Women in Lit

I think that this is something that is true for us all when we truly think about it. Although, living in America, many of us don’t feel it on a daily basis, there are also many of us who do. The families of those who serve in the U.S. Military feel it everyday that their loved ones are over sea. The fear that they may never return is the price that they pay and for those in the military, they sometimes pay with their life, all for the sake of keeping our country and their loved ones safe from harm. In “Persepolis”, Marji feels the effects of war while living there & she has lost many family members to the war. She also lives in a place where freedom is not a right one is just handed the way we living in America have it. Instead, it is a constant struggle to maintain any sort of freedom. Wars are fought over freedom. They come in different forms whether is be religious freedom, or the freedom of one’s country as a whole, freedom from dictators, it’s always about freedom at the end of the day. Freedom is far from free, even when thought about on a very small scale, freedom comes with responsibilities. Many of us are now turning 18, the age the law considers children turning into an adult. We are legally responsible for our actions and are accountable for anything that we do. Although we gain the freedom that comes with becoming an adult, we also have to pay the price of now being responsible for our actions.

Obviously the biggest difference is the pictures that will be in the book. However I think this will effect how the story is told because we will have that visual aid so it’ll mostly be dialogue the way a comic book reads. I look forward to reading it. It’ll be a new experience!

The portfolio that I went into was Adrian Cole’s. Her project was done on the idea of marriage. It was interesting the way she analyzed how men and women’s approach to marriage has changed over the years. She made the point that women no longer look for a man who can simply put food on the table anymore and men don’t just look for women to provide children for them anymore. She talked about how more women look for a marriage based out of love now because they no longer feel that marriage is a need but rather a want, and can therefore marry out of love. Although men’s priorities were slightly different, the top choice was the same, they wanted to marry for love. It was interesting to see the evolution of the idea of marriage over time from a necessity to a desire.

Don’t get me wrong, I definitely respect what feminists are trying to do and I appreciate everything that they have done for women, but I think that sometimes it can get out of hand. There is a thin line between fighting for equal rights and simply putting down anyone who disagrees. It seems to me that sometimes feminists can stoop down to the level of feminist bashers by bashing those who disagree with them. I found a blog site devoted to feminism and trying to clarify definitions and answer frequently asked questions but there was one post in particular that I was reading that got me thinking. I realize that women can have it rough with the way that society can portray them, and especially in certain countries where women are regarded as property; however, once we start sweating the small stuff, that is when I think feminists can get a little carried away.

In this article, the main issue that got me thinking was the fact that someone was asking why saying that larger women are beautiful too is in fact offensive. The argument was that by saying this, we are objectifying women (as well as men) because we are insinuating that looks matter.  They argue that by making such a comment, you are in fact objectifying that person because we are putting a value on looks. We might say that looks shouldn’t matter but we all know that they do. Maybe it isn’t fair, but it is fact. Society does affect what we consider to be beautiful or not, however there is also a biological aspect that is attached to the idea of looks that should not be overlooked. Often times, women and men that we consider attractive are a result of human survival instinct. Looks are indicators of one’s reproductive health. It’s just our primitive nature.

I am a girl, and there is no doubt that I want some equality between men and women, but I think it is naïve for someone to think that men and women will ever be completely equal because the fact of the matter is that we are not equal, we are different. Although there are disadvantages to that fact, there are also advantages to keep in mind. Even going back to stereo types, one stereo type that has been present in my life is of course the dumb blond. I’ll never forget the scene in the movie Legally Blond when Elle makes a snide remark about a brunette and Emmett asks why she is discriminating against brunettes. She replies, “why shouldn’t I? I’m discriminated against as a blond.” Later Emmett says to her that by being a blond she holds more power than she realizes. Obviously this is one of my favorite movies, and growing up I admit I didn’t understand what he meant, but as I got older I realized his intent: when society looks down on you for some reason, prove ‘em wrong! Now this can apply to anyone to which society has given a disadvantage to, including women. By being a woman, we can take people by surprise; and can anyone deny that coming up from behind and winning doesn’t taste so much sweeter. In the movie Troy, Achilles says “I’ll tell you a secret, the gods envy us. They envy us because we are mortal. The fact that our time in this world is limited makes everything around us more beautiful.” In the same way, we end up appreciating what we have more because of the negative.

Women have to work for opportunities in many cases but I believe that that is what has made women such a powerful force; they know what it means to fight for a place and will therefore appreciate it so much more than if it was simply handed to them. The whole idea of simply giving everyone equality no matter who you are is the whole reason communism doesn’t really work. If you are handed the exact same thing as the person next to you, no questions asked, then why would you try to do any better than them, it won’t make a difference. Sure equality sounds good on paper, and in some areas, equality is important but inequality is important too.

To relate this to something that we students can relate to, if everyone was guaranteed the same grade no matter how hard we might study, why would anyone bother to study? You might wish that everyone would study because they wish to expand their knowledge but we all know that that is not the case, we have a hard time studying as it is. Inequality in schools is just as inevitable, some people are just smarter or work harder, but that competitive environment is actually beneficial. Another version of this is the difference between sons and daughters of Iolani and those that came later from other schools. Sons and daughters were accepted based on how well they played with others and at the age of four, I doubt that any were heartbroken not to get in. However, for those of us who had to get good grades, take workshops to prepare for the SSATs and then actually take the test and then wait to hear back, getting in meant so much to us. I’m sure majority of the time if you talk to a son/daughter and then a transfer, the transfer appreciates being able to attend such a prestigious school more than a son/daughter because we hard to work for our spot.

I agree with the idea that women should be empowered and that they should have a say in issues, but maybe we should also think about the good and the bad that can come with certain equalities. Not to mention, I don’t think we give men enough credit.

The world is not perfect, and it never will be, that’s the beauty of it all. 

I think my definitions are based basically on the idea that men & women are the adult version of boys & girls. Boys & girls are carefree, they don’t quite understand how the world works, they see more beauty in the world, they have very little responsibility and don’t experience the full weight of their actions because they have the protection of their parents. Once this is taken away however, they become men & women. Legally, this doesn’t happen until one is 18, however, I believe everyone is different. Some may need to become a man or a woman before most, and some won’t mature into a man or a woman until they are older than most. I think that the common age is around the age of 18 however. Many times this is at least the beginning because when you turn 18, you are either close to or already have graduated from high school. Many end up leaving their parents’ house to live on their own, possibly at college. Over all the support from parents will decrease forcing the girls & boys to become men & women meaning that they are now independent, responsible for themselves and their action, self-sufficient, and fully understand that life is hard, and that one must work through those hardships in order to succeed. When I said that sometimes people become adults much younger or older than around the age of 18, that usually has to do with different events that may happen in someone’s life. For example, if someone loses a parent or both at a young age, especially if they have younger siblings, are forced into becoming a man or a woman at a much younger age than most because now they are responsible for themselves are well as the welfare of their family. Then for some, their parents take care of them completely for a lot longer than most so they never have to take responsibility for themselves while their parents continue to completely support them.

As I looked through our wikispace, there was one section that I found to be very interesting. The sections was called Inspiring Photos. As you can gather from the name of the section, this showcased several photos that really grabbed one’s attention. The first one was of a mother and her child from Senegal with a close up of the mother’s face while we could only see the hand of the child touching the mother’s mouth. The photo that captured my attention the most, however, was the last one, with the woman carrying her child while being harassed by policemen. The caption explains that she along with about 200 others were resisting the police’s attempt to expel them from privately owned land in the amazon. These were people were part of the Landless Movement. The idea that the police could be so harsh when clearly the woman cannot do anything to them just seems so wrong. Then on top of that, she has her child in her arms. I’m not sure if I can call it inspiring, but it sure is eye-opening.