Social Norms and Feminism

    Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of my all-time favorite authors so I was beyond excited to read Dear Ijeawele or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions. This letter/manifesto was exactly everything I hoped it would be and more, and there are similar undertones between this text and Americanah. What makes this text so special is Adichie's unique perspective on feminism. In the first half of the text she refers to the concept of Feminism Lite which is honestly a half-ass and the entirely wrong approach to feminism. It is so hard to break the notions of feminism because gender and gender roles are ingrained in everything little thing we do. Clothes, hobbies, emotions– all of these things are defined by gender. Our parents have subconsciously raised us to see gender first. 

For this post I wanted to focus on the second half of the text, specifically on chapter eleven and its definition of social norms. "Because social norms are created by human beings, and there is no social norm that cannot be changed," (Adichie 51). Social norms and gender are linked hand-in-hand. An extension of this is biology and gender norms. Girls are taught not to be sexually promiscuous. They're supposed to save themselves for marriage and to act a certain way that doesn't attract male attention. There's also a connection between sexuality, promiscuity, and clothing. Clothing that is too revealing correlates with someone who is a prostitute. It is embarrassing and outdated that society puts all of these harsh expectations on women in regards of their sexuality. Parents, culture, and sex education have raised women to see sex and their sexuality as something to be ashamed of. Thus, Adichie urges her friends to not condemn her daughter for her sexuality, and to be the change in these harmful social norms.

There is so much to talk about in this book, but the main purpose of this manifesto is Adichie to explore the stigmatism surrounding women and feminism, and the ways mother's can change the tone of femininity. As a 22-year old woman reading this was really insightful and emotional. There is so much pressure to act as a "well-behaved young women", yet this comes with a negative context rather than one that uplifts and pushes women to be their confident and unique selves. Adichie's manifesto is the blueprint as to how we should start raising future generations on how they understand gender. Feminism being defined as respect toward women and equality is a shallow definition, it fails to address the real problem– being bold enough to uplift women and remove all boundaries social-norms put on women. 

"Teach her never to universalize her own standards or experiences. Teach her that her standards are for her alone, and not for other people," (Adichie 62). I hope that in the future we will teach girls to be authentic and to not hide what they want to be. Adichie's manifesto should set the tone how we raise girls everywhere. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hamilton's understanding of National Time

Lin-Manual Miranda’s masterful hip-hop musical, Hamilton , eloquently ties together time theories that show the impact time’s understanding has on the development of a character and the motivation behind their actions.  Miranda’s work could not avoid discussion of the implications of understanding time, as he draws on history with his own lens, exposing his personal beliefs in time.  Miranda draws on national time in consideration of the creation of the United States, developing an understanding of the U.S.’s construction with a more modern and diverse perspective. The understanding of national time within this musical is seen through the creation of the nation, and Miranda’s understanding of ‘double time’ that was not considered in America’s history.  The U.S. Constitution was not written with consideration for those who were not experiencing life the same way as those writing it.  It did not consider the humanity of slaves, Native Americans, or women, who all experienced (and continu
Read more

Stability of "Creative Solitude"

     Every member of the Bechdel family household lives in their own world.  Alison's father lives in a trapped world--living in the same town and hiding his true sexuality--though he seeks stability in restoring their Victorian home and expressing himself through literature.  For instance, on page 13, there is an image of her father recording his voice to describe the influences on the house's design: "This owner changed the roofs, the porches, the chimneys, the fireplaces, the walls, the woodwork, until it became a stylish town house suitable for a prosperous lawyer's family."  His focus obsessively draws his attention and focus to the past, as he attempts to piece together the home's story.  This also alludes to his obsession with literature, as he chooses to live in a world different from his own reality, in order to escape his trapped life.     In addition to Alison's father, her mother, too, has her own sense of "creative solitude" (p. 133)
Read more

Home in Others

      Woodson’s own concept of home, I feel, evolves throughout the story’s progression. In the beginning, she is very focused on places and the feelings they provoke. Her geographical position greatly impacts her and the other characters’ mood, feelings of belonging and coincidentally, their comfort levels, which, in turn, all impact behavior. It is true that Jackie and her family must behave differently depending on their location. For example, take their obvious demeanor and mannerism change as the children make those journeys from North to South.       However, I would submit that Jackie’s concept of home takes on a less tangible form later in the story. While she does notice the comforting, home-like vibrations radiated from her various family members, the two remained coincidental until the climax of the book, aligning with Jackie’s increased self-awareness. She finds feelings of “home” and belonging while thinking of people, while reading, and in some way while she’s projecting
Read more