Gender Inequality

Paper 1

            Empowerment and marginalization throughout history is often based on gender. Gender inequality has existed since the times of ancient Greece when Sophocles wrote the play Antigone, in which the protagonist, Antigone, is portrayed as a woman who is fearless, bold, independent and rebellious. Antigone goes against the order of King Creon, who demonstrates female oppression through his actions and words. This predicament continues for centuries into the 1950s when Tennessee Williams, the author of A Streetcar Named Desire demonstrates how the power struggle between Stanley and Blanche conveys dominant ideas such as brutality of the masculine and vulnerability of the feminine. Female oppression is exemplified through the characters of Creon, in Antigone, and Stanley’s male dominance over Blanche and Stella in, A Streetcar Named Desire. Today, we see that female oppression is still occurring around the world. For instance, in Saudi Arabia women are banned from driving and are currently facing discrimination and restrictions regarding competitive sports.

            In ancient Greece, women were seen as subordinate, weak-willed, vulnerable, and delicate human beings. In the play, Antigone, Sophocles portrays the lead character, Antigone, as the complete opposite. She represents a headstrong, passionate, brave, innovative, rebellious and radical woman for her time period as well as the very essence of women. Furthermore, Antigone takes place during a time period in which society was primarily male dominated, more specifically, by King Creon. When Antigone commits the crime of giving her brother, Polyneices, a proper burial, she provokes and challenges Creon’s power. Although Antigone believes her action simply reveals her belief that God’s moral law triumphs Creon’s ordinance, Creon sees her unlawful act as a way to test his power. As a result, he feels his power as King is being threatened, not just by another person, but also by a woman, his niece, and soon to be daughter-in-law. When Antigone shares her plan to bury Polyneices with her sister Ismene, Ismene reminds Antigone that Creon has forbidden the burial of Polyneices. Ismene vocalizes to Antigone, “You ought to realize we are only women, not meant in nature to fight against men, and that we are ruled, by those who are stronger…” (Sophocles 70). This proves of how spineless Ismene is portrayed, she is unwilling to do the right thing if it means standing up to a man. This is something that most women would not do and as Antigone did. The statement made by Ismene demonstrates how even most women of that time period were taught to believe that men are better, bigger and most of all, stronger. Clearly Ismene’s character is depicted as easily influenced, humble, timid, and a pacifist, all that represents a women of that time period.

            Creon, however, believes that his laws must be upheld and would do anything to prevent rebellion, especially by a woman. He shows how infuriated he is when he learns that a woman has broken his laws, “I swear I am no man and she the man if she can win this and not pay for it” (Sophocles 528). He tries to show Antigone that he is in charge by sentencing her to a life of imprisonment until death. Additionally, Antigone shows how determined she is by accepting her consequences with pride as she says, “Yes, I confess; I will not deny my deed” (Sophocles 487). Antigone’s pride is exemplified in her wise remark, “Do you want anything beyond my taking and my execution… Why do you wait, then? Nothing you say pleases me” (Sophocles 541-545). This irritates and angers Creon, for he believes no one should ever go against his ordinance, let alone a woman. Once again Antigone challenges his power, this time more explicitly. Creon does not want to show weakness to his peers, especially not to a woman, this is clear when he says to Haemon, “We cannot give victory to a woman. If we must accept defeat, let it be from a man” (Sophocles 729-730). Creon’s oppression towards women is evident as he believes women are much weaker than man and states that he would rather surrender to a man than to a woman.

            Similar to Antigone, in the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams also demonstrates the power struggle between genders through the characters Stanley, Stella and Blanche. William’s highlights conformity to the provider image almost instantly. Stanley’s physical masculinity and power is conveyed through the “red-stained package of meat” that he “heaves” carelessly at Stella (Williams 1778). This immediately associates Stanley with blood and brutality. Throughout the play it becomes evident that Stanley and Blanche loathe each other. Their first argument occurs when Stanley confronts Blanche about the plantation inheritance papers, as he exclaims, “According to the Napoleonic Code, what belongs to the wife belongs to the husband and vice versa” (Williams 1792). Calling upon the Napoleonic Code enables Stanley to justify his feelings of entitlement toward Stella’s inheritance. When Stanley refers to the Napoleonic Code repeatedly it highlights the fact that his conflict with Blanche is also a gender struggle. Stanley feels threatened when approached by Blanche, who is of much higher class than him. As a result, Stanley must reassure his male dominance in his household because Blanche threatens his authority.

            Many scenes throughout the play show the gender inequality portrayed through the characters. A particular scene that demonstrates this is when Stanley becomes disturbed and outraged with the music playing while he is engaged in a game of poker with his friends and lashes out on Stella by yelling and disgracefully hitting her. When Mitch repeatedly says “Poker shouldn’t be played in a house with women” it reflects the social norms and dominant belief that women should be disassociated from masculine activities (Williams 1800). Stanley playing poker with his friends represents a male bonding, a bonding that excludes Stella and Blanche. Since Blanche arrived at the Kowalski household it seems that Stanley is slowly losing control over Stella, something he does not approve of. When “Stanley gives a loud whack of his hand on her [Stella’s] thigh,” he is showing that his threatening words are not enough and begins to use violence as a way of controlling Stella, which in turn frightens Blanche (Williams 1796). In addition, Stanley snaps at Stella when she says to him that his face is dirty and disgusting and that he must wash up as well as help her clear the kitchen table. Stella’s comment is not ordinary for her to say, and Stanley sees how Blanche’s thoughts have influenced the way Stella talks to him. In response to Stella, Stanley says, “What do you two think you are? A pair of queens? … I am the king around here, so don’t forget it!” (Williams 1825). Stanley, being the dominant powerful male, quickly reasserts himself against his wife reflecting the stereotypical balance of power in a working class husband and wife relationship.

            Although gender inequality has slowly diminished in the United States of America, as well as many other countries around the world, we still see today that there are countries such as Saudi Arabia who are oppressing and denying their women of human rights through the discrimination of being unable to drive. Saudi Arabia banned women from driving in November 1990 during the Gulf War (Begum). The Grand Mufti, Saudi Arabia’s highest official of religious law, declared “fatwa,” or religious decree, opposing to women driving because driving would endanger women “to temptation” and lead to “social chaos” (Begum). As women in Saudi Arabia learned of this, 47 Saudi women assembled a group in which they drove the streets of Riyadi in protest against the law that restricted them (Begum). Unfortunately, many officials incarcerated them as well as suspending many from their jobs. Another tragic incident that occurred due to the law prohibiting women to drive in Saudi Arabia caused one woman to be sentenced to “10 lashes,” a punishment administered by a whip (Begum). Sadly, a cleric from Saudi Arabia has formed a new excuse to prohibit women from driving; he claims, “Driving affects women’s ovaries” (Begum). Although there is no evidence to prove this appalling comment, many in Saudi Arabia still believe that women should not have the right to drive (Begum).

            In addition to being banned from driving, women in Saudi Arabia are also facing discrimination to practice sports as part of their right to cultural activity and right to health. Saudi Arabia’s highest religious official publicized, “Women should be housewives. There is no need for them to engage in sports” (“Questions and Answers”). This cleric fears that once women engage in sports, they will shed their modest Islamic attire and perhaps “mingle unnecessarily with men” (“Questions and Answers”). Saudi Arabia may be one of the few countries in the world where government schools do not provide the girls with physical education as well as not allocating support for competitive female athletes ("Questions and Answers”). The country does not contain any women’s sports clubs as well as being the only country besides Qatar and Brunei that has never sent women athletes to the Olympic games. In hopes to end discrimination in sports against women, the Olympic Charter and the UN Human Rights Council have made it a goal to enlist Saudi athletes and citizens to urge their government to reform its policies that prohibit women and girls from participation in sports ("Questions and Answers”). This shows a connection to Antigone in how this type of attitude and traditional views from ancient Greece continues today in Saudi Arabia.

            Through the works of literature provided by Sophocles and Tennessee Williams, it is evident that women like Antigone, Blanche and Stella, have struggled with discrimination and have experienced gender inequality for many centuries. Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that continues to oppress their female citizens by banning them from being able to drive and discriminating in sports against women. Although women have been portrayed as being weak-minded, unassertive and submissive, they have come a long way to gain equal rights in many parts of the world and still continue to strive for that goal today.

         

 Works Cited

Begum, Rothna. "Give Saudi Women the Right to Drive | Human Rights Watch." Give Saudi Women the Right to Drive | Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch, 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 08 Mar. 2014. <http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/10/24/give-saudi-women-right-drive>.

Hager, Kelly, and Kelly J. Mays. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 11th ed. New York: Norton, 2002. Print.

"Questions and Answers on the Olympics, Women and Sports in Saudi Arabia | Human Rights Watch." Questions and Answers on the Olympics, Women and Sports in Saudi Arabia | Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch, 15 Feb. 2012. Web. 08 Mar. 2014. <http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/02/15/questions-and-answers-olympics-women-and-sports-saudi-arabia>.