Wonder Women Analysis

Prisoner of Cultural Fate Growing up in a traditional Punjabi family with both of my parents being born and raised in India has been an experience that I can only fully comprehend now at the age of twenty-three. Realizing how backward our culture is when it comes to women’s equality among family and society is an astonishing thought. Even though there is more gender equality here in America than in India within our households the women are still subjected to live and serve the men of the house. This custom has become almost an unconscious thought, to think of Punjabi women living in a traditional family more than a maid or babysitter would be blasphemous and heretical talk. While reading Gloria Steinem’s article in Ms. Magazine called “Wonder Woman” it dawned upon me that she could be a prime example in the Punjabi community to promote gender equality. Steinem grew up with both parents not being present in her house as they were out traveling, so she had to teach herself how to read. Steinem enjoyed reading comics, especially of Wonder Woman who Steinem viewed as a prominent role model in her life. Wonder Woman had positive

In my household, there are three women, my mother, grandmother, and sister. They all have been taught to serve the men in the house first before helping themselves, and at times they end up eating alone after we are done with our meal. This all starts with arranged marriage with the women in the marriage at times does not have a choice of who she wants to marry. She is given to the groom’s family almost as a gift to bless their house with food and cleaning services with the rest of her life. These norms play a massive part in limiting women of their freedom and also depriving them of their social equality within our