The first few weeks of this course have taught me so much more than I even knew existed about the concept of “gender” and its role in a women’s life writing. I took this class because I understand how important feminism is in today’s world and as I am becoming a more contributing member of society, I want to do my part to ensure the equality of all. I used to think that by staying out of the conversation of feminism, I was simply remaining neutral but I now agree that by staying out of the conversation, I was hurting the cause. Racism and sexism are not to be put to the side or on the backburner. They need to be place at the top of the list on the ethics of humanity.
In Gilmore’s article, she claims that “what one might think is the most available subject matter, one’s own life, is not equally available to all persons at all times and in all places” (75). What Gilmore is referring to is the intersectionality of feminism that often gets forgotten in the discussion. Wealthy white women are often at the forefront of the fight for an end to sexism because they have the privilege of time and power, but they often overlook the intersections where different identities come into play. Sure, white women make, on average seventy-eight cents to every white male dollar that is earned, but African-American women only make sixty-eight cents to every male dollar. (WTF is Feminism 2:42) Hurston puts it best when she writes, about slavery, “… we have come a long, long way since then, but the troubling thing is that there are still too many who refuse to believe in the ingestion and digestion of western culture as yet. Hence the lack of literature about the higher emotions and love life of upper-class Negroes and the minorities in general” (1). No matter how far the feminist fight has come, there is still more work to be done to even out the score for minority women as much as white women. There is a difference between equity and equality. Equality is inviting someone to the dance, but equity is showing them how to dance and giving them dance shoes.
Zora Neale Hurston asks the question: “So how could anybody write a book about the non-existent?” (2). Women are often erased from the narrative through no fault of their own. Men’s writing is seen as having more value than that of women’s writing. When women write, their writing is seen as a political act of self-creation, but it should not be a political act at all. A woman writing her life into existence is not a “feminist act.” It is a human act. If men are able to write about their lives and have it be read and absorbed, there is no reason women cannot. Sexism is so prevalent in our society that when a woman first comes out about being raped or sexually harassed, the first questions are often “Well, what was she wearing?” or “How much did she have to drink?” As a society, we automatically assume that the women is not being truthful or is to blame. Victims are often shamed into non-existence.
Bañales writes: “How is writing about ‘real life,’ especially my life or how I see the world, a set-up for disappointment?…the longer I am kept out of the conversation [of poetry], the more I don’t exist” (12). Women’s stories are being silenced and a lot is at stake in this erasure. We, as a nation, pride ourselves on the diversity of our country. But, how can we be diverse when over half of the population is left out? Women are writing books and articles stemming from their life experiences with the intent that people, both men and women, will read them and learn from them. Gilmore mentions, “Why men should outnumber women in churning out books labeled ‘autobiography’ seems pretty obvious: given the standard plot, few women can very credibly claim to have lived that life” (73). The “real life” that our society teaches our young girls to strive for is not the same one we are teaching boys. The “standard plot” of autobiographies, that of power and wealth and status, is simply not attainable for women the way it is for men. False Categorizing is defined as “Incorrectly categorize women artists as the wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, or lovers of male artists” (1). Women are not seen as entities in themselves, but rather they are known as having their experiences based on men. If something is not changed, females will be erased from history.
These previous quotes from Gilmore, Hurston and Bañales are all related to each other in that they all touch on what will be lost by virtually erasing women from society. Bañales writes, “I don’t focus on ‘why me.’ Rather, I take it as it comes, and please know, Mr.-Famous-Poet-from-the-Laundromat, that I am worthy” (13). I agree with the feminist stand that it is disappointing that a woman would even feel the need to write this at all. No man would ever need to establish his credibility to his audience. Furthermore, when this poet continually berates the woman writer, she thinks about retaliating, but knows that she cannot because, to the man, she is just a poor, colored woman. Once we erase the sexism from society, women will be free to write their ideas without first establishing that they are qualified to write.
These statements are all related to what bell hooks calls “the white supremacist capitalist patriarchy” (4). Power and knowledge play a big part in the sexism that our society faces and white men hold the power in our country. In her TED Talk, Chemaly discusses how the further up the corporate ladder you go, the fewer women you will see. Studies show that women use, on average, more words than men. Yet, men talk seventy-five percent more, and when women speak even thirty-eight percent they are seen as dominating (The Credibility Gap: How Sexism Shapes Human Knowledge).
My definition of feminism so far in this course was worded best by Soraya Chemaly when she said, “… we need to teach women to be knowers, not pleasers.” (16:56). In other words, women need to be seen for their knowledge and value as a human being, not just “as a woman.” This definition involves women’s life narratives in that women have it much harder to let their voice be heard in today’s society. Chemaly goes on to say, “after crises, girls and women are fourteen times more likely to die because their bodily needs are not met.” (3:25) Growing up, teachers talk over and interrupt girls much more than boys. Feminism means abolishing the sexism that girls must battle to have a fighting chance for success in the world.