Where Would we be Without the Work of Those Who Were Here Before Us?

Where would a student be without the inspiration of their teacher? Where would young boys aspiring to be great baseball players be without Jackie Robinson's success? Where would future basketball players be without Magic Johnson's dedication to the sport? Where would female politicians be without the elegance and courage of Eleanor Roosevelt? What does this have to do with English class you may ask, these individuals all broke barriers that contribute to where our society currently is.

In Virginia Woolf's essay A Room of One's Own, she discusses the difficulties women writers faced in order to become successful.   The female writers discussed in this essay such as Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen paved the way for future female writers who are now considered genius.  In order for change to occur some brave soul has to take the initiative.  These women rose against society at a time where women were only supposed to cook, clean, and have babies.  They were supposed to satisfy their husbands and perform domestic chores.

We live in a society where change is something scary. " the fear of the unknown" frequently over powers the opportunities for change and new experiences.   Although, we have drifted from traditions of the past, some things are still present. For example, strong females who are able to work and be a good mother/wife are often criticized for entering the work force.  Men often feel threatened by a women competing against them, which brings out this arrogance in them.  For some reason these men feel entitled as if they are more qualified for a specific position simply because they are a male.  In some households the father's opinion over rules the mother's.  Several weeks ago I was watching The Middle and the dad said to the children, "The only opinion that matters in this house is mine."  This statement did not settle well with this character's wife. She was upset with this, and it took the male character the entire episode to simply admit that he was wrong for saying this.  This really irked me, because I have grown up in a house where both of my parents opinions were equal. There is no over ruling in my house.  I hope that these gender slants eventually fade away to nothing because they are frustrating to live with.

Cookie Cutter Molds Need to be Broken

The role of men and women has supposedly changed over time. But has it really? The cookie cutter molds that everyone is supposed to fit into are still existent and thriving. People like the idea of being their own person and not fitting into the stereotype given to them by others, but when they have the opportunity to do so they seem to not accept the challenge. It has always been that men are the “bread winners” with the job making money, cutting the lawn, taking care of the house, maintaining the cars, and doing yard work. Mean while, women are expected to give birth and care for their children, do the cooking, do all the cleaning, and maintain a “perfect” household for their children to grow up in and always have a hot meal ready for their hardworking husbands. Obviously nobody lives up to every aspect of these stereotypes. Some people strive to mirror these cookie cutter lifestyles, while others do everything in their power to be the opposite of these things. 

            There has always been a negative slant towards females. They are continuously underestimated and taken for granite, in society today and in literature of the past as well as present. Men seem to think that they are more powerful and therefore are entitled to tell women what they can and cannot do, which is absolutely absurd.

            In The Awakening, Edna lived her whole life doing what others expected of her. She married her husband Robert because that is what her father wanted her to do, and then she had children because it was what everyone else had expected her to do. The connection between Edna and her children was pretty much non-existent, but somehow when she left the world for her sake it was the wrong choice in the opinion of everyone else. She was stuck living a life that was created for her by men rather than a life that she created for herself. Ultimately, Edna’s choice to take her life was what was best for her even though she left her children. However, Edna was never that deep rooted in her children’s lives, so the initial shock of their mother’s death would affect them but that feeling would wear off quickly.

            Personally, I could not imagine living my life the way that others instruct me to. I feel that I should have my own hobbies, husband, children, career, etc of my choice. I also think that once I do get married to the husband of my choice we will share the responsibilities of cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, cutting the lawn, caring for the children, etc. I do not care what others think of me and I will stay true to what I want and what I feel is best for my family and me. Just because a mother works doesn’t mean she does not love her children or take good care of them. I am not going to be the girl that boys say “make me a sandwich, bitch.” This is the opposite of what Edna was. 

            In today’s society there are many movies about females fighting against a fate that was set for them by somebody else. For example, in Mama Mia, Sophie thinks she knows whom she is going to marry. Everybody says this man is going to be wonderful for her, but Sophie is regretful and knows that this man is not the right one for her. During the wedding procession, Sophie explains to everyone that she can’t marry this man because she is in love with someone named Sam. Cancelling the wedding ceremony Sophie stands up for herself and to a man. She could have easily gotten married and stayed in a relationship with a man who she doesn’t love but feels obligated to stay with.