A Breath of Fresh Air: Wuthering Heights

   Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights literally talks about breaths of fresh air; there is nothing but fresh air on the moors. It is also a breath of fresh air in literature. While unfortunately not a common part of school curriculums, Bronte is widely regarded as a great author. She can also be regarded as a feminist. The women in Wuthering Heights, though they have their issues, are strong personalities. It is told from a woman's perspective. The narrator, Nelly, is only a maid, though she plays a vital role in raising the children. Heathcliff and Edgar's lives depend on Catherine and after Catherine the mom is gone, young Catherine has Edgar gripped.

    Students need to read more books from a woman's perspective. Nelly tells the story with a critical eye, though she is a caring, motherly figure.
    This story focuses on what matters in life- relationships, love, homes and the stages of a life. Often, books written by men are driven by action and pride.

Just a High School Feminist

    Why do we only read books written by men in high school? Ok, well, I guess that is not entirely true. Some books are written by women, about men. Take Frakenstein. Women are frail. Justine, a woman accused of murder, is not even strong enough to fight back at her trial. She shows her helplessness when she says, "I have no power of explaining it." Victor Frankenstein states that, “I looked upon Elizabeth as mine - mine to protect, love and cherish. All praises bestowed on her I received as made to a possession of my own." The theme prevails- women are frail, women are possessions, women are not worthy of being autonomous. The rest of them- all boys books. Ray Bradbury, Joseph Conrad...Shakespeare. There are no sweet romance books where everything goes well or books about life's troubles that have a happy ending. No. It is all action. Bad things happen. People die and there is no sweet lesson behind it. In Hamlet, what is the purpose of everyone dying? To show that if you are a bad person you'll die?
We need to read books in high school from women's perspectives as well as men's. It is important for kids to read about heroines as well as heroes. We wonder why there is a need for feminism still today and perhaps the answer lies in high school curriculums. Perhaps if children were not constantly reading male dominated books where women are not as capable as men, the next generation would not be indoctrinated with the idea that men are more capable of running the world.

Shakespeare "Owns" Women

 

 Shakespeare's women all have one thing in common-they are a possession, even a commodity, and not a prized one at that. His works reflect the attitude toward women at the time. They were unquestionably inferior. This inferiority of women could have been kept in the past, but because of Shakespeare, it has been immortalized. Young women read Shakespeare in school, but do we really want these girls to be taught that the "greatest writer of all time" did not view women as worthy of self-determination?
   In Hamlet, Gertrude is passed off from husband to husband without a choice. It is just what she was expected to do because women are at the hands of men and could be traded off easily. Ophelia becomes deranged when she no longer has a man to take care of her. She commits suicide when her father dies and the male lover in her life abandons her. In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is not allowed to marry the man of her dreams because her father would not allow it. She belongs to her father and must obey him absolutely.

“Frailty thy name is woman” Women in Hamlet

     Oh, Hamlet. What an awful play from a feminist perspective. Hamlet himself said "Frailty thy name is woman." Hamlet, the main character, the weak little boy who can't make up his mind, believes women are frail. His mother had the guts to do what was expected of her, no matter her opinion, and marry her dead husband's brother. She did what she was supposed to do. Yes, it is a shame she had no choice, but she had the strength and the power to deal with the situation she was given and  make the best of it. How dare he call her frail.
      It is a shame she was forced to marry a man she did not love. Now, Shakespeare, that is not very empowering to women, considering the men can treat women so badly. Just look at Hamlet! He can deny he ever wrote Ophelia love letters and dump her poor little heart and she just has to take it. After everything she has been through, she is frail??
     Hamlet is later disrespectful to Ophelia. Ophelia-the woman who loved him despite his craziness *cough his frailty cough.* He says to her: "Or, if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool; for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them." Really, Hamlet? Women turn men into monsters. Hamlet turned into a monster by himself. He also tells Ophelia to get herself to a nunnery if she wants to remain pure. Men should never feel that they have the authority to tell women what to do. Hamlet disrepects those who care for him, not realizing that these women are all he has.
     The women in Hamlet are nothing but peaceful and obedient. While I do not agree that the women need to be obedient, their obedience is a testament to their strength. The worst comment of all is calling women frail. Women were oppressed for centuries and I contend that influential writers and playwrights such as Shakespeare contributed to that.
 

Sonnet 130: A Feminist Perspective

Have you seen the “why I need feminism posts” lately? They show people holding signs saying why feminism is important. Here is mine in response to Shakespeare's sonnet 130:

I need feminism because women were viewed as inferior for far too long.

In sonnet 130, Shakespeare claims that he does not care if his woman is ugly, she is still special to him. By saying this, he is implying that it is ok for him to comment on a woman’s appearance in any manner he would like. He can insult her as much as he wants, so long as he says "but I loveee youuuu" at the end. This is not ok.
Shakespeare is an influential writer. His works are still read to this day. He should have thought about the impact his works may have on future generations. We are still seeing the effects of the degrading statements in his works. Men think it is acceptable to tell their girlfriends "Honey, you shouldn't eat that. Those jeans are already too tight," so long as they love her even though she is fat.
In sonnet 130, Shakespeare insults this woman by saying she is ugly, her breath smells, her breasts are an ugly color...
Yes, perhaps these are trivial things and women should not worry about them, but the fact is they do. To women, criticism of outward appearance not only makes them self-conscious about their appearances, but also makes them feel as if they are not beautiful on the inside. If there is one thing men should know it is that they cannot take away the bad things they have said with a mere "sorry." The woman may reply with a "that's ok," but it is not. She will never forget those words. At least not for a while. Every time she looks in the mirror she will see the qualities you criticize.
Not to mention it will hurt your relationship. She will never feel comfortable around you again.
Every woman deserves to feel beautiful. Don't take advice from Shakespeare when it comes to your relationship. Make her feel beautiful AND special. Not one or the other.
Now, I am no poet, but here is my attempt to make a woman feel special.

I cannot imagine a woman so fine; 

So beautiful, so bright, so smart.

My love you shine like the sun-

No, brighter-you light up the universe, not only the world.

Your eyes show your kindness,

Your lips tell me you are mine.

There are a million wonderful women in the world, 

But in my heart you are the most beautiful, 

Inside and out.

   Doesn't every women want to feel special? And don't they deserve it? Shakespeare seems to have loved the dark lady described in many of his sonnets including sonnet 130, but as far as we can tell she wasn't treated very well. No wonder she cheated with the earl.