Women of all generations and ethnic backgrounds at one point did not have rights to participate in common privileges like voting, or the experience of being published as a female writer. My experience at Tia Chucha’s “In the Words of Womyn” workshop brought me back to life in a way, reminding me that I have the opportunity to express my emotions and thoughts freely through poetry or short stories. Realizing this early on helped for me to remember that there is definitely strength in numbers when it comes to women coming together as one powerful force. This type of mentality can help to inspire others who are afraid to go against the norm, and would instead be beneficial in helping them to express their thoughts. Being aware that women of the 21st century have the liberty to meet with other intelligent women who are extremely passionate about writing was such a comforting thought. It was also great to see that we have the ability to meet at our own discretion to discuss any topic that comes to mind is a privilege we often take for granted. Upon entering Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore, I was instantly mesmerized by the vibrantly colored walls that are painted with Aztec inspired architectural designs, patterns, and colors. My first impression of these bold designs instantly gave me the feeling that I had entered a miniature version of an Aztec temple. While I waited for the other members to arrive for the workshop, I explored the numerous shelves that held
Ruth M. Guajardo is a professional painter, working full-time as Arts Program Manager for Centro Cultural Aztlan. She holds a BFA from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. The implementation of Centro Aztlan’s programs is the primary responsibility of Ms. Guajardo her extensive knowledge and expertise allows her to carry out responsibilities for the effective presentation of the multidisciplinary programs presented and produced by Centro Cultural Aztlan. She is an established artist herself and prior to her employment with us she was director of El Sol Studio for eight consecutive years.
Literary works have become one of the most preferred ways for people to express themselves and voice their concerns and opinions on societal issues. Through such pieces of work, authors are able to educate and critique the society at large, often forcing people to reconsider their views on certain matters. This has an overall effect of pushing them to reconsider the effect of their actions and errors as regards the issues in question. For others, writing about real life situations is most effective in communicating with their readers. Victims of racial discrimination may opt to put their ordeals down in black and white, mush the same way those who find themselves at the receiving end of sexual harassment may choose to write about their experiences. Arguably, the effect achieved is greater, in opposition to that of works of fiction. Even where a book is fictitious, more insight and connection to real life is achieved if the story is built around real life events and situations. Nancy Mairs does excellent in expressing herself through her spiritual autobiography; Waist-High in the World.
Many people don’t know who Julia de Burgos is, little do they know that she was the most influential poet of her time. She truly shaped the idea that women are not to be restricted on how they can express their opinions and ideas. Because she faced a large amount of discrimination, Julia often expressed her views about the world she was living in through her poetry. She was not afraid of expressing her views even though women poets were restricted by society. Julia’s poetry spoke the words of the women who were not able to express their feelings.
Taking a gender woman study class gave me the opportunity to discover how woman do not only fight for their rights but for everyones right as well. In Mary Pardo’s Mexican American Women and Grassroots Community Activists: Mothers of East Los Angeles, I was able to learn how woman fight for their communities rights and try their hardest to protect everyone and not just themselves. Michelle Jacob’s article Claiming Health and Culture as a Human Rights: Yakama Feminism in Daily Practice also shows how woman become agents of change to bring change into the community. As I kept reading various articles, I also discovered Lila Abu-Lughod. “The Romance of Resistance: Tracing Transformations of Power Through Bedouin Women.” which focused on working towards woman rights. The last article I will talk
Any artist uses their surroundings as inspiration. An African American female artist deal with being the underdog. The situations they were placed in, ended up being inspirational moments. These moments became inspirational because they were personal stories, life learned lessons, and life changing moments. This essay only mentions three strong, powerful, monumental women. However, there are many more females who have helped the African American woman artist culture. They are still hidden. It is essays like this that help spread their stories, and their art
The walls vibrated with colors and the strokes of pencil danced across the pages. Twist and turns of materials displayed in tall glasses cases for all eyes to see. The exhibit for all to see especially the students interested in learning additional information about Latino background. This is how I felt as I walked through Musel del Barrio. I was quite excited to go to the Museo del Barrio because it was one of the museums in New York City that I have not been to. During this semester, my interest in the Nuyorican movement has grown. I was interested in learning more about the movements and the impact the museum had on the community.
Writing may be an enthralling experience for one and a clever way to decompress for another. In general, however, writing has different purposes for a variety of people. “Why I Write,” written in the late 20th century by Terry Tempest Williams, describes various reasons for writing narrated from a female’s perspective. The short essay begins in the middle of the night with a woman engulfed in her own thoughts. She abruptly goes forth by reciting the multiple reasons why she continues to write in her life. Through a variety of rhetorical devices such as repetition, imagery, analogies, and symbolism, Terry Tempest Williams produces an elegant piece of writing that offers the audience insight into the narrator’s life and forces the audience to have empathy for the narrator with the situation she is incurring.
Andrea Dworkin, a prominent radical feminist, tries to explain why women fail to put themselves out from where they are: “Women have been taught that, for us, the earth is flat, and that if we venture out, we will fall off the edge.” Women are often conditioned by different factors in their life to stay in their position, especially from societal norms and expectations of them from the men in their lives. However, over time, this could be emotionally and mentally burdensome to a woman’s state of mind, leading them to nowhere. This theme of oppression is prevalent in the feminist short stories titled “A Jury of her Peers”, written by Susan Glaspell, and “Sweat”, written by Zora Neale Hurston. In these works, Glaspell and Hurston elaborate on how powerful female protagonists are able to decide for themselves, but explain their mentally-taxing processes and reasons in accomplishing such a feat. In these short stories, women are able to rise over oppression, but primarily to overcome a grief or insecurity that stems from within and after being pushed to their limits and accustomed to their roles by men.
When writing a story, it is essential that an author implements certain elements that allow the audience to stay focused on said story. Through certain ingredients such as suspense, and the introduction of the supernatural, authors are able to transform their ideas into a compelling story that attracts the masses, this leading to worldwide acclaim and a growing assemblage of fans. This was the case with William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare is best known for his climactic dramas like Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. Through the implementation of the previously mentioned elements, William Shakespeare produced one of the most compelling dramas mankind has ever known.
In the today’s society, it may appear that women’s rights have been propelled forward by equal opportunity sanctions. However, taking a more concise look at different spectrums, such as the art world, it appears that many women are still being snubbed despite their artistic abilities. In
Before taking this class, I did not know a lot about women’s and gender studies. Reading the different books and looking at the different pieces of art helped me the most in this class. There were many pieces in this class that influenced me to learn more about these women’s and gender issues and reflect on my learning. I spent a lot of time taking notes while reading the stories and relating them to what I have experienced in my life. For example, the graphic memoir we did as a project showed how I related to women’s and gender issues. It showed my struggle as I played T-ball as the only girl on the team. This experience allowed me to compare it to the stories we read as part of the class.
Women have expectations. Society wants women to act appropriately. Women stereotypically do not speak their minds. Poet, Ana Castillo, uses her poem “Women Don’t Riot” to showcase her frustration towards women who continue to stay silent about harm brought onto them. For example, “raped, / beaten, / harassed, / … / won’t ever rise up in arms” (Castillo 26-32), displaying her frustration towards women who continuously listen to a society that says to stay quiet. Castillo develops anger towards the women who bow down to ridiculous expectations. She believes that if women stand united and fight together, society’s ignorance might fade, leading to a lower risk of sex crime. The world wants women to keep being afraid of
Woolf demonstrates how women writers have often failed in this because of our frustration and bitterness with a world that presented to us and our writing not welcome, or even indifference, but hostility (41). She makes it clear that if there is ever going to be a “Shakespeare’s sister,” we must---at least while we are writing---swallow that sense of having been wronged, for it stands as an impediment to our creativity. This is the mental freedom that women writers must attain.
It is okay to allow an infant to keep crying depending on the circumstance, and age. Infants cry everyday for one to four hours. Under four months old, is it not okay to allow them to keep crying. Infants under four months old will not cry just to manipulate their parents. The infant is trying to communicate that he needs something, or just to be held. If the infant is hungry and the parent ignores that, it can become child negligence if repeated many times. At four to six months old, infants begin sleep training. Infants before that are used to sleeping fifteen and a half hours a day, so they have to adjust to sleeping eight to twelve hours through the night. At three months, infants sleep less during
The unique style of Kate Chopin’s writing has influenced and paved the way for many female authors. Although not verbally, Kate Chopin aired political and social issues affecting women and challenging the validity of such restrictions through fiction. Kate Chopin, a feminist in her time, prevailed against the notion that a woman’s purpose was to only be a housewife and nothing more. Kate Chopin fortified the importance of women empowerment, self-expression, self-assertion, and female sexuality through creativity in her literary work.