Since we have been on a unit focusing on women, I thought it was only right to blog about the issues faced in today's world, and in literature. In books like A Doll's House we see women as trophies, and invaluable. This drama was first performed in 1879, but today we still have tv shows, and movies portraying as objects. Our society likes to feel like they have made progress, which don't get me wrong it has, but not as much as we should have. I think in every blog I critique society for this. Women are constantly being degraded in movie's or shows as stupid, or easy, and if they are the smart and capable character they are either mean, or portrayed as if they have no life, and are unhappy. Yes, men do have the same problem, but it is not nearly as bad for men as it is for women.
We do not see characters like Edna, from The Awakening, often because it gives the idea that women are individuals. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT? It was not until recently that society has come to terms with women being able to live for themselves, and be happy without kids, or being married. This was never a thought for men; men could live the bachelor life until they were in the grave, but if a women decides to do the same thing "well she must be real unhappy with her life, she has nothing." It gets frustrating that women cannot just live for themselves ever, it always has to be for someone. I cannot even stress how many times I've been asked "who are you getting all dressed up for?" or been told "you won't find a husband looking like that." Is it so crazy to think I, and other women as well, can dress and do things just to be happy? Or have we been so brainwashed to think that women are only here to entertain, or satisfy the man?
More women are speaking up against this kind of behavior recently, but what do they get? They get called crazy. Many girls of my age, including myself, have identified as a "feminist" but recently they have gotten a lot of flack, and somehow the word "feminist" has received some sort of weird connotation with it. I can recall being in a class talking about women's rights this year and telling the class that I was in fact a feminist, and one boy saying "oh so you're crazy, and think everyone is out to get you because you're a woman?" This is what the boys of my generation think of a woman, and it is quiet alarming. Just because I am for women, and strong enough to fight for our equality does not make me crazy, it makes me human. They would never say that the male leaders of America were crazy for fighting for their rights, and freedoms for breaking free from Great Britain, so why are women crazy for fighting for THEIR rights and breaking free from society standards?
