Talking Back, Bell Hooks
This article regarding the subject of feminism is very impactful. It discusses the power of speech in the Southern Black Community and when one spoke it was considered “an act of risk and daring”. (15) Growing up in this community was every girl’s nightmare. To have an opinion meant that you were disagreeing with someone’s point and hence you were punished for it. Girls were discouraged to speak in any discussions as well as for talking back. Overall, girls were suppressed from talking in order to bring out the “right speech of womanhood”. (15)
However, in the Southern Black Community, woman did dare and did allow their voices to be heard. Although they’re voices were tuned out when giving orders, or making threats, or fussing to men, they shared speech and opinion among other woman.
Grouping together to fight for what you deserve is very courageous and fighting with someone gives you all the more confidence to do so.
Moving on, I felt extremely proud for Hooks when she said that she devoted her time to writing by doing so in cheap diaries and hiding them. By putting a pen to a page and writing something on paper shows not only evidence of one’s knowledge and opinion but also tremendous bravery and passion. When I read that her sisters found out and mocked her for it I was very shocked! I believed that her sisters also being girls would either be scared and demand her to stop or encourage her yet tell her to be very careful. I know that if I was living during that time and my sister had discovered my passion and confidence in writing. Yes, she would be very scared and tell me to stop but mocking is the last thing that she would do. As I read on, I observed how much she risked for her desire to write and how her creativity broke out of her and could not be tamed. I know that if I were living in a community like that today I would never have the ability to commit to this act of rebellion. When Hooks published her book and continued to she still did not believe herself to be a writer because she was still scared and living in her childhood. Fear and insecurity are both the results she acheived when chasing after her passion and committing to it in secret. If I were there with her today, I would tell her that every person’s childhood is a part of who they are, but does not make up the complete person that you will become. After reading this article, I knew one day she would realize this and continue to use her creativity and stand by it with confidence even if many did not agree with it.
Sins of Silence, Mai Kao Thao
This article discusses the beginning of a good Hmong woman who blossomed into something better. Thao says that her mother taught her to “Nod [her] head and say yes even [she] doesn’t agree. It’s much easier. No trouble.” (18) My first instinct when I read this statement was NO! I completely understand the fear the mother must have had if she did act and rebel. She must have also been very comfortable in this position of invisibility. She wanted to protect her daughter from any trouble and leading this life would not be bad because we were looked at as “good”. “Silence is power”, is not a statement I believe in this aspect. “Courage is power” and “Speech is power” are statements that I do believe in. One should stand up for what they believe in and fight for what they deserve that is rightfully theirs!
“My silence had killed my Self, the essence which holds and molds an individual together in order to form one complete organism.” (18) This quotation links to 1984 and connects to Winston. Winston is stuck in the middle because there are thoughts that cannot be tamed that continue to run over and over in his mind. This is hidden but as the story develops it is banging on the locked door and is opened when he finds a companion called Julia. Being silent does not allow one to fully develop into an individual.
I am thankful that in the end this girl did realize what she deserved and chased after what she believed in and not something that made her pass the test of a “good Hmong woman”. She realized that being a “good Hmong woman” had all negative aspects to it; “to ignore my identity, to swallow my pride so others can abuse me, or to shut my eyes in the face of injustice by turning the other cheek.” (19) This article really made me realized the tough times that woman had before me and I am grateful times have changed because living during that time would have been painful and unbearable. I would not enjoy the challenge that life offers that I do now.
Monique,
ReplyDeleteI found your personal reaction to Hooks essay very interesting to read about. It is indeed shocking and admirable for a person to go through so much just to write. It certainly puts into perspective how hard it was back then to get your voice heard.
I found your comparison of 1984 to Thao's essay quite thought-provoking, for this was not a parallel I noticed when reading the article myself. i found it very interesting how you compared a woman's lack of free speech to the control of thought in Oceania. Although your ideas on silence seem to correspond well, I am afraid there are some thoughts of yours that I am having trouble with.
I wasn't quite sure what it is you were implying about the rationing of thought in modern society as compared to women. Are you saying that lack of freedom of speech prevents the growth of individuality?
My interpretation of Thao's essay was that keeping silent formed a whole other language and culture of women. By keeping silent, they could manipulate men through other means, perhaps means that were even more influential that speech.
On the other hand, I felt that 1984 was trying to portray the worldwide governmental control of speech in order to gain more control over its people.
These two ideas seem to be contrasting, for in Thao's essay it is the women who use their silence as manipulative tools; however, in 1984 it is used as a way to enforce uniformity.
Hi Pooja!
ReplyDeleteI was using the idea of rationing of thought introduced in 1984 and linking that to the silence of woman which I believe does prevent the growth of an individual mentally. If Winston had not found Julia,I believe that Winston would have become mentally unstable because he would not be able to speak his thoughts and let his opinions heard. I think this could relate quite closely to women and how many are very unstable due to the fact that they are unable to voice their thoughts and opinions.
Before Thao's transformation she believed that "silence was power" and you too believe that silence is a manipulative tool but in what way? What "means" are you talking about? By keeping silent I think they continue to give men the upper hand.
Thanks!
So I was reading yours and Pooja’s comments, and I thought your (Monique’s) idea was similar to my response to Nina’s comment on my blog. ( http://aishwarya-hlenglish.blogspot.com/2010/10/we-were-meant-to-be-seen-and-not-heard.html#comments ) Though I saw that silence used for female suppression was shown more in Hook’s Talking Back, rather than in Sins of Silence, I completely agree with Monique’s idea that female silence gives men the “upper hand”. Without the ability to convey their thoughts through speech, women must stand by as men continue to dominate society. Even if all is taken from them, women still have their thoughts, though without being able to communicate these thoughts, without transforming them into spoken ideas, I agree that they can become “unstable”, as I also mentioned in my response to Nina.
ReplyDeleteMonique reflects on the idea of individuality and its connections to silence. We can see how the Outer Party members were all in a way silenced, and all appear to be the same. Even if they’re thoughts differed, no one ever dared to voice them. Suppression of speech creates uniformity, this uniformity can be result in suppression. Either the suppression of the Outer Party members of Oceania, or of women in a male-dominated society.