Simone de Beauvoir

In “Woman: Myth and Reality,” Simone de Beauvoir writes about the many differences between beliefs men have about women, and the realities behind these many false, sometimes ridiculous ideas. After reading Beauvoir’s work, the lack of respect and knowledge men had toward women in early times, became truly apparent. Though men, have always seemed to feel as if they know the supposed, “Truth of woman,” they clearly did not have any sense of obligation and compassion toward women of their time. In “Woman: Myth and Reality,” Beauvoir also wrote about how men seem to benefit from the myths about women. By demoralizing women, as an entire group of people, men automatically gain more power in the world. The many negative myths about women cast men in a more positive light, increasing their amount of influence on important issues. In doing this, women are continually shunned by the more powerful, male society. They are never given the chance to prove their abilities and talents if they are degraded by powerful men. In her work, Beauvoir wrote about women, during that time, passively accepting criticisms. Women have always been intelligent, they should have been able to form their own ideals and fight for their rights, even during that time period. The blame for such degradation and outrageous, irrevocable customs, though largely caused by man, may also be placed on passive women.
Simone de Beauvoir’s, “Woman: Myth and Reality,” was a very enlightening read. The myths and realities in Beauvoir’s work clearly expanded on what we have previously read from this Feminism unit.

Virginia Woolf

The work of Virginia Woolf in “Shakespeare’s Sister,” was fascinating to read, because of Woolf’s creative and thoughtful ideas. In an excerpt from the novel, A Room of One’s Own, Woolf creates a character, Judith Shakespeare, and writes about what her opportunities, or lack thereof, would have been, had she existed. Shakespeare’s sister would clearly have lived her entire life in the shadow of her renowned brother. Shakespeare’s equally talented sister may have produced greater, more timeless pieces of literature than her brother. “Judith Shakespeare” would never have had the opportunity to embrace her strengths and to express her views of the world, through writing and performing. Women, being considered unequal to men during that time period, were forced to succumb to the demands and strictures placed upon them, by society.
After reading the work of Virginia Woolf and Mary Wollstonecraft, it has become even more difficult for me to imagine living during a time, when women were not considered equal to men. Being treated as an inferior race, based on outrageous male superiority, is something that no woman should ever have had to experience. Mary Wollstonecraft and Virginia Woolf were obviously, extremely intelligent women, forced to live in a time when women were not allowed to have goals and desires. As women, living in today’s more equal world, we must remember the women who fought tirelessly to bring justice to women all over the world. This reading was very remarkable. Virginia Woolf’s writing was very fascinating to read, and a very important literary text.

Mary Wollstonecraft

In “Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions Established in Society,” Mary Wollstonecraft impressively, expresses her clearly feminist view, in a time when women were obviously not supposed to voice their opinions. As I was reading this chapter of Wollstonecraft’s work, I was extremely surprised by her blatant defiance of important parts of that society. Wollstonecraft argued that women were supposed to offer virtue to their husbands and were expected to be diligent mothers, living a simple, sheltered lifestyle. She believed that the women of her time were playing a part, living the life that society had demanded from them. The women did not try to defy these demands because they were unwilling to step outside of the constrictions that they had always known, not knowing that they could achieve greater things in the world. In this chapter, from Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Wollstonecraft argued that women could be doctors, study politics, just living as equals among men.
In this chapter, I found Wollstonecraft’s brief mention of her desire for female representation in areas of politics and law, extremely fascinating. She was clearly a very advanced thinker, having hoped to live as equals and to vote, centuries before it actually happened. Many of Wollstonecraft’s ideas may not seem at all radical in this day and age, but it is very remarkable to see her way of thinking, so many centuries earlier, when women had absolutely no freedom in a man’s world. Mary Wollstonecraft’s writing was remarkable in many ways, and truly enlightening.

Robert B. Reich

In “Why the Rich are Getting Richer and the Poor, Poorer,” Robert B. Reich focuses on how different individuals have different positions in the world, because of the way they perform in the world. This issue of why so many Americans are living in poverty, while large numbers of Americans are wealthy, has always been an important question among all Americans in today’s society. Reich separates society’s classes into lower, middle, and upper class and explains how different situations in the job market and in the economy are part of the reason for extreme differences in financial comfort. He writes about routine producers and how their chances for success are continually decreasing because of technology and increased productivity. This idea, as developed by Reich, is undoubtedly true. As technology increases and less people are needed in factories, the unemployment rate rises along with the poverty level. Many of these same job opportunities for Americans are sent overseas, for cheaper labor, allowing Americans to aimlessly search for jobs in our competitive domestic society. In “Why the Rich are Getting Richer and the Poor, Poorer,” Robert B. Reich makes many remarkable conclusions about separations in our society, and the distinct disadvantages for the less fortunate, working Americans. As jobs are being sent overseas, the large companies in the United States make more products for a lower cost, increasing their overall chance for success and simply, making the company more wealthy. Lowering the poverty level in the United States seems to correlate directly to taking money from the top, allowing the job opportunities to dwindle down to working Americans, allowing for greater chances for success.

John Kenneth Galbraith

Poverty in the United States of America is simply one of the most tragic, and surprising traits in our dominant, wealthy country. In “The Position of Poverty,” John Kenneth Galbraith made it apparent that this little known, increasingly devastating problem needs to rise to the forefront of important American social issues. In his work, Galbraith writes about the differences between insular and case poverty, and also explains the change in modern poverty from that of a century ago. Insular poverty, or high levels of poverty in specific areas, is becoming increasingly apparent in our modern society. Looking specifically at the city of Detroit, where about thirty-eight percent of the city’s children are living in poverty, it is not remotely surprising to see that insular poverty is continually developing at a high rate. In “The Position of Poverty” Galbraith tries to help the readers understand more about solving this large issue in our society, by simply educating readers through very strong, direct text. Understanding more about living in insufficient economic conditions and simply, allowing innocent children to directly suffer was heavily emphasized in Galbraith’s work. I found “The Position of Poverty” to be a very interesting read, because of personal strong feelings about the amount of government aid given to the less fortunate members of our American society. Galbraith knew that a sudden increase in overall income could not sufficiently change the status of poverty in the United States, the process to achieving better and more fair economic conditions for all could slowly and eventually lead to more opportunities for future generations.

Karl Marx

“The Communist Manifesto”, though obviously significant, was somewhat difficult to understand, especially based on what we have always previously learned about communist rule in different countries of the world. We have always associated communism with a totalitarian-minded, horrifying ruler, based on leaders like Stalin and Hitler. In “The Communist Manifesto” by Karl Marx, the writers of this important document, base their communist ideals on helping the lower, proletariat working-class, improve their overall lifestyles and specifically, their economic conditions. In this document, the bourgeois are also considered the working class, but a wealthier, more fortunate, career-oriented middle class group of people. Marx did not believe that this wealthier class should be in control of the government, because the lifestyles of the proletariat class, would never improve. The proletariat, a lower social class, was obviously the basis for “The Communist Manifesto.” Marx seemed considerably determined to help this working class improve their sociological status, and to work their way to better conditions, without having to work through the barrier of the bourgeois. When Marx lists the principles he believes should be applied to all communist ruling governments, he lists free education in public schooling and the abolition of all right of inheritance (374). These principles, in particular, do not seem to be considerably radical. Free public schooling has always been embraced by the United States democracy. The idea of abolishing the right of inheritance, though somewhat extreme, could encourage people to work harder, to earn their comforts. I felt that “The Communist Manifesto” was a somewhat surprising, and enlightening reading.

Marx, Karl. “The Communist Manifesto.” A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. 7th Edition. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2006 pp. 356-377