Name: Kaya Humanities
7th Grade Comparative Essay
Sexism: A Punishment That Made History
Imagine being individually targeted by a much higher power, being judged like you have been accused of witchcraft, overlooked after taking control in a time of need. This happened to many women throughout history. Would you fight back and risk a punishment of no limits, or stay quiet and invisible like owned property? From the Salem witch trials, to the Red Scare, to the present day, sexism spread like wildfire. In a sexist community that women live in today. Sexism has lead men to make women invisible. History has criticized women’s rights and branded them.
In The Crucible women are dehumanized, treated like chattel, and discriminated against. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, takes place in Salem, Massachusetts. Women are treated as servants. Which in the eyes of Salem men, they are. “Proctor: He turns suddenly toward a sound outside. He starts for the door as Mary Warren enters. As soon as he sees her, he goes directly to her and grabs her by her cloak, furious. How do you go to Salem when I forbid it? Do you mock me? Shaking her. I’ll whip you if you dare leave this house again!” (The Crucible, Page. 55, Hardcover). This passage is important because it shows how Proctor talks harshly to Mary Warren, his indentured servant. She is mistreated constantly. John Proctor is very aggressive towards Mary. And because she is a woman, she is dehumanized and disempowered. Mary Warren would not be able to stand up to John Proctor who is a male. Being a male allows him to have many more opportunities and privileges than women. Being a male got you lots of things. But being a women didn’t. Mary Warren had to deal with the whippings daily because John Proctor didn’t approve of what Mary Warren was doing as a women. However if a man were to do the same activities that mary Warren did… He would be accepted for doing so.
During the war women had to take on the roles of men and struggle to prove that they are equals. Women were dehumanized greatly. They could not have big roles in society. They had more “runner up” roles. Women were set into the mold of supported their families and communities. But then when the Cold War took place women could finally step into the bigger roles. “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)) After the war, women were forced to limiting positions. They were not recognized for their contributions. While the men were gone, women had to take on jobs that put a lot of weight on their shoulders. But when the men came back they took over again like they had been doing the heavy lifting the whole time. Therefore, women took on many roles typically for men. They held everything together while the war happened but then ended up being kicked back into runner up roles.
Women still struggle to be recognized today. Many try to work hard and look their best everyday for themselves and not other people. Women are people. Women should not be owned because they can’t be. When someone stands up to you and you have a bigger voice than a lot of people… you should use it wisely and not attack there exterior. “I really understand beauty. And I will tell you, she’s not (Angelina Jolie) – I do own Miss Universe. I do own Miss USA. I mean, I own a lot of different things. I do understand beauty, and she’s not.” (Donald Trump) This passage shows how sexist and misogynist Donald Trump is. In this passage he states that Angelina Jolie is not pretty and that he owns a few women. What kind of world are we living in? Well, according to President Trump… we are living in a world where it is okay to say that you can own a woman. Now, this is not the first time that he has judged a woman by her exterior. He has also attacked Heidi Klum, stating that she is fat and not a “10”. It’s never okay to degrade women for their appearance because that’s not fair. In fact, if everybody did judge by everyone’s exterior then Donald Trump would not be our president. He sees many ethnic groups as problematic but why isn’t orange one of them? #PresidentOompaLoompa
In America, many groups have been targeted throughout history. For a long time women have been put into the mold of prey. But every time they come back strong. From being accused of witchcraft, climbing into roles that were “made” for men, being judged on looks and becoming an asset in a man’s house, but, fortunately, women have broke out of the mold and are continuing to defy common stereotypes. People have been judging minority groups for a long time. Women are one of the main groups that are targeted. They were falsely accused of being witches with no proof. Women took on roles that were taken away as soon as the “superiors” came home and kicked back into common roles. Finally, they are judged on their looks. Women become eye candy and are not taken seriously. Much sexism is still alive today. During the 2017 presidential debate, Hillary Clinton, took some pretty awful comments from Trump on her relationship with her husband. He said how if she could not control her husband then how could she control America? Unfortunately, Clinton never got her chance to prove how great she could make America. Women need to be treated as people and not objects. Will history repeat itself once again or will we guide our future into a new path?