Reading Virginia Woolf's essay on Shakespeare's sister makes me appreciate who I was born as: a white male. Specifically, it also reminded me of this Louis CK bit on being white: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg48ZZ2wYfM
As Louis says, being a white male is pretty much living life on easy mode. While men aren't completely free of gender roles, most of the expectations for us involve being successful and creative, so it's not restricting so much as aggressively/unhealthily motivating. While I know women are no longer forced to marry at age 16, they are still held back in many ways by societal norms, and this is something that, as a white male, I've only recently become aware of.
Honestly, I think it should be required of all men to read something like what Ms. Woolf wrote -- otherwise, we will continue walking around in ignorance. Until we got to the feminist unit in AP American Literature last year, I was completely unaware of how poorly represented females are in American culture. And once it was called to my attention, I finally understood why feminism is necessary. Women have had it tough in life, and they continue to live with more constraints than there should be, and I like to think most men would agree that that's not okay. They just might not realize the true reality of their situation.
I totally agree with you David. I think its important for everyone to read something on ignorance of any kind because many people don't even realize what they are thinking and saying.
ReplyDeleteGender inequality is and unfortunately might always be a problem in society, but I think in defending a disadvantaged group one must always be careful to not simply put down the majority group in the process. While women should be defended, it's important to note that it's not always the "white male"s fault alone, and to not blame women's suffering exclusively on male success. But like you said, recognizing the inequality as a whole is definitely the first step to a better world.
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