Cansu Huyuk
English 102
Professor Mignano-Brady
March 15th, 2018
Male Dominance and Gender Inequality
Aristotle once said, “The male is by nature superior and the female inferior…the one rules and the other is ruled”. In many parts of the world, the status of women has increased drastically yet certain areas still hold on to the corrupt idea of male domination along with gender inequality. During Ancient Greece, women had minimal amounts of rights in society as opposed to what men obtained. The goal of a young woman’s education in school was to prepare her for eventually raising a large family, not engaging with other intellectuals or society. During the 1940’s, women were expected to be a housewife, making babies as well as cleaning up after their husbands. Stella Kowalski from the play “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams, is a representation of an abused woman in the 1940’s. In Sophocles’ play “Antigone”, Antigone portrays how women were treated during Ancient Greece. Both Stella and Antigone face male dominance along with gender inequality depicted within characterization, portrayed by Stanley Kowalski and Creon, King of Thebes. Many women throughout today’s society deal with gender inequality and male dominance throughout the workforce, in their house, and relationships, which ultimately takes a significant toll on a woman’s mind creating illusions, depression, and wrong decision making.
Stella and her beloved husband Stanley connect together through desire, however only she is in loss of reality and truth. During the 1940’s, it was seen as acceptable for men to abuse their wives both physically and mentally. In the play “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams, Stanley Kowalski clearly shows male dominance towards his pregnant wife Stella. For example, “Remember what Huey Long said “Every Man is a King!” And I am the king around here, so don’t forget it!” (Stanley, 1850). Stanley has a passion to control any vulnerable human being that is weak minded, which in this case it happens to be Stella; a pregnant housewife in the 1940’s down south. By Stanley referring to himself as the king and screaming not to forget it, clearly implies that he is demanding and controlling which ultimately creates mental and psychological harm to his wife Stella. Shouting out that he is the king of the house is verbal abuse, which causes Stella to believe that it is alright for men to treat women in such a way. This gives Stella the illusion that her relationship with Stanley is stable and extremely perfect, giving more power to the controlling man. An example of Stanley controlling what he thought Stella had, property, would be in scene two of the play. “In the state of Louisiana we have the Napoleonic code according to which what belongs to the wife belongs to the husband and vise versa” (Stanley 34, 35). Stanley wants what Stella has, which again portrays the dominance he has over Stella’s values.
Another example that explains how Stanley depicts male dominance through the time period is in scene three of the play, when he hits Stella because she commented about what an animal he was for throwing the radio out the window during poker night. “Drunk - drunk animal thing, you! (She rushes through the poker table) All of you – please go home! If any of you have one spark of decency in you – ” (Stella 57). “Stella, watch out, he’s – (Stanley charges after Stella)” (Blanche 57). The scene portrays the high level of dominance a man has over a woman, showing that Stanley laid his hands on a woman that was pregnant. The male dominance shown throughout Stella and Stanley’s relationship affects Stella’s mind deeply, creating her to believe that the gender inequality during her time period was perfectly acceptable for all women, regardless of the abuse and mistreatment.
Stanley’s abusive treatment can be related to abusive men who suffer from alcoholism in today’s society, exactly how Stanley suffered from alcoholism during his time period. Abusive men who suffer from alcoholism in today’s world create unstable and dangerous relationships that a woman may no longer want to face. The article “Alcohol, Fear, and Women Abuse” by Ira W. Hutchison, explains how alcohol affects women’s husbands, which affects the woman herself emotionally and physically. “Alcohol has been shown to be implicated in many forms of aggression (Leonard and Jacob, 1988) and sexual assault (Russell, 1984)” (Hutchison 894). Stella and Stanley constantly argue which during scene three of the play became a physical argument, as well as mentioning the fact that Stanley sexually abused his wife’s sister by raping her. “In one small study, residents of a women’s shelter reacted to hypothetical scenarios and blamed the alcohol for the batterer’s actions – particularly when the scenario couple was “in love” (Bernard, 1990:81)” (Hutchison 900). Stella blames Stanley’s abuse and mistreatment on the alcohol, allowing the abuse to be perceived as normal and become a part of their everyday lives because she cannot see past Stanley’s handsome looks. Stella’s wrong decision making by continuing her life with Stanley is caused by the fear of losing an abuser who’s hooked on alcohol, her very own husband. Thousands of women throughout the world in today’s time period face fear, sexual assault, and male dominance throughout countries like China, Cuba, or Afghanistan, which creates the woman to become self destructive and the man to stay the leader.
Gender inequality was made most visible in Sophocles’ “Antigone” by the destructive conflict between Creon and Antigone. Antigone faced gender inequality throughout the play which ultimately lead her to her very own death The abuser Creon, King of Thebes, cannot deal with Antigone going against his rule to not bury her brother Polyneices. He believes that a woman should obey the laws and men should enforce the laws. For example, “We must stand on the side of what is orderly; we cannot give victory to a woman. If we must accept defeat, let it be from a man; we must not let people say that a woman beat us” (Creon 728-731). Creon tells his son Haemon that Antigone shall not defeat him, solely because she is not a man. If Creon was to be defeated, he would rather be defeated by a man so that at least there is still value in gender roles. Another example that depicts how women were seen as objects and controlled by men was when Ismene asks Creon if he was going to kill his sons bride, Antigone. Creon responds with “Why not? There are other fields for him to plough” (556). Creon does not care for his sons love, he only cares about belittling Antigone and her willingness to go against the kings edict to bury her brother. Although Antigone is willing to stand up against men, for that reason she died due to gender discrimination and male dominance portrayed by Creon.
Women were often shamed upon by society during Ancient Greece and the 1940’s in the United States of America. There were such rules that women could not have an education, women were banned from studying, and their goal was to strictly be a house wife. The male dominated society in Stanley’s time period and Creon’s time period still exists in a minor population today, however society is over looking the old rules and pursing the new rules. “No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men” said Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Antigone and Stella were perfect images of the traditional woman in their time period, always being dishonored by the destructive man. The abuse of male domination and gender inequality Antigone and Stella faced in both plays created both women to become self destructive, which lead each woman to face either death, depression, or illusions to the mind.
Works Cited:
Booth, Alison & Kelly J. Mays. The Norton Introduction to Literature, 10th Ed. 2010.
Hutchison, Ira W. “Alcohol, Fear, and Woman Abuse.” Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, no. 11, 1999. Edsgao, EBSCOhost.
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