night. I'm not allowed to walk alone around that area so I have to have my boyfriend walk me to and from certain places on campus. 91% of rape victims are female. My chances of being assaulted, trafficked, and/or abducted are too high to walk the streets alone at night. That's my gender role norm. If I were a boy that would be different and even my mother said so. As a young woman, my gender role is much different than that of my brother's and/or father's. I have to be protected 24/7. I have to be alert at all times. I have to face the fact that as a female I am more vulnerable in today's society and I have to be aware of my surroundings majority of the time just to stay safe.
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Gender Roles with Latin/ Hispanic: Society or Family
Within the Latin culture there are boundaries and limitations of expected gender roles for the females and males. Needless to say, these gender roles are often witnessed from a young age for Latin females and males within their home. Latinos who are less acculturated tend to embrace these gender specific ideologies about marriage, family and that the significant others have the final say within the marriage relationship(Molina and Alcntara,2013).For decades prior, society placed these stereotypical demeanors upon female's and their responsibilities that are not limited yet are subjective to child bearing and daily household task while, as for the males, they often have greater education achievements and tend to be financial facilitators for the family (Updegraff et al., 2014). Not to mention, if the female has more free time than the male, it is assumed for her to complete more household duties (Lam, McHale and Updegraff, 2012). Gender roles within American society often are similar to the Latin culture but tend to lose some distinction as the nuclear family develops. However, American society regarding gender roles have become somewhat of a blended approach regarding specific gender roles at home in the latter years. Where men are stepping up to tend to children and completing household task and where the females are now becoming apart of the background due to increase in employment status or furthering education that keeping them from being at home.
Herein this study, we want to know if society impacts gender roles and if they differ between generations within the Latin/Hispanic culture or are gender roles still prevalent between generations within the Latin/Hispanic culture. Wanting to see if the gender roles regarding the nuclear family are still as strong as the generations of Latin/Hispanic descendants become for Americanized from outside the home. Past research from with the Latin community focuses more so on the acculturation of the individuals with society yet fail to provide more insight on generational aspect of the family dynamics. Before we can evaluate the entirety, we wanted to start at the higher part of the totem pole within the family structure, the grandparents and work downwards from there to see if there are any distinct similarities between each generation and gender roles. Most of what families know as far as, beliefs come from the matriarchs of the family, the grandparents. The grandparents are the ones who set the blue print for what is to be followed.
From an article by Agnieszka Lasota ( 2014), the author studied the development perspective from grandparents and children by transmission of knowledge, values and skills at the nucleus family level. The study had a total of 160 participants with ranging from pre-school to middle adulthood. The study concluded that the grandparents transmit more traditions, culture and historical knowledge to grandchildren while the parents transmits specific skills and moral norms to the children. Overall, the study did help equate some insight regarding what grandparents bring to the family dynamic. Needless to say, the study gave an ambiguous conclusion considering any roles in particular they may transmit to the children, stating that family members assume the role given to them by what the family expects the individuals to satisfy the needs of the family, whether it is cooking, cleaning or teaching the younger generations how to ride a bike. We would do an injustice, if we failed to provide certain components that categorize the different levels of family dynamics. Keep in mind, generational status can be defined as: first generation can refer to an individual who is the spent a majority of their lives in a different country, who in there for migrated to the United States. Second generation can refer to an individual who emigrated at an early age with one or both parents and have grown up majority of their lives in the United States. Third generation can refer to an individual being born in the United States. The generational factors can provide evidence of culture comprehension for the family dynamics. Correlations between family interactions and generational status could transpire how the we interpret gender roles amongst the family(Chang, Chen & Natsuaki, 2013).
First generation Latino Americans demonstrate above average levels on family cohesiveness whereas though third generation Latino Americans demonstrate larger levels of family quarrels (Chang, Chen & Natsuaki, 2013). For example, Tayna Nieri and Moncia Bermudez-Parsai published an article in 2014 regarding the parent and child acculturation and how their can be differences in gaps for the family. The article gives more positive reflections on acculturation on a macro level within the Latin culture. The data collected was from group of thirty immigrant participants and a total of sixty interviews given. The participants from 18 years of age to 39 years of age and have lived at least ten years in the United States. The results conclude that the parents interpreted that their Latin culture roots are something vital for their children to know while the children perception of their own culture is something they have no choice to know due to the results of their parents demonstrating through the types of food eaten, music, specific holidays celebrated.
Yet, the children participants reiterate that without the guidance from the parents by instilling their Latin culture upon them, they would not have a sense of closeness and camaraderie with their parents. Admit that they want to have that sort of dynamic with their own children someday. There are numerous study conducted similar to this article yet none them give direct insight to if acculturation is the only effect on the family dynamics. Not saying that past research is meaningless because it is relevant to future studies such as mine when determining gender roles within the nucleus family. I have to know where we have been in order to change the future and purse alternate research such as regarding the generational component to add to future research. Moving on to the parents and the family dynamics, the parents are the ones the children see on a daily basis. The article, The Second Shift Reflected in the Second Generation: Do Parents' Gender Roles at Home Predict Children's Aspirations, were it studied gender inequality at home and how it restricts gender equality at work. It reports that women still are at an injustice because the majority of wives are left with unpaid domestic labor at home. Assuming that these domestic labors are still in fact cleaning and maintain the home and child care. (Croft, Schmader, Block & Baron, 2014). In the past females have been linked with lessen career aspirations, decrease in job earnings and lower levels of education in adulthood (Updegraff et al., 2014).
A study regarding parental favoritism, argues that mothers of the family are more often, than not viewed as the explicit caregiver for children. Especially toward female offspring, which lead to deep- seated perspectives from the offspring and mothers than with the vice versus with the fathers. Which can precede to have significant pressure placed upon female offspring rather than male offspring that can create damaging effects on the psychological well-being and rapport between siblings (Gilligan, Suitor, Kim and Pillemer, 2013). The most common and often associated with the Latin culture is machismo belief, in tells are masculine norms that males attribute too. As the male role as the head of the household and celebrate their supremacy and sexual virility.This where the belief can become damaging to the adolescents' upbringing because if the child only sees the father go to work and come home when dinner is ready, their image is skewed and the foundation for differential placements for gender roles is born. The child However, the fathers are viewed as having active involvement later on in the offspring's adulthood (Gilligan, Suitor, Kim and Pillemer, 2013). Male spouses state that household duties tend to be seen as uninteresting and tedious, that if they have to complete them, they would rather do tasks that are appealing to them in order to complete them. Believe that since they more socioeconomic resources they have the authority to buy themselves out of these duties (Lam, McHale and Updegraff, 2012)
Maricansimo is yet another cultural value which is depicted as obedience and virtues for the females to abide by toward the family. For example, where both parents work outside the home and if the parents are deficient in speaking the English language, families stereotypically choose the female adolescents to increase the household duties, act a interpreters for the parents and to take care of younger siblings. (Lam, McHale & Updegraff, 2012) Lastly, the children and their knowledge of these gender roles within the home setting. With children, the initial and primary teachers are the parents, where parents prove to be a crucial component for their children ethic identity development (Kim, B?maca-Colbert, Jian, Gonzales-Backen, 2017). Yet, female adolescents demonstrate more stereotypical gender role beliefs where women do complete more domestic roles at home compared to males (Croft, Schmader, Block & Baron, 2014). Not to mention, male adolescents report more work-focus tasks than what the female adolescent report, in which were more family-focus tasks (Croft, Schmader, Block & Baron, 2014). Females are often receiving the short end of the stick per se within the Latin community. Latin females are not enrolling in post-secondary education compared to other ethnic backgrounds. Some reasoning behind that can be that Latin parents expect their children to place the family needs over the induvial need. Therefore, giving females a pulling sensation in numerous directions concerning expectations education performance and family involvement. Causing females to experience a depilating desire to complete higher education (Sy and Romero, 2008). The term, familismo, which can be interpreted as family closeness and loyalty to the family. It can entail to be asked to forfeit their own personal desires for the greater good of the family.
Males tend to have decrease occupation and educational ambitions as adolescent but have greater job earning in adulthood (Updegraff et al., 2014). Males as well, are the Yet, the familismo concept does not just vanish with other generations, in fact, are still common for second and third generations Latin families. Suggesting that the children of these immigrants are nevertheless, partaking and raising their children with the equivalent belief (Sy and Romero, 2008). So as the millennials trailblaze into creating careers and starting families, one can wonder if there are altering the past of gender roles within their own nuclear families or are the gender roles staying the same with in the families. As I am a part of that generation, I question my own expectations because I have as well not changed the expectations of gender roles with my own nuclear family and home. Current research by Ramirez, Oshin & Milan published an article in 2017, in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, where they evaluated such values, beliefs and practices with Latin mother's future socialization goals for their own daughters. This study gives great insight for what Latin mother still, like practice traditional gender roles for their daughters to abide by. The article states, the Latino parents parenting behaviors differentiates with their daughters and sons.
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Sports Diplomacy during the Cold War
The Cold War was a period of extreme tension that divided the globe between democracy and communism. Diplomacy was essential in preventing conflict between global superpowers. Diplomacy is quite an interesting subject however, as it shows up in many different forms. One of the most important forms of diplomacy in this time period was that of sport. Many nations prided themselves on the dominance of their sport programs, and in many cases used sport to provide a common ground between political ideologies. Diplomacy through sport may have ultimately proved to be the most successful in preventing the fruition of hostility. Great examples of this civility can be seen in the ping-pong tours of the early seventies, the goodwill tours in the fifties, and the diplomats in track suits of the seventies. Without sport, the Cold War may not have been so cold after all.
In the spring of 1971, an unconventional diplomatic channel had opened up in the form of ping-pong. It all started when a 19-year old American Glenn Cowan had missed his team bus at the World Table Tennis Championship in Japan. Cowan was then waved onto the Chinese team's bus. Chinese player Zhuang Zedong welcomed Cowan aboard and presented him with a gift, a silk-screen picture of the Huangshan mountains. At their next encounter, Cowan returned the favor by gifting a red, white, and blue shirt peace sign shirt to the great Chinese star. Even with the tension of the Cold War, these unlikely gestures of goodwill sparked positive relations between the two nations. Within a few short days, Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong proposed something that no rational person could have foreseen. Mao formally invited the United States ping-pong team on an all-expense-paid trip to China.
On the 10th of April, all 15 American competitors crossed from Hong Kong into mainland China along with an entourage of reporters, team officials, and family members. They would then embark upon a 10-day tour of Chinese cities and landmarks. Alongside the sightseeing, the two teams also engaged in a series of exhibition ping-pong matches. Even though the 24th ranked American team was quite terrible in comparison to the elite Chinese team, the Chinese players showed superb sportsmanship and allowed the US team to win a handful of matches. These abnormal series of events between rivals had enormous trickle-down effects on the international relationship between the countries. On the same day that the Americans crossed over into China, President Nixon announced that he would be lessening the existing travel bans and embargos that had been placed on the People's Republic. The Chinese team would then also be invited to the United States for a ping-pong tour of their own. The following February, Nixon made history by becoming the first president to visit mainland China. This unusual form of diplomacy had seeming repaired a 20-year rift between the world powers. Chairman Mao put it best, famously saying The little ball, moves the Big Ball.
Sport didn't just serve as a recreational activity for some countries, in fact the GDR utilized it as their main form on diplomacy to gain recognition as a nation. The German Democratic Republic was a communist state that had formed in the region of East Berlin, opposite of the Federal Republic of Germany in the west. After 20 years of independence, the GDR had only been recognized by the USSR, Bulgaria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, China, Korea, Albania, Vietnam, Mongolia, Cuba, and Yugoslavia. The GDR required international recognition, but the typical routes to recognition required far too much compromise. This left the GDR in a unique scenario, one that could only be resolved through an extremely unusual strategy. The German Democratic Republic turned to dominance in sport as their main path to international recognition. They figured that if they could gain entry into international sport organizations, then that would demand international recognition of the GDR as a sovereign state. The German Diplomatic sports officials told their athletes You are sports-diplomats in track suits (Strenk).
Utilizing their unique campaign, the German Democratic Republic had amassed an impressive resume of success. In 1974 the German Democratic Republic was officially recognized by a large number of nations including France, Great Britain, and the United States. The road to finally achieving recognition was filled with great victory in the world of sport. The campaign began shortly after their formation in 1949. October of that year, the GDR participated in a FIFA sanctioned soccer match against Hungary, under the guise of a Saxony all-star team. This was their first official international competition, and many more were sure to follow. In 1952 the GDR started to make significant progress with the international sport federations. Thanks to help from the Soviets and other allies, they were admitted to the International Ski, Table Tennis, and Volleyball Federations. By 1954 the GDR had also begun to organize its own international events, hosting the I Deutsches Turn and Sportfest, as well as co-hosting the Friedensfahrt bicycle tour.
Over the next decade, the GDR would compete in various competitions in numerous countries, but not without significant backlash and controversy. On a significant number of occasions, GDR athletes were denied visas while trying to attend competitions. Nonetheless, the East German powerhouse continued to dominate. Author Andrew Strenk writes that in October of 1965, the Dusseldorfer Beschlusswas revised. The IOC decided at its session in Madrid in the same month to recognize the National Olympic Committee of the GDR. The German Democratic Republic was then allowed to send their own team to the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, separate from the FRG team with whom they had previously competed alongside. In the years following those games, the GDR would be officially recognized by 85 different nations. On the 21st of December in 1972, the FRG signed the Basic Treaty, regulating relations between the two German states. 23 years after the formation of the GDR, the fight for international recognition as a sovereign state was finally complete. The German Democratic Republic had proved to the world that sheer dominance in sport was a practical and effective form of diplomacy.
The former two examples of diplomacy in sport showcase the method being used as a necessity. However, this is not the only way to utilize sport as a diplomatic channel. Instead, sport diplomacy was used as an extension of political relations between the United States and the Soviet Union in order to promote cooperation and peaceful coexistence. In 1958, Soviet ambassador Georgi Zarubin and the American ambassador S. B. Lacy signed an agreement known as the Lacy-Zarubin Accord. The agreement stipulated exchanges in cultural, technical and education fields (Kozovoi). The Lacy-Zarubin Accord also established the organization of two track and field meets between the Soviet Union and the United States. The first of these meets was to be held in Moscow in 1958, followed by a meet in the United States one year after. The Moscow meet took place in July of 1958, amidst tension stemming from Eisenhower's dismissal of a political summit organized by Khrushchev. Polish scholar Michael Marcin Kobierecki explains that the track and field dual meet between the Soviet Union and the United States in Moscow in 1958 was assessed by the Soviet press as 'the match of the century'.
It was believed to be an important moment concerning the American-Soviet relations, as for the first time the two Cold War superpowers arranged a sports exchange in a sport that was important to both of them. The fact that this particular sport was equally important to the Americans and the Soviets was essential in ensuring the effectiveness of diplomacy. The two-day event featured star-studded teams, with an impressive number of Olympic medalists and world record holders on both sides. American decathlon Rafer Johnson expressed the importance of the event, saying it was Communism vs the Free World. Ultimately, the United States ended up losing 172-170 to the Soviets. While the Americans may have lost, the event evoked heightened levels of patriotism and interest in the competition between the two Cold War rivals. The next American-Soviet track would be held in Philadelphia the following summer.
The second track meet at Franklin field in Philadelphia resulted in another Soviet victory. Both nations were very pleased with the meets thus far and although the initial agreement only included the 1958 and 1959 meets, sports leaders in both countries desired a long-term series (Turrini). Seven total meets would occur between 1958 and 1965, alternating host nations with each event. Attendance at these events was incredible, blowing the usual AAU annual championship track meets out of the water. Turrini writes that the 1962 two-day meet at Stanford University drew a phenomenal 153,000 in paid attendance, which Track and Field News claimed 'was the largest in US track history'. The popularity that these events achieved caused the US to expand further with their international track program. American track athletes were no longer only travelling to the Soviet Union, they were now competing in Europe, Asia, and Africa as well. The dual track meets with the Soviets were held all the way until 1966, persisting even through political catastrophes such as the construction of the Berlin Wall and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Eventually though, the 1966 competition in Los Angeles was cancelled when Soviet leaders decided to withdraw. Deterioration of relations between the two nations and American involvement in the Vietnam War had caused the USSR to boycott the event. The dual-meet track events were an extreme diplomatic success for both nations. Cooperation and peaceful coexistence between conflicting ideologies had been proven possible through sport.
Diplomacy through sport has had quite a mixed history, professor of sports policy Jonathan Grix writes that sports as diplomacy only works in such staged cases if it follows a logical pattern. As successful as diplomacy through sport has shown to be, it doesn't always work out as planned. Sport is unique with the nationalism and pride that surrounds it on the international level. This sense of nationalism can create tremendous tension during competitions, resulting in damaged relations between nations. As the great British author George Orwell once said, Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other words, it is war minus the shooting. While the following events didn't necessarily spur military action between powers, they certainly did not help to improve relations.
In the years following World War II, Hungary served as a satellite state of the communist Soviet Union. The Hungarians frustrations with the Communist Party and the Soviet policies came to fruition with the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. The revolt was quickly crushed as 200,000 Soviet troops responded, storming into Budapest with their tanks to put an end to the liberation effort. Nearly 2,500 Hungarians were killed and about 250,000 more fled the country. Just one month later, the Hungarian national team water polo team was slated to participate in the Melbourne Olympics. Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands had already withdrawn from the Olympics in support of the Hungarians. The Hungarian team faced an important dilemma, defect and withdraw from the Olympics, or compete with honor. The water polo team chose the latter alternative (Rinehart). The reigning gold medal team would have a very important Olympic games, playing not only for themselves, but for all of Hungary.
During the group stage of the water polo competition, the Hungarian team was far from their usual dominant nature. The athletes had far larger things on their mind, worried about their country's future and their families back home. Even with these formidable distractions, the team, considered one of the best in Olympic history, easily advanced. Water polo is a major sport in Eastern Europe, and the Hungarians have long been a dominant power, winning eight Olympic gold medals, more than any other country (Corwin).
The Hungarian team would then go on to defeat Italy, Germany, and the United States with ease. Only the Soviets and Yugoslavia were left standing in their way of the gold medal. The match against the Soviet Union would be far from any typical Olympic competition. From the very beginning, the tension between the two teams was evident. Less than minute into the game, a Soviet player put one of the Hungarian's into an arm lock and ended up in the penalty box. Fighting would continue above and below water throughout the match, with two more Soviet players finding themselves in the penalty box for punching the Hungarian players. As the match neared its end, Hungary was up 4-0. In the last minutes of the game a Russian hit rival Ervin Zador with such a vicious and violent blow over the right eye that it split his brow and stained the water red (Rinehart).
The Hungarian-majority crowd poured out of their seats and crowded the pool. The referee ended the competition and police were brought in to prevent a riot. Zador would receive 8 stitches for his laceration and sat out for the gold medal match against Yugoslavia. The Hungarian team would continue on to take home the gold medal. The 1956 Melbourne Olympics had shown precisely what can happen when political tensions find their way into sporting competition. Zador would later say I wish sports could be exempt from politics, but that's just a dream. It'll never happen".
At the 1972 Olympics in Munich, the United States faced off against the Soviet Union in the gold medal basketball match. This game between the opposing world powers of the Cold War would go down in infamy as on of the most controversial contests in Olympic history. The United States team was very impressive, boasting a 63-0 undefeated record in international play. The US basketball team had won the gold medal in every Olympics since the addition of the sport in 1936 at the Berlin games. The Soviet team was up against quite a formidable opponent. The Soviet team started the game off with the first basket, and then did not relinquish their lead for nearly the entire contest. As the clock wound down to its final moments, the United States was down 49-48. Doug Collins, the United States' shooting guard, stole the ball from the Soviets, drove down the court and went in for a layup. As Collins tried to score, he was fouled and crashed down hard, subsequently knocking him unconscious. With 3 seconds left on the clock, he was awarded two free throws and now had the chance to tie the game and even take the lead. Pushing through his pain, the noise of the crowd, and the immense pressure, Collins managed to sink both shots and put the United States ahead 50-49. It is at this point that things start to get interesting.
Down by 2 points in the gold medal match, the Soviet team had 3 seconds remaining to inbound the ball and score. On the first inbounding play, the Soviets passed the ball up the court but play was stopped when the USSR coach stormed the scoring table. He insisted that the team had called a timeout prior to the second free throw. The officials decided to nullify the play and reset the clock to 3 seconds. On the second inbounding play, the Soviets were well guarded by the US team and the play resulted with the ball bouncing off of the backboard as time expired. The United States appeared to have won, and the fans stormed the court to celebrate. For reasons unknown still, the officials ordered the court to be cleared and for the Soviets to have 3 more seconds to try the inbounding play one more time. On this third attempt, Soviet player Ivan Edeshko threw the ball down the length of the court to teammate Aleksandr Belov. Belov jumped into the air, grabbed the ball, and made an uncontested layup as the American defenders had fallen to the floor around him. The game had finally ended for the last time, and Belov, arms aloft, sprinted all the way to the other side of the court to be enveloped by his teammates, all dressed in Soviet-issue red jerseys. The Soviet players rolled around on the floor, hugging each other as well as their coaches and trainers, and swigging from bottles of vodka that had appeared out of nowhere (Gallagher). The United States Olympic Committee immediately filed a protest against the Soviet victory. The protest was shortly rejected by the FIBA jury. The US team unanimously decided to reject their silver medals and did not attend the medal ceremony. Shrouded in extreme controversy, the Soviets had finally defeated the previously unbeatable United States team. This Olympic scandal did little to help relations between the Cold War enemies.
Throughout the Cold War, sport was utilized as a means of diplomacy with many different goals and outcomes. In 1971, ping-pong served as an unexpected channel to bring the United States and China closer together. In the rising nation of East Germany, sport was the path to international recognition for the GDR. The ugly face of political relations showed itself in a bloody water polo match between the Soviets and Hungary. A controversial basketball game for the ages handed the Americans their first loss in team history. Even through a variety of results, sport as a means of diplomacy proved to be a large factor in how the Cold War played out. It is my honest opinion that without sport, the Cold War may not have been so cold after all.
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Character Analysis of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
In the book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the character that stood out the most was Harry Potter. However, Neville felt like a good choice because he isn't talked about a lot in the book; yet is still important. Throughout chapters 7-9, you could tell that Neville has a fixed mindset; he shows it off pretty well. In the book, Mindset, by Carol S. Dweck said that a fixed mindset is the belief that our traits are fixed or unchangeable, you want to prove yourself over and over (Dweck 6). A fixed mindset is someone who doesn't like facing challenges and will get butthurt if that person fails at something and someone who doesn't quite believe in themselves. That shows that Neville, in fact has a fixed mindset. However, Neville comes a long way throughout the book, for the majority of it, he definitely has a fixed mindset; but towards the end he starts to develop a little bit of a growth mindset. From reading Harry Potter, I can tell that Neville has a fixed mindset because he wasn't motivated and didn't have people who believed in him, clumsy and not a fan of challenges, and he felt like he couldn't fix his traits.
Being accepted into Hogwarts you need to be a wizard, but for Neville he wasn't quite motivated enough and from that I don't believe that is all his fault. Neville Longbottom is a boy who was raised by his grandma, who is a witch. By having a relative who is magical, I would think that Neville's grandma would motivate and support him. However, instead she did the opposite along with his other family members. In chapter seven, when Neville was talking about his family he said, "...they thought I might not be magical enough to come..."(Harry Potter, 125). That tells you that his grandma, aunt, and uncle didn't believe in him. They thought that he couldn't make it into Hogwarts. From Neville's families attitudes, they reflect on Neville, making him have a fixed mindset. Longbottom also stated in chapter seven that they were all so happy they cried. That shows that Neville's family were so surprised and shocked that they cried. Neville said, "And you should have seen their faces when I got in here..." (Harry Potter, 125). His grandma's and aunt's and uncle's faces were in shock because they didn't think that Neville had a chance in getting accepted into Hogwarts. From his family not believing, I could imagine Neville not believing in himself. Therefore, getting accepted into Hogwarts he must be feeling like he needs to do great to make his grandma proud. With doing so that is going to make challenging for him. People with a fixed mindset do not take challenges very well and with Neville being clumsy doesn't help.
When coming to Hogwarts all the newcomers needed to be split up into four different houses which include; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. As they arrive that is the first thing they do, they split up. The students line up and have to wait until their name is called. How this process works is once their name is called they sit on a stool and a hat is placed on their heads, the magic hat decides what house they will be placed in. When Nevilles name was called, he walked up to the stool and as he was walking to the he tripped, being his clumsy self. At first, I thought he would've been placed in Hufflepuff where all the other students are with a fixed mindset. Neville was assigned to live in Gryffindor alone with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Where dwell the brave at heart, their daring, nerve..." (Harry Potter, 118), Neville being brave enough to attend Hogwarts he was also placed in the right home. Being placed into Gryffindor might help Neville expand his horizons and develop a growth mindset alone with the other students in Gryffindor. Throughout the book he becomes involved in some challenges. It may be because of the other students or his lessons, he doesn't seem to be handling it very well. The time Neville was in Snape's class and didn't do the experiment correctly, "Neville managed to melt Seamus cauldron into a twisted blob..." (Harry Potter, 139). He felt as if this was going to be a challenge, but did it anyways and failed. Neville ended up having to go to the hospital wing because he did something he really couldn't do and the outcome was him getting boils all over his nose. Neville is showing that he has a fixed mindset by not being able to do that potion the right way, by being clumsy. He could've avoided this mess if he challenged himself by taking it slow and doing it correctly the first time. Neville did this maybe because he feels as if he can't fix his traits and become a true wizard.
Neville not being able to fix his traits kind of ties back to his challenges that he has been facing. If he won't challenge himself then he won't try and fix his traits. For example, when they had flying lessons, Neville was scared to fly on the broom, "Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life..." (Harry Potter, 144), his grandma wouldn't let him near a broomstick because she knew he wouldn't get into Hogwarts so what's the point? While trying to fly on the broom, he couldn't get his broomstick up to his hand, he tried the spell to get the broomstick from the ground to their hands but it didn't work. Even though he wanted to stay on the ground, he was even more nervous to stay on the ground because he didn't want to be the only person on the ground. Therefore, Neville pushed off the ground and went straight up, "Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away..." (Harry Potter, 147). In that moment that shows that Neville is starting to develop a growth mindset. Even though it didn't go as planned, Neville didn't give up, he tried flying on the broomstick. With that being said, Neville doesn't want to accept the challenge by flying so he never attempted to fly on a broom again. Neville ends up breaking his wrist, that is another example of how clumsy he is. Therefore, by not fixing his traits means he gives up after trying something that is challenging to him, like flying and also in Snape's class. Instead, he will try one thing and if it's too hard then he will give up and not try again. Being like Neville and not wanting to improve should help you better understand that he has a fixed mindset.
Throughout Harry Potter, Neville had developed a fixed mindset. There were many ways to tell that he had one, also. For example, if it was by his living situation or just by him being at Hogwarts, it's pretty easy to point out. Even though he wasn't brought up in the book a lot like Harry Potter, there are still many different ways to find out that he has a fixed mindset that overpowers Neville having a growth mindset in the book. Neville did quite a bit of trying something and then not doing it again because it was too challenging for him, and that's one of the few characteristics of having a fixed mindset. Neville is still important because he's one of the few characters in the book with a fixed mindset From reading Harry Potter, I can tell that Neville has a fixed mindset because he wasn't motivated and didn't have people who believed in him, clumsy and not a fan of challenges, and he felt like he couldn't fix his traits.
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Gender Roles Resistance and Response in Thelma Louise
Ridley Scott's progressive 1991 road movie, Thelma & Louise, shines an accusatory spotlight on female oppression. Regrettably not left behind in the '90s along with frosted blue eyeshadow, this maltreatment is unfortunately still very much present in today's society. By highlighting repressive gender roles and the lead characters' ultimately futile efforts to resist them, the revolutionary film launched a nationwide conversation, and spurred a cult following of women feeling seen for the first time in their lives.
The film opens with a subtle, but very symbolic shot. Set to haunting rock music, a black and white view of a valley pans to a dirt road leading directly to a majestic mountain on the horizon with wide-open skies. As the camera cranes up, the image transitions to full, vivid color. The shot freezes and then darkens over into black. This simple opening foreshadows everything that is to come: a bleak outset, a journey toward freedom, and the short-lived actualization of that wondrous freedom before it all comes crashing down to a devastating end. Without necessarily realizing it, the viewer already knows all they'll need to - an attempt to break free will inevitably end in disaster.
The audience is then introduced to Louise (Susan Sarandon) and Thelma (Geena Davis), and their respective lives of routine and domesticity. Louise works in a diner, subservient to an endless influx of customers. Thelma, who Louise teasingly refers to as ""little housewife"", is stuck in a submissive role under a controlling husband. The spaces they inhabit are very telling. Louise wears a uniform and operates in a cramped, loud environment. All day long she offers choices to everyone else, while she herself has no choice in anything. Her surroundings reflect how she feels stifled by society, holding no control over her own life. Thelma is a mess living in mess. Her apartment is small, dark, and chaotic. Her hair isn't done, she isn't dressed, and there's a feeling of entrapment due to the cacophony of noise resulting from the TV playing, the phone ringing, and her yelling to get the attention of husband Darryl (Christopher McDonald). The clippings of dream kitchens she has hung on the wall show her yearning for a different life, a better life. Louise's kitchen, on the other hand, is shown to be the total opposite of Thelma's with the sink housing only one dirty cup to be washed. The simple, spotless space feels cold with no sign of life or living.
The women start out occupying pretty traditional gender roles for the movie's early 1990s setting. The '80s had seen a real rise in acceptance toward women in the workplace - the percentage of working women had reached 71% by 1985 (Guilder) - but it hadn't yet become fully commonplace in the minds of all Americans. Chauvinistic Darryl stands as the perfect example of the resistance to the women's liberation movement. He cruelly belittles his wife by waving his title of regional manager over her, in a sense asserting she has no power (over him, or otherwise) because she doesn't hold a ""respect-worthy"" position in society. When Thelma hesitates to ask Darryl for permission to go on a girl's trip, Louise sums up the troubling dynamic perfectly when she accusatorially asks Thelma if he is her husband or father. Darryl sees his wife as inferior rather than as an equal partner, and by so strongly enforcing his views, he keeps her from reaching to achieve her full potential.
Less overt is Louise's imprisonment in the gender framework, but it's just as present. She goes through life with a hard outer shell, which we learn later on is a protective mechanism adopted in response to a traumatic experience from her past. She keeps walls up because every time she lets them down a little, she (or someone close to her) gets burned. On the phone with physically and emotionally absent boyfriend Jimmy (Michael Madsen), she asks if he loves her, and, sensing hesitation on the other end, immediately regrets opening herself up. It's better to be closed off and alone, than exposed and hurt. She chastises and blames herself for letting her guard down and having a little fun at the country bar instead of vigilantly protecting her vulnerable friend. The internalized guilt over Thelma's almost attack drives her actions for the remainder of the movie. Louise takes this burden of self-repression on herself because she feels that's the only way to survive in a world set up the way it is. No one messes with a strong-willed woman, so she stuffs her desires and emotions down to continue to portray and inhabit this cold exterior.
The women decide to head out on the open road for a short retreat from their stifling realities, but it ends up leading them somewhere they could never have imagined. The road movie is a central American narrative structure revolving around freedom in which the characters' physical journey is paralleled by a spiritual journey. As utilized in other iconic cult films such as Two-Lane Blacktop and Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, the format can easily lend itself to a critique of American society. The open road is a space representative of unlimited potential, the exact opposite of the spaces Thelma and Louise occupied at home. As the women take to the road to physically run from their past lives, destructive significant others, and the law hot on their trail, they establish a metaphysical destination of freedom, and decide to follow the path wherever it may take them.
In their in-depth book, Cult Cinema: An Introduction, Ernest Mathijs and Jamie Sexton dive into the theme of violence in cult films. They start generally by explaining that many cult films use instances of violence to oppose mainstream modes of representation. Diving deeper, they discuss how in classical Hollywood cult films, it's typical to have violence associated with ""frontier liminality"", or the character's inability to cross the frontier marking the edge of civilization. Unable to function in civilization or in wilderness, the ""frontier hero"" finds himself stuck in limbo. This conflict sets the stage for violence. Mathijs and Sexton go on to specify that adventures and westerns are the genres that most often lend themselves to this type of story, as their entire narratives exist in this ""frontier zone, where violence becomes a mode of existence rather than a functional tool"" (Violence).
Thelma & Louise fits perfectly into this explanation of violence in cult films, but the film goes one step further by adding gender into the mix. Our leading ladies made the choice to leave their lives of domesticity behind them, but find themselves stuck in limbo when they come face to face with the edge of civilization. In defending Thelma against Harlan's rape attempt, Louise commits an irrevocable act, and the women are flung into a situation where they're forced to come to their own defense against an unrelenting legal system. Even with a sympathetic detective leading the search for them, there's no lawful option they can take that won't strip them of their freedoms. They're victims of a world that holds women down, and, by choosing not to give in, are fighting back against the oppressive patriarchy.
There's no scene that better depicts frontier liminality than the iconic closer of Thelma & Louise. The women's joint decision to commit suicide is in direct response to the limited set of choices they were faced with. Trapped and cornered, they pick the only path that would keep them in control of their own destiny. Since leaving their homes in Arkansas, they had experienced their first taste of freedom, and they weren't going to give that up by surrendering to the system of oppression that had restrained them for so long.
Driving off the cliff was the ultimate rejection of male domination, but it's important to see the decision in context as but the conclusion in a series of acts of resistance. Throughout their journey, Thelma and Louise gradually shed their feminine image in a subversion of restrictive gender norms. Gone are the flowy, printed outfits and piles of accessories, as distressed tank tops and denim jeans become the new uniform for these accidental fugitives. Literally tossing the lipstick out of the car, the women trade makeup and curled hair for dirty faces and messy buns. They're no longer living their lives for anyone but themselves, and their outward metamorphosis is reflective of this shift.
In a cool reversal, Thelma, once a prisoner in her home, becomes the cause for Darryl's turn at feeling powerless in his own space. The FBI moves in and converts his house into the base of operations in the search for his wanted wife, and he finally feels what it's like to have no control. His football game is out-voted and all he can do is sulk in the corner. On the phone, Thelma calls him out and puts him in his place as her husband, not father. He's caught off guard when he realizes he's lost his hold over her now that she has asserted herself, and he reverts to blaming Louise for empowering (and therefore perverting) his once-subservient wife. On the contrary, Louise led the way for Thelma to take the reins back in her life, and this takedown of Darryl is just one more way in which they set themselves free of their past and took another step forward toward independence.
In a strong push back against male oppression, the women take down two men who attempted to forcefully assert their dominance. Multiple times on the trip, they encounter a certain truck driver who doubles as the human embodiment of toxic masculinity. After ignoring him didn't work, they muster up their newfound boldness and confront him. They quickly and masterfully turn the dynamic around, transferring the feelings of vulnerability and helplessness onto him, before wrapping up the interaction by blowing up his oil tanker. When the friends get pulled over for speeding, instead of giving in to the lawman, they kick into survival mode and overpower him. The state trooper had started out stern and tough, but is reduced to a crying, shaking mess the moment Thelma pulls a gun on him. The women take his gun, ammo, and sunglasses as they lead him into his own trunk with words of advice to be sweet to his wife so she doesn't turn out like they did. By stripping a truck driver of his truck and a state trooper of his gun, they emasculated two men who never expected to have their dominance checked. It's a powerful thing for the female audience to see women pushing back against the men who once stood over them, in effect flipping the script and using these men to get to a place where they are no longer dependent on men.
In a 2016 reunion interview in celebration of the film's 25th anniversary, lead actresses Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis discussed the reaction at the time of the movie's release. Neither of them had expected any sort of big return, so when the film was met with such an immediate and massive response, they were shocked. Davis incredulously exclaimed, ""We were on the cover of Time Magazine in, like, 5 seconds!"" (Davis). Pieces like the one in Time tried to dissect why the movie was making such a splash, but the answer was deceptively simple: the audience found the characters relatable. Thelma and Louise were two ordinary women dealing with the same problems all women go through, so it was exhilarating watching them respond in ways one could never get away with in real life. The movie is so much more than a female take on a buddy film; it's a story of female empowerment operating on the ""rules of male-escapist fantasy"" (Cult Now). Thelma and Louise were the strong, liberated role models audiences had long been waiting for.
With such an encouraging reception, it seemed in all likelihood a shift toward gender equality in the entertainment industry would naturally follow. It's clear from recent headlines, however, that that never occurred. The film was able to start the conversation, but that wasn't enough to effect any real change in the straight, white, boys' club of Hollywood. The women behind Thelma & Louise took it upon themselves to step up and continue the work their movie began.
Davis in particular was enlightened and inspired by the ""eye-opening"" reactions (Davis), and followed through by starting the ""Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media"", which researches the gender depiction disparity present in media. With shocking statistics such as the ratio of male to female characters not changing at all since 1946 (Davis), she's putting up a challenge to those who feel the problem is solved and behind us. To continue pushing things in the right direction, she launched her own film festival that shines a spotlight on works from women and diverse creators.
Sarandon came at the issue from a different angle when she stepped up as a leader in the recent Times Up movement, ""an initiative launched by hundreds of Hollywood women to advocate better workplace conditions and the end of sexual harassment"" (Nyren). She attended the 2018 Golden Globes with a Times Up activist to raise awareness for the cause, and, fittingly, that same night saw a Thelma & Louise reunion as the two leads co-presented an award. Their appearance was met with roaring applause from the crowd, to which Davis sarcastically quipped, ""Susan, they love that we fixed everything!"" Sarandon responded, ""Um, yeah, I don't think we fixed quite everything actually..."" before lauding the women of Hollywood for doing their part in the fight to stand up for women everywhere (76th Golden Globe Awards).
Rounding out the trio of women at the center of Thelma & Louise, Oscar Award-winning screenwriter of the film, Callie Khouri, has also expressed her disappointment with the current state of affairs for women in film. With studios systematically rejecting female-centric projects, Khouri made the transition over to TV, which she feels is ""a world in which you have a lot more freedom in terms of telling stories with women at the center"" (Tartaglione). The first television show she created was the highly successful musical drama series, Nashville, which just so happens to center around two strong female characters.
Although it didn't necessarily shake up the industry in the way many had hoped it would, Thelma & Louise has continued to remain relevant to today's culture in part due to its passionate fans. This continued excitement is a hallmark of cult blockbusters, as ""excessive investment [is] disproportionate to...films' status as throwaway products of popular culture"" (Cult Now). A ""kind of epochal film"" (Mainstream Cult Fans?), Thelma & Louise is significant in that it provided an example that inspired so many women to see themselves as worthy of standing up for at a time when that wasn't the norm. The fact that it continues to provide this empowerment for women of the following generations now streaming the movie for the first time shows the mark of a powerful, timeless film.
Thelma & Louise is a movie that still feels fresh today, but in this case that's not such a good thing. It's disheartening that a depiction of women being forced into a life on the run as the only way they could experience some freedom isn't too far from realistic. The liberal film started the long overdue conversation on gender in equality, but it's now on us to pick up the ball and run with it. Until the day women can freely experience full autonomy without major drawbacks, the movie remains a goal; as Louise so eloquently put it, ""we don't live in that kind of world"" (Khouri).
Works Cited
Cult Now. Cult Film as a Guide to Life: Fandom, Adaptation, and Identity, by I. Q. Hunter, Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.
Davis, Geena and Susan Sarandon. ""Thelma & Louise Reunion: Susan Sarandon & Geena Davis On The Film's Legacy"". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly. 1 May 2016. Digital.
Guilder, George. Women in the Work Force. The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 1 Sept. 1986, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1986/09/women-in-the-work-force/304924/.
Khouri, Callie. Thelma & Louise. MGM, 1991.
Mainstream Cult Fans? Cult Cinema, by Ernest Mathijs and Jamie Sexton, Wiley, 2012, pp. 63“65.
Nyren, Erin. Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, Laura Dern to Be Accompanied by Activists at Golden Globes. Variety, Variety, 8 Jan. 2018, variety.com/2018/biz/news/celebrities-bring-activists-golden-globes-emma-watson-meryl-streep-laura-dern-1202655789/.
Tartaglione, Nancy. Callie Khouri Talks Women In TV Vs Film, 'Nashville' & 'Deep City' Project “ NATPE. Deadline, Deadline, 18 Jan. 2017, deadline.com/2017/01/callie-khouri-deep-city-women-television-nashville-natpe-1201889225/.
Violence. Cult Cinema, by Ernest Mathijs and Jamie Sexton, Wiley, 2012, pp. 189“191.
76th Golden Globe Awards. The Hollywood Reporter, 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/video/geena-davis-susan-sarandon-talk-gender- disparity-25-years-golden-globes-2018-1072764.
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About the First Amendment Cases
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The Origins of the First Amendment
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A Legend or not
Beowulf; A legend or not?
The making of Beowulf was framed on the base of the Germanic Heroic Code. Under this code, a legend exhibits characteristics of quality, valor, a great notoriety, and reliability. While some may contend that Beowulf's egotism cleanses him of his chivalrous title; his self-importance is one characteristic which makes him sufficiently certain to participate in the demonstrations of courage which he does. Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon legend, and his persona demonstrates this.
In the Anglo-Saxon period the qualities which made up a saint are altogether different from the properties which make up a legend in the present society. Despite the fact that Beowulf was solid, gutsy, had a decent notoriety, and was faithful; in the present society he would come up short on the correct abilities to make him a saint today; yet his attributes were immaculate to be viewed as a legend amid the such period.
Beowulf would show endless quality for the duration of his life, or, in other words highlight of a legend. "My hands alone will battle for me, battle for life against the beast." (173-174) speaks to Beowulf's unending dauntlessness. No person in the town would set out go up against such monster - significantly less with any weapons however Beowulf, he would not set out battle the mammoth with anything other than rather his exposed hands.
Quality being a Germanic courageous characteristic, is an attribute which Beowulf never neglected to display. Beowulf's quality and fearlessness go as an inseparable unit; "( ) without precedent for his life that celebrated sovereign battled with destiny against him." (668-669) shows the flexible strength which Beowulf had. Regardless of, the substantial possibility of casualty which he looked by battling the winged serpent, he never called it quits. In the Anglo-Saxon period these are characteristics which very few held.
A notoriety makes the man, and as per Beowulf's notoriety individuals discussed his "enormity, his magnificence, lauded him for his gallant deeds ( )" (887-888) Beowulf was commended "for an existence as respectable as his name" (888-889) which embodies his fabulous notoriety for his fair activities. As per the attributes of a Germanic Hero, Beowulf acquired the normal for a decent notoriety through his valiant demonstrations and honorability.
Regardless of, Beowulf's fascination in distinction as a young fellow when he became more established Beowulf had an enthusiasm for his kingdom. "My days have gone my as destiny willed, sitting tight for its assertion to be talked, governing and additionally I knew how, swearing no unholy pledges, looking for no lying wars." (748-751) Each deed he occupied with, gave to the benefit of his notoriety, and the benefit of humankind. Beowulf had the title of a respondent or defender all things considered. He had a notoriety for achieving profundities which no other would set out reach.
Unwaveringness is the managing power to every one of Beowulf's accomplishments. At the point when Beowulf chooses to help the Danes with battling the considerable monster, Grendel, in addition to the fact that he does it for the development of his notoriety and notoriety, however as a steadfast demonstration to Hrothgar for protecting his dad before.
Beowulf's vast faithfulness is likewise shown after his 50 years of being a pleased ruler; when he battles to his passing to get fine fortunes for his realm. "Bring me old silver ( ) Death will be gentler, leaving life and this individuals I've administered so long, on the off chance that I take a gander at the remainder everything being equal." (759-762) Beowulf's versatile dependability to his kingdom is appeared at the times of his diminishing; all he thinks about is being guaranteed that he is leaving his kin with the "remainder all things considered." (762) Beowulf's unwaveringness was a chivalrous attribute that was too solid, to possibly be lost.
In the Anglo-Saxon period the Germanic Heroic Code, were the arrangement of qualities which made up a legend. Beowulf indicated steady exhibit and responsibility for, for example, interminable faithfulness, endless quality, and a respectable notoriety. Beowulf is the system of a genuine legend in his occasions. He speaks to a man, a ruler, and a saint; whose enthusiasm for acclaim and acknowledgment turned into a connection of devotion to his area. No other individual in his time, was equipped for what Beowulf was. Accordingly, demonstrating on numerous occasions; how Beowulf was in actuality a legend of his period.
In actuality, in spite of Beowulf's bravery, in the present society Beowulf would not meet the title of a legend. Present day society's saints comprise of accomplished people, for example, specialists, police men, firefighters, and good examples. Traits which make the cutting edge saint comprise of: knowledge and magnanimity. In spite of the fact that Beowulf was an awesome saint of his chance, he'd make inconvenience now. Our general public rotates around the idea of peace and assentions, and Beowulf was a man of making goals through brutality. Endeavors to comprehend the present battles through Beowulf's idea would make endless fighting and pandemonium.
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Life and Relationship in the Novel Things Fall Apart
It is incredible how a single quote can encapsulate the main idea of an entire novel. Chinua Achebe, the author, puts the reader in Okonkwo and Obierikas shoes when their culture disintegrated before their eyes, and they let it happen. The novel takes place in the village of Umuofia in Africa. There, culture is based primarily on religion and established practice. Their religion was part of the Igbo culture and was polytheistic. However, at one point, white men arrived and tried to colonialize the clan by converting them to Christianity, a monotheistic religion. When the white men requested land to create a Church, Umuofias leaders purposefully gave them land in the Evil Forest, because that is the location where they would leave cursed people to die.
Therefore, the white men would be dead in only a few days. However, when they survived, people were astonished, and that gave the people of the Igbo clan a reason to doubt their religion and convert to Christianity. Okonkwo, the narrator, is a man with a great reputation in Umuofia, who is very traditional and expects a lot from his children and wives. He grew up with an effeminate, lazy father who had a poor reputation. He thought anyone with feminine qualities was weak, so he wished that all of his children were male. Furthermore, Okonkwo believed that his eldest son, Nwoye, was too feminine, and he was beaten for it.
Therefore, when Okonkwo realized that Nwoye converted to Catholicism, he reached his breaking point and even tried to choke him. Nwoye reminded Okonkwo of his father, which he wanted nothing to do with. We can also see how Obierika isnt immediately pointing his finger at any one person for the loss of their culture. He isnt only blaming the white men for twisting and changing their clan, but also blaming his brothers for letting it happen. For example, the people of the clan were the ones who let the white men in, gave them land, listened to them, and let them change their morals to the point where many converted. He uses the metaphor of the white man putting a knife on the things that held them together: religion, tradition, family, and culture.
As an effect, they have fallen apart because they were betrayed by their own family and friends who converted to Christianity. This quote overall shows Obierikas disappointment, rather than anger with the people of his clan. Thus, this novel shows how colonialism in Africa affected more than just history, but the people who were personally involved and how they were scarred. Even though Okonkwo was not a good father and husband because he put unrealistic and unfair expectations on everyone he knew, he had the respectable good intentions of not wanting to bring his father back into his life.
Furtermore, reading this novel, which is based on the nineteenth century, now in the twenty-first century, shows a young generation like mine how different life was in the past, especially in Africa. In fact, his novel may help the reader make sure that they ensure what theyre passionate about, and not let anyone change that.
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A Feminist Approach on Jane Eyre
As a young boy, I couldnt wait to explore the aisles at Toys R Us. I would wait patiently at home for my parents, daydreaming about the latest releases. In the aisle designated for boys, all the toys were action-oriented: Superman flaunted his strength, Hulk flexed his abnormally enormous biceps, and Nerf guns were filled with plastic bullets. This was only true for one half of the store. On the other side of Toys R Us, the area was designated for girls. Girls had beauty-oriented and homemaking items, like an Easy-Bake Oven or an unnaturally slim Barbie doll. Both these areas were noticeably distinct with their segregated boys toys from girls toys and each seemed to have a not-so-subtle gender message: boys were expected to become strong courageous men while girls must be prepared to take on housekeeping duties. For centuries, these messages of the societal expectations based on gender have been established by numerous texts and films. Under the male pseudonym Currer Bell, Charlotte Bronts novel, Jane Eyre revolves around the strong female protagonist, Jane Eyre. As a female writer living in Victorian England, where women writers were unspoken of, Bront challenges her eras norm by creating a masterpiece with one of the most iconic female characters of all time. Throughout the novel, Jane develops relationships with prominent male figures, Edward Rochester and St. John Rivers, highlighting the stark contrasts between the roles females and males had. Despite her attempts to preserve her identity and freedom by refusing to submit to patriarchal powers, both Rochester and St. John constantly attempt to sway Jane away from her pro-feminist desires with their ideas of androcentrism.
Although Bront attempts to give readers a glimpse of gender equality between Jane and her male counterparts, there are still many sexist undertones throughout the novel highlighting the demoralizing power dynamics men believed to be entitled to over women. After departing Thornfield, Jane is taken in by St. John Rivers, the patriarchal head of the Moor House. Due to his calm and ordinary life, St. John yearns to pursue adventure through missionary work in India. Fearing the judgemental eyes of society, he desires a wife with good character to accompany him on his voyage, prompting him to ask Jane for her hand in marriage. She refuses his proposal, to which he responds with endless attempts to persuade her otherwise. While trying to convince her, St. John uses condescending language to objectify her as a tool for his personal gain. God and nature intended you for a missionarys wife. It is not personal, but mental endowments they have given you: you are formed for labour, not love. A missionarys wife you must-shall be. You shall be mine. I claim you not for my pleasure, but for my sovereign service (Bront 437). By demanding a marriage using religion, he condemns Jane for her audacity to not comply and stay independent. St. John ruthlessly declares ownership of her and acts as if she has an obligation to submit. Similarly, this toxic masculinity is shown in Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuves Beauty and the Beast. The premise of the fairy tale begins with the Beast capturing the Beautys father for trespassing and ordering for one of his daughters in exchange for his freedom, essentially dehumanizing the value of a womans life over a man by using the Beautys life as an object to be bartered with. When Beauty arrives at the Beasts castle, she saluted him respectfully (Villeneuve 11) and demonstrated obedience to which he responds with, I am pleased with you (Villeneuve 12). During her time in the castle, she dreams of her father guiding her to reward him [the Beast] by doing what he wishes, in spite of his ugliness (Villeneuve 22).
The lack of focus on the Beasts enchanted curse throughout the story causes readers to concentrate on Beautys compliance towards his needs. Her outright servility is one that both hyper-masculine male figures expect from women. In addition, both St. John and the Beast get rejected by their respective female love interests. But their egotistical mindsets prompt them to continue on with their pursuit in a marriage regardless of what their female counterparts say. Both men use the fact that they are males to constantly berate women and coerce them into believing that a marriage with each of the men would eventually lead to a much improved life. St. Johns persistence and determination to take Jane to India as his wife almost sways her into accepting his proposal. While debating what she should do, Jane hears Rochesters voice out of thin air calling her name and becomes eager to find out where he is. She begins her lengthy journey back to Thornfield only to find out that Rochester is blinded by a fire and has moved to Ferndean. After eventually meeting up with him and telling her story about her experience at the Moor House, both Rochester and Jane decide to get married. When Rochester worries that Jane would find it unpleasant to deal with his blindness, Jane responds, I love you better now, when I can really be useful to you, than I did in your state of proud independence (Bront 485). The novel concludes with Jane finding peace and joy while having Rochester by her side: My Edward and I, then, are happy (Bront 492). Although some may view Jane as brave and independent for returning to Rochester on her free will, the ending certainly signifies something much more and different. The ending conveys to readers that Jane can only be satisfied with her life once she finds a man by her side to which she can be useful for. Janes hardships and the happy ending mirrors the Grimm Brothers Cinderella. Cinderellas stepsisters desperately fight to fit the golden shoe in hopes of becoming the princes bride, resulting in bloodshed. The girl sliced off a piece of her heel, forced her foot into the shoe, gritted her teeth, and went out to meet the prince (Grimm 121) shows how desperate the girls were to marry the prince. He notices that the shoe doesnt quite fit the stepsisters and instead, discovers the perfect match with Cinderellas foot. The damsel in distress, Cinderella, who faces extreme mistreatment from her family is magically swept off her feet by a handsome prince and is saved from a lifetime of poverty and abuse.
The story ends with her living happily ever after with a marriage to the prince all because of her foot fitting into a shoe. Jane Eyre and Cinderella share a multitude of resemblances, the most striking of all, the parallel endings in which a heroine finds her happy ending because of a man. Both endings emphasize the sexist notion that in order for women to have a happy life, they must wait until they find a male figure to rescue them from their tumultuous lives. 171 years later after the publication of Jane Eyre, the sexist boundaries and expectations that Bront emphasizes in her novel remain present in todays society. We still experience drastic inequalities between males and females, from toy stores confining boys and girls to blue and pink bubbles to novels conveying how a woman's life should be played out. In Jane Eyre, Jane refuses to be married off to various men in hopes of preserving her individuality and morality. However, she inevitably ends up with Rochester, a man to fulfill her desires and needs, illustrating to readers how women are destined to have a man by their side in order to be content with life.
By the end of the novel, we see Jane grow, mature, and eventually become stronger and stronger, yet even she cant escape the traditional happily ever after with a husband by her side. Time and time again, we see this conventional plot and ending in Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Jane Eyre, and countless other fairy tales, but what implications can this have on young children? In a 2004 study from Arizona State University and New York University, researchers described children as gender detectives who seek out information about the differences between girls and boys, attempt to draw inferences about gender and then apply their conclusions to themselves (Samakow). Therefore, any indications or hints that children can pick up through books and media can heavily influence the way kids view themselves. Books such as Jane Eyre and Disney princess movies can steer children to think in a certain sexist mindset, infusing a standard that men are always superior to women. When I read Jane Eyre, I found myself cheering Jane on to stand up for herself and make decisions based on her best interest, but the ending of the book was quite disappointing in that she ultimately confines herself to the societal standards of marrying a man to complete her life. For this novel to truly be a pro-feminist novel that demonstrates how capable women are, Jane should have found joy within herself by expressing the importance of being independent and realizing that women do not need a man to have a happily ever after.
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Jane Eyre: a Feminist Look
Women have been deemed inferior to the male sex since the start of civilization and to this day, women around the world are still held captive by the prison that society forces them into. Although society in first world countries has evolved since the time that Jane Eyre was written, it was a very different story from what it is now. Charlotte Bronte was a female writer in a white mans world and in order for her voice to be heard she had to create a pseudonym to be perceived as a serious author. In Jane Eyre, Bronte writes of a strong-willed woman growing up in 19th century England and how she deals with the inequalities and hardships of being an unmarried, working-class woman by the people with total control of their lives: the white men. Throughout the novel, there are issues of prejudice and emotional abuse within a marriage-obsessed society that present themselves and it is up to Jane to make the decisions that are going to benefit her in the long run.
The novel begins in Janes childhood and describes her time living with her aunt, Mrs. Reed, her cousins, and the workers of Gateshead Hall. The issues that are presented in this portion of the novel are of class differences. Jane is an orphan and has no money of her own because her parents did not leave her any. Even though she lives with her wealthy relatives, she is considered inferior to her family members which results to the constant mistreatment of her well being by her neglectful aunt and villainous cousin, John Reed. He bullied and punished me; not two or three times in a week, nor once or twice in a day, but continually. (4) Jane is being harmed by the only male in power. John Reed knows that he will inherit his family's fortune thus becoming the patriarch of the family. This scene seems to infer that Mrs. Reed takes no notice to her dismay not only because Mrs. Reed does not really care about Jane but it perpetuates the idea that boys will be boys. As a child, Jane was notably more rebellious than the children in her household. When she tried to defend herself from John Reed, Bessie and Miss Abbot punish her for striking a young gentleman(7). His bullying could not even be penalized because he was the male power. Girls at this time were to be quiet and at the feet of their male counterparts. Instead of justice being brought, it only brought shame and torture for girls and women.
Mrs. Reed decides to send Jane to an uninhabitable boarding school, Lowood Institution, and leave her there until she finishes her education. Mrs. Reed saw this as an opportunity to get rid of the responsibility her husband left for her as his wish on his deathbed, not because she cared about Janes education or quality of life. The education of women in the Victorian era was concluded unnecessary because women were meant to only be good wives to their husbands. It was a worse situation for working-class women because they could only receive the most basic type of education. Hence, schooling was majorly based on the class one belonged to and gender. Victorian attitudes toward education differed considerably from those prevalent in modern America. For one thing, the level of one's schooling was determined by one's social class and also by one's gender. (Gale) The way girls were taught were extremely different from the way boys were taught. When Jane arrives at Lowood, she is explained by a girl what her classes are and who will teach her. The one with the red cheeks is called Miss Smith; she attends to the work, and cuts out- for we make our own clothes, our frocks, and pelisses, and everything; the little one with the black hair is Miss Scatchard; she teaches history and grammar, and hears the second class repetitions; and the one who wears a shawl and has a pocket-handkerchief tied to her side with a yellow riband, is Madame Pierrot; she comes from Lisle, in France, and teaches French. (52) This reflects what girls were being taught subjects that would most likely not lead to a career while boys were taught subjects that could further their educational careers. In the traditional curriculum of the time, girls and young women did not study such "serious" subjects as mathematics, science, or classics. However, they were taught grammar, history, geography, and French. Art, music, and sewing or embroidery were also considered appropriate subjects, and young women were all expected to have a knowledge of the Bible and basic Christian teachings. (Gale) Jane eventually leaves Lowood after Miss Temple leaves to be a housewife and advertises her services as being a governess where she obtains a position at Thornfield.
When Janes mother figure Miss Temple leaves Lowood to be a wife, she gains more perspective as to how Miss Temple has affected her life. Miss Temples abandoning of her career for marriage is an indication of how women would have to leave her career behind to become a wife. She could not do both or would be negatively branded as an old maid or maiden aunt. In a society where this was the expectations of all women, many women with any type of career had to make a choice. Women's roles in the Western world during the 1800s were highly restricted and centered around husband and family. A woman was expected to find a man to marry and then raise a family. Single women were labeled, 'old maids. (Shultz) As they had to choose between being a working woman or wife, there were not many opportunities for women to work in diverse fields. Women and girls had few avenues for supporting themselves financially if they weren't married or their husband died or ran off. Without education or job skills, some relied on a handful of charitable organizations, such as the Chicago Relief and Aid Society, for bare-bones necessities.(Shultz) Because of the lack of effort into girls education, women could rarely advance to vigorous careers.
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