Throughout history women have had to endure great struggle to be acknowledged as equal to men. With the development of human rights and the feminist movements of the 60's they started to gain a somewhat of a better treatment.
The literary works that were to be discussed this week in our seminar are of a strong feminist nature. In her poem Phenomenal Woman, Maya Angelou's speaker is a woman who without fitting in the current cannons of beauty drives men to her feet. Neither men nor other women seem to understand how she does it, but she explains that she is just BEING a woman. Criticism of society's view of women can be seen as this character explains the fact that she is proud of being one, certain of it as part of her identity as a human being who is no lower than any other, and who is more than flesh and bones. Moving on to Sex Without Love, in this poem Sharon Olds resorts to a rhetorical question that is, nevertheless, answered with an explanation that supports ideas of a free female sexuality that may not be love binding, as it may have been traditionally believed. Finally, Marlene Noubese Philip's short story Burn Sugar, deals with the mother-daughter relation, the struggle for keeping some traditional patterns while breaking with others, nostalgia, parental approval, generation gap, becoming a woman, communication, meaning of traditions, cultural identity, purpose and independence. When the cake the main character got from her mother every year failed to arrive one day, she herself makes some, and this triggers memories of a protective parent, advising her not to be so uptight and not to "try and find the meaning of everything", for cake was meant to be enjoyed. The daughter acknowledges the differences that exist between them. She also recognizes how useful some of her advice has been, but stoutly continues to think her mother is wrong about dropping inquiry of the meaning of things. The latter idea suggests that in the long run the character may end up thinking her mother was right about this too.
Although society has come a long way, much is still to be done to successfully accomplish equal rights for all. Many contemporary writers celebrate the joy and burden of being women in a world that has seriously undermined them. Sexual liberation, criticism towards the way women have handled their recently acquired freedom, the struggle for power and control, society's view of them, traditional roles, motherhood, the couple relation, and even female homosexuality are among the main topics discussed by these authors.
The literary works that were to be discussed this week in our seminar are of a strong feminist nature. In her poem Phenomenal Woman, Maya Angelou's speaker is a woman who without fitting in the current cannons of beauty drives men to her feet. Neither men nor other women seem to understand how she does it, but she explains that she is just BEING a woman. Criticism of society's view of women can be seen as this character explains the fact that she is proud of being one, certain of it as part of her identity as a human being who is no lower than any other, and who is more than flesh and bones. Moving on to Sex Without Love, in this poem Sharon Olds resorts to a rhetorical question that is, nevertheless, answered with an explanation that supports ideas of a free female sexuality that may not be love binding, as it may have been traditionally believed. Finally, Marlene Noubese Philip's short story Burn Sugar, deals with the mother-daughter relation, the struggle for keeping some traditional patterns while breaking with others, nostalgia, parental approval, generation gap, becoming a woman, communication, meaning of traditions, cultural identity, purpose and independence. When the cake the main character got from her mother every year failed to arrive one day, she herself makes some, and this triggers memories of a protective parent, advising her not to be so uptight and not to "try and find the meaning of everything", for cake was meant to be enjoyed. The daughter acknowledges the differences that exist between them. She also recognizes how useful some of her advice has been, but stoutly continues to think her mother is wrong about dropping inquiry of the meaning of things. The latter idea suggests that in the long run the character may end up thinking her mother was right about this too.
Although society has come a long way, much is still to be done to successfully accomplish equal rights for all. Many contemporary writers celebrate the joy and burden of being women in a world that has seriously undermined them. Sexual liberation, criticism towards the way women have handled their recently acquired freedom, the struggle for power and control, society's view of them, traditional roles, motherhood, the couple relation, and even female homosexuality are among the main topics discussed by these authors.
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