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In what is arguably his best known work, Charles Dickens addresses the blatant gender inequality that ran rampant in the 1800s. Oliver Twist confronts the disheartening public view of not only women in lower social classes, like Nancy, but also the stereotypes placed on the actions of women in the upper classes, such as Rose and Mrs. Bedwin. Though he may exemplify this inequality through several female characters and their interactions with their male counterparts, Dickens is one of the first to paint these women as at least somewhat conscious beings who are capable of some thought process. He approached his female characters with an attitude of change from their “roles.” Instead of seeing England as “a patriarchal model which reserved power and privilege for men,” (Marsh) he chose to give his female characters more of a role in their own lives, allowing them to develop as actual figures rather than slump in the background, at least in his literature. However, Dickens was well aware of the expectations of women in 19th century England: he knew that women were considered “physically weaker yet morally superior to men” and that they were considered to be “best suited to the domestic sphere” (Hughes). By accepting these stereotypes, Dickens is able to both prove them wrong and to write strong female characters who are capable of handling issues such as prostitution, loyalty, family, and injustice. He is clear, however, that Oliver Twist does not take place in a fairytale version of England, writing other characters as they would be in the set time period.
Get original essayGender inequality in Oliver Twist cannot be discussed without raising the adjacent issue of social inequality. Though upper class women were not treated as equal to the men in their lives, they at least received an education and were spoken to with some level of respect, unlike their lower class equivalents. Even when providing valid and important information Nancy is treated with little to no respect, being told “I will not suffer the young lady to go any farther. Many people would have distrusted you too much to have come even so far, but you see I am willing to humour you,” by Mr. Brownlow (Dickens 491). He is clearly favoring Rose, the “young lady”, by not making her “go any further”, while at the same time disrespecting Nancy, someone who is obviously part of the lower class, by speaking about distrust. Though Mr. Brownlow may have an actual reason to make this judgment, since Nancy was late to their initial meeting, he is largely basing his judgment on her social status and her “occupation.” True to the time period, Brownlow believes that Nancy is a disease ridden prostitute, and sees her as “…the shadow that haunted the well-run middle-class home” (Hughes). In this same passage he continues to question Nancy about their location: “…for what purpose can you have brought us to this strange place?” (Dickens 491) Nancy, not the complete idiot Brownlow believes her to be, is well aware that Fagin or Sikes could be watching if they were to speak “where it is light, and there is something stirring…” (Dickens 491) as Brownlow keeps suggesting. However, even as Nancy voices these concerns, speaking of “…horrible thoughts of death, and shrouds with blood upon them…” and believing she “…saw ‘coffin’ written in every page of the book…” (Dickens 492) Brownlow refuses to listen, citing her imagination and stating that coffins pass him often as well. Furthermore, by accompanying Rose to this meeting Brownlow is acting as if she cannot handle herself alone at night. Mr. Brownlow is not considered a “bad” character, but his actions involving Nancy and Rose make us question his opinion of women, and whether or not he finds them capable of anything. This is not saying that he thinks they are lacking intelligence. But does he believe that women are capable of completing anything without at least partial assistance from a man?
Dickens was no stranger to prostitution and the issues that revolved around it, but not in the “normal” way of being a customer. He was responsible for cofounding the Magdalen House, preparing former prostitutes for a new life in Australia; even though he was not the first to try to reform prostitutes, he at least knew that they were not the only cause of the “‘problems’ associated with prostitution” (Hughes). This reasonably assures some balance in his writing, as does the fact that he lived a life similar to Oliver's, working in Warren’s blacking factory due to his father’s bad debt and living in Portsmouth, a city on the south coast of England (BBC News). His credibility is now evident not only because of his childhood, but also because of the imagery within his writing and how it coincides with England’s environment at this time. Each scene is expertly described to make the reader feel as though they are with Noah at the Thames, watching “…necessarily unseen by any others on the stairs who chance to be above him, if only a step…” (Dickens 490). Then, just a moment later, they are with Nancy, hearing the “something so uncommon in her manner…” and having “ the blood chilled within him” (Dickens 492). Dickens is sure to immerse his reader in these surroundings and not allow the reader to leave until the story is over. This is concurs with Dickens's master use of syntax, defined as the way in which linguistic elements are put together to form constituents. Though his detailed descriptions may be attributed to the fact he was paid by the word, it does not mean he didn’t use his words well. His descriptions of locations as well as characters are incredible, and image inspiring; “’he has a lurking walk…his eyes are sunk in his head so much deeper than any other man’s…his lips are discoloured and disfigured with the marks of teeth…’” (Dickens 496). These are only partial descriptors, yet Charles Dickens creates an entire character. This character is already shady, but it is easy to picture him slipping into shadows and disappearing without issue, all from portions of Dickens’ descriptions.
Charles Dickens was by no means a modern feminist; in fact, there are accusations of him abusing women and cheating on his wife with multiple younger partners. His belief that women should be angels of the house could never coincide with feminist ideals. However, his writings gave feminists a platform to argue against the blatant gender inequality in nineteenth century England. His vibrant descriptions of the brutal behavior towards lower class women, compared to the simple disrespect seen by their upper class counterparts, portrays both the gender inequality and the social inequality within such detrimental distinctions. Dickens was well aware of the social stigma surrounding prostitutes and the “problems” they faced, but still chose to remain accurate to the time period and to create a strong, lower class character who, in the end, helped bring Oliver happiness at the expense of her own life.
Citations: Marsh, Jan. "Victoria and Albert Museum." , Online Museum, Web Team, [email protected]. Victoria and Albert Museum, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015. Hughes, Kathryn. "Gender Roles in the 19th Century." British Library. British Library, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015. "Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870)." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015. Dickens, Charles. "Chapter 1, 41-48." Oliver Twist. New York: Knopf, 1992. N. pag. Print.
In a work of literature, it becomes difficult to conceptually understand a piece without viewing all aspects and underlying meanings. The novel “The Chrysanthemums” is the main topic for the essay. Here I would like to unfold topic sections that can be set up to illuminate that the relationship of Henry and Elisa paralleled to a society with the injustice of the inability to treat a woman as an equal.
Get original essayThe Chrysanthemums was published in 1937, by an American male writer. When teaching this work of literature, I’d begin with the context behind it. In the 1930s, the United States was under the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt and undergoing end of The Great Depression, social and political catastrophe. “It was a time of quiet and of waiting”. Organized movements for women suffrage remained small and relatively weak, although it was the beginning the recovery from “the worst economic downturn in US History”. History is relative to the story because protagonist, Elisa Allen, is a woman that is given little to no attention as she was conveyed to be a wife living in the shadow of her husband, Henry Allen. The main characters are highly interpellated into their roles in society, Elisa is tending to her chrysanthemums while her husband is dealing with businessmen, matters that women were not to be involved with. The Chrysanthemums is based off of a society that has little to no respect for the value of a woman, a society that believes women are for taking care of the house and for tending the needs of her children. Through the relationship of Elisa and Henry, Steinbeck is able to convey a sense of what America was like socially during the 1930s, a society with an inequality of gender.
Following teaching the history of the 1930s, I’d illuminate more information about our characters. Beginning with Henry Allen, he was Elisa’s husband and a successful businessman, “Across the river, on Henry Allen’s foothill ranch there was little work to be done…”. He’s kind and respectful to Elisa, he provides her with dinners, compliments her beauty and her gardening work as she tends to her chrysanthemums. Although being very kind to her, he doesn’t genuinely value Elisa due to societies traditional view of male dominancy. He can’t fathom to expect anything more from her other than taking care of the home and her garden, which is why he doesn’t understand her dissatisfaction with their relationship. Henry also disregards her personal desires and emotional needs. He ignores her desire of having children and doesn’t give her the proper attention she longs for, to which Elisa fills that void through other interactions in the story.
Following context, I’d begin to acknowledge the setting. The setting is directly described in the first paragraph of the story, “The high grey-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and from all the rest of the world”. In other words, it takes place on a ranch located in the Salinas Valley, California, specifically in the winter, midafternoon. In the 1930s many fled to California to find new land to settle on for newfound riches. The setting is described to be isolated, depressing and “a closed pot”. The imagery of the setting foreshadows a closed role in society. Going back to the context of the story, this was a time that women received no opportunities. Elisa is isolated within her role in society as she has limited mobility in her relationship and a closed sense of hope for the attention she longs for.
Elisa Allen is an attractive woman, but the reader gets no sense of femininity. 'Elisa Allen, working in her flower garden, looked down across the yard and saw Henry, her husband, talking to two men in business suits'. When introduced into the story, we can conclude that she’s a person of a shy, quiet and curious nature who could also be considered to be a hard-working woman, but is overlooked because she’s a woman, and the wife of a farmer. “She was thirty-five. Her face lean and strong and her eyes clear as water. Her figure blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man’s black hat pulled down over her eyes…”. As Jane Smiley once said, “I am thirty-five years old, and it seems to me that I have arrived at the age of grief. Others arrive there sooner. Almost no one arrives much later. I don’t think it is years themselves, or the disintegration of the body. Most of our bodies are better taken care of and better-looking than ever. What it is, is what we know, now that in spite of ourselves we have stopped to think about it. It is not only that we know that love ends, children are stolen, parents die feeling that their lives have been meaningless. It is not only that, by this time, a lot of acquaintances and friends have died, and all the others are getting ready to sooner or later”. Elisa is at the peak of her life not only physically, but mentally and sexually and is no longer at an age of youth but she’s also not on the verge of her death. On the account of her physical attire, the labor she is doing, and the way her husband inadequately compliments her, the reader is drawn to conclude that she is a woman of male psychic. Elisa is ambitious, when her husband compliments her garden work and jokes about her being able to work on the orchard, she quickly grows enthused but just as quickly, loses interest when she changes the subject. Henry is incapable of understanding her interests and dismisses the idea as he doesn’t believe a woman can do such a masculine job. She thirsts for independence, freedom and self-expression. The relationship that Henry and Eliza illuminated the conflict of male dominancy in society as their genders depict their roles in society. Eliza is uninterested and frustrated with her relationship with her husband, she has no children or romantic attention. She’s displeased with the role in life that she’s living.
The Tinkerer is physically, directly characterized in the story, “Elisa saw that he was a very big man. Although his hair and his beard were greying, he did not look old”. He’s uneducated, poor and dirty. He travels to repair the broken household items of others. Indirectly, he is characterized as manipulative and dishonest, “The laughter had disappeared from his face and eyes the moment that his laughing voice ceased. His eyes were dark, and they were filled with the brooding that gets in the eyes of teamsters and of sailors”. As he interacts with Elisa, to solicit business his thoughts and actions become deceiving, only helping him to gain profit at the cost of manipulating her. As a man in society, he is allowed to freely attract customers and get what he wants through his lies, further enhancing the role of male dominancy in the 1930s.
Finally, to put context and characterization together, I’d finish by explaining the plot through quotes in the story. The fence suggests that her husband is protecting “her flower garden from the cattle and dogs and chickens” meaning her husband doesn’t believe that she is capable of dealing with the life of a “man’s” world, emphasizing her isolation and the division between a man and a woman’s world. The fence houses Eliza’s chrysanthemums. This important because in the beginning the reader understands that she is married without children. She tends her garden as if she were to tend her children, but the garden starts to change symbolically further down the piece, representing sexuality and femininity. The Tinker compliments her garden, to which she takes it to heart with great joy because she values her chrysanthemums as a mother would value her children. The Tinker grows comfortable in the conversation and Elisa grows out of the limitations of her marriage and becomes eager since she’s getting the attention she’s been thirsting for. “She tore off the battered hat and shook off her dark pretty hair”, after being described with such masculinity, the Tinker is unraveling this hidden femininity within her, just because he has displayed an interest in her garden. “She was kneeling on the ground looking up at him. Her breasts swelled passionately” the interaction that she’s having with the tinker is releasing a sexual passion that her husband has been neglecting. “I’ve never lived as you do, but I know what you mean…” Elisa is so excited and caught up in the sexual moment that she gets a feeling of epiphany after talking to the Tinker. “In the bathroom she tore off her soiled clothes and flung them into the corner. And then she scrubbed herself with a little block of pumice, legs and thighs, loins and chest and arms, until her skin was scratched and red”. This quote suggest that she has hope in seeing change in her life, she’s scrubbing her old identity off as she prepares to go to dinner and a movie with her husband. She presumes that Henry will finally fulfil her needs and she hopes that she will finally be valued the way she would like to be. After getting ready to go out with her husband things take a turn for the worst, “Far ahead on the road Eliza saw a dark speck. She knew”. Eliza now knows that she has been deceived, she returns to a realistic view of life and forgets her moment of excitement. She now realizes and accepts that she’ll never be able to break tradition in a male oriented society.
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Get custom essayTo end up, Elisa suffers from the oppression she feels from the traditional male dominated community. Teaching The Chrysanthemums in sections including, context, setting and plot can help develop a better understanding of why she felt such frustration, with her husband herself and with society.
Over the past several years, there have been numerous reports documenting the decline of participation in physical activity among youth. There are various factors that can be in consideration of one or many reasons on why the declining of physical activity is ongoing in this generation such as gender, race and social class differences. Schools have a responsibility of creating a prominent physical education curriculum in order to educate children to adopt and maintain a physically active lifestyle including a sport-based physical education curriculum, Gender Issues in Physical Education. Current gender issues in the education environment require researchers to reconceptualize of current practice. Under various studies it has been proven that female students have always been outperforming male students in every education level. Female students are more likely to take more advanced classes, get good grades and graduate from school at a high rate. However, when it comes to physical education, females are less likely to participate in the physical education class or even take part in athletics. The social-cultural aspect of distinguishing the two sexes.
Get original essayPhysical education is a program that schools design to ensure that physical education habits are promoted among the growing children, both boys and girls. The children are allowed to become physically fit and active as well as experiencing the positive aspects of those activities. In many nations, there is a concern that girls are becoming less aggressive as compared to boys. It hence means that they are at a higher risk of not achieving the recommended levels of activity. According to research, there is a significant difference between boys and girls in terms of physical activity they perform, especially during adolescence. The health of many children worldwide is at risk as a result of the problems of obesity and overweight. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), lack of physical activity is the fourth leading factor in mortality around the world. In this regard, this education needs to be effectively be initiated into school programs, especially at the elementary schools. Numerous studies have shown a strong correlation between socio-economic status and health in various different countries. Income and wealth have a major effect on inequality. “In the US, income and wealth together account for nearly 40% of the avoidable education-related health inequality, which is by far the largest contribution across all countries.”
In 1972, the Federal Regulator offers guidance to educators regarding Title IX applies to any class work or curriculum including physical education. The regulation, prohibits separation of gender or the sex of a child to refuse participation in certain activities. However, there is an exception of prohibition is participation in bodily contact sports must be learn in an integrated setting. Under the Title IX regulations all schools must School Must Have And Distribute A Policy Against Sex Discrimination, Have A Title IX Coordinator, and Must Have And Make Known Procedures For Students To File Complaints Of Sex Discrimination.
Co-ed physical education class is the best for both gender due to the fact that they both develop their fundamental skills at the same pace. The main grading criterion for elementary school kids was just on participation. Modify games allows more participation for young girls. For instance, many PE instructors will do modifying scoring were when a girl scores they will get three points instead of one in co-gender teams. This also allows boys to have a more controlled temper in the curriculum. “Boys tend to be boys and believe that girls aren't good at sports and stuff.”
The interest of physical education in young females began to decline dramatically, while for the young males began to rise up. The majority of students begin to feel uncomfortable with themselves due to the fact that their body is going through changes such as puberty. Puberty and is changing. The grading policy is mainly focus on the uniform policy, dressing out and participation. In middle school, physical educators are more likely to give corrective feedback to a male student rather than a female student. More likely to focus on team competitive sports which favors the male aspects boosting their confidence level leading to a more competitive atmosphere. Many teachers prefer teaching about competitive sport rather than organized activities or independent sports. Hence means that they are at a higher risk of not achieving the recommended levels of activity. According to research, there is a significant difference between boys and girls in terms of physical activity they perform, especially during adolescence. The health of many children worldwide is at risk as a result of the problems of obesity and overweight. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), lack of physical activity is the fourth leading factor in mortality around the world. In this regard, this education needs to be effectively initiated into school programs, especially at the elementary schools. Overweight leads both to female and male insecurities.
The grading criterion in high school is made up on participation, skills, and uniform policy. Engaging female teenagers who are from a co-educational school is a major challenge for the majority of physical education educators. Females are perceived more passive, social, and easily influenced by factors such as their friends or body issues unlike the males in high school. Sexual harassment is also more likely to happen to females in high school. Many females do not like of being looked at by their male classmates while performing an exercise. Many females felt that they were expected the minimal amount of participation unlike the opposite sex. “Girls on the sideline who socially are more chatty and who will just sit there and cheer on their boyfriends rather than be involved.”
The majority of female students do not partake in physical education after the required year. Many females felt more intimate by their male classmates in P.E and will limited their participation role in the game. Females are more likely to be interested in learning the correct way to participate in the art by developing skill development and strategies rather than the males just jump into the game instead of learning the concept. For males, physical education classes were less likely about teaching the fundamentals of the sport but more of of the introduction of a sport that peak their lifelong interest. For instance, males are more likely to start a game of basketball than rather walk a field for the whole duration of class. Small percentage of those who enjoy partaking in physical education with makes enjoy challenging their aggression and athleticism towards the males. Expressing more self-confidence within themselves.
Boys and girls perceive themselves and each other in different ways, and these are active social influencers in physical activity. According to a study, while girls are more likely to perceive other active girls as motivating, physically fit and healthy, the boys regarded the physically active girls more negatively. It was seeing them as if they were trying to be like boys and thus seeing them as less attractive. The study also revealed that both the boys and girls saw the physically active girls who engaged in sports as ‘tomboys’ or as being too aggressive. Most girls and especially the adolescent viewed the boys as the most significant barrier to their engagement in physical activities. The girls indicated that they felt teased by their male counterparts by being told that they have no idea about the rules of the game they play, making them feel very low in terms of the confidence of their abilities. Both the boys and girls also indicated that sometimes girls were their hindrances of participating in sports. According to the boys, the girls didn’t care about sports and did not want to engage in activities that will make them dirty. The lack of interest, self-esteem and the sense of shyness also were reasons for girls’ low activity. The perceptions of both boys and girls develop in their mind profoundly influences their degree of physical activity participation.
Equality in physical education programs is not a hard concept to achieve, however it is not going to be an easy route. Educators have a major responsibility to be more proactive in implementing an awareness on gender equality. Equitable treatment of both genders needs to be integrated in the early learning stages of physical education. By treating every gender the same, this will allow The Title IX Federal Regulation was meant to provide equal opportunities to participate in P.E. curriculums. By maintaining the Title IX regulations strong, physical educators need to find a way to create an efficient way to create a curriculum allow all gender an equal opportunity to participate in physical education classes.
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Get custom essayPhysical education educators have a major responsibility in regards of increasing more female participation in every grade level. When it comes to their male counterpart participation in P.E. isn't as hard for them. By incorporating more positive female athletes into the teaching curriculum such as Alex Morgan will influence the females’ mentality to motivate to do their best.
“Who run the world? Girls”. A worldwide pop song sang by Beyoncé, which shows how powerful girls are. According to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the gender pay gap is: “Is a measure of the difference between men’s and women’s average earnings across an organization or the labor market. It is expressed as a percentage of men’s earnings.” (2018). It is a current issue that all societies are experimenting, not only in economic or social areas but also in the domain of sports. The gender pay gap is an issue also in sports, and to fix this we need more than a few regulations. The gender pay gap is known and suffered by all women in many professional jobs and in this case, athletes also experience short shrifts.
Get original essayMost of the people around the world have heard about this issue. It is an increasing issue during these days due to the gender equality fight. People, women, in fact, started to fight for the rights that should have been given long ago. One of those rights is the equal pay for men and women. Since women entered the labor market, they tried to be equal in all senses to men, not to be over anyone, just to have rights equality. But the hierarchical rules were against that equality fight. Nevertheless, nowadays it can be seen that this gap has reduced tremendously or at least trying to. “When occupations are segregated by gender, women get the short end of the stick. Occupations that are female dominated pay less than those that are male-dominated that require the same levels of education and experience” (Bornstein, 2018). Because of that, it creates a battle of sexes which is not the main objective of gender equality. But, this fact is undoubted, the businessman is the one who decides who gets the higher payment in a company, and so on women are affected by these regulations. In addition, the lack of regulation in this aspect is an evident issue that cannot be hidden just like the government hides everything. A worldwide issue needs the efforts of all governments and organizations to make it easier and bearable.
Alongside the gender pay gap, this matter can experiment in all jobs. And there is a very clear example: Sports. “Throughout history, professional female athletes have had limited opportunities compared to their male counterparts” (Campbell, 2017). According to a ranking made by Forbes in 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo was the best-paid player all over the world and it is not just because he is the best player, it is because he plays soccer in a very well-known team. Furthermore, Serena Williams is one of the best female tennis players occupied the 51st position in the same ranking. In the same ranking, Tiger woods, no matter what he does or how long he steps out of the limelight. Woods is the top-earning athlete on the 2013 Celebrity 100 list at No. 15 and with annual earnings of $78 million. On the other hand, in the ranking made by Forbes, Maria Sharapova, sits at No. 62 with $29 million in earnings. The contrast emerges in the annual ranking of this magazine because in the 2018’s ranking it has no women in its 100 list of best-paid athletes. Publicity plays a very important role here because sports brands are looking for male athletes than women ones, due to its popularity among the audience. In fact, the gender pay gap prejudice women no matter the age they have and in the payment of athletes is where more discrimination exists.
In soccer is where the wage gap is more notorious. Soccer which is played for men and women equally has the biggest gap in payments, and it is just because of the popularity each player has. There is no need to be an expert to know that for sure, the evidence is right in front people’s eyes. A very clear example of this is the amount of money that gets a male player and a female player in the same team. In a report made by the website of channel 13 “T13” presents the case of Neymar Jr. who started playing at Paris Saint Germain (PSG) last year and receives a salary of 35 billion dollars per year. An amount far from what Christiane Endler receives for being in the same team. The Chilean goalkeeper, who started playing for PSG in 2016 receives $25,000 dollars per year. The difference is awfully huge, and this is not because one is best than the other playing soccer, is just because of the popularity that each one has. Also, the USA women’s soccer team —three-time winners of the Women’s World Cup—have brought this topic into discussion. In this example, the girls, in their last World Cup, won $2 million dollars for their first-place finish. Even it is a significant amount, it is quite pale compared to the $35 million dollars that Germany awarded in the last FIFA’s World Cup in 2014. Statistics and empiric evidence are convincing, women get fewer payments in sports and mostly in soccer.
In conclusion, “recent research supports the conclusion that, no matter how finely you slice the data, there is a gender pay gap that remains” (Bornstein, 2018). In Chile as well as in other countries around the world the wage has been reduced in some areas, but there is one where the regulations are in debt: Soccer players. The government and the regulations they made are not helping women in this field, because the wage in sports has a tremendous amount. The popular sports are the ones that are played by men and due to this male players receive better payments. But this must change to have equality in all senses, gender equality is an issue that currently is becoming stronger. So, the solution is in the organization’s hands, to do something meaningful for all the athletes and to promote the fair game. It is time to pay an equitable payment for all, women deserve this once and for all.
During my talk today, I will be discussing the Gender pay gaps, which are I will and comparing international gender pay gaps is problematic due to differences in sources, definitions, and methods used to calculate the gender pay gap in different countries. The economic value of wages in Australia shows that the national gender pay gap is 13.9% in favor of men. With women earning only $1508 per week and men earning $1751 per week.
Get original essayGender pay gaps in favor of men are a common feature in economies around the world. The representation of men as being worth more than women is not true or accurate. This results in women being undervalued in Australian society. Supporting female workers to achieve the same wages compared with men is crucial for reducing the gender pay gap.
From the past to the present, there appears to be a misconception in the Australian culture that men are more important than women in the workforce hence they should be rewarded with a higher pay rate. Australian men see themselves as a crucial asset to their country and capable of building and engineering feats that create high value in companies such as SpaceX and Tesla. Tesla is owned by male CEOs- Elon Musk and Bill Gates. Furthermore, there is a belief that men are lifesavers who often earn the most money out of all of the income earners in the family.
Cultural values and beliefs will need to change to enable women to earn the same amount as men in the same job and hence improve gender pay rates. The Fortune 500 companies regularly discuss how companies can improve gender pay rates. Out of the 500 companies, there are only 33 female CEOs which means that there are 467 more male CEOs. Similar cultural beliefs are also seen as many sports fans argue that women’s sports are less interactive or entertaining compared to men’s sports and hence women’s sports compared with men’s sports are rarely broadcasted in the media.
Therefore, it appears the media are making sports fans believe that women’s sports are less desirable by giving them fewer media coverage. These cultural beliefs have also resulted in an uncontrolled gender pay gap, which takes the ratio of median earnings of all women to all men Has decreased by $0.05 since 2015. However, women have been reported to make only $0.79 for every dollar men make in 2019. Both men and women can be effective in each working in a variety of industries and hopefully in the future will forcibly see a change on how society should perceive gender pay gaps.
Gender pay equity is about ensuring that both women and men are paid fairly for the work they perform. Equal pay is not just about equal wages. Equal pay considers discretionary pay, allowances, performance payments, merit payments, bonus payments, and superannuation. Addressing the issue of gender pay inequity involves understanding where pay disparities may exist in your workplace and giving regard to it. The pay which is given to both men and females has turned into who has the better qualification but are still working in the same job title.
The men’s team, the Caltex Socceroos, and the women’s team, the Westfield Matildas, will receive equal shares of total player revenue as part of a four-year deal between the Football Federation Australia and the union called Professional Footballers Australia. Whilst many countries including Australia, struggle to reduce the gender pay there is now evidence from Sporting teams such as soccer, to show that some associations and Federations have created a deal for both the men’s and women’s teams to now have equal pay and conditions.
Our changing society will ensure that equal gender pay rates will slowly start to happen throughout many countries. Workers want to see is that companies that aren’t paying the full and equal amount that the worker follow stricter rules around working conditions and entitlements. When workers receive less pay, their spending power is limited. When people have fair pay, they are more likely to pass this gain onto the economy, stimulating economic growth. Modern women are increasingly becoming the breadwinners of their families. Families with one earner are particularly hurt by the wage gap, making it difficult to support a family on their own.
The U.S Female Soccer team is trying to fight for equal pay since winning this summer's World Cup. But the battle between U.S. Soccer and FIFA started well before fans broke out in chants of 'Equal pay!' at the team's ticker-tape parade in New York City in July. The law governing industrial relations/ worker rights must be in strengthened to reduce the discrimination of gender- if men and women are to receive equal gender pay rates.
Gender representation as explained through gender pay rates should be shown equally the same for both men and women. Jobs in any industry have gender pay gaps which measure the difference between the average earnings of women and men in the workforce. It is not the difference between two people being paid differently for work of the same or comparable value, which is unlawful. Both men and women can be effective in each working a variety of industries including professional sports as exampled by the Matildas soccer team and in the future, there need significant changes as to how society should perceive gender pay gaps. The law governing industrial relations/ worker rights must be in strengthened to reduce the discrimination of gender- if men and women are to receive equal gender pay rates.
A common practice that William Shakespeare employs in many of his works is the experimentation with gender politics. Shakespeare often shows how notions of gender become unstable as a result of social forces. To discuss Shakespeare's treatment of gender in his plays, it is helpful to use Joan Wallach Scott's definition of gender, which she presents in her book, Gender and the Politics of History. Scott defines gender as "an element of social relationships based on perceived differences between the sexes, and gender is a primary way of signifying relationships of power." She notes that gender is constructed, in part, through relationships, including kinship as well as broader gender relations, based on politics and economics. Scott also asserts that the binary between males and females is unstable, and that gender gets constructed and reconstructed as conditions in society change. This phenomenon is played out in one of Shakespeare's most complex plays, King Lear.
Get original essayA historical event in the context of King Lear that influenced relationships and reconstructed gender roles was the decline of feudalism and the emergence of capitalism. In his article, "King Lear and the Decline of Feudalism," Paul Delany discusses how the move from feudal politics to capitalism resulted in a corresponding change in relationships, which represented a period of crisis for the aristocracy. Delany suggests that the division of Lear's kingdom is symbolic of the emergence of capitalism and the decline of feudalism, and that the tragic ending of the play shows Shakespeare's "attachment to traditional and aristocratic values, combined with a distaste of the fear of the acquisitive, unscrupulous bourgeois values . . .that are taking its place." To expand on Delany's premise, I will argue that, while using King Lear as a vehicle for criticizing the fundamentals of capitalism and promoting feudalism, Shakespeare also uses King Lear's fate to express a fear that aggressive females will be able to take on power roles within the new political structure, and male authority will thus be threatened. Before proceeding with this argument, it is important to examine gender roles as they exist in the overall realm of King Lear.
In a book chapter he entitles, "The Situation of Women," Russ MacDonald describes how gender and power relations in feudal society stemmed from primitive societies, where the greater physical strength of males led to the belief that men were superior to women. MacDonald notes, "that women occupied a position subordinate to men in the early modern period is beyond dispute." In the larger cultural background of the play, this gender/power relationship (i.e., male superiority) is exhibited, particularly since the women in King Lear are defined with respect to their husbands. This is clear from the first line of the play, delivered by Kent: "I thought the King had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall" (1.1.1-2). Note that he does not say "I thought the King had more affected Goneril than Regan." The daughters are not truly receiving the kingdom - despite their having to "earn" it by way of Lear's games of flattery; it will really belong to their husbands. Additionally, since Cordelia does not have a husband, her portion of the kingdom is intended to serve as a dowry. Thus, the female is situated at the start of the play as a marginal figure in the male-dominated world. However, as the play progresses, the females (i.e., Lear's daughters) become empowered, undermining traditional patriarchal notions that are already threatened by the new capitalist order and the loss of feudal values previously enjoyed by King Lear.
The first scene is representative of Lear's attachment to feudalistic values, such as the accommodation of patriarchal wishes, and the importance of honor and obedience in feudal relationships. Also, Shakespeare immediately connects the loss of Lear's feudal-aristocratic traditions to the change in gender and power dynamics. King Lear is portrayed as a traditional aristocrat, and one who prizes subservience from his daughters. Although he is giving up power by dividing his kingdom, he clings to his authoritative position, and demands that his daughters publicly express their love and affection for him. Cordelia infuriates him because she refuses to engage in the love game. When asked to put her love for her father into flattering words, she states, "Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave/ My heart into my mouth. I love your majesty / According to my bond, no more no less" (1.1.92-93). Because Cordelia refuses to play along with Lear's flattery game, Lear feels that she is usurping his patriarchal authority, so he berates and banishes her.
Two different readings of Cordelia's remarks support the notion that is at the heart of the critique of capitalism going on in the play: the new politic order results in the instability of gender roles, as well as the degradation of relationships. Acknowledging both interpretations helps to illustrate Shakespeare's clever crisscrossing of these two implications of the emergence of capitalism. First, there is Paul Delany's reading, based on the Marxist theory of the cash- nexus, which holds that capitalism reduces all relations to rates of economic exchange, and makes the only human connection one based on monetary value. As Delany states, "The new order . . .having set up cash payment as the only measure of social obligation, ruthlessly attacks all customary bonds . . ." . He notes that Cordelia's remarks serve to remind Lear, Regan and Goneril, whose relationships resemble the cash-nexus, that relationships should not be based on rates of exchange, such as the use of flattery to obtain financial security. Relationships should instead be based on a natural relationship, which were associated with feudal economics and politics. In this context, Cordelia seems to endorse traditional feudal bonds and relationships, and to repudiate the new capitalistic relationships.
Secondly, Cordelia's refusal to flatter her father could also be read as a rebellion against her prescribed gender role and a direct challenge to her father's expectations. As Catherine Cox points out, she contradicts her own silence and becomes defiant toward the patriarchal order, when she tries to justify her silence and questions her sisters' flattery, saying that they would not have room for loving their husbands if they loved King Lear as much as they proclaimed. Cordelia says,
Good my Lord,
You have begot me, bred me, loved me. I
Return those duties back are right fit,
Obey you, love you and most honour you.
Why have my sisters' husbands, if they say
They love you all? Haply when I shall wed,
That lord whose hand must take my plight shall carry
Half my love with him, half my care and duty.
Sure I shall never marry like my sisters
To love my father all (1.1.95-104)
Cordelia's statements can be considered aggressive, and therefore, threatening to Lear's patriarchal power. As Cox notes, "when Cordelia betrays her own silence, she abandons her identity as a daughter; apparently affronted at having to compete with her sisters in so ludicrous a game, she exhibits a masculine sense of entitlement, as if the 'bond' she and Lear share should rightly ensure her place as Lear's successor and exempt her from public display." Accordingly, her act of rebellion against Lear can thus be viewed as an attempt to invert the social structure in which she lives. This reading emphasizes the threat of female power that is emerging with the new political order.
By acknowledging both readings of Cordelia's opening remarks concomitantly, one can see that a double context for the critique of capitalism is immediately set up: (i) how it reduces relationships to rates of exchange; and (ii) how it destabilizes gender roles. This double play of the negative results of capitalism is continued throughout the text. While condemning the new order, Shakespeare simultaneously critiques the effects that the changing society has on gender roles. He shows how Lear's downfall is in part due to the reconstruction of power and the destabilizing of gender that resulted from the changing political order and the breakdown of Lear's kingdom the end of his natural patriarchal stability. This is further developed through Lear's relationships with his daughters after the division of Lear's kingdom.
Before the kingdom is divided, Lear's daughters provide a sense of stability through their affection and loyalty, which Lear considers to be their duty. His daughters were subservient to him while he was King, but that is no longer the case once they claim Queenship. Lear expected his daughters to fulfill his needs, and was dependent on their gratitude and affection. They failed to live up to Lear's expectations, and he becomes enraged. Lear's dependence on them for attention depended on their reciprocal reliance on him, since he was the source of their power. When the situation changed and his daughters became empowered, Lear, with his patriarchal values, could not emotionally handle the new power dynamics. He even entertains the notion of regaining his kingdom, during his conversation with his Fool, when he says, "[t]o tak't again perforce! Monster ingratitude!" (1.5.37). Lear's statements reinforce the notion that going back to feudalism would enable him to regain his power, which would create a reversion back to his previous relationships with his daughters, when they used to fulfill their role of giving him pleasure through obedience and affection. So, the breakdown of his kingdom perpetuates a change in gender dynamics, and results in the deterioration of Lear's power and the destruction of his most important kinship his daughters. In this way, Shakespeare connects the decline of strong feudal relationships with the threat of female power both of which followed the emergence of capitalism.
We see a similar connection in Act II, when Lear's daughters deny him his full retinue of knights. Paul Delany discusses how the new social order created "the opposition between a feudal-aristocratic ethic that promotes display, generosity and conspicuous consumption, and a bourgeois ethic that values thrift because it promotes the accumulation rather than the dissipation of capital." Lear's insistence that he maintain his full retinue of knights shows his dependence on such feudal values, and it is interesting to observe that Shakespeare makes Lear's daughters, with their greed and ambition, the power source that deprives Lear of his knights. Lear expects that, of all people, his own daughters should grant his wish, and when they tell him that his retinue and his power are to be cut even further, his remarks serves to express his anger over his daughters' disobedience, and also to provide an endorsement of feudal consumption:
O, reason not the need! Our basest beggars
Are in the poorest thing superfluous.
Allow not nature more than nature needs,
Man's life's as cheap as beast's (2.4.259281).
Lear's justification for his knights exemplifies his bond to strong feudal, patriarchal values. He is saying that humans would be no different from the animals if they did not need more than the fundamental necessities of life to be happy a feudalistic value and a strong opposition to capitalism, which supports practicality and frugality. Lear needs knights and attendants not only because of the service that they provide him but because of what their presence represents: namely, his identity, both as a king and as a patriarchal figure. Further, Goneril and Regan's refusal to accommodate Lear's requests infuriated him because, again, women challenged his authority, and not just any women, but his own daughters. Despite his attempt to assert his authority, Lear finds himself powerless; all he can do is vent his rage and, ultimately, go mad. Again, capitalism is criticized, and ill effects of female power are concurrently portrayed. This crisscrossing of gender, power and politics adds to the complexity of the play and shows Shakespeare's genius.
It is interesting that, right after his daughters undermine Lear's authority by denying his requests for knights, Lear seems to find himself slipping into a feminine role. He associates himself with the female gender by his discussion of crying a device he attributes to women. He states fearfully, "And let not women's weapons water drops / Stain my man's cheeks" (2.2.456-457). Lear is concerned that the new power dynamics are robbing him of his masculinity and patriarchy, and making his daughters the new hierarchy of power. In addition, just as Lear associates himself with weakness and femininity, he later aligns his daughter, Goneril, with masculinity and seniority, when he says of her, "Ha! Goneril with a white beard?" (4.6.96). With these remarks, Lear himself acknowledges the reversal in gender and power roles that has resulted from surrendering his kingdom and granting his daughters Queenship.
By this point in the play, Lear's entire patriarchal order of the world that he so long was accustomed to has become to him a world of disorder and chaos. Lear expresses his disgust with the reversal of authorative roles and the shattered order of the world during the mock trial scene. He talks about authority, and how it is full of deception and confused roles:
And the creature run from the cur there thou
Mighest behold the great image of authority: a dog's
Obeyed in office
Thou, rascal beadle, hold thy bloody hand;
Why dost thou lash that whore? Strip thine own back,
Thou hotly lusts to use her in that kind
For which thou whipp'st her. The usurer hangs the cozener (4.6.153-159).
Here, Lear criticizes capitalism and the new societal order by describing a world that has been turned upside down, and where images of authority become disconnected from reality. The harsh language in this passage shows how disturbed Lear is by the current order of England, one that is now controlled by a capitalist society as opposed to the stable, feudal hierarchal order that Lear initially represents. When feudal values fall apart, disorder takes over the realm. The theme of disorder and reversed roles in this scene runs parallel to Lear's previous references to gender reversal, particularly because he then returns to his discussion of crying. He states, "We came crying hither: / thou knowst the first time that we smell the air we wawl and cry" (4.6.178-179). Whereas Lear previously referred to tears as "women's weapons," now that he has lost everything and gone mad, he takes on a feminine position by acknowledging that he will end his life in tears. Clearly, the perceived difference between males and females and the gender dynamics that existed prior to the division of Lear's kingdom have been broken down, and the relationships that Lear depended on for his authority have been overturned. Thus, the play ends with King Lear as a conquered man, stripped not only of power, but also of masculinity.
Through the tragic ending of King Lear, Shakespeare shows how the change in politics completely altered relationships and reconstructed concepts of gender; he shows how the decline of feudalism adversely affects power relations and the natural patriarchal order, and changes female roles so that they become threatening to society. Of course, by today's standards, such anxiety over capitalism and feminism is absurd. In fact, I wish the Bard could be around to see just how powerful capitalism can be for America, especially once a woman, like Hillary Clinton, is elected President.
Works Cited
Cox, Catherine, S. "'An Excellent Thing in Woman': Virgo and Viragos in King Lear," Modern Philology: A Journal Devoted to Research in Medieval and Modern Literature. 96:2 (November 1998).
Delany, Paul. "King Lear and the Decline of Feudalism." Publications of the Modern Language Association of America. 92.0030-8129. (1977).
MacDonald, Russ. The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare. Boston: Bedford Books, 1996.
Scott, Joan Wallach. Gender and the Politics of History. New York: Columbia University Press, 1977.
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Get custom essayShakespeare, William. King Lear. Ed. R.A. Foakes. New York: The Arden Shakespeare, an imprint of Thomas Learning, 2000.
Gender roles and relationships in Islamic societies are best understood through historical and religious context. This is because social norms and customs that regulate the behaviours of Muslim men and women are rooted in sacred texts and pivotal events, that date back to the formative period of the faith. As a result, complex cultural systems have been established with multiple layers of meaning that make it difficult for foreign scholars to study gender in Islamic countries.
Get original essayWestern notions of gender can impede a proper understanding of these societies, even more so if this value system is projected upon Islamic traditions. This why Elizabeth Fernea’s, Guests of the Sheik ‘An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village’, has proven to be a critical resource in the study of gender relations within Islam. Her firsthand observation of a small rural village in Iraq provides unique insights into the personal experiences of local women and the socio-religious principles that frame their daily lives. In describing a society that is very different from her own, Fernea assists readers in discovering the inner operations of a highly-gendered space.
Upon arrival, Fernea struggled with cultural norms that regulated her appearance in public, in addition to her encounters with local men and women. For example, Muslim women wore the traditional abaya and Fernea became self-conscious focused on unwanted stares, due to the reason that she initially refused to wear one. As a non-Muslim, she did not feel the need to dress in the same way as other women and stated “This is ridiculous, I told myself. Why should I have to wear that ugly thing - it’s not my custom.” Here, she was projecting her own values on the gendered dress codes of another culture and had yet to learn that specific clothing was essential for Muslim women, when appearing in public. They abided by this social norm because the Qur’an encouraged them to cover themselves and wearing the abaya helped them avoid any labels of being immoral. Additionally, Fernea would also learn about the strict gender roles that shape domestic life, when Mohammed, a servant of the Sheik and the only male she was permitted to interact with, asked her not to tell anyone that he helped wash dishes. This was because “…he would be shamed among men for doing women’s work.” Islamic societies like Iraq for instance, differentiated between men and women’s appearance, behaviour and duties at home and in the public. Therefore, Fernea soon realized that fear of shame, damaging one’s reputation, or violating religious rules, was of paramount importance in her new society.
For non-Muslims, finding meaning in a complex cultural system that dates back in time to ancient and medieval societies, can be difficult. With gender roles recently codified by the emerging Islamic nation states of the twentieth century, it has become especially challenging to understand how Muslim women represent themselves and assert various forms of agency. Yet, having gradually submerged herself within this system, Elizabeth Fernea’s ethnographic study revealed social dynamics of gender, that are often misunderstood by the West. Even though they are profoundly patriarchal and patrilineal societies, women attach significant meaning to the family unit and form strong bonds within them.
Fernea describes the shock of local women when they find out that her mother was still in the United States. They felt sorry for her as, “To be alone without any of one’s womenfolk was clearly the greatest disaster which could befall any girl.” They were also surprised that elders did not live with families, while Fernea herself was impressed at the willingness of local women to marry or not marry, based on the interest of their family. As a result, she could uncover how honor not only shapes gender identity and relationship, but serves as a source of self-worth and belonging. Since the actions of individuals reflect the integrity of the entire family, the Qur’an provides Islamic societies with gendered codes of conduct, that help maintain these certain ethics. Consequently, adherence to these rules is adherence to God, or in other words Allah, which in turn provides meaning to the lives of Muslim women, in what can be described as predominately patriarchal communities.
Furthermore, the modern country of Iraq is also part of the historical schisms and sectism that has come to shape Islamic history, since the time of the prophet Muhammad and his family. Even though she was in a small rural village, the experiences of local women were still interrelated with the Sunni-Shia divide, the heritage of the Caliphates and Sultans, along with the histories of regional tribes and sheiks. Fernea was also able to observe women who had been influenced by the West and the social change occurring in the capital city of Baghdad. In doing so, her ethnography can go beyond stereotypes and prevalent misconceptions about gender in Islamic society. The image of the isolated and alienated stranger is replaced by religious women, moving within the daily rhythms of their faith. Fernea summarized her observations by stating “…I could tell my friends in America again and again that the veiling and seclusion of Eastern women did not mean necessarily that they were forced against their will to live lives of submission and near serfdom.” The West, like Islamic societies, is entrenched into its own culturally relative customs, that can be difficult to understand from an outsider’s perspective.
In her case, Fernea could observe the interplay between gender roles, honor and reputation, that is uncommon in places like the United States and Canada for instance, but essential to Islam. The Qur’an provided the image and character traits of the archetypical Muslim man and woman, which gradually evolved into broader societal demands with strong repercussions. Therefore, the women from El Nahra in Iraq, like most Muslim women, are able to find meaning in these well-established traditions and values within their close-knit family relations. This might be tough to observe from a distance, although an ethnographic study like Guests of the Sheik was able to reveal the purpose of a highly-gendered space and the depth that can be extracted from this cultural construct.
In “Women and Men in Othello: ‘what should such a fool/Do with so good a woman?’,” critic Carol Thomas Neely asserts that nearly all rational thought in Othello comes from women. In Neely’s view, the men of Othello are too consumed by pride, jealousy, and socio-political pressure to think clearly and, as a result, resort to rash behavior and “destroy the women who make fools of them” (142) in order to preserve their sense of honor. While Neely may be correct here, her argument that the women of Othello are entirely sensible is not a strong one. If these women were fully rational, they would be concerned with self-preservation and might not meet such tragic ends. Instead, the females remain passive and allow the hot-headed men to do most of the fighting in the battle of the sexes that is William Shakespeare’s Othello. This paper examines the development and outcomes of that battle.
Get original essayOne example of Othello’s sexual politics has to do with double standards. The men of Othello are exempt from the traits highly valued in women, such as Desdemona’s purity and devotion. While Desdemona’s purity is “blackened” by her undying love for Othello (Adelman 126), Othello’s masculinity and reputation as something of a Casanova earn him respect and admiration. Indeed, Othello’s “conquest” of the woman his men most desire does as much to boost their opinion of him as does his rank of general. Julia Genster writes that the bonds formed in military ranks have a direct correlation to a sexual power structure (785); the soldiers’ desire for Desdemona and power – both Othello’s “possessions” – therefore creates an intriguing sexual dynamic between Othello, his wife and his men.
While genuine “male friendship, like male courage, is, in the play, sadly deteriorated from the Renaissance ideal,” (Neely 144) the ideal of male conquest and colonization runs rampant with regards to the possession and consumption of the most base materials available: women and bragging rights. Neely explains that "since the reputation and manliness which the men covet is achieved in competition with others, all of them are ‘jealous in honor’” (143). For instance, Neely explains, “Iago is critical and envious and resentful—of Cassio’s position and ‘daily beauty,’ of Othello’s love and power, perhaps even of Rodrigo’s wealth and rank” (143). The decisions of Iago and the other men to act on their foul, jealous impulses are considered to be acts of honor. If Othello were to stand by a woman rumored to have been unfaithful, he would be effectively emasculated in the public eye. It is the fear of a loss in credibility or reputation that pushes the jealous men to act irrationally, and it is that cold, political pressure which allows them to continue in their veritable cockfight, even in the face of tragic consequences.
Even though the women of Othello bear the brunt of these tragic consequences, the argument still stands that they are more rational and less competitive than the men. Neely points out that “Desdemona’s willingness to ‘incur a general mock’ is evident in her elopement and her defense of it, and in her request to go to Cyprus” (145), and that “Emilia braves scorn to defend her mistress, ‘Let heaven, and men, and devils, let ‘em all/All, all cry shame against me, yet I’ll speak’ (V.ii.222-23)” (145). Because they do not fear damage to their reputations, the women remain more objective and less hot-headed than the men. Perhaps the most direct symbol of peacekeeping and the sweet-talking ways of women in Othello is the handkerchief. While the men are the active soldiers in the battle of the sexes, women are passive only in that their words are more abundant than actions. As Neely writes, the handkerchief “is a symbol of a woman’s civilizing power” that, because of its origin, “represents sexuality controlled by chastity” and serves “to induce love and control it” (149). Desdemona uses it this way until it is lost and its charmed effects dissipate.
For all their efforts in peacekeeping, the women of Othello never truly resolve the rift between themselves and the men. The most obvious explanation for this is that the men killed them off before any true peace could be found; however, the play’s theme of combat suggests an irreconcilable difference between the sexes brought on by society’s double standard. In Act V, scene ii, just before killing Desdemona, Othello says “yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men” (Shakespeare V. ii.) – an odd statement when one considers that it was Othello who was the adulterer. A critic could argue that Desdemona’s murder was Othello’s guilty conscience manifesting itself in homicide, but it is more likely that the ever-prideful, irrational male felt threatened by the notion that his wife would step into his role as conqueror. His fear seems irrational, but to be fair, Desdemona also seems unrealistic in her belief that Othello’s love for her would override his desperate desire to prove his strength. No sex is entirely culpable for this play’s final tragedy, as the lack of communication between the men and women of Othello is very much two-sided. While the men actively created chaos that led to the violent conclusion, the women remained loyal peacemakers. From a modern perspective the women’s decision seems highly irrational – why wouldn’t they assert themselves to save their own lives? – but within the play’s cultural norms and accepted structure of sexual politics, they were simply fulfilling their accepted gender roles.
Mulan (Ming-Na Wen), was a young girl of Chinese descent, who was uninterested in anything to do with traditional womanly duties or tasks. She was further concerned about the military draft, that demanded each family send a son to serve in the battle against the Huns. The only son in her family was her disabled father, so to protect him from fighting, Mulan disguised herself as a man and enlisted into the army. With her helpful guardians by her side, Mushu (Eddie Murphy) and Cri-Kee (Frank Welker), Mulan sets off on an adventure to defeat the Hun Dynasty. This movie urges the audience to never let limitations stop them, especially limitations regarding social expectations like gender roles and stereotypes.
Get original essayMulan (1998) begins by demonstrating a society revolving around gender roles and stereotypes, which the main character, Mulan rebels against. The first song of Mulan, “Honor to Us All”, depicts women preparing and clothing themselves like dolls to meet The Matchmaker (Miriam Margolyes). In order to bring honor to their families as women in society, they were expected to convert into a wife with, “good taste, calm, obedience…and a tiny waist”. Mulan is told that this doll-like appearance and behavior will win her a husband, which will, therefore, make her family proud. Women should not be expected to portray certain traits, in order to satisfy other people and to make their family proud. They should be accepted for who they are on the inside. The song continues by repeating, ‘We all must serve our Emperor, who guards us from the Huns. A man by bearing arms, a girl by bearing sons”, this explicitly shows the wildly different expectations of men and women. This scene inspires the song “Reflections”, where Mulan contemplates what her community and family is asking of her. Mulan recognizes that she is unable to live up to these expectations of women if she wants to continue being herself. Mulan was not willing to give up her self-identity because her society wanted her to act a certain way. She rebelled against them and showed them that not every woman wants to restrict themselves to solely taking care of a family and doing nothing else.
When Mulan joins the army disguised as a man, she goes against the “rules” her society put in place for gender roles. Mulan took on a new persona, Ping (Ming-Na Wen), while she was in the army. She goes through many failures and accomplishments while in training. The song “Make A Man out of You” reinforces stereotypes as Li Shang (B.D. Wong) sings, “Did they send me daughters / When I asked for sons?”, reinforcing the idea that women belong at home, while men belong in the military. The song then lists off traits that men should exhibit, including, swiftness, tenaciousness, forcefulness, and strength. But, Ping, Mulan’s alias, goes beyond this list adding intelligence, making her one of the best soldiers in the army. Everyone doubted her skills since she had a harder time in training, but their doubts only made her work harder. Proving, that gender is just a stereotype and with hard work, it is easily conquered. Once the army went against Shan-Yu (Miguel Ferrer) and his raiders, they realized that they were extremely outmatched. To save everyone, Mulan used her intelligence to build a rocket that triggered an avalanche, burying their enemies. The price of her victory, however, was revealing her secret which caused a lot of chaos since everyone believed she truly was a man. Mulan single-handedly saved everyone, but as soon as they found out she was a woman her accomplishments were immediately invalidated. However, that didn’t stop her from fulfilling out the promise she made to protect the Emperor (Pat Morita) from the Huns. No matter what anyone had to say about her being a woman, she knew she was still a wise, strong soldier.
Moving on to the last scene, Mulan finds out that the Huns weren’t defeated and were going after the Emperor. Even though she was exiled from the army, Mulan raced to the Emperor’s palace to protect him. However, she was rudely ignored due to her lying about her gender, and the Emperor was captured. Using her wits, Mulan worked hard to convince the other soldiers that gender doesn’t matter and got them to help her. The soldiers then started to respect her as a fellow soldier, regardless of the fact that she was a woman. Once they got the Emperor back, Mulan was acknowledged for her accomplishments as a person, rather than as a woman or man. Even though Mulan was doubted and ignored, she never gave up on her promise. She fought to make other people see that she was worthy, no matter her gender.
A common argument against Mulan is that it doesn’t go far enough to break the boundaries of gender stereotypes. Todd McCarthy, a top critic, emphasized that Mulan, “Goes about halfway toward setting new boundaries for Disney…”. Many might think this, because although Mulan was previously against marriage, in the end, she marries Li Shang, weakening the notion that she’s against traditional feminine roles. However, the complete opposite is true. Li Shang knows and accepts her masculine and feminine sides, believing that having both makes her a stronger woman. To him, genders aren’t locked into one specific stereotype, as their society believes. He loves Mulan for who she is- both her masculine and feminine sides.
Despite living in a society where it was commonly believed that women should be seen not heard, Mulan didn’t allow gender stereotypes to stop her from doing what she wanted and believed in. In conclusion, Mulan is a movie that portrays the value of independence for women, as well as an awareness of gender roles in different communities. Pushing people to become more understanding of women and their different roles.
In the plays Fences by August Wilson and A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, both represent gender roles, in similar ways. Significantly like today’s marriages, the male’s role is to provide for his family and the female’s role is to look after the children and prepare the dinner. Today, times have completely changed with marriage gender roles and generally how women are looked at. It is more common now in days for a women to be independent because not only do women have more rights now, but the roles have switched. In some cases, the husbands are now the ones that cook dinner for the family. However, parents in a marriage end up portraying their gender roles regardless. Not to mention, understanding how both plays share the complexities of their family life. Likewise, Fences and A Doll House are comparable because Torvald and Troy are portrayed as the man of the house, the ones who get the final say; while Nora and Rose are belittled when it comes to making important decisions. So the issue of gender roles in society is discussed in this essay by analyzing two literary texts: Fences and A Doll's House.
Get original essayBoth A Doll’s House and Fences analyze gender roles in society. The wives roles both are confined to the house and labeled unable to work for a wage or support a family. Meanwhile, the men are lacking in relationship with their families, but this is overpowered by their ability to provide and control because the female’s role is portrayed as not having a say in anything. These plays shed a light on the expected roles of mothers and fathers in a child’s life. The fathers have shown by example a position of power to the children. In contrast, Rose disciplines her children yet cares for them deeply while Nora simply “plays” with her children and is unable to care for them because she fears she will corrupt them.
Troy and Torvald both confuse the responsibility they have for their family with actual love. Both characters think that financially supporting their wives constitutes as loving them completely. Playing the role of the man of the house blinds them which ends up backfiring on both Troy and Torvald. Throwing money in the wives face can only do so much because the wives slowly start to build anger and then they start to resent their significant other. Similarly, Troy supports his wife and children in material but does not understand them or treat them well. Also, trying to control everything within his family, but it does not work out that way. Again, the gender roles have slightly switched since because the responsibility of being the man of the house is no longer represented only by the male who shows no emotion. In present times, the male role has to be more emotional and loving towards the wife and kids. Unlike Torvald, he treats Nora as a child, caring for her to certain limits, feeling responsible for her. He also refers to Nora as his “squirrel” and has no relationship with his kids.
Both Nora and Rose have sacrificed a lot for their husbands, which goes unnoticed. Although, Nora and Rose are both different people, they are in similar situations. For example, Rose continues to live under the same roof as Troy after the fact that he cheated on her, but her way of dealing with it is by separating her emotions towards Troy. Whereas Nora, she chooses to isolate herself from her family, which is a bit more extreme but it is the only way to get Torvald’s attention to fully understand what is at hand. Both characters resemble the image of the ‘old school’ house wife because of how they are portrayed; very obedient, they clean, and cook.
In both plays, the children become reflections of their mothers, which in these plays is the parent that is present the most. Nora’s children seem to play all day, just as she does. Cory shows more responsibility because he reflects Rose by being responsible and doing what is expected of him. Rose raises Troy’s child because it is the right thing to do just as Cory does as expected and gets a legitimate job to earn a living. Both stories exemplify that children will reflect the parent that has the most influence on them, usually the mother.
In conclusion, the plays Fences by August Wilson and A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen, both represent gender roles in society. This essay analyzes how Torvald and Troy are portrayed as the man of the house, the ones who get the final say; while Nora and Rose are belittled when it comes to making important decisions. However, parents in a marriage end up portraying their gender roles regardless. Similar like todays marriages, the father is looked as the strong one showing that you have to work hard and the mother is known to be more sympathetic, showing more emotion. The experience that both these plays give is something that can definitely be learned from. It goes without saying, gender roles can cause conflict and more complexities in the family because it should be looked as being a team and not based off on gender roles.