Speechs Atwood, Suu Kyi
Being a woman myself, "...the struggle of women to mould their own destiny and to influence the fate of our global village"- as Aung San Suu Kyi explicitly describes it- is something I am very passionate about. I know to be true that we are incredibly lucky to have been around in the present time, in regards to objectively and retrospectively understanding the principles of Women and the change that has, and I am happy to report, will continue to take place. The empowering speech given by Suu Kyi, along with Margaret Atwood's light and entertaining take on the place of women, although both delivered over a decade ago, resonate with my personal beliefs and inspire me to appreciate in completely different contexts, my most natural state- womanhood. Spotty-Handed Villainesses as just stated, touches on the portrayal of women in forms of literature in a way I have never really seen- she makes a point of defying aspects- without condemning- the two previous waves of feminist views and ideals of portraying women in an angel-like way. "Isn't bad behaviour supposed to be the monoploy of men?" She rhetorically highlights the unrealistic expectation placed upon women by not only men, but women also, which Atwood notes is an ideal portrayed in literature across the board. The point is however, it's the flawed female personas that we can recall, she alludes to Lady Macbeth and Ophelia, and rightfully- who can actually remember more of the latter? Atwood metaphorically refers to female "bad" characters as "keys to doors we need to open, and as mirrors in which we can see more than just a pretty face." I really love this phrase, to me it illustrates something I see many young women today lacking- acceptance in themselves, a lack of positive empowerment and responsibility, and the foresee of possibilities- all in the context of being a woman. We don't need to portray Ophelia, or Jane Bennett, or Cinderella, or Sleeping Beauty, or Alice Cohen, in fact, anything else