To Walk A Mile In Her Shoes
He fears in telling them the truth he is going to disrupt their bliss and unawareness of the harsh reality. By doing this, he is pulling a mask over their eyes and turning a blind eye to the truth. This theme of keeping these women away from unpleasant things is almost hand in hand with the idea from the poem, The Barred Owl, where a child is told the owl’s cry is “Who cooks for you? ‘ when in reality the prey is eaten raw. In this way of shielding reality from an innocent child, they are being robbed Of what they need to know.
The truth must be told no matter how harsh as to not sugar-coat what reality is, if these women were on their own they would know how brutal notations were, and that might help them form and opinion opposing what is happening. In a common theme, I believe that’s why people, women and children in particular, are not told the truth about brutal situations, so they cannot form a counter opinion and stand out as their own person. I believe this is why the women are so sheltered in this novel, so to not see what is true, so they cannot protest the decisions and actions of a man. Role colonization seems to happen even before a child is born.
We are putting boys in blue clothing and the girls in pink while in the womb. After that, parents tend to give boys trucks and play guns to make them aggressive and less sensitive and girl’s dolls and play houses to promote loving and taking care of a family. Children naturally accept this and will pick their given toys even if the other option is available because they have been labeled as their gender role and they are not even aware. Later on in life this theme still happens, men are taking all the law enforcement, military, and political jobs while women outnumber the men in care related jobs like healthcare and hill care.
These gender roles established offer little leeway for men to portray feminine qualities and vice versa, but as businesses expand the need for both qualities is in demand. On the other hand, if a man is too feminine or a woman is too masculine, they become something outside of the social norm which only creates scrutiny for them. Across the board gays, lesbians, and transgender are all groups that have disrupted the normal gender roles in society by violating the allowance of femininity or masculinity.
When a man comes too feminine he has violated the gender role he is suppose to fit in, an aggressive, strong, and solitary thinker, but a man that lacks these traits is considered weak and less of a man. Also, when a woman starts losing her feminine qualities she may be referred to as a “dike” or lesbian or any Of those names, simply because she no longer fits into her gender role of being soft, loving, or someone who takes care of everyone. Similarly in Things Fall Apart women are abused and powerless in a society ruled by men. Abuse seems to be a common factor within the tribe.
For example, when Kimono’s wife Gouge leaves the hut before cooking dinner, he beats her for neglecting to cook. Beating comes off as a “many’ thing to do to exert power over the weak, which is how women in this society were perceived, weak assets of a man or his “property’ Also, the women are absolutely powerless, Awoken becomes bored and makes up a reason to beat his second wife. These women are treated like property and stripped of their human qualities and only meant to cook, clean, and reproduce, which is very basic role and creates no sort of relationship other than an owner and tool relationship.
Unfortunately, things like this still happen in today’s society, where women are beaten by men, men trying to show dominance and power. In reality if women and woman-like traits were not around, this world would be a very corrupt and violent place. Being loving kind, and nurturing are all viewed as feminine traits and a man in these novels wouldn’t dare show any sort Of weakness by resembling a woman. In order for all aspects of daily life o run in a smooth manner and for families to be happy, one must show kindness and love and even compassion and understanding.
These “girl)/’ traits are what keep peace and respect without having to beat it into someone, it allows for someone to feel love or respect without feeling like if they don’t they will be punished. As a society dealing with other societies in other parts of the world we cannot expect to show dominance over them and be aggressive or harsh and still get what we want, we have to know how to see both sides of an opinion and know what the other person wants and not imply rule with an iron fist, because if you don’t respect people you rule, how will you maintain power by just ruling out of fear?
