A Renaissance of Feminism

Amanda-Leigh’s Perspective on Feminism

When I took three online literature courses from Rose State College, I had three different female professors. The connection these professors shared was graduating from the University of Oklahoma. My English literature professor did not open up about herself or her experience with writers. As a college student, my American literature professor had attended lectures conducted by several famous writers. My women’s literature professor opened up more about her views on feminism.

Out of my three female professors, I was able to connect more with the women’s literature professor. She seemed to be more real to me. I did not feel intimidated or nervous about writing freely in her course. Since my American literature professor had physically met several great writers during her college experience, I did feel doubt about myself ever aspiring to greatness through the use of words and literature. Still, I continued to read every story assigned and wrote replies and responses to questions about literature. In the midst of a storm, there was still hope.

My last semester – summer - approached.  I was signed to take Women’s History. Two books were assigned for our course. I bought the books on Amazon and read one before class even began. I do not regret buying the two books required for Women’s History. The first day began and I logged onto the student login. I downloaded the required readings and content required for the course. The course required students to read websites over world issues, write 8 pages of papers, create bibliographies, respond to questions, and choose a recommended book to write about. I probably could have passed this course but I did not agree with the professor’s liberal approach to feminism. I also strongly did not agree with book recommendations for young, impressionable college students.

Some book titles surprised and also offended me. I am repulsed that publishers of books actually market book titles that include female genitalia area. One book title involved advice on how women should be witches (rhyming word) in the work force. Another title advised women to be witches in relationships to have a feeling of liberation and control. The empowerment of women in different areas of living in this world should depend on us being witches to get what we want. This was the message I took away with.

I did buy a book from Amazon for the course. The book I chose involved a study of Western women from the good days of buggies and wagons. This option defined who I was and did not oppose my moral upbringing. If I had chosen a book title that included a degrading term describing the female body, I would disappoint everyone from my church family in Ada who spent hours teaching me about the Presbyterian faith. I would have disappointed my husband who fell in love with my writings on living with Cerebral Palsy. I would also have gone against the self. The book titles recommended were not how a truly independent woman survives in this world. This was the darker side of the feminist approach to womanhood. This side of feminism would never be welcome in my home.

I prayed about the decision on what to do next for a summer course. I asked my husband’s advice and a few other people. My decision to drop Women’s History and replace it with Introduction to Law Enforcement is one I do not regret. For one thing, the professor knew I would not disappoint him in my studies. I took Ethics in Criminal Justice with this professor during the previous semester and wrote novels for required assignments. Learning more about law enforce would challenge me to grow and mature in thought.

Women’s history, to me, is learning how women survived. The two required texts for the course provide a rich history of both the girl and the woman. I was hungry to learn more. Women’s literature provided more than satisfying my hunger. I was provided with several feminist writers from different periods of American history and their literary characters taught me about survival. These women did success or regress by being empowering over men. Some women did have to take over the role of the man in the family because he left. These women did have to become tougher and not be vulnerable to the evils of this world.

I was raised in a soft loving environment of feminine love. One of my grandmothers worked outside the home as a legal secretary for a lawyer in Ada. On my grandmother’s side, several sisters and a brother graduated from college to be able to provide better for their families. My grandmother may have spent hours typing up a storm working on legal documents for her wonderful boss (also a former Presbyterian), but when it came to her four young grandchildren, parents watch out! Before greeting any of her children, the grandchildren would be swept away by Grandma. This woman’s soft, loving approach to womanhood is something I will always remember – even with my other grandmother. When I was hospitalized or sick, who took care of me best? There is nothing greater

Even though I do embrace liberating perspective views and causes involving women, I am never going to be untrue to the self. One reason I found Mary Wollstonecraft so intimidating has to do with the way I was raised along with my strict Protestant beliefs. I was raised where women did not speak up against subjects that may seem controversial or personal health problems. It took acts of faith for me to first open up about the hardships I have dealt with. I thought nobody would want to read about my personal life and everything I had experienced. I sent an e-mail to the Bixby Bulletin years ago believing I was not worth replying back to. There would be no need for stories about living with physical disabilities, dreams of graduating from college, and finding that special someone. In our modern world, this does not usually happen. At least this happy world of a person with a physical disability was not featured on regular channels.

The Learning Channel and a few other stations now feature shows on people living with physical disabilities. I follow Matt and Amy Roloff on Facebook. When I first saw Amy Roloff on television, I was extremely impressed with how independent and self-reliant she was. When Amy and Matt would argue, did not beg him to stay at home the way most women do. Her attitude seemed to be indifferent. Amy’s personal happiness is not dependent on anybody else. When Amy needed a change in her kitchen to be able to reach counter tops and cook lower, that happened.

Things do not happen for women because we demand change. Things happen because we nurture change the way a mother nurtures a child. Our critics believe we are too soft and have weak voices as women. As women, we do not need to stir up drama to get our points across to people. We are able to express our views in respectful voices. As women, we do not covet another woman’s professional success. We seek out college courses (or trade classes) that will lead us to independent thinking and define feminism for ourselves.

From the Bible, I use two independent examples of early feminist women. The first is Queen Esther. Under Queen Esther’s rule, this woman was highly respected by King Ahasuerus. In fact, under Queen Esther’s reign, a man named Haman begs mercy for her to save him from death. Haman physically throws himself down at her mercy. Haman has already been given his punishment of death from King Ahasuerus. At this point, saving Haman’s life is not a priority on Queen Esther’s agenda. Queen Esther wants to save the 

 Jews from destruction Haman has caused.

A Queen cannot save a man from own downfall in this world. If Haman had been a wonderful man of the Court, he would have honored the King’s wishes and never built gallows for Mordecai’s death. Haman’s jealousy of Mordecai led to his death. From Haman’s perspective, here was a consulate of the honorary Court who watched the King’s gate. Haman did not believe the Court appreciated his hard work.

Another example of a strong independent female is Mary. I find her to the epitome of an early feminist. Mary is introduced in Matthew when God approaches her to be the mother of his son, Jesus Christ. Mary did not tell God, “Could my decision wait until after I discuss this with my fiancée, Joseph? He might not want to this.” Mary independently agreed to become God’s devoted servant on the spot. This decision would affect the relationship between Mary and Joseph. This did not make Mary hesitate. What mattered to Mary was carrying out the task at hand. Mary was available to God. God came before anything else, even Joseph. God knew this woman would not disappoint him. As a woman, Mary stood up for her moral beliefs and wanted to right in this world.

When God approached Abram in Genesis, the situation became different. In Genesis, man was approached by God about his ninety nine year old wife’s expected pregnancy, Sara’s response is to laugh. Reflecting back to good old biology, a woman’s mitotic spindle stops producing around age thirty. The likelihood of a baby being born with a disability increases. Laughter meant hesitation from Sara. As a married couple, they had and tried to have a baby and nothing seemed to work. Sara believed only young women could experience the pleasures of motherhood. At age ninety nine, motherhood was probably not what Sara expected.

God did bless Abram with two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Ismael was Abram’s biological son from a concumbine and Isaac was Sara’s son. When the hope of being able to have a biological son died, Sara gave her concumbine to her husband to bare a child. Sara did not trust God enough for a miracle to happen. Abram’s two biological sons became two great nations of two main religions. Isaac became the nation of Christianity while Ishmael became the nation of Islam.

Only the nation of Christianity was promised to Mary. The decision to continue the marriage to Mary was in Joseph’s hands. At first, Joseph wanted to end the engagement secretly. The woman he loved was now pregnant. She said this was God’s child. Miracles as big as this do not happen too often. An angel visited Joseph in a dream and told him to continue to marry Mary.

Through God, authority emerged from Queen Esther and Mary. Women could be powerful. These women did succeed because they were dominant in relationships and tried to demand things from people. These women were liberated from the normal bondage of womanhood. These strong female voices were assertive, clear, and to the point in a respectful manner. These women were comfortable in their assigned roles. These women put God above man. These woman decisions thatwere independent.

Reflecting back to Women’s History, the entrance quiz dealt with women’s causes. Did I believe a woman had the right to seek a divorce? Did I believe a woman should be able to work? Did I believe in the equality of women? Did I believe a woman had the right to to take birth control? The question over birth control was still heavy on my mind from my two hospital stays. These are not the questions asked but they are pretty similar. I missed one question and lost a point.

When my husband took a woman’s history in New York for his Associates degree in Graphic Design, the class was completely different than mine. Taught in a liberal state, the course was more conservative. My husband read stories about women from history. My husband’s women history became successful while mine did not. His class actually learned about historical women who were successful. My husband knows women in history are my interest, and he wishes he still had the text. My husband does, however, have a small copy of a story by Paule Marshall.

Paule Marshall’s “Brooklyn”

In her story, “Brooklyn,” Paule Marshall provides readers with a limited third person narration involving sexual harassment involving an older male professor and a young female college student. Written before women’s equal right became active, “Brooklyn” provides me with a female African American character, Miss Williams, who is not proactive. When Professor Max Berman makes sexual advances towards her, she does not submit a written report to the Dean of CUNY. This college student does not attend courses again until the final exam.

Miss Williams is from a Southern state. Given a limited history of Miss Williams, a reader can only assume that working hard to receive a good education will provide an optimistic future. When Miss Williams traveled from her home state, she wanted to prove her parents about men. For years, the Williams parents had shielded her from the vices of men. And now here Miss Williams is in a situation with a professor who only wants physical intercourse with her. This darkest fear came true.

Professor Max Berman’s strict religious Jewish Father drove him away God and the religion. As a young man who joined the Communist political party, Max Berman did not have successful marriages with women. As a sixty-three year old professor, Max Berman enjoyed discomfort. From an early age, Berman used carrying around several books to symbolize success as a man.

When Berman was accused of being a Communist, his response became laughter. Laughter, too, became Sara’s response to being pregnant Even though Berman does deny everything in the Jewish belief, the faith still remained. This faith remained inactive. Berman ran to countries to win a personal battle of not being good enough.

Miss Williams begins to remind Berman of another young female college student during his entire thirty years of teaching. The situation with this female student is unclear. There was, an empty feeling from Berman. Since Berman still taught, perhaps this other young female student was also afraid to stand up for herself against an authority figure. Did Berman rape this woman? I wondered about this question the first time I read “Brooklyn” during the summer. If Berman had raped this woman, there would been a pattern.

When Berman married the first time, his wife was a French Jew. In the night, the stillness of this wife would be empowering. This wife died as a result of a car accident, and Berman discovered he never loved her. This provides a historical relationship Berman has with empowering women.

Amanda-Leigh’s Conclusion on Feminism

As a modern woman, I do not wish to be empowered by a man. Being loved by a really great man does mean the woman deserves to be vulnerable to any form of abuse or degraded. In my marriage, my husband and I are equals. If we do not like something said, we are verbal in a request to change. We don’t yell at each other to get our points across. We do not put our own needs above the other person. We compromise. We work problems out together or we seek more advice.

Feminism is different to each woman the way of a woman’s hair. When I met country singer Crystal Gayle at Indian City at the age of three, I was amazed by her floor length hair. From this beautiful lady’s example, I wanted to nourish my own hair to be as long and shiny as Ms. Gayle’s hair. I experienced a renaissance of hair at age three. Ms. Gayle took the time needed each morning to provide feminine loveliness. To this day, I still have the goal of having floor length hair. This strong feminist county singer taught me the importance of taking care of my hair and treating hair as a sacred vessel.

Shouldn’t feminism also be treated as a sacred, divine vessel?