Monthly Connection: March

When reading A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf, many issues were brought up that involve women and how they are treated. It made me think about how the role of women today differs from how it used to be. The essay by Woolf showed how women were looked down upon and were seen as inferior to men. This is no longer the case because women have become almost equal to men; they can vote, have the same jobs, have the same education...they can do anything if they set their mind to it. Women aren't just "maids" anymore. They are human beings who have the same rights as everyone else.
Woolf's essay mainly centered around women and their ability to write fiction. Back then it was difficult for a woman to write because when they did they tended to "preach" about their gender and the inequality shown between males and females. Also, when they did write, most people wouldn't even read it for the simple fact that a woman wrote it. Obviously a lot has changed between then and now. Today there are thousands of women writers(Stephenie Meyer!!!) :) and not only do other females read their work but males do as well.
I am glad to see that society was able to overcome this situation and treat women and men equally. Of course there will always be conflicts concerning this issue but at least they have lessened over the years. I think Woolf was brave to write an essay like that because not many women had the guts. Now that women are equal there are so many more opportunities that await them. I feel that the world is a much better place and it will only continue to get better.

Monthly Connection

In the play A Doll's House, many issues are brought up about marriage. One question that I thought was really important is "In a marriage, which is more important: duty to your family or duty to yourself?" I believe that before a person can give their all to their family they must first find themselves. They have to know who they are and be able to make their own decisions. The person has to be comfortable with who they are before they can be willing to take care of other people.
During the play I felt sympathy for Nora because I understood why she forged the name even thought she knew it was illegal. When you love someone, they are your top priority. She did what she had to do to save her husband even though there was a chance she could get caught, which she did. But even so, Nora never really did know who she was. She couldn't make the decisions she wanted, she had to do what her husband, Torvald, told her to. Throughtout the play, Torvald treated Nora like a child. He had childish pet names for her and acted as though she were a very fragile being. This wasn't how Nora wanted to be treated because she was a grown woman.
When Nora told her husband that she was leaving I was very happy for her. All that time spent heeding other people's orders and wishes made Nora forget who she was. This made her ill equipped to take care of her family because she wasn't mentally ready to take on such a large task. I was glad that Nora was finally able to stand up for herself, because you see women all over the world who don't have that strength. On the news there are always women who have been beaten because they weren't strong enough to walk out of a bad relationship. It's sad and this play shows that women can be strong if they let themselves.