Women s View Of A Patriarchal World - 1279 Words

With a medieval Europe’s view of a patriarchal world, the idea of women as an inferiority to men was inevitable. However, the idea of women being â€Å"the wicked of all wickedness† (Kramer) elevated such view into what we know as misogyny. The medieval witch trials exemplifies the product of gender specific hatred outweighing the initial view of religious cleansing and stability. Thus, one argues that while both men and women were accused of being witches, the driving force behind such hysterical event was a fear or hatred of women by authorities- who were in fact mainly men. In the early stages of the witch craze some theologians saw the need to repress such hysteria before it was too late. One such theologian, Saint Augustine argued that God alone could suspend the normal laws of the universe. In his view, â€Å"neither Satan nor witches had supernatural powers or were capable of effectively invoking magic of any sort. It was the error of the pagans to believe in some other divine power than the one God. Of course, if witches are indeed powerless, the Church need not overly concern itself with their spells or other attempts at mischief † (Linder, 2005). But, with the belief of the devil’s agenda to tempt the followers of God into wrongdoings, the Roman Catholics decentralized the idea of magic into two phases; that of god – which is good magic, and that of the devil- which is witchcraft or sorcery. An outlook that Thomas Aquinas expanded on in his work the SummaShow MoreRelatedFeminism In The Handmaids Tale1709 Words   |  7 P agesThe Republic of Gilead, a dystopian world with a patriarchal society, is displayed in Atwood’s, The Handmaid’s Tale. More specifically, the novel takes place in what used to be considered the United States but is now being called the Republic of Gilead where freedoms and rights have been excluded, especially for women. The society nurtures a â€Å"theocratic, patriarchal, nightmare world created by men, with the complicity of women† (â€Å"Margaret (Eleanor) Atwood†). The separation of the freedoms betweenRead MoreOppression In The Yellow Wallpaper1422 Words   |  6 PagesGilman sheds light on the social oppression women faced in their everyday lives. The story was told in first person to enable the reader to view the injustice that women had to endure at the time. In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† Gilman successfully used first person to expose the discrimination women faced at the end of her century, without the use of first person, Gilmanâ⠂¬â„¢s message would have gone unheard. From the very beginning, Gilman absorbs you into the world of the protagonist as she battles herRead MoreWomenS Rights And Economic Progress Are Highly Correlated.1212 Words   |  5 PagesWomen s rights and economic progress are highly correlated. In today s developed countries, by large, women hold the same legal rights as men. Two hundred years ago, in most parts of the world women were considered possessions of men and had no primary benefits of their own, thus living in Patriarchal societies. â€Å"Patriarchy is a social structure in which men are regarded as having a monopoly on power and women are expected to submit.†(Boundless, Par. 1) The sources of patriarchy are closely relatedRead MoreHow Has White Patriarchy Affected Black Masculinity?1339 Words   |  6 PagesEssay: How has white patriarchy affected black masculinity? White patriarchy has strongly affected black masculinity in many ways. Historically, as slaves black men were taught that dominance and patriarchal control over women was their right, and an integral part of masculinity.1 Living in white patriarchal society, where powerful white men are the standard of masculinity, many black men may struggle to find an identity which reflects themselves in a society where they are considered â€Å"other.† Due toRead MoreJane Bronte s The Modern World Of Women1512 Words   |  7 PagesCharlotte Bronte’s Shirley is a novel which challenges and reflects the 19th century ideology of the world of women, which was restricted and unwavering at the time. Bronte’s detailed portrayal of female characters navigate the tropes of conventional femininity in her novel, in which she has created a clear spectrum of femininity and unfemininity. The female character’s main roles and functions demonstrate the ways in which they allocate va rious socio-economic indicators for marriage, how they defineRead MoreA Patriarchal Society By Jean Rhys s Wide Sargasso Sea801 Words   |  4 PagesA patriarchal society is a world in which men are the sole decision makers and hold positions of power. As a result, women are introduced to a world made by men, and a history refined by a man s actions. In Jean Rhys s Wide Sargasso Sea, conceptions of gender are purposefully problematized. Women characters such as Antoinette and Christophine are pitilessly exposed to constraints of an imperial world.Wide Sargasso Sea presents a modern form of feminism which takes into account the intricacy ofRead MoreConflict Between Cultural And Historical Norms893 Words   |  4 PagesWomen, whether in the western world or third world countries, are socialised in patriarchal societies where misogyny is often internalised. As a result women often make choices, which reflect their subordinate status to keep to the norm and stabilise themselves econom ically and socially. Women in countries in sub- Saharan Africa, South and East Asian areas, though in differing contexts face similar struggles of subservience and manipulation. Women accommodate, resist or adapt to the sexist oppressiveRead MoreThe Rise And Influence Of The Feminist Movement1472 Words   |  6 Pagesthe 1970’s Throughout history, America has often distinguished men as primary leaders who have the utmost dominance. Whether it is the political, economical, or social status of a person, men have persistently controlled –with few rights given to women. For centuries, women were treated as their husband’s property; they did not have legal rights of any kind when it came to money and did not have management over their earnings (History-World). With men being the superior power, women had lessRead MoreThe Theory And The Animal Liberationist One Of The Great Part Of It By Linda Hogan1712 Words   |  7 Pagessymptoms of the disease and trying to undermine their effects rather than dealing with the roots of the disease itself would not result in the total healing of it. That is why dealing with the conceptual roots of the connection between the oppression of women and the oppression of nature is a must. That is why studying mythology is essential here because it is the myth that forms the conscious of the peoples and somehow represents the roots from which they gain their true essence and consequently theirRead MoreThe Wife Of Bath Tales And Chaucers The Canterbury Tales791 Words   |  4 Pagesappalling degradation of women as being witches, foul-fiends and tempting creatures in literature, too. She admits that men’s â€Å"dead body did not feel the spade and the sewer as [her] live body felt the fire† (92). Shakespeare depicts Joan, in Henry VI, as â€Å"a ‘troll,’ ‘witch,’ ‘strumpet,’ ‘foul fiend of France’ (qtd. in Sarawsat 90). Likewise, Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales represents the ‘wife of Bath Tale’ as bawdy. The protagonist Alison â€Å"still submits to the rule of patriarchal world†, she suffers because