Throughout history, women have suffered numerous forms of oppression from the misogynistic mentality of our predominantly patriarchal world. A particularly severe example of this oppression is demonstrated in Jeff Jacoby’s formative essay, “Watching Oprah from Behind the Veil.” In this article, Jacoby describes the appalling conditions in which modern-day Saudi Arabian women are compelled to live. As a result of their ruthlessly gender-segregated society, these women are denied fundamental human rights and are forced to live as subordinates to men. They cannot vote, drive, freely choose whom to marry or divorce, or even leave their homes without a male attendant. Furthermore, Saudi Arabian women are prohibited from advancing their education, acquiring a job, or filing a criminal complaint without first obtaining a male guardian’s permission. In this suppressive and dehumanizing environment, women “are denied the right to make the simplest decisions, treated by the law like children who cannot be trusted with authority over their own well-being” (Jacoby, p. 369). However, in spite of these countless obstacles, many Saudi Arabian women are striving to discover their own sense of self-worth through their avid viewing of The Oprah Winfrey Show. These women are clearly inspired by Oprah’s message of self-esteem and self-confidence, as well as her success in overcoming the numerous hardships in her life. Even in the face of overwhelming persecution and prejudice, women continue to find ways in which to combat and defy the misogynistic standards of our male-dominated societies.
There are many instances in fiction which also clearly demonstrate the inner strength of women. One of these literary works is “The Revolt of Mother,” by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman. Throughout this local-color story, a nineteenth-century New England woman named Sarah Penn frequently displays her courage and strength of character despite the chauvinistic mindset of her husband, Adoniram. For example, at the beginning of the story, Sarah insistently demands to know why there are men digging in the fields outside her home. Although Adoniram dismisses her by telling her to “go into the house…an’ ‘tend to your own affairs,” Sarah adamantly refuses to move until her husband finally confesses that he is building a new barn (Freeman, p. 448). Moreover, when Mrs. Penn attempts to discuss the new barn with her husband, she patiently yet firmly requests that he sit down to talk with her. Initially, Adoniram refuses, but Sarah “stood in the door like a queen; she held her head as if it bore a crown; there was that patience which makes authority royal in her voice” (Freeman, p. 454). As a consequence of her unwavering determination, her husband finally relents and agrees to her request.
During this discussion between Sarah and Adoniram, Mrs. Penn makes a heartfelt appeal to her husband to construct a new home for their family instead of the barn. Forty years ago, when they were first married, Adoniram had promised his wife that he would build her a new house within the year. However, he had broken this promise numerous times by prioritizing the construction of livestock barns and sheds over the comfort and wellbeing of his own family. Throughout all of those years, Sarah had never once complained about their ramshackle living conditions and had endeavored to make the old house as clean and comfortable as possible. Now, however, with the unnecessary construction of the new barn, she pleads with her husband to reconsider his priorities for the sake of their family. Nevertheless, in spite of her poignant appeal, Adoniram remains unmoved and stoically resumes the building of the barn.
The full force of Sarah Penn’s character truly begins to manifest itself after Adoniram leaves the farm for several days to purchase a new workhorse. On the very same day of his departure, Sarah resolves to follow through with her plan and orders the farm hands to deliver the fresh load of hay to the old barn rather than to the new one. That evening, she and her two children, Sammy and Nanny, pack up all their belongings and move into the new barn. Although the townspeople gossip and speculate wildly about this unconventional occurrence, Sarah remains steadfast in her belief that she did the right thing for her family. When Adoniram returns home on Saturday evening, he is stunned speechless by his wife’s daring act. Finally, after supper, he sits out on the steps of his new home weeping and resigns himself to Sarah’s will, much like “a fortress whose walls had no active resistance, and went down the instant the right besieging tools were used” (Freeman, p. 468). As a result of her indomitable resolve and tenacious courage, Sarah Penn is able to accomplish her goal in spite of the many hindrances of her primarily chauvinistic environment.
Another work of fiction which illustrates women’s defiance of misogyny is T. Coraghessan Boyle’s “Friendly Skies.” In this contemporary short story, the protagonist, Ellen, immediately conflicts with a belligerent and egotistical male passenger on an airplane. This passenger, named Lercher, loudly and viciously complains about the inconveniences of the flight delay and proceeds to mock Ellen when she refuses to respond to his intoxicated rages. In addition, when Ellen returns to the airport to catch another plane, Lercher slams into her in the terminal and simply hurries on his way without even apologizing or ensuring that she is alright. Although “Ellen wasn’t a violent person,” she feels that “if she could have thrown a switch that would put an instant, sizzling end to [Lercher’s] existence, she wouldn’t have hesitated” (Boyle, p. 71). Ellen’s dislike for this increasingly aggressive and discourteous man is further intensified on the second plane. When Lercher belligerently demands to be taken up to the first-class seats, Ellen regards him as “the worst kind of trash…. like the bullies on the playground” (Boyle, p. 74).
In addition to Lercher, Ellen is also dealing with the aftermath of chauvinistic mistreatment in her own personal life. For example, she had recently discovered that her now ex-boyfriend Roy had been cheating on her. When she attempted to confront him about it, he had publicly insulted her, calling her “shit-for-brains” in the presence of her fellow teachers (Boyle, p. 73). As a result of his betrayal, Ellen has spiraled into a deep depression and feels as though her life has been “dismembered…like a boy pulling the legs off an insect” (Boyle, p. 72).
Despite the emotional pain that Ellen is suffering, she is able to seize an opportunity to strike back against the oppression she has been compelled to endure. When Lercher is denied access to the first-class seats, he throws himself into a frenzied rage, threatening to throw boiling water on anyone who opposes him and punching out the flight attendants. When Michael, the gentleman seated next to Ellen, attempts to subdue this madman, Lercher knocks Michael out with a blow from his laptop. At this moment, Ellen “knew…she’d had enough, enough of Roy and this big, drunken, testosterone-addled bully” (Boyle, p. 75). She seizes a fork from a dinner tray and rises out of her seat to stab Lercher repeatedly in his face and throat. Her physical resistance enables the attendants to finally overpower Lercher, and he is bound and gagged until the authorities take him away in handcuffs. Ellen’s courageous act not only secures the safety of everyone on the plane, but also has granted her a liberating moment to retaliate against all of the suffering that these two men have inflicted upon her.
One final literary work which highlights women’s struggles against patriarchal oppression is “Sinking House,” also by T. Coraghessan Boyle. Muriel Burgess, one of the two protagonists of the story, is an elderly woman whose husband Monty has just passed away. Towards the end of his life, Monty had become an abusive alcoholic “who called [Muriel] bonehead and dildo and cuffed her like a dog” (Boyle, p. 455). When he suffered a stroke which left him completely helpless, Muriel had been secretly relieved that she was finally “on top now” (Boyle, p. 455). Immediately after Monty breathes his last, Muriel begins turning on every water source in the house, including all the faucets, toilets, showers, and sprinklers. The steady sound of running water helps to drown out “the pit of that dry silence [in which] she could hear him, Monty…pouring himself another vodka, cursing her in a voice like sandpaper” (Boyle, p. 475). This constant flow of water serves as a kind of healing force for Muriel, who is attempting to wash away all of the terrible memories of the abuse she has suffered.
The other protagonist of “Sinking House” is Meg Terwilliger, a young housewife who lives next-door to Muriel. On the surface, Meg appears to have an active and full life, with a family she seemingly loves. However, her husband Sonny shares some similarities with Monty Burgess, as he enjoys vodka and seems to ghave a potential for violence. This is evidenced by his “sudden rage” when he witnesses the damage caused by Muriel’s running water (Boyle, p. 454). Although Meg is initially the first to complain about Muriel, she is strongly affected by the elderly woman’s melancholy gaze when the police come to take her into custody. As a consequence, she walks over to her neighbor’s now vacant house and tries to imagine the other woman’s life. When she sees the sprinklers in Muriel’s garden, Meg decides to “turn them on…just for a minute, to see what it would feel like….She wouldn’t leave them on long – it could threaten the whole foundation of her house” (Boyle, p. 460). Although Meg and Muriel originally clash at the beginning of the story, their dual perspectives ultimately merge into one as Meg comes to understand the pain of oppression which threatens the foundation of every woman’s life.
Through these literary examples, it is evident that women are often remarkably strong individuals who discover countless ways in which to contend against the abuses and prejudices they face every day of their lives. No matter how society has attempted to disparage or silence them, women have always found a way for their voices to be heard, even at the risk of great personal endangerment. Only by continuing to imitate these standards of courage and determination can we ever hope to attain a world in which men and women are truly regarded as equals.
Works Cited
Boyle, T. Coraghessan. “Friendly Skies.” The New Yorker 1 Aug. 2000: 70-75.
Boyle, T. Coraghessan. “Sinking House.” Points of View: An Anthology of Short Stories. Ed.
James Moffett and Kenneth R. McElheny. Rev. ed. New York: Mentor, 1995. 448-460. Freeman, Mary E. Wilkins. “The Revolt of Mother.” A New England Nun and Other Stories.
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1891. 448-468.
Jacoby, Jeff. “Watching Oprah from Behind the Veil.” The Norton Sampler. Ed. Thomas
Cooley. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2013. 368-370.