Myths, by definition, are widely held beliefs or ideas that are not real or true; though they do create real problems as outlined in this article. The first myth stating, “the measure of a good mother is a “perfect” daughter” has been fueled by society leading to detrimental effects not only on the mother-daughter relationship as a whole but also the well being of mothers and their daughters individually. I believe that the subordination of women and expectations of how women should act are the main forces behind society’s insistence on the perpetuation of this myth. Society creates a sense of restriction for women as we are expected to act feminine. Femininity encompasses a number of traits, which I believe to still be prevalent in today’s society. To be feminine means to be passive, nurturing, innocent, graceful, tidy, and restrained. However, failure to conform to these societal expectations is not the fault of the woman herself; rather it is the fault of her mother and an indication that she was not raised properly (in accordance to society that is). …show more content…
I think the main problems between a mother and daughter stem from the desire to be perfect rather than the relationship itself, as both individuals succumb to the immense pressures of society to behave in a certain way, while neglecting what is important. Mothers should discard these infractions and expectations from society to focus on the bigger picture, which is raising happy, kind, and healthy children; similarly, daughters should embrace who they are and try to give something back to the world – this is what society should place emphasis on in mother-daughter relationships instead of insisting on the perpetuation of “perfect” mother
The theme of, mother daughter relationships can be hard but are always worth it in the end, is portrayed by Amy Tan in this novel. This theme is universal, still relevant today, and will be relevant for forever. Relationships are really important, especially with your mom. “ A mother is best. A mother knows what is inside you”
First, in the fiction story “Girl” by Kincaid a mother is teaching her young daughter how to be a lady. The mother reinforces that the
No two mother and daughter relationships are alike. After reading “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker and “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan I realized that the two stories had the same subject matter: mother and daughter relationships. These two stories show different cultures, generations and parenting methods. Although the two mothers act differently, they are both ultimately motivated by the same desire: to be a good parent. In addition, while researching related articles, I realized that there were two recurring themes of mothers and daughters: respect and diverse ways of parenting.
Prentice, D. A. and Carranza, E. (2002), What Women and Men Should Be, Shouldn’t Be, Are Allowed to Be, and Don’t Have to Be: The Contents of Prescriptive Gender Stereotypes. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 26: 269–281.
Society stereotypes women in almost all social situations, including in the family, media, and the workplace. Women are often regarded as being in, “Second place” behind men. However, these stereotypes are not typically met by the modern day woman....
Women have given birth to new generations for centuries and have the common stereotype of being caring and gentle. But in the creation myth, women were given to man as a punishment. In the book of collected Greek tales, " Mythology Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes", by Edith Hamilton, women take up important roles that shape each story. Although women are usually characterized as being helpful and motherly, Greek mythology, on the other hand, portrays them to cause distress, fear, and anxiety to numerous men. Women’s actions are shown to be influenced with jealousy and vengeance which gives them an evil nature.
In considering the relationship between the meanings of myths and their representation of women, we learned that the major role in shaping the narratives was played by men.
A woman can have many different traits and still be feminine. It is impossible to put femininity in a box because there are no real qualities for what it means to be a female. Women can be nurturing and caring, however they can also be strong, courageous, and powerful.
Research over the years has emphasized the role family has upon children within a family system. The role a mother plays for her children has been researched continuously for decades, often neglecting the impact of the father. With this lack of knowledge surrounding a father's paternal responsibilities and implications as a nurturer, it is important to examine the consequences of their actions on their children's future. Recently, research has begun to include the father's role, in particular to their daughter and features they look for in their romantic counterparts. If this research were to establish that young girls follow their father's prototype when choosing a romantic partner, parenting styles may change and fathers might become more involved. More importantly, fathers would know their role as not just the provider for material things but for emotional and psychological stability. Father daughter relationships are an important area to research because reports show that father involvement can be vital to children, improving their social skills and future adult relationships.
The rifts between mothers and daughters continue to separate them, but as the daughters get older they become more tolerant of their mothers. They learn they do not know everything about their mothers, and the courage their mothers showed during their lives is astounding. As they get older they learn they do not know everything, and that their mothers can still teach them much about life. They grow closer to their mothers and learn to be proud of their heritage and their culture. They acquire the wisdom of understanding, and that is the finest feeling to have in the world.
Women – beautiful, strong matriarchal forces that drive and define a portion of the society in which we live – are poised and confident individuals who embody the essence of determination, ambition, beauty, and character. Incomprehensible and extraordinary, women are persons who possess an immense amount of depth, culture, and sophistication. Society’s incapability of understanding the frame of mind and diversity that exists within the female population has created a need to condemn the method in which women think and feel, therefore causing the rise of “male-over-female” domination – sexism. Sexism is society’s most common form of discrimination; the need to have gender based separation reveals our culture’s reluctance to embrace new ideas, people, and concepts. This is common in various aspects of human life – jobs, households, sports, and the most widespread – the media. In the media, sexism is revealed through the various submissive, sometimes foolish, and powerless roles played by female models; because of these roles women have become overlooked, ignored, disregarded – easy to look at, but so hard to see.
Mother-daughter relationships can be complex, but also filled with compassion and love. Mothers and daughters often seem farther away from each other than they really are. Usually when a girl goes through adolescence, the relationship between her and her mother begin to change in many different ways, but can grow at the same time. Even though the wars between a mother and daughter can ravage a relationship, they can easily be recognized earlier enough to keep a relationship from severing the ties that a mother and daughter have with one another.
When a person hears words like feminist or feminism, notions of what it means to be feminine, or consequently unfeminine, begin to dimly form in our mind’s eye. Although we cannot definitively answer the question of what is feminine, we are able to recognize it when we see it or its absence. This conception, however, is arbitrary at best. What is it about an evening gown that seems to define and dress the feminine aura while a woman spitting would be denounced as inherently unfeminine?
For this reason, it is also crucial for parents to act as appropriate role models. They are the first actors to come into play, and therefore also the first role model for their child. With traditional gender roles, a daughter may look up to her mother and a son to his father. An example of a terrible role model can be demonstrated in Let the Great World Spin with Tillie and her daughter Jazzlyn. When Tillie gave birth to Jazzlyn, she left Jazzlyn with her mother so that she could be the breadwinner of the family through prostitution. After work, Tillie would come take Jazzlyn in her arms and always promise herself that she would never let her daughter become a prostitute. In her own words she explained that is the first thing a prostitute says to herself when she has a baby is, “She’s never gonna work the stroll. Not my baby. She’s never going to be out there” (McCann 200). This clearly wasn’t the case as like her mother, Jazzlyn also became a prostitute at such a young age. Prostitution is a heavily female dominated field and is a terrible gender role associated with some females. Tillie had no option but to pass it on to her daughter so she could help make some extra money. When a child observes the behavior and actions of their parents towards different people, they learn the same and try implement in their own life. That is all part of the role modeling