The Effects of Patriarchy on the Lives of the Women - Essay Example

Module The Effects of Patriarchy on the Lives of the Women The effects of a patriarchal system are evident in the lives offemale characters in the articles written by Judy Brady, Maxine Kingston Hong and Isabel Allende. In Judy Brady’s ‘Why I want a Wife’, she sets about, in a humorous way, underlining the unspoken privileges that come with being born male by pointing out all the chores and responsibilities that fall upon the woman once she chooses to marry. Brady gives various reasons why she, too, would wish to benefit from the male privilege. She elaborates on the different, often conflicting, things that are expected of wives but not of husbands. From her detailing of the duties perceived as being those of a wife, it is evident that hers is a patriarchal society in which men do hardly anything, but receive all the praise and glory that comes with starting a family. Maxine Hong’s tale, ‘No Name Woman’, has an even more glaring depiction of the Chinese patriarchal culture’s expectations of women. Hong, at one point, states that her pregnant aunt, whom nobody ever mentioned by name, could not possibly have been the sole woman to choose to give up everything for some sexual intimacy. Hong states that it is more likely that some strange man simply commanded her to do so; and she had no right to refuse him because she was brought up to have no will of her own (Hong, 3). This is a startling revelation that shows how women were socialized to be virtual slaves to the whims of men. China’s patriarchal system did not allow its women to develop any sense of individuality. In Isabel Allende’s ‘An Act of Vengeance’, it is Senator Anselmo Orellano himself, who, through his thoughts, when being attacked, reveal the dark strain of misogyny that can only be supported by a patriarchal society that views women as the property of men. When he first sees the rabblerousers coming, Senator Orellano locks his daughter Dulce Rosa in the furthest room on the patio. This effectively stops her from hiding in secret places where she may have suspected the men would not know to check. When near death, Senator Orellano then begins to imagine that, once they are finished with him, the attackers will proceed to the room where his child is hidden and “carry out their duties” (Zapata, 18). The senator then makes the decision to kill his own child, rather than have her fall into the hands of the men who will, doubtless, molest her. Even though he may have thought that in doing so he may protect her from more pain, the senator was obviously viewing his daughter as his own property. In defiling her, Tadeo Céspedes and his men would be dishonoring the senator, and besmirching his reputation. This could only be avoided if Dulce Rosa’s honor, and, by extension the family’s, was not soiled. The patriarchal tendencies exhibited in these stories naturally made the lives of the female characters very difficult. In the case of Dulce Rosa, she was effectively her father’s property. The only way she would preserve her family’s honor is by being married to a respectable man chosen by her family. Even her plea to her father to let her live so that she could kill the men who were destroying the family shows that she still believed herself to be his property. She begged him for her life as though he owned it, and not she. When she decided to commit suicide after falling in love with her rapist, it was because she could not live with the fact that she had not avenged her father’s death- which she put before her own molestation, and happiness. In the case of Maxine Hong’s ‘No Name Woman’, the low position of women in the society was effectively preserved by the community’s patriarchal ways. The author’s unfortunate act was the victim of a rapist who took advantage of the fact that she was brought up to have no will of her own, as well as of the society which punished her for the acts of her rapist. Society’s sins, in this case, are punished and cleansed through the bodies of women. This is also true of Judy Brady’s society; albeit in a less brutal fashion. In Julia Brady’s society, her subjugation officially starts upon entry into the institution of marriage. This is because men are left free to pursue their own interests, while also building their professional careers, while women have additional responsibilities and impractical expectations cast upon them. Judy Brady’s thinly veiled frustration is with her society, and the expectations it imposes on women. The patriarchal system, in this case, affects the lives of women because hardly any societal leaders, or ordinary citizens, will speak about the toll that these unfair expectations have on the lives of women. How Male and Female Characters Highlight the Condition of Women It is also easy, through the depictions of male and female characters in the stories, to tell how women are affected in the society. In Judy Brady’s ‘Why I Want a Wife’, she speaks of wanting a wife because “she would like to continue with school, in order to achieve economic independence, while still having someone at home looking after the children” (Brady). Brady also added that she wanted a wife to “arrange to lose time at her place of work, meet all required sexual needs, entertain my friends, and cater to other various expectations when required” (Brady). From the way she expressed this need, it is evident that these are privileges that are still usually only enjoyed by men in the marriage relationship, and not women. The fact that Brady did not express the need for a husband is not because she is already married, but points to the fact that there are no additional roles that society expects husbands to perform, and which can negatively affect their lives, while adding a lot of privilege to their wives. In the story ‘No Name Woman’, there are opportune statements made in different parts of the story that point to the wretched existence of women in the society. For example, in one paragraph, Hong states that “just being a woman, or having a female child at a time when the village is experiencing famine is perceives as being a waste by the community” (Hong, 19). This kind of attitude, expressed by a woman, shows the extent to which women internalized the hatred extended towards them right from birth. In another passage, the author, when thinking about the sex of her unfortunate aunt, states that “ the child that was born was most probably a girl; as all members of the society, whether men or women, usually extend forgiveness for all manner of sin if the child involved is a male” (Hong, 23). This shows that the exulted station of boys was an accepted fact of life among all citizens. Women had their husbands chosen for them, and usually did exactly as their families ordered them to do. Once married by the virtual stranger they then had to refer to as ‘husband’, they could then be abandoned without so much as a discussion about their futures. This is the real reason why the author’s aunt was left vulnerable to the orders of other men in her village. Her own husband had, after marrying her, left for America even without having stayed for a day after the marriage. She was essentially abandoned in marriage; yet society expected her to remain faithful to her vows at all times- whether or not her husband decided to return to his home, or send for her to live with him in America. In this tale, there is no mention of women leaving for the United States in order to improve their own lives. According to Hong, women were bound to their responsibilities to the community irrespective of what the men did (Hong, 19). Whereas the men could flee difficult situations, or try to make their fortunes in other lands, women were bound by custom and tradition to remain, and suffer with the land. In the story ‘An Act of Vengeance’ the female characters are also portrayed as being in powerless positions, while the male characters have positions of power and make decisions on behalf of their women folk. Anselmo Orellano is a respected senator who wields power over other men, as well as the women in his life. Even the scoundrel, Tadeo Céspedes, though not a powerful man, has power over a high-born woman like Dulce Rosa simply because he is male. As he considers that his time of death may have arrived, Senator Anselmo Orellano shows regret at the fact that he has only a daughter; and not a number of healthy sons. According to Allende, “ the senator regrets his lack of male progeny who, at a time like this, would have helped him by taking up arms to protect his honor” (Zapata, 24). CONCLUSION This shows that it was an acknowledged fact, in this society, that strength-which is primarily a masculine character, was the only necessary quality in order to ensure the survival of one’s self, as well as family. Characteristics that were evident in women were mostly perceived as being useless or of low value. This is why women occupied a lowly position, as they had to mold their lives according to the whims of those who held the real power. In all three stories, the lives of female characters are not their own, but belong to the society. In Hong’s tale, the society actually collectively ignores the male culprit and punishes his victim for his sins. Women’s lives are used to rectify the wrongs that the men commit, and unfortunate circumstances that befall the community. Works Cited Brady, Julia. “Why I Want a Wife.” Ms. Magazine 1972. Kingston, Maxine Hong. The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts. New York: Vintage Press, 1989. Print. Zapata, Celia. Short Stories Latin American Women. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 2003. Print. Read More