Many people often confuse feminism with misandry, leading to the adoption of preconceived ideas that feminism is a sexist political movement against males on the basis of “systematic oppression” of females by males. Barbara Kingsolver uses the journey of the protagonist in her novel Animal Dreams as an allusion and rejection to this commonly held belief and to tell the story of its western origins. Kingsolver creates this allusion via the creation of references and a foil between the protagonist and Native American culture. Throughout the novel Codi’s thoughts and opinions are influenced and contrasted by her boyfriend, Loyd Peregrine. Loyd, introduces and educates Codi on the matriarchal society many Native American tribes function under
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Hopi people also practiced matrilineal descent.residence” (“Hopi | People”). The Hopi indians are considered to be a member of the Pueblo peoples. Their culture is very similar to Loyd’s culture as he describes it in the novel. The Hopi people had a society that was essentially based on modern day feminism well before modern feminism existed. Many scholars believe that Native American culture is actually where Feminism originated. Wagner writes “[prototypical feminists] caught a glimpse of the possibility of freedom because they knew women who lived liberated lives, women who had always possessed rights beyond their wildest imagination-- Iroquois women” (Roesch Wagner, “Story of Iroquois Influence On Early Feminists”). Kingsolver was utilizing this common theme in Native American Culture to show the audience who the original feminists were: Native …show more content…
Barbara Kingsolver used Hallie as a vehicle throughout her novel to include the story of the man to which she dedicated Animal Dreams to, Ben Linder. The reason Kingsolver uses a female character to represent a man in her novel is to make a connection to the post feminism idea of equality amongst genders. Ben linder also traveled to Nicaragua on a mission to do humanitarian work (Berman). Hallie and Ben linder’s connection to the Pueblo people is that they both undertook tasks traditionally assigned to males. Kingsolver fully utilizes Hallie’s gender in the context of the novel to illustrate
Hopi people also practiced matrilineal descent.residence” (“Hopi | People”). The Hopi indians are considered to be a member of the Pueblo peoples. Their culture is very similar to Loyd’s culture as he describes it in the novel. The Hopi people had a society that was essentially based on modern day feminism well before modern feminism existed. Many scholars believe that Native American culture is actually where Feminism originated. Wagner writes “[prototypical feminists] caught a glimpse of the possibility of freedom because they knew women who lived liberated lives, women who had always possessed rights beyond their wildest imagination-- Iroquois women” (Roesch Wagner, “Story of Iroquois Influence On Early Feminists”). Kingsolver was utilizing this common theme in Native American Culture to show the audience who the original feminists were: Native …show more content…
Barbara Kingsolver used Hallie as a vehicle throughout her novel to include the story of the man to which she dedicated Animal Dreams to, Ben Linder. The reason Kingsolver uses a female character to represent a man in her novel is to make a connection to the post feminism idea of equality amongst genders. Ben linder also traveled to Nicaragua on a mission to do humanitarian work (Berman). Hallie and Ben linder’s connection to the Pueblo people is that they both undertook tasks traditionally assigned to males. Kingsolver fully utilizes Hallie’s gender in the context of the novel to illustrate