Summary Of Roxane Gay's An Untamed State

Women are often described as weak, emotional, and powerless in comparison to men. The general thought is that men, because they are bigger and most times stronger, hold power over women’s minds and bodies. To be a feminist is to advocate for women’s rights in all aspects of humanity. In An Untamed State by Roxane Gay, Gay is able to portray the power of strength and survival in women. Men have a certain incompetence when it comes to expressing true emotion, while women, because of their ability to see things through a compassionate insight, hold the utmost power.

So often are women bashed for being too emotional, or too expressive, and even too compassionate. Feminism, in its simplest form, is campaigning for equality among men and women politically, socially, and economically (dictionary.com). In relation to An Untamed State, Roxane Gay uses the relationships between Mirielle and the men in the novel to show the true power that Miri possesses. When Miri is first kidnapped, she does not truly understand why she is being robbed of her life that she has worked so hard for. She finally has the

After the first few times that Miri was raped, TiPierre took it upon himself to pay off the other men in the house so that he could feel that Mirielle belonged to him. As TiPierre begins to undress, Miri tells him that he does not deserve her mind or her body. TiPierre replies, “I have every right. You think you’re too good for me? Is that what you think?” (Gay 196). TiPierre has the twisted idea that he is meant for Mirielle. In his mind, what he is doing to her is acceptable, and maybe even good for her. TiPierre is so adamant of making Mirielle his that he doesn’t see how corrupt the entire situation is. Instead of learning how to treat a woman with respect, the men that live in the Commander’s house have been taught how to use violence to abuse a woman emotionally and