ENG3401: Law through Literature Spring 2015
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My paper will focus primarily on how religion, specifically Christianity, has oppressed women over history. I will detail women’s “expected roles” as portrayed in the Bible. I will talk about how Christianity views how the woman should act, the unnecessary focus on virginity and pro-choice women. I will reference the documentary “30 Days: Abortion” where a pro-choice woman lives in a pro-life maternity home run by a pastor and his wife. I will reference Chapter 7: The Vagina Began as Sacred in Naomi Wolf’s Vagina to discuss how Christianity views women. I will also use writings from Religion and Men’s Violence against Women to give more depth to my argument. Using excerpts from the book, The Purity Myth: How America’s Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women, I will discuss how Christianity’s unhealthy fascination with virginity is used to slut shame women into conforming to what Christian men want.
How will this work speak to Steinem? The connection between civil rights and feminism? The Oppression of Women (particularly through Christianity) and Black people?
This paper will touch on the subject of oppression faced by women and African Americans in America. It will focus on how America viewed women and African Americans before and after they had rights and the laws that governed it. I will shift the papers topic and discuss the evolution of women in society and how their roles changed with respect to feminism and the sexual revolution. Gloria Steinem and many other feminist will be used in this paper to get my point across. I plan on incorporating Naomi Wolf’s “Makings of a slut” and comparing it to how women judge other women in today’s society causing a lack of unity amongst the still arguably oppressed group. I plan on mentioning women such as Hilary Clinton, Kim Kardashian and Assata Shakur who have been targeted by the media to express my opinion on modern day sexism.
Assata Shakur will serve as the opening for me discussing civil rights and arguing the fact that freedom for African Americans is still a work in progress. I plan on using Robert F. Williams, Booker T Washington, the movie “Mississippi Burning”, Freddie Gray, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin and the influence of social media to express my thoughts on racial injustice and lack of equality. This paper will conclude with an open ended question has the oppression faced by women and African Americans in America really been abolished or is it just being masked. (The paper will answer that question with the facts and information I plan on presenting.)
In order to illustrate the current social oppression that women suffer, their general lack of equality in the modern male dominated society, and the poor treatment in the legal system after suffering sexual related crimes; I will utilize the texts To Kill a Mockingbird, Limitations, The Accused, and Naomi Wolf’s “The Making of a Slut”. The book To Kill a Mockingbird will be used to illustrate how discriminatory views and the false biases of the masses can distort the legal system and prevent justice from being carried out, and the situation involving the rape of Mayella and her treatment by the courts and her father will be used to illustrate how female victims of sexual crimes are often mistreated by both the legal system and those close to them.
The idea that the legal system frequently mishandles and mistreats female victims of sexual crimes such as rape will then by further supported by the incidents described in The Accused and Limitations. The Accused will be particularly relied on to illustrate the poor treatment of female victims of rape since it illustrates how female rape victims are frequently shamed and made out to be harlots that somehow asked for the crime to be committed. Additionally, the fact that the onlookers were cheering on the gang rape will be referenced to show how horrific crimes against women are often minimized and even grotesquely encouraged in certain situations.
This paper will demonstrate and show that certain laws such as the Jim Crow Laws still exist, that women have yet to be equal and viewed as on the same level as men when it comes to education, work and social status, where being equal means, I get to ride the same train as you but I can’t dine, shop or live in the same neighborhood as you because of the color of my skin or my religion, where having a right to choose as a female really means, unless I do something that I don’t want to do, I will be subjected to harassment, sexual assault and viewed at as a slut and the laws that are made to protect me, wont hold up unless I am painted as mother teresa. My paper will also establish that you don’t have to be a certain religion or culture to follow or adapt to other peoples beliefs if they make sense. And last but not least, I will compare and contrast different religious groups and show how they come together in a time of need and why some religious groups still can’t move forward and chose to act like they have no rights or freedom.
This paper will demonstrate that even though we live in America, “the land of the free”, women and African American’s still do not have the same rights as the average white male. I will show that in a day and age where there have been so many improvements in technology and the quality of life, humanity is still cycling back towards oppression. I will use the works of Gloria Steinem, Naomi Wolf, and Harper Lee to link the persecution of women and African Americans. I will also use scriptures from holy books to show that religion sometimes causes the oppressed to stay oppressed and not fight back. This paper will convey that women and African American’s are still fighting the battle to become equals in “free America”.
Presently the word feminism is misapplied to fit whatever the person wants it to be but the true meaning of it has been dismissed. Feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights in respect to political, social and economic equality to men. Throughout the years the roles of women have changed in our society to allegedly benefit them however, even though women are portrayed to have equal opportunities as men this continues to be a topic of debated. When it comes to abortion, TV characters, advertisements, equal pay, education and harassment women are objectified. This research will establish how long and frustrating the fight for women’s equality has been and the challenges it continues to face today. I will use the works by Gloria Steinem, Naomi Wolf, journals and current events America faces today to demonstrate that inequality continues to exist and women need to unite and need to recover the real meaning behind the word “feminism”.
This paper will demonstrate the struggle that Woman had to go through like the right to vote or being able to own property by talking about the “The National Woman Suffrage Association” created by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth C. Stone. I will also discuss the woman’s role back in the 19 century before and after the sexual revolution and compare it to the 21st century and how things have changed I want to incorporate the film “The Accused” and discuss how women are being sexually mistreated and raped around the world every 6 seconds and how the legal system does nothing about it because in their eyes we are asking for it to be performed to us. I also want to connect domestic violence to women’s mistreatment and rape because a lot of times woman never report there alleger due to being frighten of the repercussions. I plan on using Jeanann Verlee in “The Backlash Jubilee and “The Gift that keeps on giving: Rape: Social Out-rage, and the Rise of Sexual as Entertainment by Julian Williams to connect rape and domestic violence and concluding that not much has changed since the 19 century.
Laws do not change the attitudes of men. The social injustice that black Americans endure are unlawful. The standing gap between white America and black America are evident that the quality of life in American society is not equal. Many laws as been passed to close this gap, although the American culture has deem blacks as a lost cause. This paper will examine the oppression of blacks in American by using the statistics to show that changes in the law did not create an equal opportunity for blacks. Today blacks currently lag behind whites in every possible category. According to a CNN money report there is a large gap between black and white Americans. The figures are staggering. A typical black household has accumulated less than one-tenth of the wealth of a typical white one. And it is only getting worse. The median household income for blacks are 35,416 and whites 59,754, home ownership blacks 43.5% and whites 72.9%,the unemployment rates blacks 11.4% and whites 5.3% and the poverty rates for blacks 27.2% and whites 9.7%. These numbers are very disturbing because, according to the 2000 census data the population for blacks are 12.1% versus 69.1% for whites. I will show how the law have fallen short of its responsibility to all of its citizens. I will analyze a collection of sources via film, short stories, novels, articles and current law to prove the social injustice that exist in America.
Equality, according to Webster’s dictionary, means “the quality or state of being equal: the quality or state of having the same rights, social status, etc.” America has long been known as a country that prides itself on treating its citizens with equality for all. But is it really equal for all? Pundits and critics will say no; that America does not adhere to its core principles and does not treat all of its citizens equally. The focus of this paper will be to show that, even though the United States still has much work to do, its history shows that it is learning from its past mistakes and continues to make strides to achieve equality for all of its citizens. I will be showing how laws have been changed throughout the country’s history to try and further rights for women and continue to promote and advance civil rights. I will compare and contrast other country’s laws regarding women and civil rights to further my point. I will be citing various literary works and films to assist in achieving these goals. Finally I will show why Emerson’s messages in his famous essay “Self-Reliance”, are intended for everyone but has been lost in the United States.
Throughout the years, segregation has been a big part of the United States. The issue started when the Anglo-Saxon arrived. The Anglo-Saxon moved out Native Americans from their territories. They brought Africans to work in their lands. Skin color separated from each other, creating different communities. But, there are more issues that lead to segregation. The paper will be about the difficulties that different societies suffer for being different. In “Making of the Slut” I will show how a young woman is being segregated by her school. They segregated her judging the way her dresses and body. Sometimes, women suffer sexual assault because society misunderstood their different ways of expressing themselves. In “To Kill a Mockingbird” the author shows a common story during the civil rights movement. It states how the people were segregated by white people. Although, Atticus’ family were different; they do not see skin color or other problems. I will show the injustices that black people suffer in the past and that still happening nowadays. Sometimes, the justice does not benefit the lower classes and favor upper classes. Moreover, I will use other texts to show how segregation is a big part of the story of the United States. In other texts, segregation is defined by the separation of sexes. Sometimes, men have more advantages than women who are seen like the weak sex. In “A lot of Learning Is a Dangerous Thing”, the author show us how the women cannot participate.
In this paper I will compare and contrast women’s rights, or lack thereof, in the early 1900s to the present day. Using Steinem’s “The Making of a Slut” and the rape case in Turow’s “Limitations”, along with other secondary sources, I will discuss the evolution of the female, the objectification of females and what I believe were/are the injustices against them then and now. Along with women’s rights, I will also discuss the views of society on sexuality and gender and how that imbalance has affected America’s claim of “equality”. In this paper, I will provide evidence on how America’s citizens themselves encouraged the social oppressions and stereotypes that they face.
Despite the many achievements in women’s civil rights, women are continuing to experience disadvantages socially, politically, and economically in society today. This paper will demonstrate that although women’s equality has come a long way since the feminist revolution in the 1960’s, they are still more or less treated as second-class citizens. I will use pieces by Gloria Steinem, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Naomi Wolf and Harper Lee to explore how society currently discriminates women, how media creates distorted images of the average woman, and how sexism is still an ongoing issue.
This paper will be focused on social, economic and political role of women in the modern world, particularly in the US. It will address various aspects of American feminist movement, establishing a connection between the early days of feminism and its current state, how it was changing and what was achieved through last several decades. I will also bring up the argument of what would the world be like if the feminist movement had never taken root. I will try to answer the question of what could be done to put sexism in all of its forms to an end.
The paper will discuss the matter of social equality, relationship between man and woman, roles in that relationship and social judgment. It will give a perspective on how women are depicted in the news, movies and music alongside with the beauty standards.
Another topic will be an abuse of women throughout the world, statistics and juridical measures. The paper will also demonstrate examples of injustice and wrongdoings towards the women in other cultures, where it became a social, traditional or religious norm.
This paper will refer to the essays, books and movies that were discussed in the class as well as the external sources, mainly the articles from prominent publications and news agencies.
Danett Hay
Research Paper {Abstract}
This research paper will examine how Civil Rights movement and the Feminist movement impacted women freedom to have a voice in society. The purpose of research is to identify; if women are better off today? The Feminist movement culturally influence women to campaign for reform on issues such domestic violence, equal pay, sexual harassment, sexual violence, education, reproduction rights , the Equal Rights Amendment, and other reforms. I will discuss how the movement brought majors changes in the lives of many women, including women of color.
I would show how women like Gloria Steinem influence the Feminist movement and black Power movement. Steinem was the first person to address domestic violence in her magazine, I will show how her articles and essay helped women. I will discuss how sexual assault relate to domestic violence and I will give statistics, on how many states allow wives to bring criminal action against a husband who inflicts injuries. Why do the media stereotypes women and girls? These stereotypes can be negative and degrading like in Wolf making so a slut. I will discuss how women are commonly viewed as an objects, like in the movie The Accused. I will show how the media can impact, how women perceives themselves.
The Civil Rights movement have multi historically events that have impacted the way society viewed woman and people of colors. I will focus on the Mississippi Burning Trial, segregation, Civil Rights and current events that challenges, if the Civil Rights movement changed social America and did it effect the structure of the judicial court system. I will gather news articles and court document to support my views.
SOCIAL OPRESSION IN THE U.S
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to shine some light on social oppression in the United State of America. This repression happens to multiple social groups. You have women, the poor and uneducated, last but not least the black community. Looking at our past, it is clear we have come a long way. Whereas before the passing Civil right Act into law, we were fight for equality with White Man. Now, the fight has become bigger because the opponent is larger. This paper will show, even though America is seen as the land of opportunities, and equalities; some of us do not get the same opportunity. Some will be deny opportunities because of their gender, their race and ethnicity, and their social status. The fight isn’t just against racism, it’s against nativism, classism, and sexism. These are all ways we found to oppress each other, they are not as blatant as the display of racism in the past. But subtitle repression is repression. It’s clear for anyone paying attention that we are not as equal as we like to think. “Women hold 17 percent of the seats in Congress…women work outside the home, but they make about 76 cents to a man’s dollar and make up the majority of Americans living in poverty” (Valenti). And our past is certainly not that far behind us. What happened in Mississippi, Missouri and New York are perfect examples that we are still fighting for equality. The Civil Rights and the Women’s Rights Movements have gotten us far from where we were but looking at our society today, there is so much more to do to be what we claim to be, Equal.
Keywords: Oppression, equality, civil rights, women’s rights, racism, sexism, social status