Preview

sula feminism

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1249 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
sula feminism
Feminism and anti-feminism in Sula: Right or wrong? Feminism has been in society for decades. In some societies, we see how women are kept in their boundaries. In some countries women have to cover their entire bodies in clothing to keep from dishonoring their families. In most traditional societies a woman is to remain virginal to be considered worthy of marriage. In America, women were constrained to the household and weren’t allowed to work or vote. These actions were and are considered by some, anti-feminist. But, when is feminism taken to far? Has the act of feminism become an excuse for women to act out because we have rights? Or is it ok to do so to be considered liberated. Whenever a woman does something negative she is in hindsight considered a “ho” or a “slut” for lack of better words. This is not only a problem for blacks, but also a problem for all women. Why is it that a man may have sex as he pleases but a woman is looked down upon for doing the same. This is an issue that Toni Morrison addresses in Sula. Sula was looked down upon for being unmarried and having sex. She is looked down upon for not having a steady man. “Selfish. Ain’t no woman got no business floatin’ around without no man.”(Morrison 92.)
Toni Morrison argues that a woman does not need a man. A woman should make herself. Even in todays society some people feel as though a woman should be a housewife or a stay at home mother under the support of her man. “I don’t want to make somebody else. I want to make myself.” Although, a woman should not need a man to make or define her, where is the boundary of feminism? Feminists see this issue in black or white. Either you are jumping from man to man because you don’t “need” one. Or, if you are faithful to a man it seems like you “need” him because he supports you. The issue with this is that a woman may be messing with many men because she feels she needs a man at all times. A woman who is faithful to man may not feel as she needs a

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Thus, in an attempt to further promote equal opportunity between men and women, a second wave of feminism emerged between 1968 and the 1980’s, which can be best characterized by women’s refusal to acclimate to society’s rigid belief of what an ideal woman should be or act like (Mancia, Class, 12/2). This problem is perfectly illustrated in the Feminine Mystique, written by Betty Friedan, in which Friedan discussed the unhappiness of many young women in the 1950’s and early 1960’s despite many of them being married and having children, living the life a woman is “supposed” to have. Furthermore, Friedan complained of young women who were being taught that “truly feminine women do not want careers, higher education, political rights” (Friedan, p. 271). Instead, they were being taught that it was a woman’s “job” to essentially be a housewife (i.e. stay home, clean the house, make food for her family, take care of the kids, etc...) (Friedan, p. 273). However, Friedan largely opposed this view and believed that it embodied the false prototypical stereotype about women. Rather, Friedan believed that a truly feminine woman would do just the exact opposite and does aim for a career, higher education, and political rights in the same way that a man would (Mancia, Class,…

    • 738 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    According to the dictionary, feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. This means that what a feminist wants is not a matriarchal society where men are oppressed by domineering women, but equality for women. This doctrine has existed for many years, and it first became prominent during the late eighteenth century. However, if we are to explore how feminism affects society today, we must focus on its more recent history. Specifically, the “second wave” of feminism which arose during the 1950s and 1960s. This new feminist movement arose a few years after the publication of The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. This book struck a nerve with the American housewife, and caused many to question if all a woman was capable of doing was merely cooking, cleaning, and pleasing her husband. In 1966 Friedan and others formed an activist group named the National Organization for Women, or NOW. This group demanded equal pay for equal work and enforcement of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination in employment due to race and/or gender. As the feminist movement progressed, more and more women began to stand up for their rights, until in 1980, when women comprised the majority of undergraduates. But enough with history, how does feminism exist in our society today? First we must take a look at how feminism is perceived. According to…

    • 1213 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Feminism In Penny Weiss

    • 116 Words
    • 1 Page

    Feminism has been born through decades of ignorance and misguidance, a perception of a weaker sex, and a belief that equality is not truly meant for all. Because of this deprivation of equality and privileges that exist exclusively for men, decades of work have been put forth from the feminist movement to ensure that no woman will any longer be held back or have opportunities revoked simply for having the status of a “weaker” gender. Before taking this class, I was hesitant to ever label myself in such a manner and questioned those who had, but after reading Penny Weiss’ revealing piece “I am not a feminist, but …” I no longer have that same reluctance.…

    • 116 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Tong, R., Williams, N.(2009,May 4) Feminist Ethics. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (Fall 2009 Edition). Retrieved June 22, 2010, from SEP: http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2009/entries/feminism-ethics/…

    • 1775 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In many cultures, women are expected to be nurturers who care for their husbands and children. It is considered the role that most significantly defines women and the one, above all, that they should aspire to. Sandra Cisneros wants girls to know that they do not have to define themselves based on other’s definitions of them, because they have powerful voices by which to define themselves.…

    • 822 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Feminism is defined as, "the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men" yet all around women seem to be taking a step back from such "progress" they have so called "fought" for. Not only as a traditional Chicano male but as a Christian I believe that there are certain things a woman must and mustn't do. Feminists want to be seen equal as a man but can't live up to what they claim. If a woman wants to be seen equal as a man why must she use her sexual appeal to gain what she wants? Last time I checked that is NOT an act of feminism. Why must women complain about certain things men do? If a woman believes that she, "can do whatever a man can do perhaps even better" she has no reason to complain.…

    • 263 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    From not being able to get an education to not being able to even vote for a president. But even though they came so far there is still a lot of feminism throughout the entire world. “In 2012 there was hundreds of men and women who protested. There was cleavage here, thigh there. This was all just to demonstrate against the dumb idea that if women dressed where they are showing a little bit of skin and got raped, that she was just asking for it”.…

    • 994 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the 1800s, women did not have the same rights that they do now. Because of this, feminists fought for women’s rights. Feminism is defined as the ideology and movements that have the goal of creating equality between men and women. Feminist movements in the United States have given women many more rights than they previously had. Some of these rights include the right to vote and reproductive rights (Feminism, 2017).…

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    No one can forget the history lessons, as they remember Susan B. Anthony fighting for women’s suffrage in the early 1900s, her face plastered on the silver dollar. Further down the line, women used feminism to break away from their traditional gender roles as matrons of the house, as females all across the country went to work in the ammunitions factories while the men were at war (think Rosie the Riveter). These concepts were seen as first-wave feminism, essentially the foundation for both second-wave and third-wave feminism, both of which go hand-in-hand. These particular ideals are founded upon the notion that women should have the same pay, opportunities, and playing field as men. The feminists you see today, are of the third-wave of feminists. Third-wave feminists are of the mindset that their bodies are their own, that they own exclusive rights to who and what enters their bodies. They strive to maintain that they deserve as much as men. They are perhaps distinguished as the most “crazy” of the bunch, seen as misandrists; but this is, of course, a generalization of all feminists. Perhaps they believe the only way for them to prove their point is to take it to the…

    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Motherhood in Sula

    • 1346 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Toni Morrison’s Sula revolves around the relationship of her two main characters, Sula and Nel. The childhood friends grow apart with age. Although it is indicated that their friendship is the most important relationship they participate in, they eventually betray each other and lead dishonest lives. Throughout the novel, we see their constantly deteriorating relationship as a result of absence of a family life. Sula is a novel about the influence family may have on the make up of someone’s personality. In particular, the novel examines the effect parents can have on their children and the conscious effort the main characters make to be unlike their mothers.…

    • 1346 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Since the first records of complex civilizations, male dominance in human culture has molded itself into global societies and has forced women into lives of subordination and inequality. Historically, men have stood as the primary political figures and leaders, while women have been inclined to take on supportive and more household-oriented roles. This same structure of societies and governments has made its way into nearly every inhabited geographic area, and where has attached itself since the first immigration periods (?).…

    • 6059 Words
    • 25 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Feminism is a significant theme addressed in many literary works of the contemporary period. In the 1800's and early 20th century, many women were oppressed and denied the right to equal opportunities that men were granted. However, after the active and significant role women played in World War II, a drastic change occurred. Women began to play a more respected and crucial role in society. Many women abandoned their expected roles as housewives and mothers and looked for other valued opportunities. This societal shift became a political movement and spawned the social theory of feminism. There was a momentous crusade for equal rights. Women were motivated to eliminate the gender stereotyped roles that were hindering their progression in society.…

    • 1207 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    With the rise and dawn of various social movements throughout the world, particularly those movements rooted in the fight for inequality, individual groups have gained various advances in liberal and non-liberal democracies. During different eras in history, women have fought for equality (…..).. The notion or ideology of feminism can be difficult to ascertain and distinguish because feminism is multifaceted and can be rooted in and based upon differentiating ideologies, notions or entities (….). For example, it can be suggested that one central idea, notion, or key ideology to feminism or feminist theory is the idea of what it means to be a woman and what are the different components or aspects that comprise the notion of a feminist ideology…

    • 887 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Feminism

    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Women for years have been socially oppressed and not given gender equality. Feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, economical and social equality to man. According to the Dictionary of Critical Theory, feminism’s common core is the thesis that the relationship between the sexes is one of inequality or oppression and that all forms of feminism seek to identify the cause of that inequality and remedy it.…

    • 1174 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Sula

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The story of the two girls friendship is the part that I found relatable. I too have a best friend and we may be very different that Sula and Nel but we all have that relationship of a best friend who is your support system through your adolescence. This is what Nel and Sula provided for each other. Both girls came from such varied backgrounds. Nel, coming from a small family that was quiet and organized. Her father was alive, but never around. Sula came from quite the opposite. Sula had a larger family in which men never stuck around. The women in her family even seem on the crazy side, especially when the Sula’s grandmother Eva, sets her youngest son of fire, which kills him. Sula and Nel have a strong relationship, which fits them…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays