In Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion, she wrote, “I hate to hear you talking so like a fine gentleman, and as if women were all fine ladies, instead of rational creatures (Austen 83).” Women were seen as delicate beings that were too innocent and ignorant to make their own decisions. Rather, the men must make the decisions for the women and the women must follow their orders. Around 70 years after the publication of Persuasion, a poet by the name of Alfonsina Storni was born.
Storni grew up moving from Switzerland to a handful of different cities within Argentina. Due to the time period in which she lived, she was able to experience the rapidly changing culture of Southern America, which inspired many of her works. Argentina in the early …show more content…
From the youth’s expectations, no matter the age of the individual, it is assumed that males will always want and have more casual sex (Lai and Hynie). In Storni’s poem, the women are described as pure and untouched. Even though the women that engage in casual sex would be seen as impure during Storni’s time, today the women would be able to engage in sex, as long as it occurred less frequently than her male peers’ sexual activities (run-on sentence?). Two main factors contribute to the idea women desire less casual sex than men, the fact that men are encouraged to be more promiscuous and that women, more often than men, will reject casual sex …show more content…
Events, such as purity balls, reinforce the idea that a woman must keep her body pure before marriage. Commonly, girls who have begun to menstruate are those of which that primarily attend the balls. At some balls, girls as young as four are allowed to attend. These children and young women make vows and sign cards promising to remain a virgin until marriage. At the balls, the fathers and daughters sign pledges to protect the chastity of the daughter. The father is held responsible and, thus, owner of his daughter’s virginity (Fahs). Once she is married, she is now owned by her husband. Once again, women are seen as property that must remain unblemished and not people with their own uniqueness and desires. The women are not given choices, rather they are being confined by the sexual double
Storni grew up moving from Switzerland to a handful of different cities within Argentina. Due to the time period in which she lived, she was able to experience the rapidly changing culture of Southern America, which inspired many of her works. Argentina in the early …show more content…
From the youth’s expectations, no matter the age of the individual, it is assumed that males will always want and have more casual sex (Lai and Hynie). In Storni’s poem, the women are described as pure and untouched. Even though the women that engage in casual sex would be seen as impure during Storni’s time, today the women would be able to engage in sex, as long as it occurred less frequently than her male peers’ sexual activities (run-on sentence?). Two main factors contribute to the idea women desire less casual sex than men, the fact that men are encouraged to be more promiscuous and that women, more often than men, will reject casual sex …show more content…
Events, such as purity balls, reinforce the idea that a woman must keep her body pure before marriage. Commonly, girls who have begun to menstruate are those of which that primarily attend the balls. At some balls, girls as young as four are allowed to attend. These children and young women make vows and sign cards promising to remain a virgin until marriage. At the balls, the fathers and daughters sign pledges to protect the chastity of the daughter. The father is held responsible and, thus, owner of his daughter’s virginity (Fahs). Once she is married, she is now owned by her husband. Once again, women are seen as property that must remain unblemished and not people with their own uniqueness and desires. The women are not given choices, rather they are being confined by the sexual double