How Have Feminists Altered the Meaning of Marriage - Assignment Example

Feminists have challenged the basic assumptions about the family. Feminism has positively and negatively influenced the stability of the family structure. Feminist policies have upheld the rights of women in the families. However, growth of feminist thoughts has also made women go beyond the acceptable levels so that it has negatively affected the peace and stability in families. The feminist movement awakened women and made them aware if their rights in the family and the society. Women, from time immemorial, suffered political and social oppression in the form of sexism. Women being submissive to the traditional family roles endured pain and troubles in all societies. The awareness of their plight, through the feminist awakening, made women change their attitude towards different family roles. Through the awakening aroused through the feminist movements women of modern days feel that both husband and wife have equal roles in a family. Both husband and wife should go for job, do household chores and take care of children. This is against the traditional assumptions about a family. Traditional family roles left no rights for women to work and earn. Women were confined to houses where they do all household works and take care of children. The traditional role of women is socially constructed. In the traditional structure of family women enjoyed few rights. According to the traditional family structure women had to remain as a shadow of men. Women had no voice in the family. The traditional role of women and the sufferings they underwent is covered in feminist literature works. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman explains the traditional role of women in the family. The protagonist in the novel is the example of the sufferings of women. The novel is the story of repression of women. In the story the husband’s domineering nature has imprisoned the wife into a domestic prison. In this sad story, the narrator the young woman is driven to insanity by her dominating husband. The subjugation that prevailed in the society made women treated as subhuman. They were just considered as vessels of fertility and had the mere privilege of a set of ovaries and a womb. The central character of the novel, the narrator fought for the same cause. The narrator attempts to become a strong individual even though she was being locked in a male dominated world. Her husband John’s dominating nature was the one that was preventing her from become self motivated. Even though the narrator is constructed as immature, we can see that this nature is enforced by the society around her. The narrator is found to be an independent woman who was restricted within the house by her husband. Her life was like that of a butterfly that is trying to get out of the cocoon to show its true colors. We can see the narrator striving, throughout the play, and finally loosing control over her self. She falls into depression and eventually becomes mad. She was submissive to her husband and was enthusiastic and smart. We can say that the narrator was always right in her attitude as this was the best she can be towards her dominating husband. Towards the end of the play however she is not able to control any more and get lost in the pressure. This was the plight of women in the traditional families. The protagonist represents the negatively privileged women of that period. She was found subordinate to her husband John who believed that women are frail and can never make decision of their own. Her house appeared as a prison for her all through these days. She wanted to write; may be she wanted to pour out her depression into words. She was of the belief that more mental and physical activity would solve her problems. She, however, did not get a chance to outpour her feelings. The period in the novel represents the period when women are inferior to men physically, mentally and intellectually. The cultural, racial, religious and other pressures subdued women to a good extent. In the novel the narrator was confined to her and was not permitted to have any outside contact. This pushed her to depression and finally made her mad. We can see that this mental depression was enforced into the narrator by the society around her. We can see her striving, throughout the play, and finally collapsing. The narrator can be considered as the upholder of women’s rights in the novel. She was not happy in the male dominated world. She was struggling with the selfish, stifling, oppressive and dominating attitude of her Husband John and the society which he represents. The narrator journey leads to her self-discovery as she mentally fought against the exploitation of women by men. John represents the orthodox society and the narrator is the advocate of feminism. John did not give any privilege to his wife and considered her as a silly being throughout the story. He was also very possessive and always tried to maintain his wife in his control. John never considered his wife equal to him. He thought that she is inferior to him. The feminist beliefs of the narrator rose up as she realizes that she has been a foolish doll in a toy-marriage. This makes her depressed and finally mad. Wife was just considered like any other possession of John. She was not given any humane privilege. The feminist beliefs of the author hated this attitude of John as she always wanted to reveal her self. The narrator wanted to be a strong woman and desired to take control of her own destiny. John considered his wife as a status symbol and had a very narrow definition about marriage. He thinks that it is the duty of the wife to be good to her husband. She deems women as helpless creatures separated from reality and moral force. The author highlighted the self realization of the main character the narrator and the way she becomes an example to feminist ideology. Even though the narrator reached a bad end, she is a good example of feminist women. The novel thus becomes an extraordinary work in which the depressed, mad or failed character portrays strong feminist ideologies. The plight of the protagonist explains the life of women in those days. Women of those periods lived as housewives with no right to vote, own property, and make any significant transactions. Feminism appeared in this period. Feminism awakened women and made them aware of their rights. Women who were living a life of subjugation in their families realized that they can dream a life of freedom and rights. As feminist thoughts became popular more and more women dared to come out of ‘family prison’. More and more women started earning and gained economic and political power. Women started exercising power and began holding good positions in the community. All these made huge differences in the family structure. Men were no longer the ultimate authorities of the family. Women were given rights in the families. They also started getting freedom in the family and society. The black women of the United States suffered extreme segregation and oppression from the hands of the native white people. Race, ethnicity, and gender differences brought immense disadvantages in the lives of women of African origin. Black women’s movement in the 1970s paved the way for black feminism that made black women recognize their rights. Black feminism helped eradicate several forms of discriminations against black women in the United States. Black women secured employment outside their home, being encouraged by feminism. The economic necessity and feminist goals made them seek employment. Black women’s activism is also of feminist motive. Black women started forming their own network of clubs and other organizations that helped them gain strength as a group and seize their rights. Groups of black women upheld woman suffrage and struggled for eliminating different political and social issues that segregated black minorities in the society. Sexual stereotyping of black women was also targeted in black feminism. Black feminism helped black women gain some rights and feel somewhat secure in the white community. The disadvantaged state of women was addressed by the feminist thoughts that encouraged women to fight for their rights. Feminist movement made women recognize their negatively privileged situation. Feminist ideas undermined the traditional roles in a family. The traditional roles considered men as the only bread-winner of the family. Women were mere housewives, with a domestic role in the house. The role of men was considered superior to the role of women. Feminist views encouraged women to abandon their traditional role. According to feminist views women’s roles should not be limited to homemaking and childbearing. Women should rather enter the workplace and earn like men. This would help women get equivalent economic and political power. Feminist views supported professional women who exercise power like men. Feminist ideologies invited women to the mainstream of the society. This made them give a secondary importance to their family role. Profession became more important to women. Feminist ideas encourage all women to be part of the work force. Feminism shook the traditional nature of the families. The traditional concept of homemaker wife, bread-winner husband, sexual morality and faithfulness were immaterial according to feminist thoughts. Feminism has also promoted a sexual revolution that undermines the traditional sexual roles. According to feminist ideas child-rearing prevents women from achieving success in career. Feminism therefore encouraged women to avoid marriage and childbearing if possible. Feminist women who bear children employ maids to take care of their children. Feminism teaches women to value career more than family life. Feminism has played a major role in the increase of childless couples in different countries. The number of childless couples has substantially increased in Australia. Moreover, childless couples are found to be wealthier that those with children. Couples with kids will naturally not be able to work and earn as childless couples and also will have increased expenses as a result of childcare and other children-related expenses. So, more and more couples are opting for childless life. Following the path of diversity is the most likely way to a humane family policy. The fertility rate of France has improved little bit and has reached 1.9 while that of Norway remains at 1.8. The fertility rate of Sweden had recently gone down to 1.5 (far below the replacement level of 2.1). Fertility rate is declining steeply in Australia also. Australia has a fertility rate of 1.75. Majority of the countries are in a similar state. Only New Zealand and United States have come near to the replacement levels. Spain and Italy maintain a fertility rate of about 1.2. If the present fertility rate continues in Italy, the population will go down to the 14% of the present level and by the half of this century, the number of people above 60 will be double to what it is now. The number of children will be only one seventh of the total number of people who crossed 65. The practice of childless marriage is found to be collapsing family balance and society balance. It is also hindering the gender balance in the nation. Childless marriage is encouraged according to the feminist policies. This has totally disturbed the traditional family role. Fertility rate is declining in all the countries and this would make the nations filled with old men in the near future. The long-term consequences of this low fertility are so grave that governments of these nations are looking for some ways to increase the fertility rate. For example, Australian government is planning to adopt pro-natalist policies to increase the fertility rate in Australia. However, it is not easy to make the fertility rate rise in this post-feminist age as it is impossible for coercing women to have babies. Feminist ideas have convinced women that childless marriage is the best as childless women can earn and attain better political and economic power. In order to save countries from fertility rate decline and subsequent population fall governments are upholding pro-natalist policies. This is because feminist views are convincing more and more women to choose childless married life. Pro-natalist policies are encouraging women's workforce participation. They emphasize the importance of providing guaranteed childcare and family-friendly workplaces. This would encourage the working women to have children. Improved childcare facilities are supposed to increase the number of working couples having children. Couples are deciding not to have children as they are unable to find proper childcare facilities in their places. Pro-natalist policies would encourage more women to continue their jobs even after having children. This can only be accomplished by ensuring the welfare of children when mothers go for work. Excellent childcare facilities would help parents so that they can safely leave their children with the childcare facilities. Improving the workplaces in a more family-friendly way also will encourage women to continue on their job. Pro-natalist policy thus would bring more women to work still encouraging them to give equal priority to their family. Feminist ideas have thus overturned the basic ideas about family. Feminist ideas are bring undesired results in several countries. Life of today’s women is influenced by several important changes like contraceptive revolution and reforms in the labor market that are supported by feminist ideologies. These crucial reforms in the labor market have helped the working women to manage their motherhood and job in a better way. Moreover, the equal opportunities revolution has eliminated all the barriers of the working of women. A national paid maternity leave scheme together with some reforms for the development of the workplaces would make workplaces more family friendly, so that more women will continue in their jobs even after getting married and having kids. Paid maternity leave and excellent childcare facilities in the workplaces can present real choice for working families. Greater pay equity for women, better leave provisions, reasonable working hours, and parental leave for fathers will help the families to have a better balance between their priorities families and work places. As women concentrate in their career the family structure further undergoes changes. Traditional authority of males is declining fast. As both men and women earn, men cannot gain authority over women. The basic assumptions about family underwent big changes. Feminist ideologies have also initiated sexual revolution that has completely altered the traditional matrimonial strategy. New sexual revolution has encouraged women to participate in promiscuous sex. Women are encouraged to exercise their freedom and live the life according to their choice. Feminism has rephrased the meaning of marriage. The traditional marriage involved a wife who remains faithful to husband. Wife was also supposed to obey her husband in all aspects of family life. Feminism changed this very concept. Women no longer have to obey men in all aspects. Feminist sexual revolutionaries teach that unmarried women need not maintain premarital virginity and marital fidelity. Premarital sex is not wrong according to modern feminist theories. All these have altered the very meaning of marriage. The traditional family roles are no longer relevant. References Bataille, Gretchen M. Native American Women: A Biographical Dictionary. New York: Garland Publishing, 1991. Boris, Eileen. Home to Work: Motherhood and the Politics of Industrial Homework in the United States. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994. “A Question of Fairness” Ladies Home Jorunal, March 1996, p 17-20. Chafe, William H. The American Woman: Her Changing Social, Economic, and Political Roles, 1920-1970. New York: Oxford University Press, 1974. Anderson, Karen. Changing Women: A History of Racial Ethnic Women in Modern America. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. Read More