The Story Behind the Scars “The Other Side of Paradise: A Memoir” is a vivid recollection of Staceyann Chin's traumatic childhood as she discovers her voice and identity growing up in Jamaica beginning in 1972. At the age of four, Staceyann is already experiencing the oppressions related with being a girl. Delano, her older brother by two years, is the only male in the house as both of their fathers are out of the picture. Since they are both raised by their deaf and illiterate grandmother, Delano exercises his masculinity over Staceyann in numerous ways, even at the age of six. Wether it be the games and communication at home or learning in school; Delano is always prioritized over Staceyann. Although they both long for the return of their mother whom abandoned them after Staceyann was born, it is she who is affected in the long run. Bounced around to different families, Staceyann has issues with keeping her mouth shut, thus landing her in tons of trouble all the time. Every adult figure she has to deal with relies on The Bible for punishment reinforcement. “Stacey, the Good Book tell us, In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (pg 7, The Other Side of Paradise).” When every answer is in relation to The Bible, Staceyann is always left lost and confused. If God is responsible for everything, why is she left motherless in poverty? Her journey continues as she excels through grade school and into high school. Along the way she encounters a few relationships with boys, but is never fully able to trust them due to her being sexually assaulted numerous times as a child. As Staceyann meets her mother and visits with her father, she is forced at a young age to fend for herself. In a stru... ... middle of paper ... ...3.html>. Shaw, Susan M., and Janet Lee. Women's voices, feminist visions: classic and contemporary readings. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print. "Staceyann Chin." Facebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. . "Staceyann Chin." The Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. . "Staceyann Chin > Quotes." Staceyann Chin Quotes (Author of The Other Side of Paradise). N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. . "Tim Wise: On White Privilege (Clip)." YouTube. YouTube, 19 Feb. 2008. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. . "Violence against women-it's a men's issue." Jackson Katz:. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. .
Rampton, M. (2008). The Three Waves of Feminism . Retrieved from The Magazine of Pacific University.
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National data gives us an indication of the severity of this issue. When 1 in 5-woman report being victims of severe physical violence (NISVS, 2010), we must ask ourselves if enough is being done to prevent this from occurring. From a historical point, there has always almost been a distinction from men on woman violence. Based on the disparity of cases reported, male inflicted violence on females is much higher and prevalent. When the perpetrators of DV, and IPV are predominately males, we can no longer dismissed this issue as a cultural, or
Rampton, M. (2008, September 1). The Three Waves of Feminism. - Fall 2008. Retrieved May 28, 2014, http://www.pacificu.edu/magazine_archives/2008/fall/echoes/feminism.cfm
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...ignificant to the women’s movement, but also to contemporary scholarship where women’s voices are often marginalized and silenced over their male counterparts. Challenging the “contemporary academic and cultural scene” forces women to regain their place in western rhetorical history while also urging women to be aware of the importance in writing themselves into history (Glenn 181). Willard speaks of the action women must take in order to persevere over female hardship; she states, “The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.” With these words, it is important to consider that change is not met by stagnation of a voice, but instead it is initiated by passionate women who within their voices can reach a majority of opposing listeners fearlessly and demand with great articulation that change must persist.
As you have seen, the feminist movement in America began with women writers, women who took a stance through their writing to make a change. Political upheavals, such as this one allow me to witness women’s resistance and resilience. Yet, it is only through their writings that I come to realize the importance of their contributions in shaping the political landscape, which was a stepping stone towards forming consciousness of women’s equality, and has ultimately inspired revisions to societal norms that connect past, present and future women.
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As women, those of us who identify as feminists have rebelled against the status quo and redefined what it means to be a strong and powerful woman. But at what cost do these advances come with?... ... middle of paper ... ... Retrieved April 12, 2014, from http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/genwom/whatisfem.htm Bidgood, J. 2014, April 8 -.
... a wide array of varying groups of women. In conjunction with feminist projects, the promotion of women interest being recognized and heard is ongoing. Broader feminist project are insisting that women be heard, even with the possibility of them having to take more refined methods to authority through acts of resistance. Feminist scholars have served as influential advocates in the longing for women’s rights for pay equity throughout the United States and have stressed that women have the right to make choices for themselves, free of male dominance or foreseeing factors. However, there has been increasing awareness that these factors attempting to be rectified are not necessarily issues for all women around the world. Feminist anthropology has attempted to bring to emphasize their concerns and to find ways in which these women can empower themselves to urge change.