female oppression

Female oppression Women have been exploited and faced oppression for ages. Until the 20. Century, societies had not been realized that situation or the opinions against women violence had not been spreaded enough. After the technological and intellectual development, many books have been written and movies have been made to increase awareness about the female oppression. I will analyze a movie and a book named Color Purple and Nora: A Doll’s house. Nora: A Doll’s house is one of the most important and oldest books that report the problems of women in the society. This unique classic was the women’s drama which comprises indeterminacy of domestic situation up to that date. According to Ibsen, the most secret topics of women in family which is the head of social problems will be observed with Nora. She came from a well-situated family and she is also young, beautiful and has three children. However her husband is consciously against Nora’s to be interested in social issues. According to her husband, the best women must strictly devote her life to family. This idea reflects the view of society about women. The Color Purple is a 1985 film about a young African-American girl that shows the problems faced by African-American women during the early 1900s; including poverty, racism, and sexual discrimination. This movie deals with the oppression of African-American women, not only by means of white domination but also by specific white and black males. Celie is the main character, who has been oppressed by men her whole life. As an adolescent she is raped by her stepfather again and again and soon thereafter gives birth twice. Both of her children were sold to a family and she did not see her children before they became adult. In this movie we often meet women who fight against all odds for their survival and for the survival of their families. In their disjointed and dislocated communities, these women are often mothers who seek to protect and bring together their families for the sake of future generations.1 When we reanalyze the movie and book, we encounter the same problems. Firstly, both of the main characters’ roles are defined by society as a housewife and a babysitter. Nora’s husband’s best wife definition and life of Celie in her husband’s house represent duty of women. They always care about their house and children. Another difficulty in their life is that they cannot talk and decide in social issues. All issues are closed for them except domestic ones. Lastly, they fight with their husband, father or brother to gain their freedom. Celie and Nora left their house and family to win their lives. In Color Purple, Sofia’s words summarize condition: “All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my uncles. I had to fight my brothers. A girl child ain't safe in a family of men, but I ain't never thought I'd have to fight in my own house!! I love Harpo, God knows I do. But I'll kill him dead 'fo I let him beat me.” However, there are some differences between movie and book. Characters in the movie are poor, black and live in American town. On the other hand, Nora came from a well-situated family and she lives in a European city. In the movie, many of the girls didn’t love their husband or father and they were lack of love. Nora was educated and loved by her father and husband. In the movie, women were exposed to physical violence many times. In addition to become a woman in that time, they were black and racism in America was rising day by day. In contrast to Nora, black girls must fight with a lot of hard problems to gain their freedom. Today, in many part of the world, we know many girls and women face oppression. Awareness is the key to the betterment of the lives of women. Movies, books and visual media are so important to increase awareness about violence against women.
1) Walker: writer of the book