Women have never been in
a stronger position to lead, change and shape the economic, social and
political landscape. The 21st century has seen a dramatic shift in traditional
family dynamics and greater recognition of gender through legislation which has
helped pull apart gender-role divisions in countries like US and UK. Yet women in
countries like Iran still live in second class status. When husbands divorce
their wives, the wives have no rights to their own children. Women are denied
the rights to study abroad unless accompanied by their husbands. Gender
inequality has historically created different issues alongside human
development. The issues on gender inequality can be discussed within different
time periods such as, Ancient Greece (400 BC), New Orleans (1940) and the
current era. The play, Antigone by
Sophocles, demonstrates through Creon’s characterization, how women were
politically repressed in ancient Greece. The play A
Street Car Named Desire by Tennessee Williams similarly shows Stanley as a
person who shows aggression and a male dominance over Stella and Blanche. Today
still young women like Malala are fighting against male terrorists for women
rights in Pakistan.
A Street
Car Named Desire is about the conflict between Stanley and his sister in
law, Blanche. Blanche takes advantage of Stella’s support and acts
like a queen in the house. She deceives Stanley by using her royal behavior and
attitude. Stanley is threatened to lose his pride as Stella leans towards
Blanche and supports her. He uses his power as a man to control Stella and
Blanche. This control can be seen in the part when Stella asks Stanley to help
her clean up the table, he hurls a plate to the floor and says “That’s how I’ll
clean the table” (Stanley, 1218). He proves his power over them and a dominance
as a male by saying, “I am the king around here, so don’t forget it!” A clear
border between men and women is seen in the poker night. Stella and Blanche are
sitting inside the room when Stanley and his men play poker. Mitch considers
playing poker with women around as not suitable. Stanley gets aggressive when
Mitch wants to quit the game. When there is a disturbance from the room he
directs his aggression to Stella by harassing her. Even after what Stanley did
Stella goes down stairs with Stanley, indicating her dependence on Stanley.
Stanley’s aggression
reaches a height in his rape of Blanche. As a climax, the rape that depicts
dominance and power rather than sexual attraction towards Blanche. Stanley had
no intention to rape Blanche. But when Blanche shows her fear of sexual tension
through her lines such as (Blanche, 1230) “Not with you there! But I’ve got to
get out somehow!” Stanley knew that raping Blanche will defeat her. He hated
Blanche from the beginning for her lies. Stella started to hate Stanley for
accusing Blanche of lying. For Stanley, rape become a way to compensate for
Blanche’s behavior.
The time period of the play
has an effect on Stanley’s behavior. It is set up in 1940’s of New Orleans in
United States. During World War II, women were given a place in working world.
It gave working opportunities and political rights to women. But all these were
taken away after the World War came to an end. The power struggle between Stanley
and Blanche reflects the aggressive action men undertook to get their status
back. Stanley shows an aggressive, sexual, and dominating nature in several
parts of the play. The dependent nature of women in the time period can be seen
when Stella says,” I couldn’t believe her story and go on living with Stanley”.
The play shows the reliance of women on men both economically and emotionally.
The play “Antigone” by Sophocles, also shows
an awful issue of gender inequality the through actions of Creon. Creon states
that he will not allow a women to rule him. Creon compares women to a field to
be ploughed by men (Creon 626). Creon sees women as an object for men to breed
children. When Sentry informs Creon that someone has buried Polyneices, he
stated that it was a “he”. Assuming only a man can do something bold against
the law (Sentry, 269). Antigone stands separate from all the women in her society
including her sister Ismene, who refused to go against men, because she feels they
are stronger (Ismene 70-72). Creon reveals his strength as a ruler (Creon
195-210), as he expects everyone to obey his orders (Creon 790). When Antigone,
a women, criticizes Creon in public, it makes him more agitated. Creon feels
defeated when Antigone bravely buries her brother and boldly accepts it. He
believes that if he does not punish Antigone, she will win. This thought of being
defeated by a women bothers Creon. He considers women to be weaker than men (Creon
729-731). Creon’s fear of being defeated by a woman made him reject his son
Haemon’s proposal of freeing Antigone. Creon himself states that the need to
defeat her is all the more pressing because she is a “woman”.
The time period
influences Creon’s actions in the play. In Ancient Greece (400BC) the problems
women faced were within marriage, inheritance and social life. They were not
given the freedom of choosing their husband. They were seen as objects given by
a father to the groom. They were limited from gaining influence or authority in
political and economic opportunities. Women were restricted from participating
in outside events in which men were involved. All these issues are reflected in
the play. To explain how Antigone must be treated Creon defines a women in
their society, he says that she should not be free to roam (Creon, 634). This
shows that Greek women were limited in their political freedom.
There are some similarities
between the play Antigone and A Street Car Named Desire. The
characters Creon and Stanley have some resemblances. Both these characters were
trying to prove that they were more powerful than the women who went against
them. Creon, the new king wanted everyone to obey his law. He feels insulted when
a woman disobey him. Similarly Stanley is the king of the house. He wants both
Blanche and Stella to obey what he says. He is so aggressive and cannot bear
Blanche’s attitude. In contrast to these aggressive men both the plays have characters
who respect and stand by women. Haemon supports Antigone even if he has to go
against his father (Haemon, 798). Mitch tries to give respect to women and
stand by them in the lines” poker shouldn’t be played in a house with women.”
(Mitch, 1190).
Women’s rights awareness
is increasing globally as women like Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan fight for
their rights. Today, Pakistani women face atrocities like rape, acid throwing,
honor killings, forced marriages, forced prostitution and the buying and
selling of women. The past few years have been witness to a steep increase in
such crimes. Born in 12 July 1997, Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani school pupil
and education activist from the town of Mingora in the Swat District of
Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She is known for her activism for
rights to education and for women, especially in the Swat Valley, where the
Taliban had at times banned girls from attending school. Taliban militants led by Maulana Fazlullah were taking
over the Swat Valley, banning television, music, girls’ education, and women
from going shopping. Bodies of beheaded policemen were being hung in town
squares. Malala’s writing about life of women in Swat valley was published in
BBC Diary. Later she became an activist for rights for women. In October, 2012,
Taliban gunman shot her when she was arriving to home on a bus. She was moved to
the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and later to United Kingdom for
further treatment. Protests against her shooting took place in several cities
of Pakistan. When Malala was in hospital, a special envoy for education visited
her and launched a petition in her name to provide education for children and outlaw
discrimination against women. When she gave her first public speech in United
Kingdom she said, “The terrorist taught they would change any aims and stop my
ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except weakness, fear and
hopelessness died.”
Gender inequality has
been a worldwide issue right from development of human civilization. The way in
which the inequality existed changed either respect to culture and time period.
In the case of Antigone, inequality
was public. Women did not have any freedom of speech or decision making. The
character of Creon proved how women were treated in Ancient Greece (400 BC).
The play A Street Car Named Desire
set in New Orleans (1940) shows gender inequality through Stanley’s aggressive
nature towards Blanche and Stella. It also shows how rape is an act of
dominance and a violent way of showing a man is power over women. Today, gender
inequality still exist in countries like Pakistan where young women like Malala
break their restrictions and fight for children education and women rights in
their society. Every issue that arises among humans has a solution. The
solution lies among humans who create it. When someone tries to break a law and
solve a wrong, they feel powerless. Their actions will only be successful when
people respect their thoughts and try to take them as an example. There can be
noticed a resemblance in Antigone and Malala. Both were brave even though their
lives were at risk. They were well aware of their consequences of their
decisions. They did what they thought was justice and right; they fought for
their beliefs. Both had the support of common people because they were bold and
their decisions were right. In contrast, Blanche was affected by what happened
in her past life. Instead of facing the truth like Antigone and Malala she chose
to live in darkness.
Works
Cited
Malala Yousafzai to get
honorary Canadian citizenship. CBC News. 15 October 2013
Center for Sex Offender
Management Lecture Content & Teaching Notes Supervision of Sex Offenders in
the Community: An Overview. Center for Sex Offender Management. Retrieved 26
May 2008
Scott, Michael. The
Rise of Women in Ancient Greece, History Today, Volume: 59 Issue: November 2009
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