October 30 Critical Question
1. On page 98, Paul Gunn Allen writes that “in the absence of real knowledge of the process of story-changing [the female Keres reader] is all too likely to find bits of the Gunn tale sticking in her mind and subtly altering her perception of herself, her role in society, and her relationship to the larger world.” Elaborate on Allen’s claim; why and how would the standard tale of Kochinnenako alter Keres women’s perceptions of themselves?
The standard tale of Kochinnenako alters Keres women’s perception of themselves because often times, women are deceived into believing that they truly are what the society perceives of them. This practice has gone for so long that very few notices the wrongness of such practice. As a result, women passively accept the roles they are saddled with. They started to conform to a patriarchal supremacy without question.
The standard tale of Kochinnenako sheds light on the true situation of women in a sexist society. Especially in a patriarchal society, women are boxed into a category that society itself has dictated. For example, in learning, the model for individual human development is undeniable male-centered. Because of this notion, women are almost always seen as inferior or lacking in certain areas because of the things that men excel at that a woman physically cannot compete with. Also, it is automatically assumed that a woman cannot possibly be better than men when it comes to male-dominated fields.
Oppression also happens in the form of educational system. Inherently, women and men approach learning differently. That is, women and men have different methods of learning. For men, it is easier to deal with concise and concrete facts as it is – no fuss and no beating around the bush. Women, on the other hand, learn better when they can make associations between facts. Women need to see the connection to things. They need to know the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ instead of just the ‘what’ so that they can learn effectively. However, the educational system, again, favors male-centric learning and conforms to it. Women have no choice but to follow.
This kind of oppression is so common that it is often romanticized. It is believed that women are frail creatures who have little mind of their own but to show this so obviously would be a violation to social etiquette. The society itself therefore should find a way to hide this ugly truth. This is where romanticism comes in. So that women will not notice the insult of their capabilities, the oppression is masked in a cloud of ‘concern’ and ‘care’. Because they are cherished and coddled, women are supposed to be content. Women are understandably fooled. Everyone wants to be cherished after all. But tale of Kochinnenako unmasked that ‘concern’ for what it was – a bid for control, a shackle on the throats of women, a tool for women to be submissive.
Also, any kind of opposition to the assigned role of women is met with distain and results in isolation. However, the standard tale of Kochinnenako reveals to the Keres women that such oppressive roles are not their natural state. By blatantly describing what the world is like to women, Keres women will feel that those prejudices are wrong. Women can be better. They are so much better.
