The Vagina Monologues is a compilation of monologues written by Eve Ensler in which all the monologues deal with the vagina. It includes everything women around the world deal with whether it is humorous, tragic or disturbing. Including sex, rape, menstruation, masturbation, orgasm, even the comfort level women have with their own body. Some have stated that The Vagina Monologues has been celebrated as the bible for a new generation of women. I would have to agree with such a statement. Yes, in part this was meant to be funny and connect with women all over but it is also meant to let women know that have been abused and raped that it is not ok but everything will be ok. Not to mention, create ongoing awareness out that it is not acceptable for people to do this to anyone and that violence against women has to stop.
Before this class I had stumbled upon this book and had seen a DVD special and had even read a few articles. To my best recollection Eve Ensler had been working on the monologues she met with friends and went on to interview well over one hundred women. She was able to get their views and experiences on basically being a woman. From what their experiences with relationships were to how they felt about sex and views on abuse. She had always been interested in the vagina and she wanted to be able to empower women. Through this she was able to come up with this brilliant book. I also believe every year more monologues to the collection. I do believe that The Vagina Monologues has helped the feminist movement. It has given a new voice to women around the world. It gives hope to many along with encouragement and empowerment.
The Vagina Monologues along with empowerment has also brought along plenty of controversy. It tends to be performed in colleges and universities all over the country one instance in particularly has to do with the University of Utah Valley. This is the fifth consecutive year they perform The Vagina Monologues as stated in one of their school articles “Many feel it is unnecessary and grotesque, ripping posters advertising for it off the wall to demonstrate their disapproval; others believe the truth lies in the stories it tells, shaming rape and highlighting important women's issues such as love and abuse” (Hopkinson, 2008).
... real-world jobs in order for integration to work. The feminist movement gave the opportunity for women to have a voice in their lives, and has provided women with resources they otherwise would be unable to access. Each topic that was covered in the paper has had a hand in our lives. Whether it was being taught natural selection in school, getting an education, or equality we all have been influenced by the past.
In conclusion, this show focuses on many aspects, particularly gender roles and sexism. Although this show could have more diverse characters, it focuses on male and female stereotypes very well. I appreciate that there are several strong female characters who aren’t afraid to stand up for themselves and perform typically masculine
Most of the women are portrayed negatively and often referred to as either “bitch” or “ball-cutter.” Specifically, the head of the hospital ward, Nurse Ratched, is often targeted. In an ironic twist, the only nicely-portrayed female characters in this story are the two “whores” that come down to take the men fishing. This is interesting because even though the men seem to like these two women, they still refer to them as “whores.” However, the interesting aspect of marginalization in this story comes in two forms. These two forms are both based on gender roles. The men in the story are marginalized because they are all patients in a mental ward. This leads them to be considered less than others in society because they are locked up and have very little free will. The women in the story are marginalized by the men because they are considered cruel and are also the
Led by Laura Mulvey, feminist film critics have discussed the difficulty presented to female spectators by the controlling male gaze and narrative generally found in mainstream film, creating for female spectators a position that forces them into limited choices: "bisexual" identification with active male characters; identification with the passive, often victimized, female characters; or on occasion, identification with a "masculinized" active female character, who is generally punished for her unhealthy behavior. Before discussing recent improvements, it is important to note that a group of Classic Hollywood films regularly offered female spectators positive, female characters who were active in controlling narrative, gazing and desiring: the screwball comedy.
Feminism is a word that is stock-full of implications, and has many misconceptions. Full Frontal Feminism by Jessica Valenti attempts to give a broad overview of what feminism is, and how you should feel about it (hint: it’s positively). The book is directed primarily towards the younger generation, and talks about a variety of issues relevant to the feminist movement today and in history. The weaknesses of the book include the casual writing, the assumptions Valenti makes, and the contradictory statements that are consistently made. The strengths include providing an entertaining, broad overview of feminism, and discussing ways to contribute to gender equality. Overall, the book is more likely to be a positive experience for high-schoolers that identify as women then college-aged individuals looking for a critical analysis of issues society faces in regards to gender inequality.
McCann, C., & Kim, S. (2013). Feminist theory reader, (3d ed.). Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.
Feminists usually do not vary in the views that they have. The feminist wants equal rights for both sexes, and wants all women to be treated just like men. The short story and the play suggest something different. Within the story there are many instances that suggest that Susan Gla...
To understand feminism in the novel, one must first understand the feminist lens itself. OWL Purdue describes the lens as “the ways in which literature (and other cultural productions) reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women” (Purdue). Feminism acts as both a commitment and a political movement that wants to end sexism in all forms. Most feminists generally disagree on many topics of the subject, however all have one common goal. These aspects affect The Things They Carry in a plethora of ways, mostly due to the fact that gender roles is a main theme. There are negative and positive aspects of the feminist lens. Positive contains the empowering of women and equality, whereas negative pertains to oppression and unequal rights. Both are covered in The Things They Carried from sex symbols to battle tor...
The 1991 movie My Girl tells the story of 11-year-old Vada Sultenfuss who, having lost her mother at birth , lives with her dementia-ridden grandmother and her job-oriented father in the funeral parlour that he owns and operates. The story follows Vada, an extreme hypochondriac who has many strange misconceptions about death, through a variety of life-changing experiences, including the engagement of her father and the devastating loss of her best friend, Thomas Jay. Through these experiences, the audience witnesses Vada’s social, emotional, and intellectual growth, as well as her changing views of death.
This indicates Walker’s interest in creating an awareness for the eradication of female genital mutilation as early as 1982.Walker has discussed and protested against female genital mutilation vehemently with her vanguardal voice, in her 1992 novel Possessing the Secret of Joy. In fact, the main agenda of the novel is eradication of female genital mutilation. Walker wanted the world to know about the horrific repercussions a woman is made to face, after undergoing the procedure. Walker in an interview with David Bradley has inspiringly said : “ “I was brought up to try to see what was wrong and right it. Since I am a writer, writing is how I right it. I was brought up to look at things that are out of joint, out of balance, and to try to bring them into balance. And as a writer that’s what I do. . . ” ” ( 370).She has stood by what she has asserted, when she has condemned female genital mutilation through Possessing the Secret of Joy. Walker wrote the entire novel, based on the life experiences of women characters maimed and unmade by female genital mutilation, to create an awareness about the hazardous effects of the practice on
By dissecting the film, the director, Jennie Livingston's methodology and the audience's perceived response I believe we can easily ignore a different and more positive way of understanding the film despite the many flaws easy for feminist minds to criticize. This is in no way saying that these critiques are not valid, or that it is not beneficial to look at works of any form through the many and various feminist lenses.
...set examples for future generations and have shed light on the feminist movement in the U.S.
Overall, I think that this film is beneficial for how how women are portrayed in film, and the film industry in general.. It’s funny, portrays women in a positive light, and shows that women are contenders with men when it comes to comedy. It reinforces that women are indeed as funny as men, and shows they can have a role a male developed, dominated field. While Bridesmaids certainly isn’t the ideal example of ridding patriarchy, it definitely is a step in the right direction.
Feminism is a global movement that affects women all around the world either directly or indirectly because of the discrimination that it defends. Over the years women have been limited to living in a male dominated world. Women have been alienated from educational opportunities, workforce or labor opportunities and most importantly financial opportunities. Being oppressed by these factors and others has left women with the little option of becoming a housewife or a servant, or inheritor. Feminism has proven to be a controversial yet present point in the works of literary giants such as William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte and many others. Charlotte Bronte phenomenal novel Jane Eyre is developed with ample evidence that is a direct
She tells of the risks involved in marriage, the possibility of being essentially sold off to some monster, the dangers of child birth, and the shame should a woman be unable to conceive and then be returned to her family. Within this she speaks of how women’s fears and wants are seen as frivols and vain. Women’s fears and desires are often mocked and ridiculed today as well. Women complaining about catcalling are told they are ungrateful and should be glad to receive compliments, even though these “compliments” are often unwanted advances that cause women to fear sexual violence and that they are merely objects. It’s also not uncommon for people to ridicule women for complaining about pregnancy, even though it is a long, uncomfortable, painful and sometimes dangerous term that permanently change a woman’s