Yanjun Jiang
Historically, it has been believed that women are lower than men in terms of body and intelligence. There has always been a cliche that women should stay at home. They believe that women are born to take care of others, and their legal rights and employment opportunities are much less than those of men. The current law says that women’s rights and interests should be protected and equality between men and women should be guaranteed. Secondly, considering women’s great contribution to society, women’s role should be brought into full play. Although today’s women, go to school and work like men, which seems equal, in essence, men and women are not equal.
Not just America, but the world. From birth, most babies are defined by the doctor’s sentence “boy” or “girl”. Society calls us to play the role of men or women; Women are required to be gentle, beautiful, and self-defense at any time. And men are the same. They should be firm, strong, and full of aggression. Every child is required to present the image that society needs or wants us to present, but what society requires us to present or do must be right?
Why should women always be beautiful? Why do men have to be better than women? Obviously, this is the definition left to us by ancient people. But are we in the middle ages or what dynasty? None of them.
A new era has come. Why can’t we change the definition of gender? The women’s rights movement in America continues to develop, but we refuse to take another step forward. Instead, we retreat step by step.
In the excerpt from ‘The Feminine Mystique’ by Avery Friedan. Betty utilizes the term “feminine mystique” to describe the social hypothesis, so as to express that women can be satisfied through housework, marriage, and raising children alone. However, the author expounds that the traditional housewife role of middle-class women has caused harm and prevented them from acquiring full human ability. As Betty states, “Each suburban wife struggled with it alone. As she made the beds, shopped for groceries, matched slipcover material, ate peanut butter sandwiches with her children, chauffeured Cub Scouts, and Brownies, lay beside her husband at night — she was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question — “Is this all?” This makes me deeply feel the decadence and powerlessness of women, especially those who become mothers. They begin to live from losing themselves. Even if they arrange their life in order, they still can’t find their own direction. They repeat low-skilled work, which devours women’s enthusiasm and stifles their thoughts. Their sense of existence and value decreased instantly. They are inundated with trivial things every day, which often makes them feel that their hearts have nowhere to go, which makes them more confused and struggling. This makes them realize that they have gradually lost themselves in trivial life, because the focus of life is always around family and children as if they are everything to their female compatriots, especially those who become mothers. Apart from them, life has no other color and nothing else to do.
I don’t know how many people in America and the world can correctly understand feminism. Women’s rights are easily equated with men’s rights. However, the reason why feminism was called this name was that it was completely patriarchal at that time, and women had no rights at all. Therefore, these oppressed women appeal for equality. What they appeal for is “equality”! Not “privilege”! Real women’s rights are equal rights and human rights. It’s not right, it’s equality!
Equality is divided into two kinds: physical equality and spiritual equality.
It is difficult to define physical equality. Because most countries in the world give men and women the same rights: they have the right to vote, they can get a job, and go to the same school. However, there are still backward countries that continue the tradition of men being superior to women. Not only backward countries, but also advanced countries have similar hints. For example, in James Cameron’s “Titanic”, when encountering a shipwreck, passengers agree that women go first and men stay last. This is a manifestation of civilization, but I think everyone should have the same right to live in crisis. Of course, this is only my personal understanding.
Everyone has the freedom to choose their own, and we have no right to define a person according to his/her gender. Women can be gentle or strong; Men can be strong or weak. At the same time, they can be heterosexual or homosexual, which are moral. There are still seven kinds of brilliance in the sunlight. Why do people ask or require things in this world that can only show one side?
At the same time, I hope that women can wear short skirts without being accused of seducing men; Men can wear feminine clothes without being ridiculed as perverts. I want everyone to understand that women dressed well are not seducing you; Men don’t dance ballet to attract attention. I want a virgin who is worshipped not only because she gave birth to Jesus, a city without gender discrimination, a society in which women can make money to support their families, and men can take care of children without discrimination. Women are not only mothers, wives, and daughters, but also other identities. Both men and women are equal in spirit.
Everyone can choose their own appearance instead of being “cosmetic” by social public opinion. The way of thinking of women and men can be the same. Please don’t bind the current idea with the previous truth. Both men and women are victims of gender discrimination, which needs to be changed.
All of the above, we should make them a reality. If men and women, the two largest races in the world, cannot be equal, how can we say racial equality, equality between the rich and the poor, and equality for all? Equality for all does not just mean that we have to do it. This is everyone’s responsibility. Don’t think you have ever been infringed by gender discrimination. We are not part of the world, we are the world. On earth, we are independent individuals. In the universe, the world becomes a point – we are to the world as atoms are to the body. Changing gender discrimination is the responsibility of the world and everyone! Men and women should unite rather than indulge in the world of men or women.
Before we were born, the world was like this, and there was nothing we could do; Before we died, the world was still like this. We were incompetent. I hope everyone can start from themselves and change their sexism.
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To add on, the reference is Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. 2006
Yanjun, I really liked your blog, I understand your topic quite well. Although I believe that in our time women have begun to dominate men, some men still require women to take care of themselves, because although they see a beautiful, young woman next to them, at the same time they want the woman to obey them. I know many cases where a woman is the main mistress in the house, and a man fulfills her orders and at the same time they live very amicably, a man does not claim to be the dominant role. But I also know families, where men are the head of the family and women, are subordinate to them in everything. There is no happiness in such families because the woman does not feel free. She lives under the guidance of her husband. Their children also suffer from this.
I agree Dana, the idea that women should be inferior has not really left the chat. There are so many ways women are treated horribly as if they are a property and not a human being. Although there is some progress in women being able to attain jobs which also seem to benefit capitalism more than it helps women. Women in so many field are not nearly paid as much as their male counterparts.
Hey, I really like how you emphasize on the notion of equality for all and not just one subgroup. You seem to support your claims using textual evidence which is great and your writing greatly reflects on your ability to understand the topic you’re writing about. If I were to critique the formatting, I would just say that you might want to merge some of the paragraphs as it may cause the reader to lose track.