The Courtesan's Daughter Research Paper

Letty Cottin Pogrebin, American social activist, once said, “when men are oppressed, it’s a tragedy but when women are oppressed, it’s tradition.” That being said, in Priscilla Galloway’s novel, The Courtesan’s Daughter, life decisions for women were more difficult under the influence of the prevalent Greek culture. As a result, this heavily influenced a woman's role in society as well the intimate relationship between both the woman’s significant other and family.

The Greek culture influences a woman’s role in society because in Ancient Athens B.C.E 350, they are expected to be caregivers as well as succumb to the conventional male superiority. Phano is a Greek teenager expected to become a caregiver soon. Women are expected to be caregivers,

Girls always had a higher risk than boys due to parents cherishing boys rather than girls. Their education consisted of learning about their roles in the family, while boys got to learn other subjects through proper education. Married women were often required to take care of their children as well as do housework (Women In Ancient Greece). In Greek culture, girls are expected to have kids and take care of them at the young age of thirteen. However, at this age and because of her family issues such as at home, it is not the right time to be having kids at the moment, but perhaps in the near future. Men generally wear the pants in the relationship rather than the woman, meaning they often take full control over the woman. Phrynion, evil men, has beaten all of them, but has never touched Mama. However, no one would “arrest a rich powerful man because a woman of no reputation was beaten in an ill-reputed place” (Galloway 68). A Greek Woman’s husband had full authority over them because Aristotle thought that women could not make decisions for themselves (Greek Boston). Adding on, domestic violence and physical abuse