What I liked most of the chapter we read was how the writer broached and discussed topics that many leave untouched due to their sensitive nature. I found all her discussions very interesting, but the one that drew me in the most addressed the issue of women and motherhood. As a woman in today's society, one can choose to have a successful career, or become a mother and have a family. Seldom do these two cleanly and successfully mix together. As Kelly Oliver states, "the dream of having it all becomes and exhausting schedule of soccer and dance lesson schedules, work, cooking, and cleaning, a schedule in which the demands of juggling career and family require high levels of caffeine and prescription drugs like Prozac (antidepressant) and Ambient (sleeping pill)." Though women have come a long way and now enter the work force, the fact that they have to choose between motherhood, a career, or an enjoyable life is absurd. Furthermore, this is a stance that only represents one side of the spectrum of female issues. As Oliver says, the 'solution' of extending fertility periods until post-monopoausal states are advertised to white, middle class women. The decision to have one or the other is no longer applicable, as the choice has expanded to include various others options. What remains, sadly, is the attitude that if women do not have children, due to their choice not to or some other reason, they are seen as unfulfilled, sad, deficient, or even abnormal. Usually, a woman who reaches the age of 50 without children has to make excuses like 'I wanted to focus on my career' or 'I don't get along with kids.' The fact that an explanation is needed is ludicrous. The opposite should also be true. A woman should not have to answer a question like 'Do you plan to start a family soon/ have children in the future?'
I agree with your assessment of today’s society and its expectations of women. Even with women being allowed to enter the workforce and make choices, such as focus on a career or become a mother, they are questioned every step of the way by both general society and women around them. You point out that these problems “only represent one side of the spectrum of female issues,” and I think this relates to Joanne Waugh’s chapter 7 “The Girl Who Made Us Think about Autonomy.” The character of Lisbeth Salander breaks so many female stereotypes and demonstrates that there are no pre-designated female types, but individuals who cannot be defined by psychology or previous experiences of others. Lisbeth Salander is an important character because she defied and broke the preconceptions people held about her both in the book and in the outside world. Women cannot be pigeonholed into specific roles, and the choice to or inability to make the choice to have children is barely representative of the issues and choices women have to make and certainly doesn’t define them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your view that having children shouldn't be held as an ideal norm in society today, and I especially agree that even the opposite should be true. We live in a time were having many children may be seen as irresponsible due to rapid population growth. With this in mind the need for justification of choosing not to have a child doesn't seem necessary.
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