Analysis Of Every Two Minutes, By Susan Thistlethwaite

2268 Words5 Pages

Thistlethwaite writes on how the Bible may be interpreted by a dominating patriarchal view, where men use the Bible as a source to account for the abuse given to these different women. Yet, she also mentions how there is also a feminist biblical interpretation, interpretations that allow these battered women to see a different side of the Bible, to be interpreted in a way that favors them, that defends them and claims how important they are to God. The main thesis in Susan Thistlethwaite’s essay of Every Two Minutes; Battered Women and Feminist Interpretation is pointing out the problem of husband against wife violence in Christian families based on a misogynistic interpretation of the Bible. She points to this misogynistic interpretation …show more content…

Thistlethwaite begins her essay by mentioning how “women’s experience in Western culture has been shaped by the biblical materials, and the biblical materials were shaped by a patriarchal culture” (p. 97). Thus, the interpretation of the Bible was favored in a way that allowed men to not only justify their actions, but also shape the view of society, specifically women. Thus, through this quote, Thistlethwaite is demonstrating how influential different INTERPRETATIONS of the Bible are. She is also demonstrating that the way these biblical TEXTS were interpreted were dominant enough to change the view of these battered women and make them begin to believe that these violent action performed by Christian men was acceptable (p 99). She is wanting to show that there is this specific way to interpret the Bible, but that only favors the action of these Christian men who batter their wives. She continues to write how “I …show more content…

(p.102) ’” and that “women can begin to examine and reinterpret these texts, imagining new relationships between the texts and their experience ”( p 102). Thus, they may no longer tolerate the abusiveness of these Christian men and begin to shape their lives in a new direction. Thistlethwaite provides evidence for this claim by citing Luke 9:1-5, a Bible verse which may be directly referring to their new personal life circumstance as it mentions that “ and wherever they do not receive you, when you leave [there] shake of the dust from your feet as a testimony against them” (p 102), ultimately encouraging these Christian battered women to leave their abusive relationship. Thistlethwaite is not only asking them to view this new perspective, but also she may be asking them to change their situation for the

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Mary Oliver's Of Power And Time

    996 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Mary Oliver’s “Of Power and Time,” she shows us a more efficient way of becoming a creative and extraordinary worker. In her work, she shares many examples and ideas to help display her message that creative work should be done by dedicating large amounts of time, and giving it all your effort to make it truly extraordinary. Oliver demonstrates the main idea of that creative work requires more attention as it does not make the world go around, but forwards. Oliver uses curious word choice, asserting ideas, illustration of examples, and strong points, to give her audience of creative workers seeking for improvement a better understanding of how creative and extraordinary work can be done.

    Read More

  • Comparing The Wife of Bath and The Canterbury Tales

    1115 Words  | 3 Pages

    Looking back through many historical time periods, people are able to observe the fact that women were generally discriminated against and oppressed in almost any society. However, these periods also came with women that defied the stereotype of their sex. They spoke out against this discrimination with a great amount of intelligence and strength with almost no fear of the harsh consequences that could be laid out by the men of their time. During the Medieval era, religion played a major role in the shaping of this pessimistic viewpoint about women. The common belief of the patriarchal-based society was that women were direct descendants of Eve from The Bible; therefore, they were responsible for the fall of mankind. All of Eve’s characteristics from the biblical story were believed to be the same traits of medieval women. Of course, this did not come without argument. Two medieval women worked to defy the female stereotype, the first being the fictional character called The Wife of Bath from Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. The second woman, named Margery Kempe, was a real human being with the first English autobiography written about her called The Book of Margery Kempe. In these two texts, The Wife of Bath and Margery Kempe choose to act uniquely compared to other Christians in the medieval time period because of the way religion is interpreted by them. As a result, the women view themselves as having power and qualities that normal women of their society did not.

    Read More

  • Female Oppression in the Jewish Community

    1448 Words  | 3 Pages

    Women's oppression in the Jewish society works strongly in the system of marriage, but, ironically, the oppression is acquiesced in by women themselves. For example, the father's kind look is enough to make the mother happy: "His kind look was like the sun shining on her" (11). Therefore, even though she keeps complaining about his not taking care of his family, Sara's mother can even say to the father, "I'm only a sinful woman . . . I'm willing to give up all my earthly needs for the wine of Heaven with you" (12).

    Read More

  • The Critique Of Pauli Murray's 'Feminine Mystique'

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    Susan Brownmiller’s excerpt Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape written in 1975 explores rape. It argues that from the beginning of time men had an advantage over women because their genitalia can serve as a weapon, which, in turn, generates constant fear. “Rape provides a sufficient threat to keep all women in a constant state of intimidation, forever conscious of the knowledge that the biological tool must be held in awe for it may turn to weapon with sudden swiftness borne of harmful intent”(Brownmiller, 312). Females are subjected to the harsh reality of rape at a young age through fairytales such as Little Red Riding Hood. Stories like these emphasize how weak women are and how heroic, brave and strong men are. Susan Brownmiller believes that the way to destroy the idea that “you can’t thread a moving needle,” and “no women can be raped against her will” by spreading awareness about rape and how it is a moral wrongdoing and punishable under the

    Read More

  • Analysis on the novel "The Hours"

    1197 Words  | 3 Pages

    1) “The Hours”, based on the novel written by Michael Cunningham, is more than a biographical movie about Virginia Woolf. How can you discribe the importance and co- relation between the three female main characters: Virginia, Laura Brown and Clarissa Vaughan?

    Read More

  • Edna Pontellier and Elizabeth Bennet: Challenge of 19th Century Conventional Methods

    1359 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Bible which is seen as one of the most sacred text to man has contained in it not only the Ten Commandments, but wedding vows. In those vows couples promise to love, cherish, and honor each other until death does them apart. The irony of women accepting these vows in the nineteenth century is that women are viewed as property and often marry to secure a strong economic future for themselves and their family; love is never taken into consideration or questioned when a viable suitor presents himself to a women. Often times these women do not cherish their husband, and in the case of Edna Pontiellier while seeking freedom from inherited societal expectations and patriarchal control; even honor them. Women are expected to be caretakers of the home, which often time is where they remain confined. They are the quintessential mother and wife and are expected not to challenge that which...

    Read More

  • A 19th Century Woman’s Life

    1735 Words  | 4 Pages

    Women in the early 19th century were considered their husbands’ property, and therefore domestic violence against wives was not uncommon during this time period. Women were taught that their place was in the home, and they were expected to be obedient wives and to never hold a thought or opinion that differed from that of their husband’s. In Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie demonstrates to the reader early on in the book her naturally outspoken personality and youthful independence. At sixteen years old, just as she is beginning to become curious about love and the opposite sex, the beautiful young Janie is thrust into marriage and she is faced with having to hide who she is as a person in order to conform to the expectations of a wife during that time. Janie’s profound outspokenness, her beauty, and her subliminal unwillingness to be controlled causes her difficulty as she faces domestic violence, first during her marriage to Joe Starks and again during her marriage to Tea Cake. However, Janie’s physical reaction towards the two different men abusing her is generally the same in each marriage, she remained quiet and cried. However, her mental reactions and feelings toward the abuse changes greatly.

    Read More

  • Child Removal Policy

    1604 Words  | 4 Pages

    Domestic violence has no boundaries. It does not distinguish between those who are rich or those that are poor. It does not discriminate based on one’s race, sexual orientation or religion. It crosses all age and gender barriers. It can happen to anyone, at any time, but the consequences can be far reaching. Like a stone skipped off the waters, domestic violence causes ripples that touch the lives of many. Not only are victims’ lives and the lives of their families, frie...

    Read More

  • Domestic Violence in Victorian England

    733 Words  | 2 Pages

    The article “Spousal Abuse” discusses that Victorian perception of religion, domestic principles, and laws allows men to justify “wife-beating.” Domestic violence during Victorian times is mainly attributed to the idea that the man is the ruler in all worlds. The man’s responsibility of being a protector is the main idea in contributing to domestic violence.

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Mrs. Mullard's The Story Of An Hour

    1100 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the short story “the story of an hour’ Mrs. Mullard died of shock. She was so happy her husband died that when she found out he survived she went in shock. Sometimes losing someone isn’t always sad, she might have felt so trapped that she felt free hearing he was gone. You can tell by the way she expresses herself about the situation, the theme of the story is that sometimes the pain and happiness isn’t always the same. She died of shock, knowing that she would have to live with him for the rest of their lives.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Laura Brown's 'The Hours'

    1096 Words  | 3 Pages

    Despite contemplating about taking pills to kill herself, which conveys a desire of minimal aggression to herself, since this method of suicide doesn’t imply any pain or sufferings, Laura couldn’t follow through with her plan. In turn, she chooses to “kill her family,” instead of herself by leaving them once her second child was born and denying their very existence, in what can be understood to be one of the primitive conflicts of the depressive suicidal: the wish to die, to kill, or be killed. “It was death, I chose life” (The Hours). With Laura’s decision to abandon her family, morality comes into play. Does Laura Brown’s morality derive from sentiment (contending David Hume’s argument) or does it derive from reason? “Utility is only a tendency to a certain end; and were the end totally indifferent to us, we should feel the same indifference towards the means. It is requisite a sentiment should here display itself, in order to give preference to the useful above the pernicious tendencies. This sentiment can be no other than a feeling for the happiness of mankind, and a resentment of their misery; since these are the different ends which virtue and vice have a tendency to promote. Here therefore reason

    Read More

  • Battered Woman Syndrome: Self-Defense Plea

    1491 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dowd states in his article, “The Battered Woman Defense” It’s History and Future, that essential to the existence of domestic violence is the denial of the equality of women in cultures that perceived this denial as both acceptable and lawful.”(1) In Roman times a husband was permitted to use reasonable physical force, including blackening her eyes or breaking her nose, in disciplining his wife. (Dowd) Today, many men still continue to use this type of physical force to control their woman even though equality should exist between the two. Many women are in abusive situations and at times feel they are trapped in their own body. A man raping his wife has only been considered illegal for roughly the last fifteen years and that’s only in a few states. Other states require evidence or other types of pro...

    Read More

  • Women in the Canterbury Tales

    2217 Words  | 5 Pages

    Throughout the ages, the story of the original sin is used to explain the struggles of women and why they are inferior to man. Eve “took of [the forbidden tree’s] fruit and ate” (Genesis 3:6), and as punishment, God made it so “[her husband] shall rule over her” (3:16). As an important text during the lifetime of the characters who tell the collection of stories that compose the Canterbury Tales, most of the pilgrims were familiar with this scripture and believed that the Bible’s word was law. For that reason, the popular belief of the time was that women were inferior to their male counterparts. However, a couple of characters in the tales challenge this viewpoint and show that women were also capable of making their own choices. As the pilgrims struggle with the issue of where women belong, their view of Eve in the story of original sin is altered as well. From mild indifference to intimate involvement, each pilgrim has a different attachment to the story of the Eve, and their views on women in society are reflected in their connection to the story.

    Read More

  • Emotional Abusive Relationships In James Joyce's Eveline

    734 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Statistics, “86% reported emotional and psychological abuse, 49% reported physical violence, and 35 % reported financial abuse.” So why does a person stay in an abusive relationship? A question so natural to ask, yet difficult to comprehend. Abuse does not see race, gender, or stature; yet, it happens every day especially in a close - knit relationship. Sometimes abuse can be so subtle that it slowly chips away a person’s identity and the person does not even realize that they are in an abusive relationship. In James Joyce’s, “Eveline” Eveline exhibits the classical signs of a victim to abuse. She lacks self-confidence due to her father’s verbal, emotional, and financial abuse.

    Read More

  • DV Reaction Paper

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nearly one in every four woman are beaten or raped by a partner in adulthood. That was one of the statistic that our speaker from the Clackamas Women’s Services said on Wednesday. This was one of the things that she said that stood out to me. So, in this essay I will be telling you what I learned from her. First I will give you two definitions of domestic violence and explain about the type of abuse, second I will tell you about a myth that people believe in and explain why the victim might stay with the abuser, and finally I will tell you one of the thing I like the best in her lecture and how to recognize an abuser.

    Read More

More about Analysis Of Every Two Minutes, By Susan Thistlethwaite

Open Document