A Change of Perspective
During a daring battle in 1782, one brave soldier walked away with two deep flesh wounds caused by bullets. Many soldiers came to her rescue, but she could not risk being discovered as a woman. During the eighteenth century, women were not allowed to pick up a weapon in battle, thus the stories of women going undercover as men to fight started to appear. She was later honorably discharged for being caught, but her bravery was a catalyst for women joining the military. Her story proved that it takes one woman to make a change in society and lead the way for other women. The military is still seen as a primarily male job, but women have proved that they are equally capable. Now, the women make up about 14.5% of the military
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In the Odyssey, Homer takes a bristly approach towards the portrayal of the men. On line 4, Odysseus describes that he “kneaded them in my two strong hands”. Homers choice is these words communicates the men’s power and creates the stereotype that men are all able bodied. He uses Odysseus to portray the strong characteristics that all men have and show his viewpoint of the capabilities of men. Throughout the excerpt, Homer exhibits the able-bodiness of men and shows that men should be put in a higher regard in society. Homer chose to include words such as ‘steadfast’ and ‘comrades’ to describe his men (8,27). The words that he used are showing that his men are loyal to him and they can get through any obstacle that comes to them. Homer is attempting to glorify the strength that men are capable of. In “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood, she apathetically depicts that men are less intelligent than the average women and do not deserve to be higher in society. Atwood describes the song as “the song that forces men to leap overboard in squadrons even though they see the beached skull” (4,5,6). The excerpt conveys that the men’s stupidity blinds them from seeing their obvious death. She attempts to put down the stereotypes put on women and offer a new viewpoint of the sirens. She is countering Homer’s viewpoint by showing that men aren’t as intelligent as shown in the
Within Megan H. Mackenzie’s essay, “Let Women Fight” she points out many facts about women serving in the U.S. military. She emphasizes the three central arguments that people have brought up about women fighting in the military. The arguments she states are that women cannot meet the physical requirements necessary to fight, they simply don’t belong in combat, and that their inclusion in fighting units would disrupt those units’ cohesion and battle readiness. The 1948 Women’s Armed Services Integration Act built a permanent corps of women in all the military departments, which was a big step forward at that time. Although there were many restrictions that were put on women, an increase of women in the U.S. armed forces happened during
In Odysseus's mind he has very good reasons to kill the suitors. He decided to kill them when he found out that they wanted to marry his wife. The suitors has all assumed that he was dead, for 20 years. As a result they tried to marry his wife. Penelope also believed that he was still alive and she tried to delay any marriages. Odysseus's idea to kill them all is not very logical especially because while he was away on his 20 year expedition he cheated on his wife two times. Odysseus actions were very rash. The reader can see this when Eurymachus says, “Rash actions, many here,” (Homer 818). Eurymachus knows that Odysseus has made rash decision and he is trying to show him his ways and how it is bad. Later the reader reads that Odysseus doesn’t really see that and he is just excited to be reunited with his wife.
The title of the novel which I read is “Moby Dick”. The genre of this book is fiction and it is written in novel form. The story takes place in 1851 on the northeastern coast, mainly set in the Atlantic ocean, but also in New York City, and Pittsfield Massachusetts. It tells the story of Ishmael, the protagonist, who is seemingly lost in the world and is trying to make sense of his life. In his opinion, men who board whaling ships are choosing the alternative to suicide. Although Ishmael is the protagonist, and we don’t know as much about him as we do the other characters. A reason for his could be because he is the story’s narrator and doesn’t necessarily talk about himself as much as he talks about what is going on around him.
Homer uses literary elements to develop Odysseus’ character throughout the Odyssey through the use. In Sailing from Troy, due to the Greek rule of hospitality, King Alcinous welcomes Odysseus into his kingdom asking him to recount his adventures. Odysseus introduces himself saying, “ ‘..this fame has gone abroad to the sky’s rim…’ ( Stanza 1, Lines 18-20)”. Through Homer’s use of hyperbole, Odysseus sets an atmosphere around himself of boastfulness and pride when he says that his fame is renowned even to the gods in the heavens. In the same story, Odysseus describes his kingdom and home, Ithaca saying,” ...I shall not see on Earth a place more dear...” Again through the use of hyperbole , Homer shatters the image portrayed of Odysseus as a master of the land and seas, and more of a man who deeply loves his home and family.
With society’s past and present it is apparent that women are still not equal even if they have the title. Men are observably stronger and have a different mentality in situations than women. This is not to say that women should not be in the military but they should have the choice that way they can accept the responsibility and train themselves mentally and physically to achieve the responsibility and respect needed to fight for our country.
One of the more significant roles that women played during the civil war was that of a soldier. Both Union and Confederate armies forbade the enlistment of women, so those that wanted to enlist, crossed gender boundaries and disguised themselves as young men and assumed masculine names. This war was not only a man’s fight, but it was also a woman’s fight. Female civil war soldiers, like the male soldiers, lived in camps, suffered in prisons and died for their respective causes. They were wounded prisoners of war, and killed in action. Going to war was strictly by choice and they were all aware of the risks involved. Many had never fired a rifle before much less contained the understanding of the army way of life, but nevertheless, they still managed and some were very successful.
Many women joined the armed forces in order for the men to launch into combat. They women served as nurses, typists, clerks and mail sorters. Ther...
When it comes to combat assignments and the needs of the military, men take precedence over all other considerations, including career prospects of female service members. Female military members have been encouraged to pursue opportunities and career enhancement within the armed forces, which limit them only to the needs and good of the service due to women being not as “similarly situated” as their male counterparts when it comes to strength or aggressiveness, and are not able to handle combat situations.
“A woman cannot be herself in the society of the present day, which is an exclusively masculine society, with laws framed by men and with a judicial system that judges feminine conduct from a masculine point of view” (Ibsen). This saying also applied to the times of the Odyssey, an epic constructed by the blind, eight century B.C.E. poet, Homer. As one of the few representatives of ancient Greek social order, the blind, Homer witnessed women as substandard to men, regardless of their actions; many of them existed as seductresses, prostitutes, or slaves. He engraved into his poem women’s roles; the roles of women, as mothers, wives, seductresses, and goddesses are exemplified in this epic, when shown in comparison to the men of that era.
In addition, women were depicted as symbols of lust, seduction, and evil who bring destruction to men, undermining the true values of women. Furthermore, women were expected to remain loyal to men while men have no expectation for themselves, which promoted gender inequality. Exemplified by these three elements, it is evident that The Odyssey is a misogynistic text depicting a society where women occupy subservient and inferior positions. The Odyssey exemplifies a society organized and controlled by men where males consistently treated women unequally, depriving them of true freedom. Homer’s male characters often saw women as second-hand citizens who had no true voice in society.
Ruby, J. (2005, November 1). Women in Combat Roles: Is That the Question?. Off Our Backs,35, 36.
The theme of women in the Odyssey is essential in establishing one of the if not the main message in the poem. The paradoxical messages give insights into the lives of the characters and generalizations into the reader's lives. Although this theme would have a noticeable affect on the poem in its absence, it is odd that in a story about war and adventure that they hold such dominating roles. In the setting of the Odyssey, women did not have a status that measured up to that of a man. However, whether seen as demonic or angelic they still hold in the example of Odysseus a significant role in the determination of the final fate of a man.
“The Odyssey” is an epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus and the story of his many travels and adventures. The Odyssey tells the main character’s tale of his journey home to the island of Ithaca after spending ten years fighting in the Trojan War, and his adventures when he returns home and he is reunited with his family and close friends. This literary analysis will examine the story and its characters, relationships, major events, symbols and motifs, and literary devices.
Brains over brawn, who will win this battle?Homer's tale of Odysseus' adventures in “The Odyssey” show that being intelligent and cunning can be far better than having physical strength. Being physically strong certainly has its advantages, but not in all circumstances. Strength in intelligence shows new meaning of strength. Odysseus is amused with himself when he defeats Polyphemus. His great skills with a bow outweigh the others abilities. Knowledge of the placement of his bed win his beloveds heart.
Homer in his time painted a picture of male kings, soldiers, and heroes objectifying and owning women as their due spoils of leadership and/or conquests in games or war. In the Iliad the glory of the men in battle and games and individual fame were the main topics. There was an idea that a code of men existed which must be followed and if it were, that even immortality itself might be won. Contrastingly, in the Odyssey, women remained lovely and feminine yet were cast in to powerful roles both as goddesses and mortals. These goddesses held the life of Odysseus in their hands and his mortal wife Penelope held his future in her hands as she protected their home (Ahrensdorf 589). Penelope is cast in a “to the manner born” depiction in that Homer tells us she is the wife of a king, mother of a prince, and daughter of a king (Fagles 256/ book XIX). The king that was Penelope’s father was King of Sparta, Icarius the fastest runner of his time and only let Odysseus marry her because of losing a footrace to him.