Emasculation

Virginia Woolf always liked the idea of leaving room for oneself in terms of a lifestyle and it is a theme running throughout much of her writing, calling for a reflection of what people think is the truth. From the perspective of society, this subjective reflection on objective experience allows for the possibility of greater social change in the face of normalized adversity and opposition. With respect to one of Woolf’s most famous books, To the Lighthouse, the lighthouse itself acts as the…

Assess the way any two works from the course delineate and reflect on the roles of EITHER women OR men. One of the most interesting aspects of renaissance literature is the way in which many texts from this period tackle the issue of masculinity. Many writers explore the themes of male gender roles through their characters and Gerry Milligan states that this is intrinsic to Renaissance work as ‘the question of masculinity lies at the heart of masterpieces of Renaissance art, philosophy, and…

Audible Voices: A Chorus of Women It is the middle of June 1954, the excitement in the air is palpable, accosted by the sweltering southern heat the women begin to poor into the auditorium. An eager chatter can be heard above the three large industrial fans churning arduously sweeping the oppressive heat from one side of the room to the other. As I scan the room it fills quickly, I can’t help but notice the large banner on the south wall. My attention is quickly diverted from the beautifully…

The idealized standards for males in the 1950s were very demanding. They were expected to be providers, soldiers, and pioneers of industry. While all of these attributes associated with money and power seems very appealing, there was a flaw in 50’s era ideology. These standards undercut basic human instinct. Males could not cry, express fear, or cower. Any deviation from the social norm would result in ostracization from the community. It was vital for men to adopt an emotionally disconnected…

She criticizes that he is too kind to pursue his goals ruthlessly, which for herself would be the standard way of acting. This implies that Macbeth lacks initiative and determination, opposing the idealized male character traits in the Elizabethan Age, whereas the only attribute ascribed to him is kindness, which one would supposedly rather use in order to describe women. The reference to milk in this context, symbolizing motherhood, underlines Macbeth's connection to feminine personality.…

Although the term had only started to be discussed in scholarly sociological circles in the early 70’s, the concept and ideas behind intersectionality, or how various categories of oppression work together, were around without a name for a very long time. In particular, it pervaded the work of black women writers from Zora Neale Hurston of the Harlem Renaissance to Nikki Giovanni and Carolyn Rodgers during the Black Nationalism and Black Arts Movements. Black women have the unique experience of…

Possibly the most exciting achievement in August Wilson’s career is his creation of the Century Cycle. It is a series of ten plays that illustrates the African American experience in the twentieth century. Each play is set in a different decade as they give realistic encounters of the various events that happens in that particular decade. The cycle isn’t a serial story but there are repeated appearances of characters at different stages of their life. However, many have pointed out Wilson’s lack…

Despite offering a different character’s point of view, several of the dramatic techniques resident in Miss Julie are exhibited. Even more importantly, Strindberg again insists on placing the family of the play in the context of a Darwinian battle of the strongest. It is natural for us to expect similarities between The Father and Miss Julie due to the close proximity of their writing, but the points made about Strindberg’s later work help provide an additional insight into the playwright’s…