Posted by Perry on September 07, 2004 at 18:01:37
In Reply to: Women in History posted by katie on September 04, 2004 at 10:40:56:
It sounds like you did something very similar to what I did. I used essay assignments not only to exercise my new found skills of free and critical thinking, but as a way of deconstructing much of my cultic worldview.
Btw, the role of women in The Heart of Darkness that you describe is typical of the Western literary tradition. Other authors have used a similar approach to Conrad. Occassionaly you come across strong female characters who seem to have a voice of their own. Beatrice in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing comes to mind. Throughout the play she is as strong a character as any of the males, and her strength comes from her verbal acuity. The male characters recognize this quality in her because she often outwits them. This elevates her to an almost equal status with the men because she communicates with them in terms they can understand. However, in the end Shakespeare silences this strong woman by having her married off. As their marriage ceremony begins Beatrice utters one last witticism, whereupon her husband forever silences her with the words, "Peace! I will stop your mouth".
Anyway, it's quite incredible to see the way in which literature, including the Bible, has been used through the centuries to "keep women in their place."