The poem “Her Head,” by Joan Murray, gives off a strong sense of what some women go through to make situations better. In the poem, a woman battles a harsh South African environment to make sure clean water is accessible for her village. The woman is a real trooper, as she carries buckets on buckets on buckets of water, on her head, for the village. Throughout the poem, Murray makes sure the reader knows that it is a woman tackling this challenging job. One could almost make the argument that the author has very feminist views, or has had experiences of males showing dominance over her. Through Murray’s imagery and symbolism, she wants the reader to think of women as strong, independent, and able to do great things if given the opportunity. …show more content…
If not for her, the village would have no clean water. With strength and determination, the woman battles harsh climates to get the job done. The poem reads, “The sun does not dissuade her, / not the dried earth that blows against her, / as she carries the water on her head”(Lines 22-24). As the reader can see, a hot sun beating down and dust blowing all around would be a pretty strenuous job. Not to mention, she is carrying a bucket full of water on her head. The bucket is probably very heavy and would tire anyone out if they had to do it all day. In the midst of this, the author makes it clear that this woman can handle it. Murray later goes on to write, “This woman, who girds her neck / with safety pins, this one / who carries water on her head, / trusts her own head to bring to her people / what they need now”(29-33). This proves that the woman wants this job because she knows that she can do it. In society, women get denied jobs because they are believed to not have the ability to complete the job. The author wants her readers to know that women can do anything if they believe they can do …show more content…
The major symbol that Murray uses is the bucket of water. In the third and seventh line of every stanza, Murray says something along the lines of, “a woman carries water on her head”(3). This symbolizes that this woman has the strength to carry out this task. She is the one that is sacrificing for her village. While Murray uses objects to symbolize what women can handle, she also uses italics in a few of the words to show that the specific word really means something. For example, Murray writes, “This woman is carrying water on her head”(28). The word woman in this sentence could actually symbolize women in general. It is the women that make the sacrifices for the world to go around. It is the women that bring people into this world so that the human race can continue to grow. This poem is all about women, and how they are the greatest contributors to society. The author makes sure the reader knows that women are the ones who sacrifice themselves every single
In June Jordan's essay “Many Rivers to Cross,” Jordan explains how multiple events in her life, including her mother’s death, led her to realize that women should “stand up” and not allow men to control them. The title of the essay is very indicative of the process that she had to go through before she came to this epiphany. Jordan’s husband is a man who is a part of the patriarchy that disrespects women. Her father is another example of a man who doesn’t know better than to oppress women, while Mrs. Hazel Griffin is the antithesis to his misogynistic ideology. Mrs. Griffin is a strong, independent women who doesn't need a man to be happy or successful. Jordan believes that women should be strong, like Hazel Griffin, and not give up when they are being persecuted, rather than being weak and submitting to oppression, like Jordan’s mother.
Women are equated with water and the greatness that it possesses. In both poems Hughes displays African-American’s view of women and how they the key to maintaining a family. R. Baxter Miller states “her symbolic yet invisible presence pervades the fertility of the earth, the waters and the rebirth of the morning.” (35) Women are like rivers, they continue to flow, even when they cannot be seen. In Mother to Son the speaker reminisces on what his mother told him, which shows how powerful a woman really is. Water is also a very powerful source and contributes to everything. Just like water women contribute to life and the upbringing of children. The Negro Speaks of Rivers states “My soul has grown deep like the rivers” ( Norton Line 4, 2027.) In that one line Hughes demonstrates the likeness between women and water. Females contribute to the strengthening of one’s soul. Water is used as simile to compare the depth of the water, to the human soul.
Facing sexism and mistreatment at the hands of oppressive men is one of the biggest challenges a woman can face in contemporary and traditional societies. All challenges animate life, and we are given purpose when we deem it necessary to overcome said trials. Post-completion, life’s tests let us emerge with maturity and tenacity that we could not find elsewhere. Janie and Hester were dealt unfair hands in life, yet instead of folding and taking the easy way out, they played the game. They played, lost, and played again, and through this incessant perseverance grew exponentially as human beings.
The poem is about the early stages in the narrator’s pregnancy. The doctor gives her news that the baby may be unhealthy. In a state of panic, we see the narrator turning to the methods of her homeland and native people to carry her through this tough time, and ensure her child’s safe delivery into the world. Da’ writes, “In the hospital, I ask for books./Posters from old rodeos. /A photo of a Mimbres pot /from southern New Mexico /black and white line figures—/a woman dusting corn pollen over a baby’s head/during a naming ceremony. /Medieval women/ingested apples/with the skins incised with hymns and verses/as a portent against death in childbirth” (Da’). We not only see her turning to these old rituals of her cultural, but wanting the items of her cultural to surround her and protect her. It proves her point of how sacred a land and cultural is, and how even though she has been exiled from it, she will continue to count it as a part of her
Throughout history women have learned to find a voice against men through writing. Writing has been a medium where women have learned to speak their minds and allow their ideas to be broadcasted to the world. Women have used writing to discuss issues, such as discrimination, inequality, sexual frustrations, and many more that they have dealt with. In the poem, “A Loyal Woman’s No”, written by Lucy Larcom. She gives power to women to say no to men. Her poem discusses the issues that many women face. They face issues of men taking advantage of them, men objectifying them and using them. However, Larcom’s poem shows a clear progress of women standing up against men, and being firm in saying no to them. Larcom has given women the ability to stand up to man and show the true power that women have over men. Many women fear standing up to men due to the repercussions of their actions, however, Lucy Larcom uses the symbolism of nature and her rhetoric to show a woman’s true power against men and say no and to free themselves of the rigid grasp that so many men have over women.
As women, there has always been an issue with equality between themselves and men. Even though there has been a significant amount of progress in the United States throughout the years, there are women that still suffer with equal rights around the world. In A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, and “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway, there are many aspects throughout them that relate to each other in numerous ways. The main theme between them is the way woman are treated and how they appear to be less equal of the men in their lives. Even though men are presumed to be the more dominate gender, women should be just as equal socially, financially, and academically, and not feel pressured by men. For the women and girl in A Doll’s House, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, and “Hills Like White Elephants”, they suffer with the idea of feeling compelled to do what the men say and follow his direction of how their life should be.
perspective on the concept, arguing that gender is a cultural performance. Her careful reading of
The author was able to convey this message by writing about how men treated and saw women “… laugh at women’s hats” , and how women are beginning to get their rights and working so that they will soon be seen as equals to men in both the private and public sphere. The author also wrote about how some women are oblivious to these changing and go about their daily life without any respect and that the hope is that the daughter does not become one of them “ … although there are plenty of women who haven’t heard the news yet. I hope you, my daughter, will be more enlightened” . The author goes on to say how the dream is that one day both sexes will be equal, and that men and women will be able to do whatever work they desire regardless of the stereotype of certain work forces, “ it’s a serious fact that he belongs at a sink just as much as a women. Men have proven over and over again that they make wonderful cooks” . This tells the daughter to see people not just as their sex, but as their skills and if women were to become equals to men, then that not only means that women being able to do what men do but men being able to do what women do without
Over time, a women’s identity has been seen as powerless and incompetent to achieve anything. This image of women is being created at a young age at young age. For instance, little
There is a long history of gender roles in society. The expectations of gender roles continually shift; however, there is not a time when women and men share the same equalities simultaneously. The idea of how men and women should act is instilled in us at a young age. I think it starts really young with girls and boys being told what they can be and when they see what they are expected to be, they abandon parts of them which society deems as undesirable. We don’t acknowledge how much pressure we put on men and women to conform to the ideas of gender roles but it is apparent in our media and in the history of our art. One of the most influential things about figurative art is that it has the ability to capture society’s concepts of how men and women are expected to be during that time period. One thing for certain about gender equality is that it has historically and predominantly been a women’s movement. This sculpture, entitled Portrait Bust of a Woman with a Scroll, stood out to me in particular. It is is made of pentelic marble and dates back to the early 5th century. The sculpture shows a woman with a restless face, clothed in a mantle and head piece while holding a scroll. This sculpture reflects the women’s intelligence and capabilities being overshadowed by her gender and
... convey the ways and outcomes of patriarchal oppression. In the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” the result was insanity, in the novel The Awakening death was the result and in “The Story of an Hour” the result was also death. These are not the only results of a sudden realization that men should not have all the power. Women have resisted patriarchal power and earned their power against oppression throughout the years that followed the 19th century.
The title of the poem is very significant. The title penetratingly outlines how precious they view the water to be. He does this by titling the poem ''Blessing''. Water is something which most people take for granted, so by making this the title he emphasizes the value they place upon the water. The poet highlights how much value they place upon the water in the fourth stanza when the pipe bursts by using word choice. ''As their blessings sing'' is the quote from the poem and the effect of this is that it gives you a sense of harmony. The words sum up a peaceful ending for the last two stanzas where the mood of the poem changes from desperation to the contrast of greatfulness. The poet has chosen the phrase ''blessings sing'' as when put together it has conitations of bountful amounts of happiness which accuratly shows their joy and relief they would of felt in that moment of time. I think the poet has used this quote to symbolise the end of a struggle which turned into a celebration and the word ''sing'' to create the passion for the villagers in that moment.
Since the beginning of time, women have strived to achieve an equal status in society. The vast majority of women have rebelled against the norm for equal status. As if washing the dirt off one’s hands, women are forgotten for all of their achievements. The identity of women in the Western world has evolved from domesticity and servility, and moved toward their valuation as individuals of intellect, talent, and independence. The culture about women’s empowerment has been reflected in literature and history throughout many ages.
Over an extensive period of time, the issue concerning gender has “consistently occupy the media and the public mind.” (Correll 20). It has established beliefs about the roles of men and women as a whole. “A man is expected always to be strong, impervious to pain, and especially to emotional stress, dominant in the role of lord and master; a woman is expected to be docile, submissive, passive, fulfilled in the role of subordinate.” (Fremon 129). It has been concluded for the longest time that women are the inferior gender, biologically, psychologically and socially. For many people, it is normal for women to be gender typed and never realize the prejudices underlying into it. They are judged with no regards to their needs and abilities. This oftentimes causes pressure, apprehension, and a feeling of inferiority, toward themselves. Susan Glaspell’s “A Jury of Her Peers” and John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums,” create a literary consciousness, showing how gender stereotyping causes impacts on women’s psyche.
As women, those of us who identify as feminists have rebelled against the status quo and redefined what it means to be a strong and powerful woman. But at what cost do these advances come with?... ... middle of paper ... ... Retrieved April 12, 2014, from http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/genwom/whatisfem.htm Bidgood, J. 2014, April 8 -.