"The Danger of a Single Story:"
Limiting Women 's Past, Present, & Future: "Power is the ability not just to tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person." In her TED talk "The Danger of a Single Story," author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie describes the racial and socioeconomic stereotypes that create a "single story" or dominant narrative of peoples ' lives and obscure other possible stories. She focuses mainly on single stories created because of racial stereotypes, but single stories also are apparent with gender. Much of the history of humanity has suffered from an unequal power ratio based on gender; this has created and still creates many different "single stories." In particular, the progression of …show more content…
This belief was based on the gender ideals for Southern women; they were supposed to be gentile and courteous. However, this did not stop Southern women from punishing and abusing their domestic slaves, both physically and mentally. As Stephanie Jones-Rodgers points out, the daughters of plantation owners were raised and observed how to be plantation owners. From the testaments of former slaves, historians have found that slave mistresses were able to use the knowledge they learned in their childhood. As mistresses of the plantation household, they were in charge of domestic servants. Former domestic slaves described the often-cruel treatment they received at the hands of their mistresses. In fact, many said that it was the mistress, not the master or overseer, that was most brutal to them. It was not merely a swat at the back, but painful blows from a various array of weapons including, “brooms, tongs, irons, shovels, and their hands to whatever was most readily available.” Additionally, many of the beatings that mistresses carried out were random and without cause. Ria Sorrel testified that her former mistress would hide her baby’s cap and then expect Sorrel to locate it; if she did not, she would receive a whipping. This type of beating was not only physically abusive but also emotionally. It was used to create a permanent …show more content…
There is a “single story” that men were the only real participants in the war because they were the ones that went off to battle. However, the women were not quietly sitting at home; their actions had a direct impact on the war effort and continuation. Three major occupations they had were fundraising for the war and troops, carrying on work on farms and plantations while their husbands were gone, and working outside the home for the war effort. In both the North and South, fundraising done by white women was necessary to support the Union and Confederate armies. In particular, the support of Southern women was crucial. The Southern states had less preparation and resources: they had fewer men, a smaller manufacturing and mining sector, and not as much money as the Union states. To solve the smaller number of men, women in the South used shame and positive reinforcement to induce as many men as possible to join the army. Surprisingly, even the government understood the women’s importance in enlistment and urged them to continue their efforts. Because of the Confederacy’s lack of funds, the women also supported the Confederacy through donations. They raised money by holding fairs, darned socks and made uniforms for Confederate soldiers, and created Soldier’s Relief Societies. Though history tends to paint a “single story” of war with women waiting at home and men fighting for their cause, it is
Limiting Women 's Past, Present, & Future: "Power is the ability not just to tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person." In her TED talk "The Danger of a Single Story," author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie describes the racial and socioeconomic stereotypes that create a "single story" or dominant narrative of peoples ' lives and obscure other possible stories. She focuses mainly on single stories created because of racial stereotypes, but single stories also are apparent with gender. Much of the history of humanity has suffered from an unequal power ratio based on gender; this has created and still creates many different "single stories." In particular, the progression of …show more content…
This belief was based on the gender ideals for Southern women; they were supposed to be gentile and courteous. However, this did not stop Southern women from punishing and abusing their domestic slaves, both physically and mentally. As Stephanie Jones-Rodgers points out, the daughters of plantation owners were raised and observed how to be plantation owners. From the testaments of former slaves, historians have found that slave mistresses were able to use the knowledge they learned in their childhood. As mistresses of the plantation household, they were in charge of domestic servants. Former domestic slaves described the often-cruel treatment they received at the hands of their mistresses. In fact, many said that it was the mistress, not the master or overseer, that was most brutal to them. It was not merely a swat at the back, but painful blows from a various array of weapons including, “brooms, tongs, irons, shovels, and their hands to whatever was most readily available.” Additionally, many of the beatings that mistresses carried out were random and without cause. Ria Sorrel testified that her former mistress would hide her baby’s cap and then expect Sorrel to locate it; if she did not, she would receive a whipping. This type of beating was not only physically abusive but also emotionally. It was used to create a permanent …show more content…
There is a “single story” that men were the only real participants in the war because they were the ones that went off to battle. However, the women were not quietly sitting at home; their actions had a direct impact on the war effort and continuation. Three major occupations they had were fundraising for the war and troops, carrying on work on farms and plantations while their husbands were gone, and working outside the home for the war effort. In both the North and South, fundraising done by white women was necessary to support the Union and Confederate armies. In particular, the support of Southern women was crucial. The Southern states had less preparation and resources: they had fewer men, a smaller manufacturing and mining sector, and not as much money as the Union states. To solve the smaller number of men, women in the South used shame and positive reinforcement to induce as many men as possible to join the army. Surprisingly, even the government understood the women’s importance in enlistment and urged them to continue their efforts. Because of the Confederacy’s lack of funds, the women also supported the Confederacy through donations. They raised money by holding fairs, darned socks and made uniforms for Confederate soldiers, and created Soldier’s Relief Societies. Though history tends to paint a “single story” of war with women waiting at home and men fighting for their cause, it is