Society and Femininity Essay - 1547 Words

Society and Femininity: Triumph of the Human Spirit Very few novels in American Literature can earn the title of timeless. These novels transcend the ages, because they possess a greater meaning. Their stories teach people about life, the glory of the human soul, and all it can endure to overcome. Three novels in particular get to the very heart of feminine struggle. Though they touch not on women’s struggle to vote, they reach the higher plain of women’s struggle to be seen as who they are and not what society wants them to be. To Kill a Mockingbird, The Color Purple and The Bluest Eye all deal with the topic of women trying to overcome society. Although these novels were written in the mid to later half of the twentieth†¦show more content†¦She hurt my feelings [†¦]† (92-3). Scout, being a child, does not completely understand the reason for wearing a dress. In her childlike innocence, as with many other instances in the book, she reveals the true unimportance of society’s rule of w omen being completely ladylike. She is subject to criticism from the town as well. Mrs. Dubose, their elderly neighbor, calls Scout â€Å"ugly girl† (114) and refers to her as â€Å"that dirty little sister of yours† when speaking to Scout’s brother Jem (122). Scout, being a young child, doesn’t pay much heed to other people’s comments. However, the idea that she definitely does not fit into what the world demands little girls to be is evident throughout the novel. Although Scout does not fit the perfect little girl idea, she shines as an unforgettable character in her strength. This small little girl single-handedly saves her father from a situation that could have caused him physical injury. When her father was protecting a man, a gang of men came to retrieve the protected man. Scout, by speaking to them, shows the men their humanity, which can often be forgotten in moments of anger. Lee states, â€Å"The men were all looking at me, some had their mouths half open. [†¦] Their attention amounted to fascination† (176). Scout shows unbelievable bravery in facing those angry men. She is not a pretty girl in pink dresses, but her spirit and her bravery touches readers. She becomes an inspirationShow MoreRelatedThe Body And Reproduction Of Femininity1559 Words   |  7 Pagesthe western world, concepts of gender have historically been divided into two parts: masculinity and femininity. At birth we are labelled male or female an d treated accordingly by our parents and society. Masculinity is seen as strong, confident and dominant and femininity is seen as being white, thin and young. Hegemonic femininity is seen as the model of what it means to be a female and society sets this standard that all women are meant to embody. These specific characteristics â€Å"represent† whatRead MoreMonster Culture By Jeffery Cohen1202 Words   |  5 PagesIn â€Å"Monster Culture†, Jeffery Cohen develops an idea that â€Å"monsters† are essential to society. In fact, they construct what is â€Å"normal†, â€Å"rational†, and â€Å"civilized†. Specifically, â€Å"monsters† are foundational to how we view ourselves. â€Å"Monsters† contain all the traits deemed unacceptable and odd. It can be concluded that every outlier is a â€Å"monster†. In St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, Karen Russell tells the story of a pack of wolf girls who are transi tioning into young ladies. RussellRead MoreMonster Culture By Steve Cohen979 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"Monster Culture†, Steve Cohen develops an idea that â€Å"monsters† are essential to society. In fact, they construct what is â€Å"normal†, â€Å"rational†, and â€Å"civilized†. Specifically, â€Å"monsters† are foundational to how we view ourselves. â€Å"Monsters† contain all the traits deemed unacceptable and odd. It can be concluded that every outlier is a â€Å"monster†. In â€Å"St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves†, Karen Russell tells the story of a pack of wolf girls who are transitioning into young ladies. RussellRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book St. Lucy s Home For Girls Raised By Wolves1215 Words   |  5 PagesKanye West said it best, â€Å"Everybody knows I’m a M*f**ing monster† and honestly, as humans we are. In Seven Monster Theses, Jeffery Cohen develops an idea that â€Å"monsters† are essential to society. In fact, they construct what is â€Å"normal†, â€Å"rational†, and â€Å"civilized†. Specifically, â€Å"monsters† are foundational to how we view ourselves. â€Å"Monsters† contain all the traits deemed unacceptable and odd. It can be concluded that every outlier is a â€Å"monster†. In St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves,Read MoreGender Roles And Expectations Of Romanian Men And Women933 Words   |  4 Pagessocialist Romania was strengthened by the government’s denial of sexual liberation to women. In Ceausescu’s refusal to allow women governance over their bodies, restrictive reproductive policies that emphasized the femininity of women were created. By placing such an importance on femininity and a woman’s ability to reproduce, instead of a woman’s right of choosing whether to reproduce , Ceausescu’s regime solidified the patriarchal and traditionalist ideology of socialist Romania. It is from these patriarchalRead More Femininity Essay584 Words   |  3 Pages The New Femininity Femininity is not a word that we are encouraged to use these days. A lot of people would argue that femininity is the thing that keeps women obedient to men. However, there is a hidden assumption behind this term. The assumption is that masculinity is superior to femininity; that femininity is not a beautiful and powerful thing in its own right. I believe that women have something men do not have. Women have special qualities that belong to them as women, and they do not intendRead MoreThe Divine Power Of Womanhood : Hawthorne s Re Branding Of Femininity1315 Words   |  6 PagesThe Divine Power of Womanhood: Hawthorne’s Re-branding of Femininity Women in Puritan society, as in many other societies throughout time, were repressed. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter it is womanhood, not women themselves, that is being repressed within Puritan society. On the surface, this is because of its traditional religious association with sin. However, Hawthorne depicts femininity and womanhood as having divine power and influence, [as in, they] ? are a God-approved forceRead MoreEssay on Equal and Alike1158 Words   |  5 Pagesaside, the difference between masculinity and femininity is less clear. Aaron H. Devor wrote in his 1989 article, Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender, that due to the structure of American society, â€Å"masculinity thus becomes ‘innately’ valuable and femininity serves a contrapuntal function to delineate and magnify the hierarchical dominance of masculinity† (430). Devor describes the role of femininity in current society as merely a way to p ut the value and superiorityRead MoreAphorism 59 Of Minima Moralia1499 Words   |  6 Pagesaphorism 59 of Minima Moralia, Adorno characterizes â€Å"the feminine character.† What is he up to here? Is this an accurate portrayal of the feminine? Is this account feminist? Is it misogynist? Aphorism 59 of Minima Moralia, seeks to establish that femininity is a product from the dominating nature of the masculine. Adorno emphasizes that the feminine must be discarded in order to end the humiliation. Depending on the reader this aphorism can either be seen as feminist or misogynist. 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