History and Traditions as the Root of Violence against Women
Throughout the history, gender has always been a controversial issue that designated the distribution of power, rights, and obedience. The world develops, shaping the new gender roles and encouraging the shift from old perspectives of male-female relationships to new dimensions of the symbiosis. Historically, female body as the physical subject did not belong to a woman rather than was a property of a man. Given the minor role of women in different cultures, women met different forms of suppression as well as physical violence. Nowadays, the global society condemns all forms of discrimination and gender violence in particular. However, along with the historical footprints that depict the world’s past experience, some cultures still prove the relevance of the issue. Raise the Red Lantern and India’s Daughter are two movies that showcase two cultures and two examples of violence against women as
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Raise the Red Lantern is a fiction movie that opens the veil upon China of the 1920s. The warlord era designated the rules for men and women that had to be followed strictly. The main character, Songlian, is a teenage girl whose father died leaving her family with no means of existence. Such circumstances forced the girl’s mother to give Songlian to a Chen family as the fourth wife or the third concubine. In spite of the girl’s dreams to embrace the wider world, her living space was limited to a house of a millionaire, where the only thing she gains, in the end, is her insanity. In this house, every concubine had a separate apartment; and a lit red lantern was the sign of husband’s wish to attend one of his women. Apart from the main hero, other characters also play the game of patriarchal subordination with no exclusions that would have serious and even vital consequences (“Da Hong Deng Long Gao Gao
Culture has the power and ability to give someone spiritual and emotional distinction which shapes one's identity. Without culture society would be less and less diverse. Culture is what gives this earth warmth and color that expands across miles and miles. The author of “The School Days of an Indian Girl”, Zitkala Sa, incorporates the ideals of her Native American culture into her writing. Similarly, Sherman Alexie sheds light onto the hardships he struggled through growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in his book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven in a chapter titled “Indian Education”. While both Zitkala Sa and Sherman Alexie were Native Americans, and take on a similar persona showcasing their native culture in their text, the two diverge in the situations that they face. Zitkala Sa’s writing takes on a more timid shade as she is incorporated into the “white” culture, whereas Alexie more boldly and willingly immerses himself into the culture of the white man. One must leave something in order to realize how
Disney’s 1998 classic tale, Mulan, is renowned as a timeless film, one that inspires young girls everywhere. It is by far the most girl-power filled film in the Disney Princess franchise due to its eponymous heroine who goes to war in place of her father by impersonating a male soldier. Not only does she singlehandedly save the whole country of China, but she also manages to get a husband in the process, with whom she lives happily ever after. Although this sounds like the perfect tale of girl power, some more sinister themes lay beneath the innocuous, picturesque surface.
The effects from this corrupt enterprise are undeniably painful and scaring. In common societies women are belittled and objectified excessively, it is hardly considered a conflict when unimaginable pain is inflicted upon them. The physical, emotional, and mental distortion and destruction, caused by violence last an eternity. The inane fear, agony of sha...
Part one, “The Framework of Violence against Women,” sets the blueprint for what drives individuals, particularly men, to act on their impulses of violence triggered by an underlying fear or loathing, especially those instances of sexual depravity. Sex is comparable to power, creating power over others and thus creating a sense of power within. Violence is introduced at an early age, found in children’s cartoons, television shows, and popular video games. Society has become numb to the objectification of women to the point that violence has become accepted, and the behaviors are not only justified by the oppressor, but also believed by
Religion and human nature combined tend to create a superiority complex among those who perceive themselves as having better, or more, faith. Religion is generally perceived as singular, but humans choose to dynamically express their faith, whether that be by love or war. Gandhi, depicted the movie Gandhi directed by Richard Attenborough, in the face of Muslims protesting Hindus, declared: “I am a Muslim and a Hindu and a Christian and a Jew and so are all of you,” and that perception of himself and others influenced a mass ethnic and religious revolution that enlightened India. Gandhi opened the world to revolutionary ideas -- the strength in tolerance, the pluralism in religion, and the unification of all mankind.
In today 's society, women have been getting more attention on important issues that affect their lives. Feminism is becoming more popular and people are starting to realize the inequality that woman face is more than just a small scale issue. The sexism and oppression that are the result of living in a patriarchal society, play a large role in how women in our culture are treated. The effects that living in this society have had on the individuals that take part in these societies, are very commonly highlighted by the media. The objectification of women in the media has become a very serious issue. Although at first glance this may not seem to be such a problem, but these constant objectifications in the media subliminally become an acceptable reality for men and women alike. “Conflict theorists argue that gender inequality
Similarly, the issue of gendercide is seen in the film “It’s a Girl”. Gendercide is not only executed through feticide, but is also present in older, usually married women through dowry and other forms of gender based violence. The film takes place in patriarchally structured India and China, and opens by disclosing the ratio of boys to girls in the world, 105:100, and then specifies that ratio in nations that value male lives, which is 140:100 (0:05). Parents in these nations often kill their young female children, justifying the act by noting that the children will die in one minute (usually via asphyxiation), rather than suffer day by day existing as a woman in a male-privileged society (0:08). When women in India get married, their families
The film “Double Indemnity” shows one kind of women which is called “femme fatales” that is totally opposite to the traditional image of female. Traditional feminine characteristics are weakness, emotional expression, dependence and fragility. In fact, some individuals consider the role that women plays feudally as the one whose whole life should be sacrificed for and dependent on their husbands and children rather than living independently. The occurrence of the film named “Double Indemnity”, made the group of people who believe in their feudal thoughts dissatisfied because of the chief actress’s crime. In fact, by considering the history of America, people can understand the reason for this movie’s tragic outcome. “As World War II was coming, America became prosperous and families were reunited. Besides this, at that time, soldiers returned to their hometown, plan to marry and set up households” (Bordwell and Thompson 325). Moreover, “America was becoming traditional and conservative gradually, especially with regard to women”(JansB. Wager 73). “During the period of World War II, the percentage that female occupied for the labor force has increased by about fifty percent. Then, individuals who support patriarchal system considered women as a threat which might change the traditional lifestyle and
Women are living in a patriarchal society which contributes to gender inequality. It dominates most of the institutions of society like; religion, the family politics, and the work place. The International Encyclopedia of Social Sciences describes patriarchy as a social structural phenomenon in which males have the privilege of dominance over females, both visibly and subliminally. The value of women is often reduced to the role of Trophies, housekeepers and reproductive tools. “Because the subordination of women to men is a feature in the majority of all societies, patriarchy is often argued to be due to biology, such as women’s principal role in childbearing.”(Darity) Patriarchy is the cultural norm of many societies so it is seen as natural. “Bloodchild” challenges how natural the role is by reversing the roles and showing a parasitic male pregnancy.
Since the beginning of time, women have strived to achieve an equal status in society. The vast majority of women have rebelled against the norm for equal status. As if washing the dirt off one’s hands, women are forgotten for all of their achievements. The identity of women in the Western world has evolved from domesticity and servility, and moved toward their valuation as individuals of intellect, talent, and independence. The culture about women’s empowerment has been reflected in literature and history throughout many ages.
A lady is an object, one which men attempt to dominate. A man craves to get a hold of this being beneath his command, and forever have her at his disposal. In her piece “Size Six: The Western Women’s Harem,” published in 2002, Fatema Mernissi illustrates how Eastern and Western women are subjugated by the control of men. Mernissi argues that though she may have derived from a society where a woman has to cover her face, a Western woman has to face daily atrocities far worse then ones an Eastern woman will encounter. Moreover, Mernissi’s core dogma in “Size 6: The Western Women's Harem” is that Western women are not more fortunate than women raised into harems in other societies. Additionally, she asserts that though women in the Western world are given liberties, they coincide with the unattainable ideals of what is aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, to strengthen her argument towards her wavering audience, Mernissi’s main approach in her paper is to get the reader to relate with her issue by means of an emotional appeal, while also utilizing both the ethical and logical appeal to support her thesis.
Constitutional patriarchy instilled by the government in Central Europe greatly affected women during the time period following World War I. Communism attempted to give women more rights and promote their equality among men, but it failed to do so often. As a regime, patriarchy favored masculine gender roles throughout numerous aspects of society. Loves of a Blonde, Man is Not a Bird, Daisies, and A Woman Alone display the effect of patriarchy on women and how women could be successful or unsuccessful on attempting to go against it. The women in the films showed how women were pressured by society to accept relationships and a role in family, which were repressive. However, not all women conformed to the pressure and attempted to change their lives by taking different attitudes and actions toward the situation. By observing these films, a viewer can receive a viewpoint on how patriarchal society affected women and how women acted on their positions.
Also, the film revealed women empowerment and how superior they can be compared to men. While demonstrating sexual objectification, empowerment, there was also sexual exploitation of the women, shown through the film. Throughout this essay, gender based issues that were associated with the film character will be demonstrated while connecting to the real world and popular culture.
The representation of violence exacted upon women in cinema is inextricable from being projected upon all women. To provide a scene that objectifies the female is to reduce the feminine form to its non-dual state, e.g., a sexual object providing a vessel for male gratification (hubris and sexual) rather then being defined by its duality of sentient and physical forms. Those who construct scenes of violence against women are bound to a moral responsibility to subjectify the woman’s perspective, thus reestablishing the female as a victim rather then an object and rendering the act of violence intelligible (deplorable, open to interpretation).
Violence against women in India is one of the biggest issues that is rooted in traditional culture and economic dependence. There are many laws that underline the discriminatory practices that favor men. Inadequate policing and jurisdiction denies female victims from proper protection and justice, although female partaking in public life is on the rise, and are trying to have laws amended in their favor. India is currently in America’s past and has a long way to go to make its women equal citizens in their own country. But what separates India from America? In India, the society grows up in a situation where they perceive violence against women to be the norm. The majority of the violence against women is in the form of domestic violence, commonly resulting in deaths and cruelties. A common example is the social acceptance of the dowry system.