Despite the impact of household responsibilities, gender inequality persists
Despite the fact that women today have more options when it comes to selecting careers and lifestyles, the pressure of household responsibilities has never stopped having an impact on women. Women's potential has been severely constrained, and they are frequently treated with contempt, due to the notion that they are born with specific duties.
Gender inequality in Shakespeare's society and Bharati Mukherjee's portrayal
In Shakespeare's society, where it was nearly impossible for women to succeed at anything other than performing the duties of women, Judith Shakespeare from Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own skillfully described the battle and anguish of an intelligent woman. On the other hand, Hindus by Bharati Mukherjee also targets sexual discrimination against women through its main character Leela and Pat. Pats show that it is easier for a man to climb the social class than it is for a woman. Even though Hindus and A Room of One’s Own describe women from different time periods, they both are victims of gender inequality and have suffered the consequences of such.
Judith Shakespeare's limited opportunities and societal constraints
Judith Shakespeare, an imaginary sister of Shakespeare’s, is every bit as talented as Shakespeare, but due to gender differences, she did not receive the same learning and working opportunities. The author describes Judith as a person who was “adventurous and imaginative but was not given a chance to go to school” (Woolf 1). While her brother seeks theater jobs in London, she is forced to stay home because she is a woman and women at that time are not allowed to do anything valuable. Society has predetermined women’s social status and how they should be treated accordingly. It is only fair to say that women are valued less than men, and it is impossible for them to possess any talent. Even if some brave women decide to put their skills to practice, they would be associated with mental illness. Such distorted values give talented and gifted women no choice but to end their lives. Additionally, the same perception exists in Israeli culture where women are not given the same recognition as their male counterparts “what they call men’s ego, or what we have termed honor or face” (Bloch and Dafna 43).
Gender discrimination and lack of freedom in Judith's personal life
Additionally, not only did Judith not receive the same learning opportunities, but she also had little freedom deciding her personal life. Shakespeare, because of his sex, never had to experience an arranged marriage but Judith has. Apparently, the quality of her life did not matter to her family as much as the reputation of her father. Her brother is free to do whatever he wants. While Judith has to be in a marriage she describes as hateful to her, his brother was “well known, a wild boy who poached rabbits, perhaps shot a deer, and had, rather sooner than he should have done, to marry a woman in the neighborhood, who bore him a child rather quicker than was right” (Woolf 1). Again, this proves that sex plays an indispensable role in what a person is free to do. There was no limitation to what men can do, yet women on the other side have the littlest power and control over their lives (Bloch and Dafna 43).
Challenges faced by Leela in "Hindus" and the role of culture in shaping gender inequality
Moreover, Leela, from “Hindus” by Bharati Mukherjee, proves that it is extremely hard for women, especially women of color, to advance themselves in American’s social hierarchy. Leela, coming from a wealthy family located in the highest caste in India, finds herself in a position as an “Administrative Assistant.” Meanwhile, her uncle Pat, coming from a caste below her, enhanced his writing skills and became a writer. Without the support of the caste system, not only did he make a fortune with his new career but also leaped to a higher class. Leela, on the other hand, could not do so because of cultural values on women. Leela is not appreciated for the talents she possesses. Instead, she is valued based on her beauty. Mukherjee (2) states that the only thing that women are recognized for is beauty, humility, and responsibility to the culture. This indicates that nothing much was ever expected from a lovely lady, such as Leela, but her beauty only, but men are not held to the same standards. Such concepts have helped form restrictions on women’s social status and making it tough to escape a low social class status.
Impact of traditional values on Leela's personal life and relationships
Likewise, cultural values on women are hard to change, even in a new environment. Leela’s personal life is still affected by the traditional Indian values on women. She is judged tremendously because of her marriage to a white person, while men receive petite criticisms as to whom they decide to form relationships with. The Indian culture is harsh on women as Mukherjee (3) states that women have “to return to India for a proper arranged marriage” regardless of who they love. This quote reinstates the idea that women from India have almost no control over their marriage. Similarly, Leela is judged and despised by her community for her marriage to a white man (Mukherjee 4). Not only is she judged upon her relationship, but she also grew up isolated from many people because of her gender. Mukherjee 3 writes that Leela's father would not let her walk alone without someone to escort her, not even to “school which was two blocks away.” This is a potential way of limiting her freedom to communicate and form a social network with others, which decreases her chance of becoming successful in the future.
The persistence of gender inequality and cultural influence
Gender inequality is something that has been in existence for a long time, and culture has been the main reason such practice and abuse have been occurring. The perception of society towards women indicates how women are downgraded and offered unequal opportunities compared to their male counterparts. The way Shakespeare and Mukherjee present the plights of women in society shows how the problems women go through stem from forced marriage, sexual discrimination, and lack of freedom, among other problems. Mukherjee states that Leela's father could not let her walk alone even to or from school, which was just two blocks away. Consequently, she is judged by the community for her marriage with a white man.
Works Cited
Bloch, Linda‐Renée, and Dafna Lemish. "“I Know I'm a Freierit, But…”: How a Key Cultural Frame (En) genders a Discourse of Inequality." Journal of communication 55.1 (2005): 38-55.
Mukherjee, Bharati. "Hindus." Journal of South Asian Literature 21.1 (1986): 1-6.
Woolf, Virginia. "A Room of One’s Own. 1928." Reprint, with a foreward by Mary (1945): 1-3
