Oppression Of Women In Geek Love By Dunn And Maus By Spiegelman

2504 Words6 Pages

There is a quote that goes "behind every successful man there is a woman”. This implies that the sexes are not credited equally, and gender shadows over success. Men and women are separated not only physically, but in other aspects. A male-dominated culture exists although women are capable of performing just as well as men. There are different situations where men overpower women. There is a stereotype that divides the sexes, ultimately harming both genders. Literary works brush upon the subject of men versus women, touching these components as storyline progresses. There is not a black and white division among the sexes; however, novels such as Geek Love by Dunn and Maus by Spiegelman expose the underlying power struggle among the genders, …show more content…

Research states “Patriarchy defines a system of relationships in which the men ‘own’ the women and children and rule over them” (Fortier p.278). Both novels have a system, in or outside of the family dynamic, that shows a gradient of power. Both authors include an individual or group that is considered superior to the next. Arty is the tyrant in Geek Love, persecuting his siblings if given the chance. He owes the circus to his knowledge, controlling those under his power. Oly readily supports him through everything and takes the blame even if it is not her fault. Oppression comes in small waves, producing a ripple-effect afterwards. Arty slowly develops a grip of power around Oly, gradually tightening it as time progresses. Oly becomes a puppet, responding to every command Arty gives her. She thought she found an identity with Arty, but instead he stripped it from her. Arty sees the people around him as mere pawns, only tools to further his own personal successes. The woman did not dare to speak against him because she had a fear that he would stop loving her, a sign of an abusive relationship. The process of objectification is complete when Oly is impregnated with Arty’s child as a gift and symbol of her love for him. The oppressor devalues one until he or she is left with nothing, but the ideas and words from the oppressor

Show More
Related

  • Genders And Sexualities By Carrie Hintz

    1348 Words  | 3 Pages

    Reading Chapter 11, “Genders and Sexualities,” written by Carrie Hintz was to construct and enact alternatives for these two traditional categories. Data is clearly indicated that sexual material is some of the most controversial content in literature. Children’s literature that is involved with adolescent’s childhood are key battlegrounds for attitudes about gender and sexuality. The significance of gender and sexuality in children’s literature is the persistent investment in what is perceived to be the innocence of children. Innocence is defined in part by children’s enforced ignorance of sexual matters. According to James Kincaid, “Youth and innocence are two of the most eroticized constructions of the past two centuries. Innocence was that

    Read More

  • Karen Horney's The Distrust Between The Sexes

    536 Words  | 2 Pages

    When I first started skimming over Karen Horney, (2017), "The Distrust between the Sexes" the first thing that caught my eye was the fact that Horney used quotation marks on a specific word or phrase. As a reader, this immediately draws my eyes to those specific words or phrases. This also lets her audience know that those specific words or phrases are important to the telling of her story. One example of quotation marks Horney, (2017), uses is "you never really loved me" (p.502). This is a very powerful statement, so I can see why it is in quotation marks because most of have probably used this phrase towards the opposite sex. Wither it was in an argument or at the end of a relationship when our emotions are running we all have probably used the phrase "you never really loved me".

    Read More

  • The Swallows of Kabul is Inequality by Yasmina Khadra

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion, by showing evidence for the effects of gender inequality of male dominance, biological hormones, and lack of education we can identify the social injustice issue evident in the novel. These points are all key factors that support the topic of gender inequality. Despite living in such a great country like Canada, there are still issues to this day that we deal with in society relating to gender inequality. This is a global problem that happens to this day, and is of greater concern in different parts of the world. It is a social issue that must be brought to an end before it gets worse causing harm to others. Some attempts that can be made to help deal with this is through education, public awareness and people speaking out for one another.

    Read More

  • Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

    749 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thought out the entire novel, the author depicted the stereotypes of women and the mental and physical harm that resulted from the inferiority. Meanwhile, men craved to be overpowering, both on the battlefield and in the community. The gender differences were in just. both gender should be equal and have equal advantages to becoming the stronger version of themselves.

    Read More

  • Collins' Theory of Intersectionality

    573 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gender order according to our text is labeled as “hierarchal” (2008), stating that “Men dominate women in terms of wealth, power, and social position, but not all men dominate all women” (2008). While this may be true, it is creating a divide between the two genders. This divide is apparent by looking at the pay scales between men and women, and even how the genders are looked at in terms of jobs or college admissions. Looking at today’s society however, women are slowly rising to compete with their male counterparts, in many ways, from education, government, and even television, for example Oprah Winfrey.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles and Stereotypes Explored in Judy Mann's The Difference and Bernard Lefkowitz's Our Guys

    1623 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gender Roles and Stereotypes Explored in Judy Mann's The The Difference: Growing Up Female in America and Bernard Lefkowitz's Our Guys

    Read More

  • Treatment Of Women In Homer's Odyssey

    478 Words  | 1 Pages

    On the other hand, you have women who accept their place in the world and they let men handle some of the tougher situations. Later, in the book a character named Penelope airs who is a very independent woman. Penelope used her wisdom, so she wouldn’t be forced into marriage so would trick the suitors. Even though Penelope was just as smart as the men she was still looked down upon. An example of gender inequality nowadays is when women are expected to stay at home because they are not fit to work like men.

    Read More

  • Feminist Criticism In Frankenstein

    1030 Words  | 3 Pages

    The feminist perspective of looking at a work of literature includes examining how both sexes are portrayed

    Read More

  • Joan Of Arc Stereotypes Of Women

    424 Words  | 1 Pages

    Although, over time females presences has become very prominent in the world, seemingly this trend first started appearing within stories. First making their appearance as maybe a motherly and caring damsel in distress character archetype that was meant to push the main male protagonist forward on his quest. However, this stereotype was broken and barriers were left behind within True Grit and The Personal Recollection of Joan of Arc. In both these novels the main characters were in fact females and acted ahead of their times in terms of creating equality within a male dominant society, otherwise known as feminism.

    Read More

  • Beowulf Gender Roles Essay

    1038 Words  | 3 Pages

    It ranges from how men and women are treated, to the purpose that they serve in literature. The gender roles in literature change over time just as society does. Men use to be the most prominently seen in literature as opposed to women. Women were more of supporting characters than actual main characters that played an important role in the plot. However, there are always exceptions to this that, in result, are very interesting to view.

    Read More

  • A Comparison of The Yellow Wallpaper and Daisy Miller

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    Society continually places specific and often restrictive standards on the female gender.  While modern women have overcome many unfair prejudices, late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century women were forced to deal with a less than understanding culture.  Different people had various ways of voicing their opinions concerning gender inequalities, including expressing themselves through literature.  By writing a fictional story, authors like Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Henry James were given the opportunity to let readers understand and develop their own ideas on such a serious topic.

    Read More

  • Why Women Still Can T Have It All

    1240 Words  | 3 Pages

    Women are faced with extreme pressure and alienation in their career fields, and on average earn less than men. Men, on the other hand, face similar pressure, while underachieving compared to women academically, and facing more dangerous occupations. Clearly, this system benefits no one. Michael Kimmel illustrates this point in “A black woman took my job': Michael Kimmel argues that it is in men's interest to work for gender equality.” The title itself emphasizes how the fight for gender equality will benefit both genders. He discusses how sexism is harming men by narrowing their worldview (2). Slaughter, Ullman, Kaplan, Dorment, Knestaut, and Miller all agree with Kimmel to some extent. They all agree gender equality does not exist. When all these perspectives are brought together, it becomes clear that it is in the best interest of both genders that the fight for equality is still pursued. Hopefully, one day women will earn as much as their male counterparts and be equally represented in both careers and intentional unemployment, and men will be attaining higher education goals and employed in less dangerous occupations, and both genders will be relieved of some of the pressure to dedicate 100% of their time to both a career, and a

    Read More

  • Women In The Novels Of Toni Morrison And Alice Walker

    1841 Words  | 4 Pages

    Toni Morrison and Alice Walker both have written a lot about the women-women relationship. Most of the protagonists of their novels are let down by their respective patriarchal societies, they are told that they are secondary and sub-standard which brings them closer to the women

    Read More

  • Gender Dominance Between Male and Female

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...e genders. Secondly, the authors reveal gender dominance to observe a reversal affect of gender roles. Next, characterization of women’s praises addresses many successes of men. In addition, the authors highlight women’s inabilities to accomplish their desires. In one novel, the characters present a woman using sexual desires to acquire physical and emotional needs. Although the audience observes the male figure depending on the female figure to survive in the novels, the same actions occur within today’s society. In most families, researchers contemplate female figures as “backbones” of their families. Female figures make critical decisions to assist their families with family conflicts.

    Read More

  • Feminism in The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    “John laughs at me, of course”, The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charoleette Perkin Gilman, allows the reader to have a insight on the terrors a young women faces by her controlling husband, which eventually leads her to insanity. When analyzing gender differences between men and women in the short story The Yellow Wallpaper it became apparent that men have a higher authority over women. Charlotte Perkin Gilman depicts a short story about a young lady that encounters a serve depression that worsens after receiving unusual treatment from her husband John. Using the feminist theory, the reader can analyze how The Yellow Wallpaper embodies the struggles faced by women in the 1800’s and current time, also, relating on the authors own experience living in a society dominated by men.

    Read More

More about Oppression Of Women In Geek Love By Dunn And Maus By Spiegelman

Open Document