Love And Knowledge: Emotion In Feminist Analysis

Issues of gender and power have been a common theme in society dating back as far as Athens in 411 B.C.E. when the Peloponnesian War between the Athenian Empire and Sparta was taking place. Women of this time period were considered pre-civilized, cannibals, dangerous, and most importantly, less valued than men. Throughout history and in our culture today much of the privilege and power that men have over women is unearned. Why is it that men have enjoyed unearned privilege based on their gender? Through Artemisia Gentileschi’s Susanna and the Elders published in Italy in 1610 C.E. and William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew printed in Britain in 1612 C.E. it is visible that inequalities between men and women have been prevalent for centuries all over the globe. Allison Jagger’s article “Love and Knowledge: Emotion in Feminist Epistemology” published in the United States in 1989 C.E., argues that feminists emotions have contributed to the development of a critical social theory that men have power over women. When one is born male or female, it is far more than a simple biological fact. Along with …show more content…
The themes of power and gender are used in the relationship between Petruchio and Kate mainly because Petruchio undermines Kate in their marriage. He does this through sexual puns and comparing her to a wild animal when he refers to her as a wasp. Petruchio claims Kate is unable to harm him displaying his power over her. Through this, Kate feels outlaw emotions, however, she never acts on them. She never acts on them because this was considered unacceptable during this time period. Women were expected to take care of the household, bear children, and be subordinate to their husband. Although Kate lacked a mother figure in her young life, she was still socialized to know the proper role of a woman in the