Throughout The Brief Life of Oscar Wao sexuality is a poignant element of Oscar’s identity. Not only does he consistently try to pursue women as romantic partners, but he also acknowledges that his lack of sexual experience governs the way people view him in this society. For example, Yunior articulates the significance of sex in this Dominican culture when he says, “it’s against the laws of nature for a dominicano to die without fucking at least once” (Diaz 174). Ultimately, sex parallels power in the Dominican culture because males believe through sex that they have dominance over females, which enables the biological imperative of “survival of the fittest”, or at the very least “survival of a lineage”. However, when the females in novels
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In the short story, Jamaica Kincaid writes from the perspective of the mother who displays a sort of illusion of society in which the female is submissive to the male. For example, multiple times throughout the short story the mother mentions the phrase “the slut you are bent on becoming” when addressing the daughter or girl in the story (Kincaid “Girl”). It appears as if the mother uses the “slut” comment as a way to control the girl. Furthermore, the girl is discouraged from exploring her sexuality because the mother bullies her to keep her in submission. However, that control originates from a want for security for the girl. For example, at the end of “Girl”, Kincaid writes, “you mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won’t let near the bread?”. Although this allusion of the girl’s promiscuity comes from an accusatory angle, the mother says it as a sort of protection. For instance, in this society, men have the control and although women contain power in their sexuality, men have the ability to block women’s freedoms when women appear sexually promiscuous. One of these freedoms includes the simple action of letting women choose their products from the market. Although men can block freedoms in this society, the …show more content…
For example, Bone explains that it was nothing that she had done that made Glen beat her (Allison 110). It was strictly her sexuality that influenced the abuse, particularly the fact that she looked similar to her mother. Bone further explains that her sexuality also helped her through the abuse. She says, “I couldn’t stop my step father from beating me, but I was the one who masturbated” (Allison 113). Her masturbation acted as an escape from the frequent beatings she endured and aided her in discovering ways to cope with the multiple beatings. For instance, when interacting with the chain connected to the metal fishing hooks, Bone says that she felt safe (Allison 193). She rubs the chain against her body, fastening it around her hips as if using it to explore her body’s sexuality (Allison 193). This sexual exploration provides Bone with a release and helps her find an emotional safe place away from Glen. Overall, although Bone’s sexuality is the reason she must endure abuse from her stepfather, it also helps her find the ways to cope with the
In the short story, Jamaica Kincaid writes from the perspective of the mother who displays a sort of illusion of society in which the female is submissive to the male. For example, multiple times throughout the short story the mother mentions the phrase “the slut you are bent on becoming” when addressing the daughter or girl in the story (Kincaid “Girl”). It appears as if the mother uses the “slut” comment as a way to control the girl. Furthermore, the girl is discouraged from exploring her sexuality because the mother bullies her to keep her in submission. However, that control originates from a want for security for the girl. For example, at the end of “Girl”, Kincaid writes, “you mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won’t let near the bread?”. Although this allusion of the girl’s promiscuity comes from an accusatory angle, the mother says it as a sort of protection. For instance, in this society, men have the control and although women contain power in their sexuality, men have the ability to block women’s freedoms when women appear sexually promiscuous. One of these freedoms includes the simple action of letting women choose their products from the market. Although men can block freedoms in this society, the …show more content…
For example, Bone explains that it was nothing that she had done that made Glen beat her (Allison 110). It was strictly her sexuality that influenced the abuse, particularly the fact that she looked similar to her mother. Bone further explains that her sexuality also helped her through the abuse. She says, “I couldn’t stop my step father from beating me, but I was the one who masturbated” (Allison 113). Her masturbation acted as an escape from the frequent beatings she endured and aided her in discovering ways to cope with the multiple beatings. For instance, when interacting with the chain connected to the metal fishing hooks, Bone says that she felt safe (Allison 193). She rubs the chain against her body, fastening it around her hips as if using it to explore her body’s sexuality (Allison 193). This sexual exploration provides Bone with a release and helps her find an emotional safe place away from Glen. Overall, although Bone’s sexuality is the reason she must endure abuse from her stepfather, it also helps her find the ways to cope with the