Women have always been subjected to the rules and power of men in a patriarchal society. There is a relative inequality in what men and women can enjoy, wherein the men have free pass to almost everything they want and are free to be what they want to be, while the women are only limited to the roles that the society has given them. Although the call for the recognition of the important contribution of women in the society has been resonating loud and clear for so many years now, little has changed to the situation and the place of women in the society. While they are not limited to doing household chores and caring for the family anymore, there are still certain fields where they are not allowed access, or if they ever are, they still end up being inferior to men, either in the position they hold or how they are treated. This is especially observed in literature, where the number of women authors are considerably overshadowed by that of men’s.
In the short selection “Shakespeare’s Sister” by Virginia Wolf, the culture of patriarchy was described the way it has been in the past during Shakespeare’s time. The essay is based on the author’s contemplation of what Shakespeare’s sister’s life would have been if he ever had one. The scenarios the author created were based on the prevalent situation of the women during Shakespeare’s time, where the men are given all the opportunities in life, while the women are not. According to the author, while Shakespeare may be encouraged by his mother to attend grammar school where he is able to enrich his skills, and at the same time, do the things that he wants as a young boy. He could hunt animals, poach rabbits, or even get married even at such a young age because he can, because he is a man. He has the freedom to move on without the burden of his responsibilities to his family weighing him down. Despite being married with a child, he is still free to chase after his dreams, and embark on an “escapade that sent him to seek his fortune in London” (Woolf 592). While he enjoys his freedom, his sister who is as adventurous and smart as he is, but is prevented to act on her desires in life because of the shackles that society has placed on them. She won’t be sent to school, no matter how much she wants it, and if she ever pursues it on her own, she has to keep it a secret. And although her father adores her, she won’t be exempted from the common practice of getting married off by her family, whether she likes it or not. While Shakespeare is welcomed in any career he wishes to pursue, his sister won’t be, and would even be laughed at and insulted for daring to do so (Woolf 593).
This short essay illustrates clearly the two opposite sides of the fence occupied by both men and women, where men’s daring, dreams, and genius are welcomed and recognized, while the women on the other side, despite her legitimate dreams and genius, are not. There is no one, to be specific, no woman, would ever surpass Shakespeare’s genius because it was something that a man is born with, alluding to the fact that women simply can’t be called a genius because she was a woman. This is this undermining of the women’s skills in literature that had them obscured for a long time, while the men continue to enjoy the fame and recognition because their works are easily accepted as it was what’s perceived as normal. Various literature has also explored the position of women in the society in general, and in literature in particular. In a review of the book Women, Literature, and the Domesticated Landscape by Puri (2011), the places where women are mostly confined serve both as a refuge and prison. The gardens, for instance, represents the pleasure and labour that is linked to women. Gardens and women are closely related as women represent femininity and beauty, characteristics which are also used to describe gardens because of the flowers and other dainty objects that can be found there. The garden indicates beauty, and is also a place where women of households mostly converge to share womanly tasks such as sewing and caring for the children. However, there are also other parts of the garden that are dominated by men, such as the greenhouse, the arbor, and the greenhouse, which highlights the boundaries that separate the garden from the interior spaces and the exterior spaces (Puri 138), much like the separation that exists between the men’s space of dominance and roles. The garden serves as the space that links the warmth and security it represents to the dangerous yet adventurous concept that the space beyond the house stands for.
In another study which explores the status of women in contemporary literature, the turning point in history which illustrates the changes in women’s roles were explored. In Iran, for instance, improvement of women was one of the most serious problems that the country had to face after World War I. This issue was addressed accordingly, wherein a new girls’ school and women’s publications were established, addressing the pressing issue of freedom for women. Publications of literature written by women fighting for women’s recognition and rights increased, such as that which was written by the school principal of a girls’ school refering to how mass awakening for women’s moral treatment has become prevalent (Tabar 84). This was illustrated by the rise in the number of activities that women were involved in until the year 1941, wherein more educational opportunities and chances of writing were experienced by women (Tabar 85). Written works which were written by women also indicate a richer and more progressive role of women in the society, as was shown in written works about the Islamic Revolution.
While there are some improvements achieved in the role of women in the society and in literature, there are still several indications that the old belief about gender roles still persist. This is explained by the survey conducted by Jacewicz, wherein majority of the respondents have chosen male authors as their favorite. Using four survey questions, which are as follows:
Is your favorite author a male or a female?
If asked, can you name more female authors or male authors whom you are aware of?
Is there a commonality of theme in the writings of the female authors you know about?
Are there more texts by male authors in you academic discourse than the works of female authors? If so, what might be the reason according to you?
Jacewicz was able to conclude that there are more students who can identify more male authors than female. This is because, according to the responses, there are more texts available which are written by male authors. Some of the responses indicate that the way male authors write are better than women because “back in the day, men were more educated than women” and that the way they write has better visual description which attracts the readers (Jacewicz). Other responses indicate that they prefer men’s works because women’s works are “always about love and depression” (Jacewicz). While there are some respondents who favor female authors than male, and that they are more acquainted with the works of female authors than those of the males, there were also responses which indicated that they haven’t even ventured towards the works of female authors. These responses are not supported by any data or studies, which only shows that the propagation of men’s superiority over women in literature is widespread and long-lasting.
The roles of women in literature are still overshadowed by the traditional belief that men should be the dominant ones, while the women should be confined in domesticity. This is an important societal issue that has to be addressed since its pervasiveness continues to undermine women in the society despite their numerous valuable contributions. As such, actions should be taken in order to promote women’s contributions in literature as much as male’s.
Question
In todays’s trend of healthy eating and change in lifestyle, are people healthier than they were in the past?
Works Cited
Jacewicz. Surveys. English 102.
Link, Eric Carl and Steven Frye. “Shakespeare’s Sister.” Crosscurrents Readings in the
Disciplines.New York: Pearson Education. Print.
Tabar, F.Azad. “Status of women in contemporary literature, contemporary women's literature.”
Scientific Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences 3(2). pp.82-87. Web. 22 Apr 2016.
Puri, Tara. “Women, Literature, and the Domesticated Landscape: England’s Disciples of Flora:
A book review.” Victorian Network 6(2). Web. 22 Apr 2016.
