Women Across Cultures Face Similar Forms Of Oppression

Women across cultures face similar forms of oppression in varying ways. The stories of Maxine Hong Kingston, Nicholas D. Kristof, Sheryl WuDunn, Banana Yoshimoto, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie bring awareness to these heartbreaking yet inspiring narratives of the lives of women outside of North America. While some of the works are fictional, there is still an air of realism that accentuates the general ideas conveyed in the individual narratives. Themes such as tradition, assimilation, racism, classism, education, and point of view in story-telling are present throughout these books. This allows readers to understand different systems of oppression on a global scale and can possibly inspire a form of altruism that can lead to philanthropic†¦show more content†¦Everything traditional in Kingston’s family were not acceptable in the United States. This presented a unique obstacle to Kingston and her family, having to preserve a culture while assimilating to another cultur e. Kingston’s mother, Brave Orchid, constantly used the term ghost. In reference to humans, she used the term to represent difference in a negative light. Often times, the American citizens were behaving in a way that was in opposition to her culture. On page 107, Brave expressed her desire to have all of her children and their families together at home and not be wandering ghosts. Perhaps, she is referring to the cultural differences between China and America. Whereas American culture is more individualistic, Chinese culture is more so collectivistic. Kingston detailed how her mother cut a part of her tongue. Initially, she believed that her mother did so to prevent her tongue from being ready. In Chinese culture, it is said that â€Å"a ready tongue is an evil† (Kingston, 1989, p. 164). However, when her and Brave discussed the matter, Brave stated that she cut her tongue so that she is able to easily speak other languages. Kingston was confused about why her mother would be contradictory to the age-old saying. Brave explained that things operated in a different manner in the United States. Again, she referred to the country as ghost to indicate a difference. On theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poem The Tigers Aunt Jennifer s Tigers 1214 Words   |  5 PagesIn reference to the unjustified subordinate position of women in American society, Malala Yousafzai once meaningfully stated â€Å"We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.† This idea of women being â€Å"held back† in society is explored in Adrienne Rich’s Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers. Specifically, the poet examines the marginalization of women in society through the clear juxtaposition of Aunt Jennifer’s desire to be powerful like the fearless tigers, and the reality of her life as the subject of subjugationRead MoreIndividual Liberty and The Bill 94 in Quebec, Canada1077 Words   |  5 Pages2002). 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