Name: Grace                                             Humanities

7th Grade                                                                         Comparative Essay

Sexism Won’t be Ignored

 

Theme: Sexism

 

Paragraph #1: Introductory Paragraph (GIT)

 

Grabber Statement (G):

Imagine everyone that you have ever known turning on you? It is the 17th century and you are being accused of witchcraft because you are a woman. You can’t stand up for yourself by yourself. You are dependent on your husband. Your life lies in his hands. Because of sexism, you could lose your life and there’s nothing you can do about it.

 

The introduction of Theme (I):

Women have been the target of sexism from the Salem Witch Trials, to the Red Scare, and even in present day. Women are in a never ending witch hunt, being denied rights and being treated like objects.

 

Thesis Statement (T):

Sexism has led women to be overlooked and denied for centuries because they don’t have the same recognition as men.

 

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Paragraph #2: Crucible Thematic Connection

 

Topic Sentence (T):

In The Crucible by Arthur, Miller women are treated like chattel, working and obeying men. They do as told and never speak out of turn even when they have the benefit of the doubt.

 

Explanatory Sentence (E):

Salem in 1692 was a sexist community where women were treated in a misogynistic way. People believed that women were supposed to act like housewives and not defend themselves. Those who did not conform were easy targets for witchcraft.

 

Evidence (E):

Mrs. Putnam says the following, in Act One of The Crucible. “I knew it! Goody Osburn was midwife to me three times. I begged you, Thomas, did I not? I begged him not to call Osburn because I feared her. My babies always shriveled in her hands!” (Page 64-65)

 

Analysis (A):

This is important because it shows a powerful woman accusing a woman of lower status, she is able to do this because she married a wealthy man. Mrs. Putnam is quick to blame another woman because her target is powerless. Mrs. Putnam dehumanized and scapegoated Osburn because she wanted to oppress others the way she was by her husband. The afflicted girls know that the men in society would most likely believe that women were witches rather than themselves. Salem was a sexist town where rich white men had all the power. Women were constantly scapegoated because they were powerless and dehumanized.

 

Concluding/ Transition (C):

Many innocent women were accused and killed because they didn’t have enough respect in the community to defend themselves.

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Paragraph #3: McCarthy/Red Scare Thematic Connection

 

Topic Sentence (T):

During the Mccarthy Era, the hard work that women did while the men were alway was not valued.

 

Explanatory Sentence (E):

While all the young men were fighting in the cold war women took the roles in businesses and the jobs that women weren’t expected to do. But when the men came back all the hard work that women did was not recognized. Women were forced to leave their new lives behind and work as a maid for their husbands. The baby boom was a time when the birth rate went up increasingly because women were used as objects to populate the country.

 

Evidence (E):

The meaning of Victory video states the following. “Women who had held all sorts of jobs during the war were expected to return to more conventional roles. As housewives, or secretaries, or adornment on a glamorous pedestal.” (Meaning of Victory: Post-War America (5:56)”

 

Analysis (A):

This quote is important because while the men were off in the war women took the more “Masqualen” jobs like accountants or baseball players. When the cold war ended women were expected to go home and give up the new life they were living, and they didn’t have a choice. Women were replaced with men even if they were harder working or better at their job. This shows that even though women were responsible for all the work they did while the men were away but they were not recognized for it. This is a sexist system because women are not valued enough to get recognition or receive credit that shows they worked hard.  

 

Concluding/ Transition (C):

Women were expected to step out of the way because men were more powerful and resected than them.

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Paragraph #4: Modern Day Witch Hunt Thematic Connection

 

Topic Sentence (T):

Women are the object of sexism and the government is too ignorant to prevent it. Instead, our government reinforces it, and more specifically our president does too.

 

Explanatory Sentence (E):

Women are constantly protesting for equal rights but the presidential administration keeps holding them back.

 

Evidence (E):

National Review newspaper states the following. “There is a great deal of anger in the air these days: anger at the state of the country, anger at the media, anger at the government, and anger at sweeping ignorance. There are good reasons to feel angry and concerned, especially for women, because, this past November, there was a wave of people willing to (at best) temporarily put aside and (at worst) completely ignore disturbing statements made on the campaign trail about women. These vulgarities ripped back the curtain to reveal how low on the ladder women are considered in some sections of society.” (women’s march on Washington link)

 

Analysis (A):

This is important because women have been getting pushed aside for decades and when we make progress, someone is in the way to hold us back. Women have finally come together to protest and make up for all the sexist acts since the Colonial Era. No matter how loud we chant it’s not loud enough for equality. We have been working towards equal pay, jobs, and recognition but apparently, there are bigger problems. Our government is too ignorant to see the people protesting right outside their window, most members in the Trump Administration are implicit with trumps actions because they are not the target of his sexist actions. Women are disempowered in this administration, with trumps sexist acts and policies. These orders and policies marginalize women and create a society that runs on fear. Is this the type of government we want people mimic or look up to?

 

Concluding/ Transition (C):

We need a government to support women, not side with men’s sexist acts.

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Paragraph #5: Concluding Paragraph (ROC)

 

Reflection on Thesis (R):

Although women have been oppressed and taken advantage of, there is hope that sexism will end and women are doing everything they can to create equality.

Overview of Main Points (O):

In The Salem Witch Trials, women were being betrayed and scapegoated because of false accusations. These accusations were dehumanizing and disempowering women more than they had ever been before. This repeated again during the Red Scare. Wealthy businessmen were manipulating their power and accusing the powerless of communism. Once again women were the target of sexism in modern day because they couldn’t defend themselves. And although we try to prevent it, many people are still treating women like chattel and not recognizing them for the work they do or the person behind the body. Men are choosing to be ignorant of women’s rights and they continue to force them to conform.

 

Concluding Idea (C):

It is completely unfair that after all the hard work women do they still seem to be overlooked as if they are invisible. People of power need to stand up for women’s rights and not ignore these problems. Many women have unconsciously volunteered their lives to try to make people recognize women but America has ignored them and for this women have suffered. We have made progress raising awareness for women’s rights yet still, people refuse to acknowledge women. Why are we letting stubborn wealthy figures control the progress of our country? Will this never ending witch hunt come to an end?

Name: Grace September

Making Thirteen Colonies Homework

Directions: Read chapters 3 in Making Thirteen Colonies. Answer the following questions below. Read carefully and be sure to answer ALL parts of each question. Use complete sentences. Be sure to use textual evidence and analysis for questions 2 and 3.

Questions From Chapter 3:

 

1. Briefly identify the following names/terms:
2. Werowance-

The Werowance were the leaders of the smaller tribes inside the Powhatan area. They worked with and for Powhatan but Powhatan was more powerful. They are really rich, Werowance translates to he is rich.

1. Estuary-

An Estuary is a body of water that is made from the ocean. This means that over time the ocean poured out and eventually was made into an Estuary.

1. Powhatan (the man)-

Powhatan was the leader of a giant area of land. He had over 100 wives and 9,000 subjects. He and Captain Christopher Newport became good friends. Christofer was given Powhatan’s decorated deerskin.

1. Powhatan Indians-

The Powhatan indians were Powhatan’s followers. They first started off small but soon they had taken over villages and thousands of individual indians and even whole tribes.

2.  Describe the region in which the Powhatans lived. (Use textual evidence.)

The Powhatan indians lived in East Virginia. “The area surrounded the Chesapeake bay, and went west to mountain foothills and south to what would someday be North Carolina’s border.” (Page 22) This was an area of fertile land, with rivers, bays and estuaries. There were lots of animals in the land and sea, such as ducks, geese, wild turkeys and deer. “There was much small game in the region, such as raccoons, opossum, squirrel, turkey, and rabbit.” (page 22)

3.  Describe the way the Powhatans lived. (Use textual evidence.)

The Powhatan indians were woodland indians. They hunted and fished and farmed. “The men hunted, fished and fought, while the woman farmed.” (page 22) These people grew vegetable such as corn, beans, squash, and pumpkins. Corn was their most important food and it was more than half of what they ate. The Powhatans used the corn to make pancakes that served as bread and rice. “Aside from corn, the food they ate changed with the seasons: fresh vegetables in the summer and fall; game in winter; and fish and stored nuts, and berries in the spring. The children helped their parents but they didn’t go to work until they were young adults. “The boys threw stones at rabbits or other animals that might nibble at the crops. It trained their throwing arms, and that helped when they became hunters.” (page 22) Men and women tattooed beautiful designs all over themselves, and hung animal claws and even live snakes around their necks. Powhatans also ware deerskin in the winter to keep them warm.

Notecards

Powhatan clothing and makeup

Source:

First, Powhatan interpreter. Interview. 18 Oct. 2016.

Quote:

“every one made what they needed”

Paraphrase:

• wore very little clothing
• the fringe on clothing was for beauty or it was used so the clothes would dry faster
• if you were older you had more clothing
• women made most of the clothing
• clothing was made seasonally 
• woman wore necklaces made from trade bead, copper or shells
• clothes were held together by deer tendon call sinue 
• clothes were sewed together with a bone needle
• ranking showed through clothing
• people tattooed themselves by burning the skin and rubbing ashes into it
• men painted themselves to show culture and origin
• un married woman shaved their heads half way back
• when you were a kid you are shaved completely 
• you start to grow your hair out when you were 13 

My Ideas:

Powhatan woman dressed very plain but they had very beautiful and colorful jewelry and tattoos. All woman in the Powhatan community made their own clothing. You learned how to sew and make your own clothing at 13. Clothes were held together by deer tendon and sewed together with a bone needle. If you were an infant you ran around naked until you were 3. Your first piece of clothing was given to you at 4 years old and it was a frontal apron. As you grew older you would start to wear more and more clothing. Even though there wasn’t much rank in a Powhatan village clothing could show your rank because the more wealthy you were the more clothes you had. The people of the Powhatan tribes didn’t have to change their clothing seasonally because being exposed to such harsh weather conditions. They wore the same clothing all year round but new clothing was made seasonally. I can infer that when the Europeans came that most of the deaths were because the people weren’t fully prepared for such drastic change in weather so they either got too hot or too cold.  Powhatan woman loved to make jewelry. They made necklaces from trade bead, and copper. Jewelry was one of many things that the Powhatan’s traded with the Europeans. I can infer that clothing took longer to make for the Powhatan’s than the Europeans. I wonder if the Europeans got leather from the Powhatan’s before they had a full colony?

Along with clothing the Powhatan’s had certain hair styles almost like the Europeans. When you were a kid your hair was shaved all the way off. I wonder if they shaved it to it wouldn’t get in the way of the child’s hunting training or house chores. When you were 13 or 14 you were allowed to start to grow your hair out. You were allowed to fully grow your hair out when you were married. But if you were unmarried woman had to shave their heads half way back. Can infer that the length of your hair or the bay it was styled was a way that people in other Powhatan tribes to see who was married and who wasn’t for possible arrangements. I wonder how people determined what the different hair styles meant.  

The Powhatan culture also expressed themselves through big and colorful tattoos. Tattoos were mostly done on women and the men were painted. The tattoos and paint were used to show someone’s origin or it was used as make up. The process of getting a tattoo was pretty quick. First you used a heated instrument to burn through the skin then ashes or powders were poured the burn. The cooling process is still un certain because this method is long retired. Some skilled people could make really detailed designs and marks on both men and women. I can infer that all women in the Powhatan village were not favored over each other. I know that their was a rank each village but I think that everyone was allowed to have a tattoo. I wonder if people did the tattoos themselves or if other people did it for them? 

History:

Created: 10/26/2016 09:06 AM