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Depiction of Gender Issues
For this essay, I will compare and contrast how gender, race, and the transition of young people
to adulthood are depicted in Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, Rich's 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' and
Updike’s “A&P”
Shakespeare has given a significant consideration of the theme of gender and race in his play.
Othello is recognized as the “Moor of Venice” and he is considered as the only black man in the
White society. He is caught in the talons of the society where he feels that he does not fit, a norm
which he struggles all through to live by. Iago feels superior in himself and often refers to him as
“Moor” even as much as he holds a lower rank. He feels that he is the one who should be in the
position that Othello holds just because he is a White and Othello is a Black. Besides,
Brabantion, the father to Othello’s wife, Desdemona makes a prejudice statement against
Othello, calling him “O thou foul thief” who has eloped with his daughter (Shakespeare, Act I,
Scene ii. Line 62). Brabantion believes that Othello, a black could only win his daughter’s hand
in marriage through trickery. Hence the notion of miscegenation is evident here, at the very onset
of the play. Even in the statement that would be considered positive in the lens of White referring
to Othello as “more fair than black” (Shakespeare, Act I, Scene iii. Line 291) this is represented
as show that black color been inferior.
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Shakespeare can be seen as addressing gender bias in is play as evidenced in most of the
characters in that there prevails a prevalent assumption that in every marriage a man has to be
cuckold by the wife, as all women are undoubtedly promiscuous. This point is further enhanced
by the conception among characters that there should be sexual compliance of women. Othello
can be seen struggling to fit the white patriarchal society by possessing Desdemona. Desdemona
nonetheless defies all odds that women are expected to adhere to. At the beginning of scene II
she engages Iago in a witty discourse outshining his the ego of a man known for his slanderous
behaviors.
Rich's 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' depicts a woman who is caught within the cultural restraints and
expectations of married life. In stanza two, the poet depicts the present state. Aunt Jennifer’s
hand reminds the audience about her marriage responsibilities, something which makes her
appreciate her full potential in the male-dominated society. At the end of it all, she got out of the
situation through hard work. The author of the poet is trying to impart a message that the only
way the women can rise against societal patriarchal odds is through hard work. The poet does not
give information about Jennifer’s uncle, but it appears that he cause her emotional distress.
Hence, the uncle is oppressive. Again the author indicates that Aunt Jennifer is an uneasy and
fearful woman. She is overwhelmed with inequity. She has a wedding ring but it is said to be the
property of his husband “Uncle’s Wedding Band” (Rich 7). From this line, it is apparent that a
woman is a man’s possession and he can do anything that he likes with her. The authors have
overly stressed on the place of a woman in a male-dominated society.
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The gender issue has also been depicted in Updike’s “A&P”. One of the striking ways in which
the patriarchal nature of a society is revealed is through the female’s bodies as described in
“A&P”. The focus of the female bodies embodies how a society view women as sexual objects.
Sexualization of the female body is a naked theme in Updike’s work. The narrator ranks girls on
their look as they walk through the stores. He refers to the beautiful one as “Queen” (Rich, 300)
while the remaining two as “Tall Goony-Goony” (Rich 304) of “The Fat one” (Rich 301). This
way of giving women prominence and power because of their appearance is a show of how the
society frames the female body in the context of how sexy they are before eyes of the men.
Women are valued not because of what they can do but because of their appearance. The most
beautiful girl is assumed to be the leader of the rest while the less pretty is dismissed.
Updike presents a patriarchal society that does not only judge women on the premise of their
look but also their value for women depending on their relationship with men. The readers can
notice this plight threaded into the narration through the assumption that the prettiest girl is the
leaders “the kind of girl other girls think is very ‘striking’ and ‘attractive’ but never quite makes
it, as the society knows the reason behind their view of the girl as a leader” (Updike 300). This
line showcases that women are much focused into pleasing and attracting men to the extent that
they choose their friends grounded on the one who will not give them competition when it comes
to winning ‘good men’. In the article Anti-Feminist Backlash: The Role of System Justification
in the Rejection of Feminism, Kay and Peace argue that people are reinforced to strengthen their
fairness and legitimacy and general status quo most by denying unjust and unfair practices.
The Depiction the Maturation of Young People into Adulthood
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John Updike’s “A&P” has explored the maturation of young people against the authority. The
author reveals the change from deferential to disrespectful. While observing the behaviors of
most of the characters in the play from the onset to the end, one can see a clear picture of
maturation that comes with age. Sammy is the first character introduced in the story, he is the
narrator and protagonist. Thereafter, several characters are introduced, including Stoksie, Lengel,
and Queenie. From the story, it can be evident that the first thing that men were seen in ladies is
their body. Sammy observes how young men react to their customers. The girls appear to unique
in all parameters. This is what draws Sammy’s attention. Sammy observes everything in these
young girls and even at the point they are confronted with the store manager about their indecent.
While from the onset the main area of focus was the appearance of the body, Sammy appears to
have come to the age when he feels that the managerial display was disrespectful. This story is a
portrayal of maturation and coming to age for Sammy. Whereas the story takes only a few
minutes, it represents some of the things that one would go through in his entire life. From the
time the ladies get into the store up to the time they leave, undeniably Sammy has undergone
some level of maturation and coming to age. As the story continues. Sammy notices something
about girls that are beyond their body look. At the onset, he sees things as a young person, but at
the end of the story, he begins to think like an adult. Notwithstanding, this new profound way of
viewing female counterparts doesn’t completely wash away the institutionalized view of female
body in his society, rather amazes him that women can be subject to other qualities.
The protagonist character in Shakespeare’s “Othello”, Othello is seen to undergo maturation.
Othello travels to the strange land where he finds himself a lonely Black in the White society. At
the beginning is afraid to break loose the chain of racial prejudice. Even when he holds the
highest office, the whites, such as Iago still see him as an inferior species. He, later on, comes to
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age and marries Desdemona, a decision which was against her father’s will. It is the
determination and will that drives Othello throughout his development life. Even when he
appears to be mature enough and has married Desdemona, Brabantion still feels that Othello
could not manage to win her daughter’s hand in marriage and that he has just stolen the girl.
Similarly, Desdemona has also come to maturation to the extent that she can go against the odds
of society and marries a black. Perhaps, while she was young she took black to be inferior, but
when she has become of age she finds homage even in blacks.
The maturation is also depicted in Rich's 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' poem. The author of the poem
notes that it is only through maturation that one can overcome the vices in the male-dominated
society. In the beginning, Aunt Jennifer would succumb to the oppression of males in the society,
such as that of his uncle. However, when she comes to age, she realizes that through hard work
she can overcome.
Conclusion
Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, Rich's 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' and Updike’s “A&P” have clearly
depicted how gender and race is an issue to the present society. At least every author has
demonstrated that difficulties that women go through in the male-dominated society. Similarly,
the three writers have addressed the maturity of young men to adulthood.
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Works cited
Shakespeare, William. Othello: The Oxford Shakespeare: The Moor of Venice. OUP Oxford,
2006.
Rich, Adrienne. "Aunt Jennifer's tigers." Sister Namibia 24.1 (2012): 11.
Updike, John. The Early Stories, 1953-1975. New York: Ballantine Books, 2004. Internet
resource