Societies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Societies - Essay Example It is complex play of power and dominance over the weaker defenseless sex, for superiority and satisfaction. The relationship between man and woman, and the significant role that a woman plays to keep the social and the family scene moving accounts for the hidden power with which women perform her duties regardless of time and age, in 20th century Muslim society or 17th century Chinese society. Men reserved the right to betray, women remained faithful, virtuous and honorable before marriage and even after husbands death. In Alifa Rifaats collection of short stories "Distant View of Minaret" dealing with 20th century Muslim women in Egypt, the reference is to the issues related to woman's suffrage in contemporary Egypt. In the story "Distant View of Minaret" the reference in that context is to lack of privileges, rights, and gender roles and expectations facing woman. Or even simply the basic "Men being in control of woman." However, two unexpected issues are brought up in her book and both are reflected in this story. The first being sex and the second being death.(Rifaat) In this story, she describes the sexual suppression and deprivation of a young married woman. She had long forgotten her desires, needs, and urges. She had adopted a passive role not only in the family lifestyle but in the bedroom as well. "The last time she made such an attempt, so desperate was she at this critical moment that she had dug her fingernails into his back compelling him to remain inside her." ((Rifaat p. 2) The story then goes onto explains how her husband pushes her away and screams at her as though she was trying to kill him. After this failed attempt to pursue her passion she began to feel as though she was asking too much and belittled herself. It made her feel ashamed and embarrassed to even think about the act. Later in the story it points out other occasions where her husband would suppress her urges purposely. "But on each occasion, when breathlessly imploring him to continue, he would-as though purposely to deprive her-quicken his movements and bring the act to an abrupt end." (Rifaat) The act that is supposed to involve two people in passion suddenly dissolves to one.(Rifaat) In his book "The Death of Woman Wang" Jonathan D. Spence projects the life of the rural China in seventeenth century, when the ideologies of Confucius was very strong on the society. The story is about a woman, Wang, who has an illicit affair with a man and she runs away with him. The adultery is dealt very harshly in Chinese society. The husband had the right to punish, penalize or even kill the man as well as the wife. Wang is finally tracked own and returned to her husband, and is finally killed in her own bed by her husband for the disgrace. The projection of the position and the role of the woman in the Chinese society at that time is illustrated revealing the status and position of the woman in the Chinese Confucian society. The story of is the central essence of the book, though it is revealed much later in the book, the picture which is revealed is of village life in T'an-ch'eng, the people, society, their everyday life and interactions between the people in the community. The role of marriage and the transformation which a woman goes through to keep her marriage is one of the key issues emphasized in both the stories