Dear Reader,
I am a feminist.
It took me a very long time to type this. To be honest, I rewrote it about one hundred times before I felt that I did not sound pretentious. But how does me expressing my views on gender and sex equality make me pretentious? The eight-letter “F” word has been stigmatized since its creation. Although we claim that sexism is a thing of the past—or rather only a distasteful joke but generally no longer oppressive—the moment feminism is mentioned, people, both men and women alike, tend to cringe and dismiss it. Because of this internalized stigma as old as time itself, I wrote that first sentence like I was walking on eggshells. Sometimes, even I forget that feminism is not a naughty word. That it is not a slur or a word used to degrade others. That it is not an organization of hatred. That feminism is the belief that women and men are equals. Despite the far and fleeting moments of extreme self-consciousness, still, I am a feminist.
Ever since the creation of civilizations, all cultures—excluding the few short-lived matriarchal societies—are primarily dominated by a patriarchy. This should not necessarily equate to rampant sexism, and yet even in today’s “civilized society,” sexism is so integrated into our speech and collective minds.
“The Scarlet Letter” is a novel that specifically calls out the hypocrisy the Puritan society and religious lifestyle in general that claims it’s piety but negates it with its actions—prejudice, hatred, and an affection for prolonged public humiliation. Although not as extreme as the Puritan culture of the past, present day America is laden with similar self-entitlement despite the intolerance of those who do not conform to ultra-specific norms. Women's Studies and feminist readers alike use this novel as a point of reference for the changing view of women during the 19th century.
In this project, I will be examining the author Nathaniel Hawthorne’s relationships with female authors and his protagonist Hester Prynne from a critical feminist standpoint. In addition, I have created a piece of art titled “Sinners on the Scaffold” portraying the internal and external persecution of women and men in the novel and the differences between the two implied in the novel. I will teach you how to make your very own tasty Feminist Fondue and you’ll get a personal glimpse into the life of Hester in modern terms through her Instagram feed.
Have fun kiddies.
It took me a very long time to type this. To be honest, I rewrote it about one hundred times before I felt that I did not sound pretentious. But how does me expressing my views on gender and sex equality make me pretentious? The eight-letter “F” word has been stigmatized since its creation. Although we claim that sexism is a thing of the past—or rather only a distasteful joke but generally no longer oppressive—the moment feminism is mentioned, people, both men and women alike, tend to cringe and dismiss it. Because of this internalized stigma as old as time itself, I wrote that first sentence like I was walking on eggshells. Sometimes, even I forget that feminism is not a naughty word. That it is not a slur or a word used to degrade others. That it is not an organization of hatred. That feminism is the belief that women and men are equals. Despite the far and fleeting moments of extreme self-consciousness, still, I am a feminist.
Ever since the creation of civilizations, all cultures—excluding the few short-lived matriarchal societies—are primarily dominated by a patriarchy. This should not necessarily equate to rampant sexism, and yet even in today’s “civilized society,” sexism is so integrated into our speech and collective minds.
“The Scarlet Letter” is a novel that specifically calls out the hypocrisy the Puritan society and religious lifestyle in general that claims it’s piety but negates it with its actions—prejudice, hatred, and an affection for prolonged public humiliation. Although not as extreme as the Puritan culture of the past, present day America is laden with similar self-entitlement despite the intolerance of those who do not conform to ultra-specific norms. Women's Studies and feminist readers alike use this novel as a point of reference for the changing view of women during the 19th century.
In this project, I will be examining the author Nathaniel Hawthorne’s relationships with female authors and his protagonist Hester Prynne from a critical feminist standpoint. In addition, I have created a piece of art titled “Sinners on the Scaffold” portraying the internal and external persecution of women and men in the novel and the differences between the two implied in the novel. I will teach you how to make your very own tasty Feminist Fondue and you’ll get a personal glimpse into the life of Hester in modern terms through her Instagram feed.
Have fun kiddies.