Women have been represented many different ways in the texts that we have read throughout this course. They have been characterized as good and as evil, but most importantly they have been depicted as strong and empowered. Many of the women we learned about in this course represent those who deviated from what is commonly thought of as the more traditional woman. The women that we studied and the reading that we did widened my understanding of the role that women played in forming the culture we live in today.
The women that we read about in the texts were very different from what is commonly perceived as the typical woman. The typical adult woman is considered to be a mother and a wife. The typical woman is usually depicted as submissive; with perfect hair, clothes, and makeup. She is the usually the homemaker, and she is commonly excluded from matters that deal with finances or decision-making. She is never depicted as an equal, but rather she is shown as needing a man to complete her, needing a man to dominate her. However, the women that we studied in this course are very different from the typical woman, in fact they go against many of the fundamental qualities that make a female a traditional western woman.
The women that we studied about are empowered. The texts show that women are strong and independent, that they are smart and educated, and that this culture relies heavily upon females. Moreover, the reading show a woman does not have to conform to traditional values and live a conventional life to have a fulfilling life.
The lady in the poem, La Malinche, is a perfect example of a strong woman. She was considered by many to be a traitor, but what she really was is a survivor. She pushed through the toughest of times and managed to make a better life for herself and her son without relying on anyone. She was able to create a life without the help of anyone, a true act of strength. The women in the article, Maid in LA, also depict strong empowered individuals. They are living everyday and working so that they make a better life for themselves and their families. Many of them have children and they have been forced to be transnational mothers to them, but they continue working so that their children can have a better life. If those women don’t illustrate what it means to be strong than I really don’t know what else would.
Another way that many of the women we studied in this class differ from the traditional woman is that they were independent. Catalina de Erasuo is a wonderful example of a woman who lived an independent lifestyle. She dressed as a man and acted as a man would. She was not reliant upon anyone but herself. She was not the only woman of her time period to act this way, in fact many women during the medieval times started to live independent lifestyles. Also, in more contemporary times woman are choosing not to be subjected to “forced heterosexuality” and “forced motherhood”. There has been a huge push towards women not needing a man to complete them. In fact, women do not feel the need to be with a man if that is not what they want. We read about women living independent lifestyles with other women. This is very different than the typical male female relationship that is common of the typical woman.
Finally, the women that we studied in this class are smart and educated. Many went against what they were told and strived to learn. One woman that stood out in particularly educated and smart is Sor Juana. She is a woman who defied everyone and learned to read and write. She was self-taught, and considered to have too much intellect. She is perfect example of a woman that defied the traditional gender roles. Another woman that we studies about that went against the typical was Virginia Wolff. She was very well educated and did not adhere to what a typical woman should be. She was independent even though she had a husband. She was allowed to show her intellect through her writings, and she was not concerned with how others viewed her. She went against all the values of a traditional western woman.
The readings that we have done really opened my eyes to the role that women have played in creating western culture. I always thought that women had sort of taken a back seat to men when it came to creating the culture that we live in but in reality women really shaped western culture. If there had not been women who stood up to the typical gender roles then we would not be living in the society that we live in today. Women dressing as men and demanding the right to be educated make our culture what it is currently. Because of these women I am able to go to college and have a career outside the home. I, as an educated woman, am taken seriously and have always been told that I can do what ever I set my mind to. The women that we studied and read about in the texts pushed for equality and strived to make society view women as equals. Through the steps that women in the past have taken I am able to live in a freer society, one in which I am not judged as subservient and I am not dominated males.
The women that we studied about are truly the backbone of the culture that we live in. Nowadays a woman can be whom ever she wants, she is not forced to be a traditional woman, or a mother, or a wife. Today women have options. We owe a huge thanks to the women of the past.
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