fem essay 1

1. Explain how Marilyn Frye characterizes oppression in the essay “Oppression”

Marilyn Frye first provides a disclaimer surrounding Oppression, saying that those who are not oppressed can still be miserable or suffering. For example: if you are a white, heterosexual, upper-class, cisgender male, you are not oppressed by systemic measures, but you can still suffer, and this does not make your experience invalid, just different. After this disclaimer, Frye continues, explaining that the roots of oppression are “press”, and this pressing something molds, flattens, or reduces it, such as a sandwich under a sandwich press. The presser leaves the sandwich with nowhere to go; it's trapped, caught, as the forces or barriers of the press come down, catching the sandwich in between- restraining, restricting, or preventing its motion or mobility: 

This is the definition of oppression. In society, one way women are oppressed is because of their sex: the forces and barriers of society, such as the idea that men are inherently superior, leave women with nowhere to go. For example, if society deems men as inherently superior, a woman with the exact same credentials as a man will be treated worse, granted worse jobs, less power, and pay.

Discuss her claim that “one of the most characteristic and ubiquitous features of the world as experienced by oppressed people is the double bind.” In your discussion, be sure to explain what a double bind is and include at least one example of a double bind experienced by women

A double bind is another example of oppression where there is a limited number of options, and whatever one chooses will penalize them. An example Frye presents is that younger women in the US are in a bind where sexual activity and inactivity are both wrong. If a (heterosexual) woman is sexually active, she will be punished by society’s judgments and remarks that she is easy or a whore, and if she is sexually inactive, she is told she is uptight, a prude, or a tease, or even abnormal or lesbian. Under the forces of systemic oppression, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. 

1. In the second part, discuss her use of a birdcage as a metaphor for oppression. Be sure to explain the relevant similarities between a birdcage, on the one hand, and oppression of, eg, women, on the other 

Frye closes out her piece by explaining that the experience of oppressed people is like being a bird in a bird cage, where the forces of oppression work together in every direction to keep you trapped. She describes that if you look very closely at a cage, you just see the one wire. If the bird in the cage represents a woman trapped by oppression, looking at one wire, or factor of oppression, may leave the woman unsuspecting that they are oppressed. For instance, building off my example earlier, a woman not getting a job even though she is qualified is just one instance. Yet, when she steps back and sees that these small instances occur again and again, and all stem from the same societal beliefs that put women under men, she realizes she is trapped by systemic oppression. Oppression against women can consist of unequal job opportunities, less education, fewer resources, believing they are weak, caretakers and nurturers, followers instead of leaders, and many more; and these work together to make life unequal and unfair for women compared to men. 

1. Explain both how Lorde thinks that participants in the women’s movement have been socialized to define and respond to their differences and how Lorde thinks that participants in the women’s movement ought to  define and/or respond to their differences if their goal is the “mobilization of women’s joint power”

Lorde explains that to redefine difference, we must first think of how it is defined. She describes how, in our oppressive society, people have been socialized to think that difference = deficit. The dominant group, such as men, is normal and good, and the subordinate group, such as women, is different, “other”, deviant, bad, and inferior. Therefore, because women grow up in this systematic society, without thinking, we are almost bound to uphold these beliefs about those different from us, too, even in women’s movements. However, if we want mobilization of women’s joint power, we must understand that yes, there are differences between women in aspects such as race, age, and sex, and we should recognize these; but differences can instead be a source of strength. Providing unique experiences can help women best unify and diversify their cause, because working together is best with different perspectives. 

1. In the second part of your essay, explain how, according to Lorde, white women “ignore their built-in privilege of whiteness and define woman in terms of their own experience alone” 

Lorde continues on, saying that ignoring race is the most detrimental mistake to make if feminist movements want joint power. White women do this by ignoring their privilege of whiteness and defining womanhood by themselves alone. Excluding Black women and other women of color's experiences, white women position them as the “other” and that their experiences are too “alien” or different to contribute.. Lorde theorizes that because many of them hold the theory that difference = inferiority, acknowledging black women’s differences makes them feel guilty because it highlights their additional struggles and “inferiority” compared to white women’s privilege. Instead, by thinking all women are the same and ignoring black women’s experiences, they don’t need to feel guilty for their position of power.

Explain why, according to Lorde, white women are more susceptible than Black women to “being seduced into joining the oppressor under the pretense of sharing power”

Because of the power white women have due to their race, they are more susceptible to siding with the oppressors, men. As white women, their lives are simply easier than those of black women or other women of color. It is easy for them to think that if my life is pretty good, with a nice white husband who makes money and darling children, then maybe I am not oppressed, or what is the point in fighting oppression? They may even think they have a chance at equal power in the patriarchy, even though they still could never have the power that men hold. Black women, on the other hand, are so far from being in positions of power that this illusion is comical, and they are willing to take the risk and fight against oppression because they have less to lose. 

Explain at least one of the “problems and pitfalls” that, according to Lorde, face Black women as Black women (but do not face white women as white women)

Finally, some pitfalls that black women have to deal with that white women do not have to deal with involve racism. For instance, black women need to be careful when criticizing the sexism of black men, because white men and women can use this against them to demonize black men. If white women criticize white men, they are feminists. However, when black women do this, they are “giving” reasons for why white people should be racist against black men, even though criticism is needed of everybody to create the least oppressive society.