By Jocelyn Enriquez
Women’s truths are spoken through their words. In current society, women’s experiences and issues have become a topic for discussion and media coverage. As this grows more and more women express their experiences to the public. Women had gone on to answer 4 questions in relation to the women experience:
What are women in society?
For the younger generations, the child and teenager, women are said to be a means for repopulation with the title of birth givers. Both expressed their understanding of the society in relation to women as an invaluable tool for survival and breeding.
Quote: (Teenager) The only human species to give life.
The adults had a more modernized concept of women along with society. Saying that society is a complex and ever-evolving structure that can reflect the different points of view and ideals in different areas.
Quote: (Young Adult) Understand that each part of society thinks differently and that will always change the meaning of what a woman is in society.
How far does the objectivity of women go?
Despite the developmental differences the Adult and child agree over the oppression of women as a constant in daily life. The child had given examples of limitations and areas of restriction women are place within by others. As the Adult spoke on the normalization of said act stating:
Quote: (Adult) Oppression isn’t being seen as it is normalized
The general conclusion that can be drawn is due to the proximity of age the teenager and young adult agree on this subject. They indicated the question itself and the answer is subjective to those answering it. The teenager points to the intricacy of what objectivity is and how experiences shape objectivity. The Young adult brought a simpler point that if a specific connotation is added to a topic it will be reflected.
Quote: (Young adult) If the topic is surrounded by judgment and certain emotions then it will be present.
Is women's liberty only obtainable between women?
Once again the younger generations acknowledge that women’s liberty isn’t obtainable only between women. The child’s view was that women should be who they are wherever they are, being around other women shouldn’t inhibit them from being themselves. As the teenager said that the past may still dictate certain reactions the world has evolved past that into a new age.
Quote: (Teenager) I would say no. Yes, it is true in most cases but with the times and the old ideas becoming new, I would say it could also be with other people like men.
As for the adults they didn’t disagree with the younger generation but did pose a similar point within women’s liberty. They had stated that situations have changed over the years but change a development still needs to be made.
Quote: (Adult) This situation could be better.
What do you think of yourself as a woman?
All the women presented a very personalized response, describing themselves including strengths and faults. Each personality is inherently different for a multitude of reasons such as age, race, and time of day. Nonetheless, all agreed that their capabilities equal an individual deserving of admiration and respect.
Quote: (Child) I stand up for what I think is right and it can be very hard to change my mind like school-wise or in any conversation.
Literature has allowed for women’s voices to be heard without the women. Going on, women give their understandings and impressions of areas of works from over the years, ranging from 1963 to 2019. These women ranging from child to adult provide the understanding and judgments on society and women. Developing the belief, a difference in judgment can still have a similar understanding.
The Bell Jar (1963):
Book Quote- “I thought it sounded just like the sort of drug a man would invent. Here was a woman in terrible pain, obviously feeling every bit of it or she wouldn't groan like that, and she would go straight home and start another baby, because the drug would make her forget how bad the pain had been, when all the time, in some secret part of her, that long, blind, doorless and windowless corridor of pain was waiting to open up and shut her in again” (Plath, 1963).
Quote: (Child) That's kind of sad because she just gave birth and now she has to go make another baby. Like the birth of the other kid because she doesn’t feel it. It plays mind tricks. Like that pain isn’t being able to be released. It is kept in that little tiny door. She won’t feel it.
The Color Purple (1982):
Book Quote: “A girl is nothing to herself; only to her husband can she become something. What can she become? I asked. Why, she said, the mother of his children. But I am not the mother of anybody's children, I said, and I am something" (Walker,1982).
Quote: (teenager) A woman is not only to become a mother or to be married off. She is her own human being who is someone and can achieve anything she wants. She can become anyone she chooses to be, there is no certain thing that makes a woman “something”.
Colonize this! Young Women of Color on Today’s Feminism (2002):
Book Quote: "I absolutely cannot ignore all that I have endured and achieved by settling for a passive life as Adam's Rib. Some may choose to call me a revel, but I am simply a woman searching for a happier life. One in which I am allowed to love myself, and not sacrifice that love in favor of society's values" (Rehman, 2002).
Quote: (Young-Adult) Society has played the female sex to be weaker. Those who have to compromise in everything because it is their “job”. Yet this isn’t true. A woman can love herself and only herself if she chooses to and no one can say anything. She isn’t answerable to anyone for anything.
Grace Year (2019):
Book Quote: “We hurt each other because it's the only way we're permitted to show our anger. When our choices are taken from us, the fire builds within. Sometimes I feel like we might burn down the world to cindery bits, with our love, our rage, and everything in between” (Liggett, 2019).
Quote (Adult): As women are told to keeping moving on, the emotion that goes unchecked is anger. And that is why it comes across so often. The continuous restrictions on women only allow for our anger to be expressed in certain ways.
At the end of this interview, all the women were asked a final question to address the reader directly.
What do you want women to take away from this?
Child: I feel like they shouldn’t care about what others say. Do what makes them happy and if they’re not ok with something to speak up about it.
Teenager: I hope women understand they are a boss a** b**** and that they do not attend to anyone and they can do whatever they please. No one should stop them and they shouldn’t care for what anyone states.
Young Adult: We live in a world where females have to assert themselves in whatever they do so they can achieve their goals. A lot of women carry around this unseen burden. It contains failures, doubts, shattered dreams, lost hope, and so much more. But in the end, we are resilient and can achieve anything no matter what other say.
Adult: I want the younger generations to fight in the face of adversity and understanding change will happen if you work for it.
Thank you to all the women who participated.