De Paul University
Writing from the Inside
Teacher: Zoe Keithley
World Events
I am in awe of what has happened in Eastern Europe. I was moved each time I watched a news broadcast about Prague, the Berlin Wall, or Poland. The tears streaked down my face for more than the absolute joy that those people were obtaining their freedom; I am also sad and amazed that in our land of liberty, we don’t for a second question that these people should be free. We want them to know our joys with freedom.
My sadness is because I am aware that each night in this “land of liberty” there are millions of women who lie next to their husbands, perhaps for 60 years, and are still not free; they are not free to be who they really want to be. We must become wives, bear children, work 8 hours a day, and come home to clean the house if this isn’t enough we are then expected to make mad passionate love to our oppressors. Somehow the issue of feminism is not seen in the same light as Eastern Europe’s need. I, however, see it as the same.
We, women, are trapped in the same way that suppressed countries are. There are no troops in the streets keeping us in line, a much stronger power keeps us in line. In a sociology class once a teacher used the example of the Indian caste system to explain what keeps an ideology going. In this system, there are 2 classes of people, the high or wealthy class and the lowly poor class that is not allowed out on the streets in the light of day. You wonder how an entire group of people could possibly see themselves as unworthy of going out in the daylight. Well, the fact that they do believe the religious teachings that keep them off the streets during the day is what keeps them in these positions. In other words, how you see yourself is how you shall be; others will also see you this way and treat you accordingly.
So, it is with we women, we keep the oppressive ideology upon ourselves because we too have bought it correctness. Of course, men believe the ideology that women have certain roles and are inferior, but ladies it’s our fault that they still dominate much of the power in our lives.
I recall being married (I served a 14-year sentence) and how trapped I felt in the whole thing about who I was supposed to be, what I was supposed to do, think and act. I never fit; I thought that I was a failure, that something was wrong with me that I did not “fit” the proper mold in who I was supposed to be. Now that I am single I see myself as who I really am and I am delighted to tell you that I am OK and I like myself despite the fact that I don’t cook, don’t want to clean, and have worked hard to afford to pay someone to do it for me.
I now see myself as a communicator who can say what many are afraid to say, despite them being the truth. I will speak out for all, not just women because I believe in humanism. Men are also trapped by sexism. It prevents them from being who they may really want to be also. I want them to be free too. Why shouldn’t they feel as free as I do to cry, show tenderness, and receive it as I am? Their machoism makes men physically ill, so it also hurts them.
I hope you can see why men are extremely reluctant to give up their superior position, once a king it’s hard to be demoted to a mere prince or especially a common person. We, however, will go from being less than commoners to equals. Many women will see this task as just as hard for women as going down is for men.
Fear kept the Eastern Europeans in line and thus kept the communist ideology going; it is also fear that keeps women in line in the sexist ideology: fear of being called selfish for perhaps not wanting children or not being happy with their traditional role. Religious influence has helped to pound the guilt onto us.