Monthly Archives: November 2015

“In Camera” by Nawal el Saadawi

Uncategorized,

Nawal El Saadawi’s “In Camera” is all about Leila Al-Fargani’s courtroom trial. As a female in a male dominated world she is constantly describing her experience to that of an animal. For example, Leila states “for a long time she’d been a small animal inside a dark and remote cave and when they addressed her, they only used animal names” (1108). This not only demonstrates the low value society places upon women but it also shows how little Leila feels of herself. She is on trial for “acting out” against the president by referring to him as stupid. However, it was Leila who was abused, raped, and mentally destroyed. Yet, society sees her as the criminal and not the victim. This story written by an Egyptian author and this story encompasses the nature of the political system in Egypt. It captures the essence of what the Egyptian government prioritized and valued, males. What’s upsetting about the situation is that Leila is not even acting out. She is simply stating her point of view, a freedom of expression, that should be a God given right for everyone in the world.

As an Egyptian female I can personally relate to what is being discussed in the novel as it still happens on a daily basis in Egypt. Many females are taught to be obedient to men as a form of respect. The ideology that women are suppose to do what men say is something that is thoroughly believed to this day so when a woman acts out strong repercussions occur. As a country that is trying to develop the fact that women get abused constantly by their spouse is unacceptable. This narrative tries to bring awareness to the issue as the descriptive language allows the reader to visualize the graphic scene Leila had to go through. This tale is meant to spark discussion and bring light to topics like rape and physical abuse since they are seen as controversial and usually happen under closed doors. It’s time to make women understand that there is no shame for they are the victim in the situation. There is no need for Leila and other abused victims to feel like animals. Women have a mind of their own and can do what is best for them unlike animals that are controlled by human beings. “In Camera” attempts to break barriers, tell women that they are worth more than their reproductive organs, and that they should not take abuse from anyone. It is the men who do this that are stupid, not the women who face this heinous act.

“In Camera”

Uncategorized, , , , , , , , ,

Nawal el Saadawi’s “In Camera” is a short story about how a young woman named Leila Al-Fargani is put on trial for something ridiculous: referring to the President as ‘stupid’. Saadawi writes about many issues, including the roles of women and the dehumanization of the female sex.

Throughout this time period, especially in Egypt, women were considered inferior to men and were told not to speak most of the time. This is exactly what Leila Al-Fargani does, as she speaks her mind and calls the President ‘stupid.’ The President is portrayed in a somewhat godly fashion, as the judge states: “This student, who is not yet twenty years old, refers to Him, whom God protect to lead this noble nation all his life, as ‘stupid.'” However, his high status wasn’t what got her trouble, but the destruction of societal boundaries is what got her in trouble. Clearly, Leila is put on trial for disobeying the societal norms. This claim is furthered when her mother asks: “What’s politics got to do with you? You’re not a man. Girls of your age think only about marriage” (1109). Women were not allowed to do the things that men were able to do, especially politics, since she was living in a fairly patriarchal society. Women weren’t meant to live for themselves, but for men. Saadawi sees fault in this, since women had their own lives to live and their own opinions, so they should be able to state what they feel, without being punished by other males, which is in this case, the judge and the President.

Another evident theme in this short story, is the issue of violence against women. Throughout the story, Leila has flashbacks of a series of terrible events. She constantly remembers the incident where a group of men raped her, until “her tongue, her eyes, her mouth, her nose, all part of her body, were constrained” (1106). While she is being raped, one of the men say: “This is the way we torture you women – by depriving you of the most valuable thing you possess” (1113). This clearly illustrates what men felt towards women, as they felt that the only thing valuable about a woman is what is in between their legs. However, Leila responds with “You fool! And the most valuable thing I possess is not between my legs. You’re all stupid. And the most stupid among you is the one who leads you” (1113). Her response furthers the idea the Leila, unlike other women, was able to speak her thoughts, without the fear of punishment from men.

El Saadawi’s writing is one of the many stories that questions the roles of women, like Wollstonecraft, Sor Juana, etc. It is very interesting how in all different parts of the world, women were considering inferior to men, and how these group of women authors went against what was expected of them, and wrote powerful stories that strove to make a change.

 

Diving into the Wreck by Adrienne Rich

Uncategorized, , ,

In the poem “Diving into the Wreck”, Adrienne Rich describes a dive into the ocean, from the boat, then to a ship wreck. During the beginning of the poem, she mentions that she is not diving into the wreck with a team of people, but she is doing it alone. Then she mentions the ladder, which is a literal passage way from the boat, into the ocean. She explains that “The ladder is always there/hanging innocently/close to the side of the schooner./We know what it is for,/we who have used it” (13-18). The ladder on the boat is a metaphor for a passage way into the wreck, it is what she needs to start her journey. She repeats “we” to show that yes she is alone, but not really alone, because people have taken this dive before. People have attempted to record the dive into the wreck, and they’ve all done it alone. This is why she must take the journey alone, without a team.

Diving into the wreck is a symbol of going into the past. Rich is attempting to change the future of women, but in order to do that, she must first “see the damage that was done” (55). The wreck itself is the history of women during male dominated times. This history, where the damage occurred, is the key to the answer of why the myths of gender roles exist today. Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own” is also in a sense a dive into the wreck. She was one of the people to journey into the wreck, and is why Rich is not completely alone. Similarly to how Rich was journeying into the past to discover why certain myths exist today, Woolf was also going into the past, attempting to deconstruct why there still existed this gender consciousness, which inhibited both men and women to write to the best of their ability.

The voice of Rich shifts between “I”, which was prevalent in the beginning and middle of the text, to “we”, being used toward the end. When Rich makes it to the wreck she states: “I am here, the mermaid whose dark hair/streams black, the merman in his armored body./We circle silently” (61-64). Rich did not meet another male, nor is she both male and female. With switching to “we” instead of “I”, she is conveying that she is not thinking like women nor a man, but she is thinking like both, mixed together. This notion of being both male and female, or thinking objectively, can be traced back to the ideas and desires of Woolf for men and women in literature to come together in unity. Because in the wreckage, or within history, you can find man’s attempt to exert their superiority, and women’s sense of inferiority. The inhibitions in both sexes is the book of myths. It is what hinders society progression in both writing, and in general life.

Adrienne Rich’s “Diving into the Wreck” is more than you may think

Uncategorized

Adrienne Rich uses a style of writing which seems direct, but packs a much more significant punch when looked at deeply. In her work “Diving into the Wreck”, she uses the theme of exploration to discuss the act of diving to a ship wreck. Several hints can be seen in the poem that suggests that it is about more than just diving to look at a ship which has sunk. Rich says, “The words are purposes. The words are maps” implying that her writing may be a map to something more significant than a shipwreck, as well as packing a purpose behind each line which is more than just a story. Most divers dive to see a shipwreck in order to analyze the myths associated with it, as well as to see why it may have happened. Instead, Rich says “The wreck and not the story of the wreck, the thing itself and not the myth” which is unusual for a diver to say since most people dive for the story itself. To me as a reader, this was significant because it seemed to imply yet again that this “exploration of a shipwreck” so to say, is actually more than that, and may actually be an exploration of human contact with nature. The reason I came up with that is because the thing itself, or the act of diving itself, may be more important here than the shipwreck. The shipwreck seems like a backdrop to a main scene in a play.

As Rich discusses details like “The oxygen immerses me” and “I go down. My flippers cripple me”, one comes to realize that humans are at the control of nature. The detailed description of the power that nature has over humans can be seen as she dives under water and is very limited with her abilities. She also says that “the (power of) the sea is another story” implying that it is so immense; it requires a separate story to tell it.

As readers of this “deep poem” we are immersed into nature, and everything to us seems different than we are used to. Nature takes over this poem like a coral reef takes over a shipwreck and we are literally surrounded by it. The contact humans have with nature during a dive is the most intense that is possible. Rich explains the details that are visible during this dive and the significance of the literal explanation is overpowering. One feels powerless to the effects and powers of nature, which in this case is the sea. Overall, her work is amazing and makes the reader excited to read more.

Chike’s School Days Analysis

Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

In Chinua Achebe’s literature, Chike’s School Days, there is a strong emphasis on the cultural difference between two different civilizations. In the context, two civilizations are Baptism and white’s Christianity civilization.

First, the author introduced Chike’s names, John, Chike and Obiajulu showing that people who believe in Baptism have three names consisting of English and African names. The reason why people would give a kid three name might be for different representation. John is simply an English name but, in the text, English seems to be very powerful that it changed many aspects of Chike’s family. Or an English name simply will give one higher level of power like when Chike refused neighbor’s yam arrogantly. It is clear that “being white” will give one some sort of superiority.” And for the name, Obiajulu, meaning “the mind at last is at rest, is a very symbolic name for a kid that represents the kid. It is very interesting on that one could know something about another by simply reading his/her name. But meanwhile, this juxtaposition of English and African names contrast the fact that English name is often meaningless beside it is being an English name. It is really sad when comparing to African’s name whereas each name is designed specifically to that person’s fact while English name was simply an English name. In the beginning of the story, name plays a big role on differentiating English and African cultures.

As previously mentioned, the title of “English” or “being English” or “living like English” seems to give a person a superiority over others even though the one may not is as noble as real English. This idea could be evidenced by the example when Chike refused neighbor’s yam with rude languages. Because Chike is brought up under “white education,” the way he acts, in the story, embodies whites’ behaviors. Despite the fact that Chike’s mother is lowest class person, Chike did not feel inferior to it but instead he felt proud or he was taught to be proud of being educated in “white way.” However, it is a very ironic that people in white education dress nice uniforms of white shirt and brown khaki shorts, but they are totally not as polite and civilized as those who did not wear or study in “white” education. Achebe shows that the often “white” of everything is always the best but it is not true. “White” is just a very superficial way to describe someone but “white” does not really give any advantage to anything. This shows that how people in Africa have view white as in their country.

Clearly, Achebe has demonstrated different values from two different cultures despite the fact that this text is very short. It is always very surprising that people label one culture superior than the other due to the race instead of the true values the culture possesses.

“Two Sisters” by Ama Ata Aidoo

Uncategorized

In the reading of “Two Sister”, the author Ama Ata Aidoo uses the insight of two sisters to identify the conflict between the past and the present society’s appearances. According to the reading, we noticed that there were differences and changes during the gap of ages between the two sisters. To be introduced, Connie is the elder sister who has traditional values with her identity as a woman who takes well care of a family and as a wife whom obedient to her husband named James. She is basically a standard wife that all people were expected to be in the past. Mercy is the younger sister whose values was followed the changes of society that willing to take advantages from the powerful men. In order words, Mercy prefers to have someone to contents her with materials instead of real love. For instance, “the new pair of black shoes”(p.995), “the handbag”(p.999), and “the estate house”(p.1002) that Mercy received from the governor Mensar-Arthur are the supporting evidences that indicates Mercy is a selfish and materialistic girl who only cares about her desire of luxury lifestyle. Her ignorance of her sister Connie’s preoccupation according to the traditional values shows the conflict between the point of view from Connie and the point of view from herself. Therefore, this conflict is not only the problem of the two sisters, but also the issue of the society value from the past and the present.

The situations and objects in Mercy’s daily life affected Mercy’s thought. In the beginning, when the bus passed through Mercy, she felt painful to wait for the next bus and wished for someone who has cars to pick her up everyday from work. At this time, her willingness of being admired implants in her mind. The appearance of “the new pair of black shoes” is the symbol of something happening to her. Because of wearing “the pair of shoes”, she experiences the joy that materials bring her and makes her feel valuable from men. In addition, when Mensar-Arthur came to pick her up with a nice car and appeased her with her satisfaction, she strongly feels herself deserve to have this kind life. Therefore, she has more confidence to admit this is what she dreams of. After she confirmed materials provide her fulfillment in her life, she never feel regret about what she have done. To show Mercy’s enjoyment, having relationship with another powerful man “Captain Ashey” is a proof to show her belief of women can have “happiness” without having a high paying job and high educational achievement. She also experience superiority over men because she is able to demand what she wants from a man.

A girl being materialistic is not only the responsibility of herself. It is also the responsibility of the society. In the article, only Mercy’s sister Connie is concern and criticize the performance of Mercy. The husband of Connie, James, plays the supportive role of Mercy’s actions. Also, the phenomenon of the society encourages Mercy to continue with the ways she gets fulfillment from. So that, Mercy does not realize her mistake that she had made.

“Two Sisters” by Ama Ata Aidoo

Uncategorized, , , , , , , , ,

In the story “Two Sisters,” Aidoo raises different aspects of life two sisters are living. Connie is the older sister of Mercy, who is married and has traditional values. Mercy is unmarried and grew up without a paternal care. The story starts off by Mercy preparing to get from work and wonder that life would be easier if she had a “boy-friend” to drive her home and work. In the meanwhile, Mercy does not have other choice than to the public transportation. As soon as she gets home, she complains to her sister that her “fingers are dead with typing” (Aidoo 995). Mercy asked to herself if being a typist is her only choice. Her alternative idea is to date much older men to obtain what she wants because she is not satisfied with the life she has. Once Connie finds out that Mercy is dating an old man, she disagrees with the path her younger sister is taking. Connie tells her sister that she could date Joe, a taxi driver, who can have a prosperous life if he works his way up (Aidoo 996). Here, Mercy sees that Joe would not be able to please her demands, therefore Mercy prefers to seduce older men.

Connie receives Mercy’s boyfriend gift, which Connie says by accepting the gift, it is a betrayal (1002). This betrayal could mean that she is allowing herself to go against her values. To Connie, personal values are that one must work his/her way up to obtain comfort and to be faithful to one man. Connie finds indifferent how Mensar-Arthur, Mercy’s fifty years old boyfriend, is using her sister. Connie’s husband states that Mercy is not indifferent to her boyfriend (Aidoo 1002). Since they are using and manipulating each other. I think Connie is persuaded by Mercy, instead of rejecting the gift right away. Mercy brings to her what she wanted since Connie could not afford it. To Mercy, she self-directs her life. She neither want have any kind of commitment nor belong to anyone. Although Mercy does not follow traditional values, she eventually comes back to her only family, her sister.

Both sisters relate on not following feminist values. Connie allows her husband to have an affair. Although she suspects of her husband being infidel, she does not worry about it than for her younger sister, Mercy. James, her husband, without any hesitation says “you have heard of my newest affair?” (Aidoo 1001). Here, James declares to have had more than one lover, but Connie’s reaction is it was not what she was referring to, with her soft tone of voice continues to worry for her sister (Aidoo 1001). Connie sees James’s affair like anyone could have an affair. Maybe she thinks that it is temporary, therefore she did not pay much attention. Moreover, Mercy sells herself as an object to men. She does not regret what she has been doing. After a few months, Mercy comes back home with a new old rich man like nothing.

 

Anthology Assignment Breakdown

Uncategorized

As stated on your assignment handout, timely and satisfactory completion of the various assignments leading up to the anthology will be factored into your grade as follows (the anthology in total is worth 25% of your grade):

Proposal: 5%

Short essay: 5%

Introduction draft: 5%

Active attendance at both days of presentations: 5%

Complete Project: 80%

A Room of One’s Own

Uncategorized

Chapter 6 of “A Room of One’s Own” begins with Woolf observing a man and woman entering a cab together. Already, we can see the smallest things that Woolf utilizes to express her themes. From this small action of entering a taxi, Woolf conveys the soothing it brings upon her soul. A man and a woman, together, conveys a sense of unity and harmony that ultimately soothes Woolf. She knows for for gender equality in literature, something similar to the man and woman entering the taxi together must happen, but on a larger scale.

This sight leads into the narrator speaking on how one sex cannot exist without the other. For ultimate harmony, men should be accepted as are and women should be accepted as are. There isn’t room for the many gender roles society creates. Men and women should be able to live in peace and write and feel freely, without typical “manliness” or “too feminine” judgements.

Men and women both have fears, especially when it comes to writing. If they could work together, writing fiction freely could be in reach. The narrator argues that fiction is suffering because of the constant struggle of gender consciousness. Whether the gender is fearing inferiority or a loss of superiority, with these fears present, how can either gender reach their full writing potential? The gender consciousness hinders both sexes greatly. One example of this is when the narrator opens up Italian literature. The work was written during Fascist times, and has a masculine undertone to it. She expresses it as “too masculine” and states that the anxiety it gives off comes from inability for men and women to compose literature at peace, especially during a fascist time period. Woolf then expresses that gender superiority and inferiority don’t exist too significantly. The real value is subjective and Woolf then proposes her readers decide a work’s worth on their own.