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Gender roles in Literature
Gender roles in Literature
Gender's role in literature
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Nick Sorantino Mrs.Micale Fairy Tale Research Paper January 17th, 2014 Sleeping Beauty Sleeping Beauty is a literary folk tale written by Italian poet Giambattista Basile. In Italy during the seventeenth century, a husband, regardless of his status in life, was expected to be the superior head of the household and show appreciation to his wife and child. A wife was expected to adhere to her husband, and the children were expected to be respectful and heed to their parents. Women were also wonted to be culpable for the family’s health and make home remedies for a wide variety of ailments. Defined, weakness is the likelihood of mutual gratification, and gullibility, the art of being over-trusting, are noted traits of women of medieval literature. Masculine presences are bourgeois and universal throughout literature, through the thought that they are essential to the female figure, despite women who stride against this belief. Male dominance has maintained its position throughout history, as portrayed in the original and modern form of Sleeping Beauty. In the original Sleeping Beauty there once lived a great lord who birthed a child by the name of Talia. Due to Talia’s horoscope, a splinter of flax was significantly dangerous to her wellbeing. Thus, her farther forbid her from coming in contact with a flax, hemp, or any related fabric (Basile 1). One day Talia saw a woman spinning flax and she became curious. Talia took the distaff from the woman, and unintentionally ran a splinter of flax under her nail, causing her to instantly fall dead. Upon mourning, her father laid her corpse in his country mansion, and abandoned it, vowing to never return to the treacherous sight of his beloved daughter, deceased (Basile 2). One day, a renow... ... middle of paper ... ...(Yarrowplace 2). According to many feminists, their theory is said to focus on a expansive picture for women who live in a society which is prominently prevailed by men. Rape and sexual assault is viewed as one of the ways men in which achieve dominance over other men, women, and children, through potent actions. This evidently dismisses the concept that rape results from sexual attraction or the behavior and or fashion of the victim/survivor (Yarrowplace 2). When looking at human society, it is noted that men possess the most high ranking positions in political, social, religious, economic and military organizations globally. The dominance of men sequentially contributes to more fatherly societies in which the men develop the decrees and laws. The laws and decrees are indeed structured in methods that justify the status quo and thus the prevalent positions of men.
Many of the attitudes, beliefs, and mistaken ideas about rape have been with us for centuries. By looking at myths, such as “women ask for it,” and “it would do some women good to get raped,” from a historical perspective, lead us for better understanding how they evolved. Women are still seen as the property of men, are protected as such. Men and women are still taught to occupy very different roles in today’s world. Men are usually more aggressive, and women are seen as passive. (Vogelman) This socialization process is changing, but slowly.
The Feminist theory is based around gender inequalities and the concept of an imbalance of power between men and women and within men themselves. This theory argues that male sexual offenders are like normal men, however they have been conditioned within society and culture that when their masculinity is questioned, this creates a reaction where males sexually assault females to boost their male status within society. The feminist theory highlights how women’s experiences are often based around the struggle of male domination or patriarchy (Moore, 2008, p. 5) in relation to sexual offences. This article links closely with the Feminist Theory as
The biological differences that set apart the male and female gender throughout any culture remain eminent. Men are perceived as the stronger and dominant gender; women play the role of the weaker. In each culture the expectation of the manner in which men and women behave are influenced by the ideals and customs of that culture. In most predominant cultures, the man undertakes the role as a leader, and the woman devotes her life to the husband. Throughout history, traditions and literature provide a template to the identities of various cultures. Sleeping Beauty’s classic tale of a beautiful princess takes a central precept that previous patriarchal archetypes dominated during the 17th Century. The archetypal perceptions of women resulted from conscious and unconscious literature influenced by male-dominated perspectives and social standards.
Firstly, Rape culture can be defined as the normalization and excusing of sexual violent behavior towards women in everyday media and culture (marshall.edu). Rape culture can also be the over sexualization of women’s bodies and misogynistic attitudes. These images and attitudes may not seem like they are obvious or even present but they are subtly weaved into many of the symbols and daily interactions in society. This is what causes rape and rape culture to be normalized. For example, if a young woman is sexually assaulted in a club, instead of asking details about the person who committed the act, the questions are reversed onto the victim. There are questions that arise such as, “what was she wearing?”, “was she drunk?”, “was she flirting with him/her at first?”. These questions are problematic because they suggest that the victim is the one is at fault for being sexaually assaulted. This idea is pushed by the symbolic interaction that if someone is trying to get lucky the other individual has to follow through, especially in party settings. I often see this especially in music and movies where stalking and harassing a person to the point of being uncomfortable is chalked up as a heated “romantic” pursuit.. For another example, women’s bodies (and often men’s too) are oversexualized. The is especially in the advertising industry and again in the media.
Often times, a college board and society will lay blame on victims of sexual assault, inherently accepting male sexual violence as innate and natural. This is otherwise known as rape culture. Rape Culture is more broadly defined as a complex set of beliefs that reassure and naturalize male acts of sexual aggression, and consequently supporting violence against women. Sexual violence against women, even men, can be attributed to varying factors. However, the traditional response is to claim that men are biologically inclined to have oppressing sexual desires. To implicate men and their masculinity as dominant and sexually aggressive, is to withhold rape culture. The theory of sociobiology is applicable here, as it is the belief that “both reproductive and social behaviors are powerfully influenced by biological forces” (Kilmartin 57). As understood from the theory sex-linked social behaviors, such as male dominance and sexual assault, has a biological survival value for the individual as a method of a reproductive strategy. Rape, therefore, is a socially deviant behavior that is seen as an extreme strategy for reproduction. The sociobiology theory’s belief that all males are biologically programmed to exert sexual dominance, fails to recognize that less than “8% of men in college commit more than 90% of sexual assaults” (The Hunting Ground).
Whether we realize it or not, whether we acknowledge it or not, there is a lack of respect for women in the world. This lack of respect leads to rape and sexual assault and the perpetuation of rape culture in our society. “Rape culture is a term that was coined by feminists in the United States in the 1970’s. It was designed to show the ways in which society blamed victims of sexual assault and normalized male sexual violence.” (WAVAW). “Emilie Buchwald, author of Transforming a Rape Culture, describes that when society normalizes sexualized violence, it accepts and creates rape culture. In her book she defines rape culture as, ‘a complex set of beliefs that encourage male sexual aggression and supports violence against women. It is a society
Caroline Kitchens, a writer aggressively against the idea of rape culture, has worked hard to bash the ideas of young men and women that are trying to fight the rape culture idea. Kitchens has written for U.S. News and Time Magazine, talking specifically about how feminists have poisoned the minds of young people, creating the “false idea” that is the anti-rape culture movement. People that don’t believe that rape culture is real usually have similar ideas on feminism and equality, and chop it all up to a poisonous mindset brought on by media. The people arguing rape culture often try to bring up the idea that women ““cry” rape” and that they classify any type of consensual rough sex acts to be sexual assault. While many news reports and statistics are far fetched (as many are today with so much fake news) it is unrealistic to believe thousands of men and women would make something up so big in
Although Walt Disney’s, “Sleeping Beauty” is considered by many to depict a sexist portrayal of its female characters, the fairy tale it was based off of, Giambattista Basile’s, “The Sun, Moon, and Talia” delved much deeper into misogynistic representations of women. Disney’s modification and development of the story, although still lacking in portraying an accurate image of femininity, gives us a more appropriate and considerate perspective than the original.
With the social construct of gender lending to most of the problems, the roles that are forced onto women in society can easily be said to cause the lack of equilibrium in power. Language, interpersonal behavior, and mass media all contribute to male dominance in their own ways be it with portrayal of genders, that men are expected to control most conversations, and how language in itself ignores, trivializes, and sexualizes women (p. 223). For example, the words with which refer to men imply power and success where with women it implies promiscuity and subordination (p. 223). Just these few things explain how gender inequality has persisted even in our forward-thinking
Men can be raped by women, just as much as the opposite is true and this fact is ignored. Women are statistically less likely to be imprisoned for rape charges, and if charged, will go for fewer years than a man for the same case charges. The feminist movement has brought about a new, well-known saying, “No means No.” No matter the situation or circumstance, if someone says no, the consent has been withdrawn and the activity needs to stop. Rather than searching for physical evidence of rape, the community should concentrate on a person’s lack of consent to constitute whether an act is rape, “By constructing rape as any violation of any person’s nonconsent, feminist discourse broadened the meaning of rape to include a wider variety of situations (e.g., marital relationships) and to encompass acts that did not contain overt physical violence” (Chasteen 101). Rape culture covers all genders and sexualities, and the feminist antirape movement wants to heighten sexual
Throughout the years there have been many different stories of Sleeping Beauty, but none have ever been as great as these two tales. The two stories are Briar Rose one by Jane Yolen, and one edited by Maria Grimm. Through comparing and contrasting these two tales, the reader finds that both stories had the princess fall asleep differently, the princess’ worldly positions differed in riches and poor, and how long they slept and who woke them up were almost the exact same.
Holmes and Holmes (2009) explain that one such myth is that rapes occur because of an uncontrollable sex drive, when in fact many rapists are in relationships where sex is readily available. Further, rape is a crime of violence and dominance/control (Cuklanz, 1998). Holmes and Holmes (2009) also explain that there are four types of rapists, including: (1) the power reassurance rapist who uses rape to increase his ego; (2) the anger retaliation rapist who uses rape for the sole purpose of making an individual suffer; (3) the power assertive rapist where rape is used to control a person; and (4) the sadistic rapist, the most dangerous, who wants to cause psychological and physical harm to an individual. Other myths about rape include: that women are able to resist rape; that all women want to be raped; women are passive and men are dominant; strangers commit most rapes; and that the number of women who falsely claim they have been raped is much larger than it really is. These are myths because in reality the victim is not at fault for the crime; women do not want to be raped; most rapes are committed by an individual who knows the victim; and only 5% of rapes are falsely reported (Holmes & Holmes,
The feminist theory sees marital rape as social control of women by men through the patriarchal family (#1). This is also seen through patriarchal terrorism which “refers to the methodic use of violence by men in an endless effort to control women,” and the idea that a marriage license is in a sense a “‘license to rape’” because men can dominate their wives without a fear of repercussions (#1). Social constructionism proclaims that marital rape is the result of men trying to keep their power in society, themselves, and what they claim to be their property (#1). This idea claims marital rape to be “shaped by the interest of people with power in society,” (#1). Sex role socialization theorists believe marital rape and the minimization of the effects of martial rape are caused by the gender roles that are taught to children at a young age (#1). Growing up “men are taught to be dominant, powerful, and sexually aggressive” but women “are taught to be passive [and] submissive,” (#1). Women are also taught to be sexual gate keepers, with “the notion that once a woman has consented to” sex she cannot go back, and to be a good wife, which includes performing the “wife’s duty to sexually please her husband,” (#1). It’s hard to say which theory correctly explains why marital rape was accepted for so long, any of the three can be correct or a combination of the three could be
It’s imperative for both men and women in America to become self-aware of how they perpetuate a culture that justifies sexual violence against women. According to feminist and television editor, Anna Holtzman, “we have to transform our everyday culture. We have to raise our awareness of the 'little things' that add up to rape culture… things like the casual use of gendered slurs (like bitch and slut) in everyday speech and media… things like the notion that romance is boys chasing girls” (Ask a Raging Feminist: How do we end rape culture?) in order to dismantle rape culture in our society. Additionally, another way to end rape culture is to believe survivors of sexual violence because “It'll make rapists less likely to rape. It'll make communities do more to prevent and address sexual violence. It'll reduce instances of the media normalizing gender-based violence” (Ask a Raging Feminist: How do we end rape
Patriarchy is a system of society wherein the political, cultural, and social aspect of society is dominated and influenced by men. This does not state that all men have power and all women do not, Patriarchy simply means that majority of the leaders that has shaped the society have been men and that they are inclined to mould the community into being beneficial for themselves and not for others. For example, the women in the Philippines were given the right of suffrage only 30 years after the men have been allowed to vote, and this was only due to 447,725 of these women who voted for it during a special plebiscite (Jr., 2015). Although the patriarchal system of society had been beneficial in the past years, society should give global equal