A Summary Of Marilyn Frye's Concept Of Oppression

For most of the world, most of societies have been patriarchal for years. Due to this, women have been oppressed by the rest of society. This has left women, even by other women oppressed and confined to societal expectations. I will be talking about Marilyn Frye’s concept of oppression and provide an example.

Frye’s main concept of oppression is when an individual’s rights and options become limited and is ridiculed by society through punishment and discrimination. Each requirement that a woman in particular must meet must have to follow the same social, sexual, and psychological standard and must provide services to men. She mentions that society wants women to be passive and follow submissively to society and to men in particular. Not only does this degrade and objectivity women but it also puts women in a position of constant pleasing of others which Frye calls this phenomenon “Double bind” this means that no matter what an individual does society is never satisfied and is constantly criticizing the individual.

For example, a woman may often be told to talk more and smile more but a woman who is often friendly and comfortable

For example, when a rich white woman is expected to wear makeup and conform to a typical woman’s expectations, it is not classified as oppression according to Frye because they have more of an upper hand and can change their state of oppression with their money and power in society (Frye, pg 87-88). Women, who are financially deprived and are colored however, have a much difficult time overcoming their oppressions, because not only do they have gender discrimination, but they also have discrimination of race and social status to overcome. For them, it is much more difficult to stand against three types of hate channeled criticism to face than simply just one which is not as pronounced with the amount of privilege and power rich, white women