Over
the course of history, many women such as Susan B. Anthony and Abigail Adams
have tirelessly fought for the rights of women and earned the proud title of a
feminist. Their overall motivation to carry out feminism was created by the
unfortunate level of gender inequality that plagued our society and even world.
This gender inequality can be understood through several real world examples as
well as through the plays A Streetcar
Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and Antigone
by Sophocles. The character Stanley from A
Streetcar Named Desire and the character Creon from Antigone both enforce a specific lifestyle in which women are seen
as inferior to and less important than men. This lifestyle is what Anthony and
Adams fought against and is unfortunately very similar to the treatment of
women in several modern day Islamic societies.
In the play Antigone, the character Creon is the
ruler of Thebes who represents power and dominance. Creon knows all too well
what powers he is entitled to as a ruler and does not let one go unused. With
this high level of confidence and status it is inevitable that Creon will see
himself as superior to everyone else. Specifically, Creon views himself and all
other men as largely superior to women. For example, upon Antigone’s proud
confession that she was the one who buried Polyneices, Creon was not only angry
that someone of his city went against his wishes but he was infuriated and even
embarrassed that it was a woman. Creon states, “I swear I am no man and she the
man if she can win this and not pay for it” (Creon, 528-529). In other words,
Creon is ultimately stating that if he doesn’t take action and severely punish
Antigone, then he will be considered less of a man because a woman overpowered
him. In addition, in Creon’s statement there is a great level of specification
of who is more of the man which explains how sensitive he is to the definition
and role of both genders.
Further into the play, Creon and
Antigone engage in a bitter conversation about the circumstances. Through
frustration and anger, both characters willingly expose exactly how they feel
about the situation and each other. For instance, Creon said to Antigone, “When
I am alive no woman shall rule” (Creon, 577). Through this statement Creon makes
it clear that he does not accept the idea of women having any type of power. Furthermore,
he is indirectly telling Antigone that as long as he is alive, her words or
actions will never be taken seriously or accounted for. Overall, Creon can be
seen as a very discriminatory person who is determined to maintain the strict
masculine role of a ruler and not allow women any opportunity in power.
Similar to Creon, the character
Stanley from A Streetcar Named Desire is
also a very power driven, masculine man who thrives in a society that looks
down on women. Through his careless words and abusive actions against his wife
Stella, it is clear that he has no emotional appreciation for women. For
example, following Blanche’s birthday dinner Stella asks Stanley to wash his
hands and clear the table. Stanley respond by throwing a plate on the floor,
violently grabbing Stella, and saying, “That’s how I’ll clear the table! Don’t
ever talk that way to me!” followed by, “And I am the king around here, so
don’t forget it!” (Williams 131). This scene greatly exposes Stanley’s violent
nature as well as his need to be the alpha figure in the room. To Stanley,
taking orders from a woman is one of the most offensive things that he could
ever be subjected to. As a result he believes he has to redeem himself by
putting Stella in her place through violence and abuse.
The scene that is not only the
climax but also one of the most barbaric moments of the play is when Stanley
rapes Blanche. Stanley’s sole purpose of raping Blanche was to show his
authority over her and to bring her to her breaking point in a way only a man
could carry out. In this scene Stanley says to Blanche, “I’ve been on to you
from the start” (Williams 158). In other words, Stanley is telling Blanche that
he has known the truth to all of her lies from the very beginning and that he
has been planning to hurt her in this way for a long time. Stanley’s
premeditation to this vicious act is what makes it so much more evil. He put
thought into what could really bring Blanche to destruction and ultimately
treated her like an inanimate object that has no feelings or life to live.
Although both of these plays are
based off fictional characters and a fictional plot, they still highlight the
fact that gender inequality and discrimination has existed in the past and is
still a very present issue in the world today. For instance, women in present
day Islamic societies experience extreme discrimination. The Islam religion is
very strict in terms of gender roles and generally enforces the idea that men
are superior to women. For example,
Islam’s holy book, the Qur’an generally states in verse 4.34, “Men are the
maintainers of women and have the right to beat them if they are disobedient in
their marital obligations” (Qur’an 4.34). This verse not only gives men
ownership of women but also gives them the right to physically hurt them if
they are “disobedient” in any way. This level of mistreatment is very severe
because it is not only enforced by society but also by religion which is the
most influential aspect of every Muslim’s life. A Muslim who goes against the
practiced religion of Islam is seen as a traitor and will be doomed to the
punishment of their god, Allah.
Specific unfair restrictions on
Muslim women are not only enforced by the Islamic traditions but also
reinforced by the legal codes that exist in many Islamic societies. For
example, some of these laws and restrictions include, “Women are only allowed
to have one spouse when men are allowed to have four, girls are subjected to
marriage at nine years old and boys can wait until fourteen years old, and it
is almost impossible for a woman to acquire a divorce whereas a man can be
divorced immediately at his command” (Beyer). These comparisons of rights shows
that men always have a clear advantage over women. Men are given more power in
terms of marriage and ultimately in every important life decision they will
ever make.
A highly debated topic within the
Muslim community is the right for a woman to acquire a driver’s license.
Currently, Muslim women in Saudi Arabia are prohibited to drive a motor
vehicle. This topic has inspired the creation of several campaigns to end this
prohibition which are making progress within the societal opinion of this issue.
However, have not been successful in persuading officials and law makers to
have a change of heart. For example, according to officials, “Any rebellious
woman who is seen driving will be detained and not released until their male
figure (father, husband, or even son) take a legal responsibility for her and
sign a pledge that she will not drive again.” (Human Rights Watch). This extent
of control and ownership of women can be seen as disgraceful and excessive to
most outsiders of the Islamic faith. The fact that the law doesn’t see a woman
as capable of driving a car or even being responsible for herself in a legal
situation is immensely degrading and single-minded.
In conclusion, gender inequality is
a very serious issue in our world that should not be ignored. Through the plays
Antigone and A Streetcar Named Desire, it is made clear that gender inequality
existed as early as Ancient Greek civilizations and managed to maintain a
presence in American cities such as New Orleans in the 1940s. The characters
Creon and Stanley, although from different time periods, both represent
powerful masculine figures who view women as just an accompaniment to their
lives rather than equally important assets to society. Similarly, women in
present day Islamic communities are treated with less respect and dignity
because of their gender. This proves that although gender inequality has
decreased in our society, it is still very present in our world. It is my hope
that this gender discrimination will no longer be tolerated and one day be
globally non-existent.
Mays, Kelly J.
The Norton Introduction to Literature, Shorter 11th Ed. New York: W.
W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2013. Print.
"Saudi Arabia: End Driving Ban for Women." Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch, 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2014.
"The Holy Quran Search Engine Arabic, English and Urdu." AL ISLAM. Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, 2014. Web. 11 Oct. 2014.
Williams, Tennessee. A Streetcar Named Desire. New York: New Directions, 2004. Print.
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