Debra Busman Like A Woman

896 Words2 Pages

Debra Busman’s short story, Like a Woman, addresses the issue of gender inequality. Through the narrator’s demeaning jobs and attitude towards men, Busman argues that continuous disrespect and harassment from men creates permanent damage in the lives of women.
The narrator’s past experience with men has caused her to willingly become a prostitute. Rather than “waking up to find some big hairy thing climbing on or off me,”(90) the narrator decides to put matters in her own hands and claims that “at least now I’m calling the shots and making some money.” (90) At fifteen years old, the narrator has already been so violated by men that she sees the only way to take control of her situation and life is to sell her body. Busman use of a strong and …show more content…

As a donut shop waitress, she has to cater to policemen and rather than feel protected she listens to them brag about the men they beat and women they rape. The police talk right in front of her, not caring if she hears them. Despite spitting in their coffee and her visions of shooting them, the narrator is afraid and trembles in their presence. Busman shows that no matter their job or prestige, men lack respect towards women.
Although Busman gives us a character with no name and relatively no background, it is easy to feel bad for her.The narrator does not have a single positive relationship with a man. The men in her life have been rapist, clients, drug dealers, policemen, and her boss. While each has created some form of damage in her life, of the five, she is only really afraid of the police.The narrator accepts her position in society, noting that it’s best to “just stay invisible and try and keep from showing my fear.”
Busman presents a character, who craves independence, but has to appeal to men in order to survive. She tries to maintain control by selling drugs and her body, but ends up working under a boss and catering to the needs of others. Her interactions with men have devalued her body and self esteem. At only fifteen years old, the narrator has realized the harsh realities of being a poor woman and accepts her …show more content…

DeSoto presents a dilemma of whether or not is is appropriate to interfere when someone is being a victim of racism and with the use of character guilt and passiveness, DeSoto firmly reinstates the importance of speaking up.
On a city bus a drunk man is given complete authority to harass an Asian passenger. Esther, the passenger's seat neighbor, is at first not bothered by the racial remarks. She tries to justify her passiveness by telling herself that “she was Japanese, not Chinese, and therefore in the present case immune,” but it is not enough and eventually she does feel guilt. DeSoto use of the scene highlights the reluctance we have to speak up and the justification we use to defend our cowardness.
To avoid confrontation, Esther tries to cheer up the Chinese women by smiling at her, however the attempt is meaningless. “The women, in turn looking at her, presented a face so impassive yet cold...that Esther’s overture fell quite flat.” (134) The Chinese women is not looking for comfort, but for someone to stop the verbal abuse. DeSoto gives us a character who knows the situation is wrong, but because of fear does not want to take a risk. Esther choses to privately show her support for the Chinese women, but it is neither effective nor

Open Document