Department of English

Spring 2007 High School Edition

My Name is Woman

Lauren Woore
Formal Essay (11th-12th)
Third Place
Canyon View High School
Teacher: Susan Merrell

Through the critical eye of time, women have been labeled as bathing beauties, macho, Ms., gender benders, gay, and service woman, but the best and most accurate name for women is suffragette. Although women from the 1920s differ greatly from the modern woman, the effects from the 1900s have molded how society views the double x population. This feminist metamorphosis began when the women decided that they too should be able to vote; this simple but demanding concept concluded in acts of empowerment that still continue today.
Women in the workforce. How strange and alien does that sound? Not very to a person living in the 21st century, but how about to someone living in the 1920s? Females through the years have transformed themselves into the perfect working hand for any type of occupation. These flexible, educated women are now receiving acknowledgment and jealousy in the workforce and the army because of their rising success. Although some men are still reeling from the fact that women can be better than they, many have taken solace in the switch of gender roles. The swap has created a whole new class of liberated men and women.

“I can do anything you can do better,” proudly sings the woman star to her male counterpart in the play Annie Get Your Gun. It is amazing how strongly all women agree with this phrase when only a decade ago they would be shunning from the lyric. A new and wonderful creature has risen from the ashes of the women’s suffrage: feminists. These are women who solely believe in woman power and woman power alone. Although this movement is very confident in their beliefs, the views on feminism have taken a sudden turn. Some argue that women began with Adam and Eve, but the female body really sprung to life by the effects of the women’s suffrage.

It was a 72-year struggle. It ended with the 19th Amendment. It was for a worthy cause. It was women’s suffrage. Suffragettes and suffragists came together by the thousands to end the destitution of women. Since women did not hold much power nor had many connections during the 1920s, they had to resort to picketing and rioting on the streets. Many women sacrificed themselves for this cause, and while a number were sent to prison for their outlandish behavior, one woman died for what she believed in. Emily Davison was a woman crazed by the injustices inflicted on her and all women everywhere, so she catapulted herself in front of the king’s horse in an act of desperate protest (Castle).  On June 4th, 1913, a few days before Emily’s immediate death, she had written a letter to her friend stating “. . .put an end to the intolerable torture of women” (Castle). Although not all women were willing to sacrifice themselves to that extent, many had gone to prison for their simple protests. While the women were being hauled to the station, they were not treated as they should have been; the women, some frightened while others were not, were man-handled into their cold, dark, and dank cells. Because of their mistreatment, the women held a strike right inside of the prison: they refused to east. Some women were proud to do their time, but others were ashamed and quickly bailed out by their families (Bausum 59-89). The very long 72-years seemed to go on forever—until President Wilson finally consented to pass the 19th Amendment, the women’s official right to vote (Bausum 56-89).  The picketers put away their signs, the streets were clear of angry women on the rise, and the entire population, including all women and men, waited patiently for election day to come around.

During the 1920s, women were not recognized for what they are today. Old-fashioned ladies were good wives, respected in society, and were arm candy to their husbands. If one fast-forwarded to the future, one would see women on pedestals. Doctors, lawyers, politicians, and other such high leadership positions, are now preoccupied by successful women swarming into the workforce. Although gender shifts are now well regarded in today’s society, some men are envious of women’s advancements. This relates to the wage differences between women and men. While Eleanor Roosevelt was an icon during the 1900s, many women have been and are recognized for their accomplishments. In the early age of 1972, Victoria Woodhull became the first woman to run for president (Harakas). “Rosy the Riveter” became a WWII icon who then went on to change the image of women in the workforce (Harakas). In the early 1960s, Margaret Chase was the first woman nominated by a major party for the presidency, and Sandra Day O’Connor became the first woman in the Court of the United States in the early 1980s (The History). While women have accomplished and conquered virtually all positions in politics, Nancy Pelosi became the first female Speaker of the House in 2007: this position is the highest ranking leadership position ever held by a woman in this country; it ranks third highest in the country behind the vice president and the president (The History). How long will it take for a woman to become president? Is it only possible in an impossible parallel feminine universe, or can it happen in this modern world?

Finally, women are becoming recognized in the work place for their placement in high positions, but what about the rest of the women in America? About 35,000 women from all over the country applied for less than 1,000 anticipated positions. It looks like the female body is becoming preoccupied (Bellafaire). Reported in the year 2000, women, aged 21-34 years, in the labor force are now more educated, earn more, and enjoy reaping their benefits than their counterparts from only 25 years ago (DiNatale). One can find a woman in almost every job imaginable, but most women can be found in high paying jobs: executives, administrators, managerial occupations, professional occupations, and, of course, sales and service (DiNatale). Although the earning gap between women and men is narrowing, men are still receiving a better pay in high wage occupations. An interview with Susannah Grant, a successful screenwriter and director, confirms the sexist barrier in the money making world: Q: “Is it harder for women to work in Hollywood?” A: “I don’t know exactly where the drop off occurs. Film schools seem to be fifty-fifty. But female writers and directors have a harder time getting jobs. It’s a huge problem” (A New). It seems that women are jumping ahead, but when will equal rights amount to what it stands for? Men and women in this hectic world fight like little boys and girls, but the carnage is not broken dolls and trucks—the end result can be decimated dreams and hopes just because of a difference in chromosomes. When dealing with the issue of women in the workforce, it truly is a battle of the sexes.

Once upon a time the idealistic woman remained at home, took care of the children, cleaned the house, cooked for her family, never asked questions, never could be a working gal, and was always a good wife. The 21st century woman now can do anything and everything that men can do, and now men are allowed to take the woman’s role. Mothers from 25-34 years of age are now being fitted for college educations and discarding their stereotypical roles of wife, caretaker, and mother (Betka). Because women are switching positions with their counterparts, men are becoming liberated too. Fathers can now stay home, raise the kids, wait for the wife, and embrace feminine roles without being accused of being a gigolo, blighted with sloth, or labeled as a homosexual (Harakas). So many men are known for their sensitive, feminine sides, and this includes activities such as gardening, knitting, ironing, washing, and cooking (horrors!). These everyday hobbies were in fact considered horrendous to the men of the golden years; their disapproval to the empowerment of women was presented in a comic depicting a manly dressed, cigar-smoking wife overlooking her poor husband who was bent over the tub scrubbing the laundry. How could men view women in such a way? Some men and women say “what has the world come to?” as if it was a mantra, but many are relieved to reveal sides of themselves that were once seen as “abnormal” and “unjust in a respectable society.”

“Who will then do the cooking, the washing, the mending, the humble homey tasks to which every woman has devoted herself; who will nurture the children?” said a male representative opposing women in the military (Bellafaire). The war and the Great Depression furthered the belief that a woman’s place was at home, opinions such as these continued to dampen enthusiasm for women’s rights (Pleck). When World War II began to take its toll on the United States, the women wanted in; they wanted to take part in the action. Due to the desperate times, the government hardly gave their consent to bear the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) in 1942 (Harakas). When the WAC was announced and looking for female soldiers, over 150,000 U.S. women applied and served during WWII (Bellafaire). Soon after the men worked with the women of the WAC, they took back their sharp words and ultimately changed their minds, It is a great pleasure to know that the modern woman is no longer viewed with bias in the army. Television commercials, radios, newspaper ads, and all types of military propaganda now strongly advertise women as core members of the army; now parades of army women are honorably seen saluting with men of higher, lower, and similar military rank.

Whether suffragettes wanted this or not, they gave birth to a beautiful ideal called the feminist. How can one describe a feminist? It is in every little girl, rebellious teen, and sophisticated woman who has opened her arms to envelop the empowerment of women, but others take a different approach to feminism. “I hate the word feminist. It has a bad connotation of women who don’t shave their legs or under their arms,” said Sarah Michelle Gellar, star of the strongly feminist centere3d show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Since Ms. Gellar’s quote sums up the description of a modern feminist, this means that older feminist ideals are slowly fading away. It is true, old-school feminists do not believe that a woman should worry about her appearance or femininity. A self-proclaimed feminist art teacher once said that “artists cannot be good looking:” This also was her conclusion of feminists. This day and age is occupied with feminists of all varieties, and the most common for this modern age are the post-structural feminists, which are the most dominant in academia (Kaminer). The following feminists have also been identified: anti-porn, lesbian, careerist, eco, liberal, political, pacifist, different voice, and separatist feminists (Kaminer). Feminism has exploded into the media, first flying in the 1990s with the Spice Girls and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is now exposed in magazines such as Mirabella, Harper’s Bazaar, and Glamour (Kaminer), and is abundant in literature, which sprouted from the seeds of The Feminine Mystique (1963) by Betty Friedan. This novel “criticized the post-war glorification of motherhood and femininity and the belief that women could best find fulfillment by living vicariously through the achievements of husband and children (Pleck). Since the publication of The Feminine Mystique, many novels, short stories, and poems have been written for the sake of the feminist movement. Polls conclude that over the past three years there has been an increase in the majority support for feminism (Kaminer), but the same polls sadly show that many women are still hesitant to associate themselves with the movement (Kaminer). The great thing about feminism is that it acts as a bond for all women to relate to whether they are straight, bisexual, or homosexual. Feminism does not care if you are rich or poor or pretty or ugly. This raw female strength was created to liberate and empower any woman who is willing to accept it.

Women have come far from being trophy wives, stay-at-home moms, and the humble house cleaners. The women’s suffrage sparked the advancement of women in the workforce, changes in gender roles, and the outbreak of feminists. Although equality is becoming a full circle for all men and women, there are still sexist factors that cannot be excused. Someday all women will understand the true meaning of becoming liberated. Someday there will be a woman president. Someday is going to take a very long time to accomplish, or someday may be today.