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Feminism Blog

 5/1 I define feminism as a means of expressing the reactionary female experience in the writer’s unique voice. The experiences of several of our writers demonstrate that feminism is not necessarily based on a gender war, but rather is a reaction to societal pressures and cultural norms. While some authors from our class demonstrate an outspoken feminist ideal that militates for societal change, other authors simply delineate their natural reactions to small-minded and patriarchal systems that demean or diminish the role of women in society. Audre Lorde is an example of strong, revolutionary feminism that advocates for activism. As a child of West Indian immigrant parents, Lorde describes her lack of acceptance by her mother and sisters in Zami: A New Spelling of My Name . During her life, she longed for meaningful connections with women. As a black lesbian intellectual in white academia, she earned her place through sheer mental strength. Education was her great equalizer. Despite...
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From The Measure of My Days by Florida Scott-Maxwell

4/21 270 From The Measure of My Days by Florida Scott-Maxwell “Our accustomed shell cracks here, cracks theorem and that tiresomely rigid person we supposed to be ourselves stretches, expands, and with all inhibitions gone we realize that age is not failure, nor disgrace; through mortifying we did not invent it. Age forces us to deal with idleness, emptiness, and not being needed, not able to do, helplessness just ahead perhaps” (706). Florida Scott-Maxwell lived a full life. We know this from her short description (703). I came into this passage hoping to hear about the more exciting times of her life: perhaps her time as an actress, her life in Scotland, or her experiences with her practice in Britain (703). The reader is quickly dispelled of these expectations and quickly learns that Florida is not writing to reflect on her early life but rather her current life.  Scott-Maxwell is now old and frail, and death awaits her (703). These experiences with age and death are not ofte...
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From Lost in Translation by Eva Hoffman

  4/17 335 From Lost in Translation by Eva Hoffman The words Eva Hoffman used in Poland were not just spoken, they were felt (388). She describes the word “river” in Polish sounding like a literal river and that meaning resonating deep within her (388). Now, in Canada, language feels empty and less meaningful. She doesn’t just wish to translate words, but feel all of them and experience what she says. “When my friend Penny tells me that she’s envious, or happy or disappointed, I try laboriously to translate not from English to Polish but from the word back to its source, to the feeling from which it springs” (388). Hoffman believes the English language is below her. English and the ways of the Canadians are empty, awkward, and unsophisticated (387). Polish is only used when Hoffman has deeper conversations with herself to add the life and color English has stripped away (388).  It is easy to spot Hoffman’s intelligence while reading. Because of her hardships and burdens, Eva ...
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From Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde

  4/11 351 From Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde In this reading, Lorde has a sexual awakening at a young age (516). Because of her complicated relationship with her mother and her emotional estrangement from her older sisters, Lorde longs for a relationship with a younger girl (510). We know that later in life, Lorde becomes openly lesbian, and I believe that this text gives insight into the discovery of this. Through this interaction with another little girl named Toni, young Andre starts to discover a new part of herself (516).  Growing up in Harlem during the time she did, and also being black and a female, was difficult. She was also visually impaired. From a very young age, Lorde learns that nothing will ever be easy for her. Even when around her family, where she should feel relaxed, she must walk on eggshells to please her mother. She seems to get in trouble for the smallest things. “How many times have I told you not to call me mommy on the street?” (51...
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From Mules and Men by Zora Neal Hurston

  4/5  328 From Mules and Men by Zora Neal Hurston The way the dialect is written in these escepts is similar to the passage from Motherwhit by Onnie Lee Logan. Both are intelligent black women with strong familial ties and thick southern accents. They were both born in Alabama, too. In comparison, Mules and Men is much more difficult to understand. The written tongue of Hurston and the people she talks about makes the reading more complex and the reader must be careful to understand all Hurston discusses. Although the accent of the people in this passage adds much complexity, it is important to remember that this adds to the depth to the meaning of the story itself. Hurston writes of the true experiences of a southern black woman. Not many writers in her time wrote the dialogue and experiences as they were, and for the reader to gain a deeper understanding of Hurston’s heritage and anthropological findings, they must open their minds to seeing Hurston’s experiences as they...
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From Meatless Days by Sara Suleri

  3/29 277 From Meatless Days by Sara Suleri There is lots to discuss about this passage but I think the most important takeaway is Suleri’s negative relationship with food. At a very young age, she is overly concerned with what food she will eat, and these memories are so vivid that the passage seems as if it was written not so long ago. When describing the food she eats and how she eats it, Suleri uses descriptive imagery. It forces the reader to live the tasting experience of each meal with Suleri and compare it to their own personal eating habits.  In Meatless Days, Sara Suleri states, “Gosh, I thought, to think that my mother could do that to me. For of course she must have known in her Welsh way, that sweetbreads could never be simply sweetbreads in Pakistan. It made me stop and hold my head over that curious possibility: what else have I eaten on her behalf?” (732). When told that “sweetbreads” actually contain testicle meat, Suleri feels betrayed (730). How she views h...
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From Motherwit by Onnie Lee Logan

  3/27 381 From Motherwit by Onnie Lee Logan I am from the south and something I have seen first-hand is the stereotype that comes with having a strong accent. People naturally assume you are unintelligent if you have a heavy accent, and I like the way that this reading disproves that. Although her original dialect is written in her accounts, Logan is obviously extremely skilled and intelligent. She describes all the steps to her delivery process, and it is easy to recognize how experienced Logan is. She keeps everything clean, she knows what tools to use, and the best practices for delivering.  Personally, I am very scared of childbirth. After reading about her experiences I was reminded of that fear, but if I had someone taking care of me while I was in labor, I would want it to be Logan. I think other readers can relate to this feeling as well. In a way, the style of how it is written to match the exact way she talks makes it seem more personal, and the reader is able to s...
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