Sexual Objectification In Jennifer Egan's The Black Box

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Jennifer Egan's The Black Box, reads like a manual or a guide for civilian women that voluntarily choose to go undercover to obtain intelligence on terrorists. Egan's work shows women as being sexually objectified. In this work, women are told that "The goal is to be lovely, innocuous, and evolving surprise" and to "Mirror your Designated Mate's attitudes, interests, desires and tastes" (Egan 16,9). Similarly, in the 18th and 19 century women were expected to complement their men and were seen as property and sexual objects. While this is not a new idea, it resonates in the 21st century still and Egan uses her writing to delve into these subjects. By demonstrating the critiques of women's beauty she takes this sexual objectification further

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