The Story Behind the Scars “The Other Side of Paradise: A Memoir” is a vivid recollection of Staceyann Chin's traumatic childhood as she discovers her voice and identity growing up in Jamaica beginning in 1972. At the age of four, Staceyann is already experiencing the oppressions related with being a girl. Delano, her older brother by two years, is the only male in the house as both of their fathers are out of the picture. Since they are both raised by their deaf and illiterate grandmother, Delano exercises his masculinity over Staceyann in numerous ways, even at the age of six. Wether it be the games and communication at home or learning in school; Delano is always prioritized over Staceyann. Although they both long for the return of their mother whom abandoned them after Staceyann was born, it is she who is affected in the long run. Bounced around to different families, Staceyann has issues with keeping her mouth shut, thus landing her in tons of trouble all the time. Every adult figure she has to deal with relies on The Bible for punishment reinforcement. “Stacey, the Good Book tell us, In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (pg 7, The Other Side of Paradise).” When every answer is in relation to The Bible, Staceyann is always left lost and confused. If God is responsible for everything, why is she left motherless in poverty? Her journey continues as she excels through grade school and into high school. Along the way she encounters a few relationships with boys, but is never fully able to trust them due to her being sexually assaulted numerous times as a child. As Staceyann meets her mother and visits with her father, she is forced at a young age to fend for herself. In a stru... ... middle of paper ... ...3.html>. Shaw, Susan M., and Janet Lee. Women's voices, feminist visions: classic and contemporary readings. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print. "Staceyann Chin." Facebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. . "Staceyann Chin." The Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. . "Staceyann Chin > Quotes." Staceyann Chin Quotes (Author of The Other Side of Paradise). N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. . "Tim Wise: On White Privilege (Clip)." YouTube. YouTube, 19 Feb. 2008. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. . "Violence against women-it's a men's issue." Jackson Katz:. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. .
Shaw, Susan M., and Janet Lee. Women's Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.
Yuval-Davis. Who's Afraid of Feminism? Ed. Ann Oakley and Juliet Mitchell. New York: The New Press, 1997.
Clark, Charles S. "Feminism's Future." CQ Researcher 28 Feb. 1997: 169-92. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
Shaw, Susan M., and Janet Lee. Women's Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009. Print.
Tjaden, P., Thoennes, N. (2000b). Full report of the prevalence, incidence, and consequences of violence against women: Findings from the Violence Against Women Survey. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.
As you have seen, the feminist movement in America began with women writers, women who took a stance through their writing to make a change. Political upheavals, such as this one allow me to witness women’s resistance and resilience. Yet, it is only through their writings that I come to realize the importance of their contributions in shaping the political landscape, which was a stepping stone towards forming consciousness of women’s equality, and has ultimately inspired revisions to societal norms that connect past, present and future women.
Swisher, Karln L. and Carol Wekesser, eds. Violence Aaainst Women. Current Controversies Ser. San Diego: Greenhaven, 1994.
Kampwirth, Karen. Feminism and the Legacy of Revolution. United States of America: Ohio University, 2004. Print.
... a wide array of varying groups of women. In conjunction with feminist projects, the promotion of women interest being recognized and heard is ongoing. Broader feminist project are insisting that women be heard, even with the possibility of them having to take more refined methods to authority through acts of resistance. Feminist scholars have served as influential advocates in the longing for women’s rights for pay equity throughout the United States and have stressed that women have the right to make choices for themselves, free of male dominance or foreseeing factors. However, there has been increasing awareness that these factors attempting to be rectified are not necessarily issues for all women around the world. Feminist anthropology has attempted to bring to emphasize their concerns and to find ways in which these women can empower themselves to urge change.
Contemporary Women’s Issues (December 1998). Academic Search Premier. EBSCOHost. University at Albany Library, Albany. 11 November 2002.
Freedman, E. B. No turning back: The history of feminism and the future of women. New York: Ballantine, 2002.
"Feminism." Topic Pages. Boston: Credo Reference Contributors, 2013. N. pag. Credo Reference. 21 Nov. 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.
Peterson, Linda H. "What Is Feminist Criticism?" Wuthering Heights. Ed. Linda H. Peterson. Boston: Bedford Books, 1992. 330-337.
Throughout history, women have remained subordinate to men. Subjected to the patriarchal system that favored male perspectives, women struggled against having considerably less freedom, rights, and having the burdens society placed on them that had been so ingrained the culture. This is the standpoint the feminists took, and for almost 160 years they have been challenging the “unjust distribution of power in all human relations” starting with the struggle for equality between men and women, and linking that to “struggles for social, racial, political, environmental, and economic justice”(Besel 530 and 531). Feminism, as a complex movement with many different branches, has and will continue to be incredibly influential in changing lives.
In just a few decades The Women’s Liberation Movement has changed typical gender roles that once were never challenged or questioned. As women, those of us who identified as feminist have rebelled against the status quo and redefined what it means to be a strong and powerful woman. But at...