Clarice's Blog for Women's Writing Worldwide

 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...

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...

  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 ...

  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...

  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...

  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...

  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...

3/22 280 From Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman by Nisa “My father hit me, but I kept crying. I probably would have cried the whole night, but finally, he got up and said, “I’m taking you and leaving you out in the bush for the hyenas to kill. What kind of child are you? If you nurse your sibling’s milk, you'll die!” He picked, carried me away from camp and set me down in the bush. He shouted, “Hyenas! There’s meat over here… Hyenas! Come and take this meat!” Then he turned and started to walk back to the village (638).  This quote was one of many alarming and surprising details of Nisa’s life. Physical violence and verbal abuse are so normalized in her culture. While reading Nisa’s life, a reader that is not familiar with the lives of women in African nomad tribes experiences a culture shock. I think reading this passage is important because it stresses how different people can be based on where they live and how they grow up. Not all cultures value the same things our cu...

  3/22 327 From The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston  “... She was neat while I was messy, my hair tangled and dusty. My dirty hands broke things. Also I had had the mysterious illness. And there were adventurous people inside my head to whom I talked. With them I was frivolous and violent, orphaned. I was white and had red hair, and I rode a white horse” (457). This quote once again circles back to the theme of feeling dirty or unclean due to feeling self conscious or inadequate. Similar to young Maya Angelou’s feelings in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , Kingston feels ugly, isolated, and misunderstood. These feelings are a result of the “unhomeliness” and “double consciousness” she experiences while trying to live in two completely different worlds. “Sometimes I hated the ghosts for not letting us talk; sometimes I hated the secrecy of China” (455). The “ghosts” are white people, and this quote gives us insight into how torn Kingston feels.  The reader receives ...

  3/20 292 From West with the Night by Beryl Markham “Edible game is scarce on the Yatta, and the swollen rivers would hardly subside within a week. Given time, I knew Blix would be resourceful enough to figure a way out– possibly on rafts built of thorn trees. But, in order to work, men must eat. I nosed the Avian down toward the endless canopy of bush and zigzagged like a homeless bee” (519). In this quote, it seems as if Markham is talking in a completely different language. She is so in her element, even under immense pressure. She knows the wilderness of Africa like the back of her hand. She knows how to survive, and worries that these men who thought they were well equipped may not be able to survive as she could. Africa is such a wild place: the elephants, the hunting, the floods, the unending canopy and landscape. Although these stories of Africa seem so foreign and almost fictional to me, they are real life and home to Markham. If Africa is wilderness, then Markham has ta...

  3/17 450 From Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen Karen Blixen, under the pen name Isak Dinesen, wrote this passage when she was alone in Africa. Her husband, who would cheat and gamble constantly, finally left and they divorced. After Karen is left with all this pain and responsibility, she writes of her new life. After hearing about Karen’s past, it is easy to assume a lot about her which she proves wrong in her writing. For example, I would have assumed that part of her must be bitter, but Karen is the opposite. Her  loving spirit is so positive. The reader is able to see through her writing and use of imagery how much she cares for Africa, the people that work for her, and Lulu, the antelope she saved.  The story of Lulu the fawn and Karen is significant because it shows how nurturing the writer is. “The years in which Lulu and her people came round to my house were the happiest of my life in Africa” (228). I believe that Karen would have been a wonderful mother, had her...

  3/15 333 From Totto-Chan by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi Totto-Chan , which seems at first to be a simple recollection of childhood memories, becomes much deeper very quickly. “Totto-chan” is the nickname of young Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, and through the first short story, “Amateur Drama”, we see how vibrant and strong her personality is. In the second story, “Chalk”, the reader sees insight into the experiential, progressive learning methods at Tomoe, which must have influenced Totto-chan’s personality greatly. When describing the children at Tomoe, Tetsuko states, “they loved doing things they’d never done before” (474). The tone for the first and second passages is so lighthearted and nostalgic that it reads like a children’s novel. The third passage, “The Tea Party”, is where the tone starts the shift. The children and kind headmaster of Tomoe give a farewell party to the janitor, Ryo-chan, who “could do anything” and is a “guardian angel” (474). While reading, you can feel the love and ad...

3/13 335 From Landscape for a Good Woman by Carolyn Kay Steedman Carolyn Kay Steedman has a unique style of writing that is at times hard to follow. Her early life was stained with poverty, the aftermath of war, and the fraught relationships she has with her mother and father. Because of this, when she recalls her early life, it seems confusing because you can sense Steedman’s childlike wonder and cluelessness. She often jumps abruptly from very different times in her life to make connections and rationalize the events of her past.  “I wept over that, of course, for a world where some people might doubt her- my- cleanliness. I didn’t care much about the honesty, and I knew I was strong; but there are people everywhere waiting for you to slip up, to show signs of dirtiness and stupidity, so they can send you back to where you don’t belong” (716).  Steedman’s mother lies to her often about the work she does and the relationship she has with Carolyn’s father (716). Steedman find...

  3/1 361 From Diary by Anne Frank “Also it says that Eva has a monthly period. Oh, I’m so longing to have it too; it seems so important” (283).  Having a period is one of the many things I take for granted and often complain about. To think that it was so important to Anne Frank makes me sad and remember my blessings.  Anne finds it hard to relate to those around her (275). Even though they are all in hiding and live very close together, they do not see from Anne’s childlike point of view (275). To combat this, Anne creates an imaginary friend, Kitty, to whom she addresses every diary entry. Kitty is an outlet for her fear and anger. My brothers were born much later, so growing up I often felt alone in my feelings and habits that only other children could relate to. Anne’s adolescent feelings and thoughts are so understandable, and it allows the reader to see her in a very empathetic light.  When she lived, Jews were hated, and I think reading this proves how human ...

  2/27 275 From Times and Places by Emily Hahn “Though I had always wanted to be an opium addict, I can’t claim that as the reason I went to China. The opium ambition dates back to that obscure period of childhood when I wanted to be a lot of other things, too–the greatest expert on ghosts, the world’s best ice skater, the champion lion tamer, you know the kind of thing. But by the time I went to China I was grown up, and all those dreams were forgotten” (344).  Reading this passage is difficult, but not in the way it was difficult to read the others. In other excerpts we had to read about child loss, torture, and pain that the female authors could not avoid or prevent. Here, Emily Hahn actively chooses to become an addict, although she believes she is not an addict and can stop anytime (350). While reading, you wish to stop the author and intervene. She is obviously very strong-minded and intelligent, and this addiction wastes so much of her potential in my eyes. The autho...

  2/24 270 From Blackberry Winter by Margaret Mead “My decision to become an anthropologist was based in part on my belief that a scientist, even one that had no great and special gift such as a great artist must have, could make a useful contribution to knowledge” (555). Reading this passage from Blackberry Winter is so refreshing to read. Margaret Mead is a truly fascinating person. She talks casually to record her travels and discoveries, and yet, the experiences she has are far from casual or normal. Even with this tone that is more like a personal diary or journal, it is easy to see Margaret’s passion and intelligence in her writing. One thing she wishes to stress in her writing is the importance of anthropologists being fully prepared to begin field study work (558). Margaret Mead is surrounded by educated men (like her professors and father) that support her academic efforts fully and wish for her to be secure and efficient with her findings while in the field (555). Other...

  2/22 273 From Journey into the Whirlwind by Eugenia Semyonova Ginzburg “So I had no business to be sorry for myself. I was luckier than most” (306). Ginzberg utilizes strong imagery in all of her writing. It feels as though the reader is there with her. You can taste, see, smell, hear, and feel all the things Ginzberg describes in depth. She also gives the reader inside into her deepest thoughts. Even in this vulnerability, Ginzberg keeps a strong mentality, which is the key to survival.  Ginsburg, although wrongfully imprisoned, looks for the positive in everything she experiences (299). For example, she finds true companionship with the brief, vital moments she shares with the other prisoners (302). When she describes how they talk and react, it is easy to see that these people are genuinely good, and also wrongfully imprisoned, like Ginzberg (304). Eugenia also finds comfort in her own strength and health (306). These can be easily taken for granted and they are lacking ...

  2/19 347 From The War by Marguerite Duras In the selected passage from The War , Duras writing is very scattered as she recalls the flashing images from her time trying to find her husband, Robert (232). I actually had some trouble following along with this reading, and I believe that it is because her style of writing reflects the chaos of the events she describes. While the reader tries to piece-together the situation, Duras is trying to make sense of her past herself. There are some moments where she can’t understand why certain events or feelings took place (237). Perhaps it is because of the trauma she received from the time she describes.  She stands night and day waiting to ask any returning prisoners if they might know where her husband is (233). We follow her train of thought and quickly become tired as she describes her exhaustion. We feel sympathy for those she sees and describes that suffer mistreatment or those who know they will die soon. Duras writes, “Every ...

  2/17 296 From When Heaven and Earth Changed Places by Le Ly Hayslip  “Although I could silence Miss Ly’s song– which now seemed to me obscene– I could not silence the children’s pain. For the pain itself was a voice; a voice that had risen above Ky La as a chorus of deathly smoke” (367).  I think that this passage from Le Ly Hayslip When Heaven and Earth Changed Places might be the hardest thing we have had to read in this class so far. While reading, readers live through the constant torture, anxiety, and suffering that Hayslip experienced during the war in her village Ky La (361). Her diction evokes strong imagery. You feel the bites, bruises, and cold cement floor (365). You picture the dead bodies of humans and animals on the road, ignored by Republicans, waiting to be buried and put to rest (368). You feel the snakes, ants, sweat, and hits (366). It hurts to read this.  In this passage and in Le Ly’s life, there are only extremely brief moments of relief tha...

  2/6 326 From Gifts of Passage by Santha Rama Rau In the first passage, “ By Any Other Name ”, by Santha Rama Rau, she describes her life at her Anglo-Indian school (671). She is very young at this time, but is still able to clearly see the differences between the Indian students and the other students (673). Her teacher refuses to use her name and calls her Cynthia instead of Santha (672). Santha feels like when she enters her school, she must play the part of another person; she must become Cynthia. Cynthia does not attract attention to herself. Cynthia does not use Indian terms and does not interact with the non-Indian children at school. Cynthia must be happy with her new name. This is the part she feels she must play. But in truth, Santha loves her Indian food and wishes to make more friends. She hates the name Cynthia, and refused to say it to the class at one point in rebellion, even though she was naturally more shy in her youth (673).  In the second passage, “ The G...