Theme: Relations between women in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Thesis: Relationships between women in the nineteenth century America created a web of love and support for women. Mothers and daughters, sisters and friends from childhood formed emotional and sometimes physical bonds that lasted lifetimes. These ties were acknowledged and easily accepted in their societies. Many women survived unthinkable hardships such as geographical isolation, child birth, and loss of children because of the unconditional love found in their relations with other women.
I. Introduction
A. Female friendship of 19th century not really studied before
B. Abundance of evidence suggests very strong emotional ties between women.
C. All types of relationships are suggested from
sisterly love to passion
D. In this world men are hardly noted
II. Defining and analyzing these relations
A. Question of method and interpretation
B. How to view same sex relations
1.Psychopathology
2.dichotomy between normal and abnormal
C. Viewing within a cultural and social setting
D. Based on the diaries of women from 35 families
from 1760s to 1880s
1.Represents brood range of women
2.Middle class
III. Sensual and platonic
A. Sarah Butler Wister and Jeannie Field Musgrove
1. Met while families vacationed; spent 2 years
together at boarding school
2. throughout life wrote to eachother talking of
their deep affection and their anguish when apart
3. Marriage brought physical separation but nor
emotional.
4. Made references that may imply a relationship
that is not necessarily platonic
5. Friendship lasted their entire lives
B. Molly and Helena
1. Met at boarding school
2. Formed friendship similar to that of Sarah and
Jeannie
3. many references to a physical relation
4. marriage brought depression and changes because
of now having male lovers.
5. Molly tells Helena she loves her as "wives do
love their husbands"
C. Significance of these letters
1. Do not define as hetero or homosexual but as
examples of the intensity of the emotional bond
2. Force us to place female love in a particular
historical context
IV. Emotional function of such female love
A. American society characterized by strict gender-role
separation.
1. women formed supportive networks that came with
rituals for every important event in a woman's life
from birth to death
2. these emotions supported by strict restrictions
in relations between young men and women. Two
totally separate spheres existed, women's and men's
B. The woman's world was a cycle of home, church, and
visiting other women. This world was inhabited solely
by women and children. Help with domestic during illness and other problems. Vacations often designed for
old friends to meet again.
V. Women and their female kin
A. Women's female kin were the core of this world of
female ties.
1.Relatives provided the nucleus around
which groups of friends and networks revolved.
2.Much of a woman's life could be focuses around
her family and extended family (in-laws)
B. The mother-daughter relationship is at the center of this world. The daughters relied on their mothers for
support and learned their female duties from them, sort
of an apprenticeship.
C. through relations with female kin, the web grew
through the non-relative friends of kin as a girl
grew she made her own friends and they were incorporated
into this familial world.
VI. Rituals in the life of a woman
A. Marriage was one of the great rituals. Support
surrounded the bride for months before hand.
B. Childbirth was a solely female ritual, friends and
relatives were present through the entire process.
VII. Conclusion
The relationships between women during this era was core to their lives and survival. Without the love, support, and rituals surrounding their daily lives together, many of the women would not have survived the hardships that often presented themselves in life.
Point of Analysis: I feel that the author was a bit long winded in her explanations of some things. There are many things that she repeats. I also feel that she could have presented more about the lives of men. After reading this, I wonder what the men did all day and if they had relationships like this with their friends and male kin. It is a great essay and does show vividly the lives of women during this time
Point of Synthesis: This article really helped me to understand the women during this time much more. To see their lives on a much more personal level, and how they socialized really creates a deeper and more personal understanding of women here. Connecting this with their political lives, regional, and religious helps to make the circle complete and create a true understanding of women during this era.
Sometime with rudeness 'n' Sometime with love..... Sometime with perception 'n' Sometime with surprise... Sometime with worry 'n' Sometime with Hope... Life goes on.........
Showing posts with label Essay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Essay. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Women in Society
Women in all careers are striving to gain equality in
the work force today, and female television news anchors
are definitely part of the fight. The road to television
news anchoring is a rocky one, where only a few women
survive and many fail. Where progress was once thought
to have been made, there aren't many females getting ahead
in the world of television news. Today, there is a very
slow, if any, gain in the numbers of women who succeed.
There are many questions surrounding the subject of
women in television news, and I will attempt to answer
relevant ones in this paper. How have the women that
actually make it to the top and succeed as anchorwomen,
done it? What does it take to make it? Why do those few
endure it/enjoy it? Why has it been and still is
difficult for women? What are the expectations of women
in the field, as opposed to the expectations of men?
I am interested in this topic because I once aspired
to become a television broadcaster. I still have
inspiration in me, but not quite as much due to the
negative and discouraging aspects I have heard about in
classes and in the media. I am not sure that I could be
happy in a career such as this, and I know there are great
difficulties in "making it" in this profession. I have
read about the incredible ambition of successful females
in television news, and it seems like it takes a special
kind of passion to want to keep up in the business.
I kept my questions in mind when gathering research
material. While focusing on the key questions, I was able
to find information that led me to form answers to them.
Christine Craft's biography told of her individual
experience of being fired on the basis of her looks and
her age. I realized from reading her story that she had a
"nose for news", a passion for telling it to the world,
and a unique spark that made her a good journalist, yet
those qualities weren't enough in her case. She took that
passion and spark, filed a sexual discrimination case and
won.
Hard News: Women in Broadcast Journalism had a few
chapters that were relevant to today, and I could draw on
some information for my paper. However, much of the
information was historical and not helpful to answering my
questions.
Battling for News concentrated mainly on print
journalism. There was material about the first women in
broadcasting in the 1950's and how they were hired and
fired.
Television News Anchors had very helpful information,
in that there were individual stories from anchorwomen
telling of their experiences. This provided stories about
the women who have succeeded within the field--why and
how. There was a round table discussion conducted by The
New Mother Jones magazine with television newswomen Linda
Ellerbee, Marion Goldin, Ann Rubenstein, and Meredith
Vieira. This provided first-hand opinions about what these
women see going on in the business.
Women in Television News was published in 1976, and
thus, much of the information was outdated. However, I
was able to use some quotes from newswomen about what they
believe one must do to "make it" in broadcast journalism.
I also found some interesting quotes from a former vice
president of ABC News regarding women in the industry.
Waiting for Prime Time had valuable information about
Marlene Sander's experience and opinions of other
anchorwomen and men. It covered possibilities for the
future of women in broadcasting.
Pamela Creedon's two books were helpful in that they
discussed topics of sexual discrimination in broadcast
journalism and included a chapter by Marlene Sanders,
titled "The Face of the Network News is Male." Here she
attempted to tackle some problems women in television news
face: what the problems are, why they exist, and a bit
about what needs to be done to cure these problems.
Liesbet van Zoonen's book included a chapter titled
"Media Production and the Encoding of Gender." It showed
how society views women in the media. The expectations of
female anchorwomen in part stems from the overall view of
women on television--whether it be in a movie, music
video, or soap opera. This was relevant to my paper in
answering the question of why there are certain
expectations of women in television news.
The textbook, Gender, Race and Class in Media had a
few chapters relevant to my paper. Larry Gross wrote a
chapter titled, "Out of the Mainstream: Sexual Minorities
and Mass Media." He discussed various stereotypes in our
society that lead to stereotypes in all areas of our
lives.
I found some of my sources from Oasis, and also used
a couple of magazine articles that were relevant to the
subject. I focused on the questions that I wanted to
answer and drew points from the material that were
relevant and provided substantial evidence to answer my
questions. I found that opinions and thoughts of women
who had been through the business were most helpful.
There was one big limitation I faced if I wanted to
prove that women in television news were discriminated
upon based on sex and age. Women have been fired from
their anchor positions, and it has seemed that the reasons
were because of looks or aging. But this is hard to
prove. In August, Carol Schrader, a woman anchor from
KETV-TV in Omaha, Nebraska was asked to leave. She said
that it was because of her age, although her bosses didn't
say that was the reason, stating that she wasn't doing her
job. She was replace by a young, blond woman. Also, when
Marlene Sanders was asked to leave ABC, instead of saying
point-blank that she was too old, her boss told her she
had outgrown the profession. Lynn Sherr of ABC News was
also fired, and she believed it was because of her
appearance, as no one told her why she lost her job. It
isn't a proven fact that every case of a woman getting
fired from their professions were fired because of their
age.
The number of women news anchors is scarce. Only a
few succeed, and the reason for this is because what is
expected of them is much greater than what is expected of
men. Women must work twice as hard, be twice as
beautiful, and go above and beyond their abilities. The
television broadcasting business is dominated by males,
and, in turn, males have the majority of the power.
Positive steps have been taken by women, but they are
still far from being equal in the field. Advances are not
being made quickly.
Some men in the world of television news say that
women do have a tougher time. Larry King had this to say:
I know that if I were "Loretta" King instead of
"Larry" King I would be nowhere near where I am
today. I would not have had a national radio
talk show in 1978, a national cable show of my
own, and a national column if I had started out
being the "wrong" gender (Craft 1988, p. 6).
Al Ittleson, former vice-president of ABC News, says
that physical appearance is important for both male and
female broadcasters, but emphasizes the importance of a
woman broadcaster's looks:
Women are supposed to be beautiful. People
anticipate what a woman is supposed to look
like, so when they come to television-I haven't
seen an unattractive woman on television yet...
In fact, they're hired, I would say, probably
more because of the way they look and their image
than because of their background. A man with a
very strong journalism background and a man who
has broken stories...can get away with a little
bit of homeliness. Men aren't supposed to be
attractive. Women have a tougher time (Gelfman
1976, p. 53).
Our society pins importance upon women's looks.
They are required to retain qualities of femininity, yet
must also be professional. van Zoonen explains the
different expectations of men and women in journalism,
saying, "one must assume 'femininity' as a feature of
female journalists and 'masculinity' as a different
characteristic of male journalists" (van Zoonen 1994, p.
63). The images that are instilled in society are
carried over into all aspects of life, and are prevalent
in television news.
Just as our society is dominated by white, middle and
upper-middle class males, it is so in most professions.
The men are the bosses in television news, and this has
made it difficult for women to gain prestige. The men
place expectations upon the women, and punish them if they
aren't exactly what they want.
One good example of a case where a woman news anchor
was fired on the basis of her looks is Christine Craft.
Craft was discriminated against because of her sex,
appearance, and age. She was fired from KMBC in Kansas
City and told, "You don't hide your intelligence to make
guys look smarter" (Craft 1988, p. 66). Along with this,
she was fired because she was "too old, too unattractive,
and not sufficiently deferential to men" (Craft 1988, p.
66). Because her boss directly told her these things, she
felt she had been sexually discriminated against. She won
two court cases, winning a total of $600,000 in damages.
Craft's case opened the eyes of many anchorwomen, as
well as others in the media and elsewhere. Here is a
talented, competent broadcast journalist who was unfairly
treated and took a stand. She comments on her experience,
"The men could be balding, jowly, bespectacled, even fat
and encased in double-knit, yet the women had to be
flawless. Moreover, there was the expectation that I
should pretend not to know certain facts just because I
was a woman" (Craft 1988, p. 10).
What is disturbing about Craft's case is that it is
so blatantly obvious that she lost her job on the basis of
being a woman, being too old, and not being pretty enough.
At the time, out of all the anchors in the country who
were over 40, men made up ninety-seven percent of that,
with three percent being women who did not look their age.
Marlene Sanders writes that what is seen in Craft's case
is "that wrinkles are 'seasoning' in a man but
'disqualification' in a woman," and that while this may
not be sexual discrimination, "it is a sad statement about
how women are viewed in our society" (Sanders and Rock
1988, p. 148).
The world of television news is an unstable one,
where women take chances, not knowing if or how long they
can thrive in the business. Marlene Sanders puts it
plainly, "The message is clear; we can all be replaced.
There are no guarantees of longevity, and no obvious
destination where news professionals can translate their
experience and knowledge into new and satisfying careers"
(Sanders and Rock 1988, p. 205).
Before she took the job at KMBC in Kansas City, Craft
was working at a smaller station in Santa Barbara, where
she had a positive experience. She says, "I was content
to be in a place where the emphasis was on getting the
stories and getting them right. Only once did management
mention my appearance, and that was to tell me to pull my
hair back a bit" (Craft 1988, p. 28).
Craft was attracted to the Kansas City station in a
larger market. However, she made clear before taking the
job that first and foremost she did not want to change her
appearance. They promised her it wouldn't happen, yet
within the first week they had a beauty consultant piling
the make-up onto her face.
Sexual discrimination is evident in television news.
KMBC practically begged Christine Craft to come to their
station. "Women are rewarded more than men for changing
news shops often or for moving to larger markets more
because of their gender than because of their journalistic
qualifications" (Creedon: Smith, Fredin, Ferguson Nardone
1993, p. 174).
During the first trial, a former news producer at
KMBC, Sherry Chastain, testified, saying that her bosses
"instructed her to monitor the appearance of female
anchors and reporters, but never males...the male
counterpart was bald with a bad toupee and thick glasses,
yet nothing was ever mentioned about monitoring his
appearance" (Craft 1988, p. 118).
Diane Sawyer says that equal pay for equal work is a
more serious issue than aging on the air. The reason this
is such a difficult challenge is because the number of
women on a news staff, as well as their ages can be easily
established. However, salaries tend to be confidential,
and the dollar value of experience and other
qualifications are hard to determine. Therefore, while it
is possible that aging may not be a major issue for women
broadcasters ten years from now, equal pay for equal work
will most likely linger on (Hosley and Yamada 1987, p.
152-154).
Some of the blame for all anchorwomen's problems were
voiced by cynical male television executives in the
1980's. Jon Katz, former executive director of CBS
Morning News, tells of another executive who had a way of
deciding which women to interview for anchor positions.
He would look at their tapes in the VCR for eight seconds
and he would ask himself, "Do I want to fuck them?" This
was his basis in deciding who to hire (Katz 1995, p. 158).
Catherine Crier experienced tinges of sexism at CNN.
A former lawyer and judge, she was criticized for being
just another pretty face entering the field of
broadcasting. She had no previous experience in
journalism, yet her political experience provided the
skills and knowledge necessary to succeed. She says,
"Journalists couched their reaction in terms of experience
and background, but those same journalists have failed to
voice similar criticisms of Pierre Salinger of Bill
Moyers, two men who jumped from politics into broadcast
news" (Fensch: McHargue 1993, p. 182). Crier says that
the gains of women in television news is being made very
slowly, and that "it is still a frustration for most
women" (Fensch: McHargue 1993, p. 184).
Jane Pauley is an exception to the negativity women
broadcasters often receive. The public loves her. "It is
precisely because Pauley is so down-to-earth and
easy-going that Americans loved waking up with her"
(Fensch: Holloway 1993, p. 249). She possesses the
feminine quality that is appealing to the mass audience.
She was replaced by Deborah Norville, a younger, blonder
woman on the Today show, and viewers were upset to see her
go. Now she is a success on NBC Nightly News.
There are certain qualities a woman needs to have in
order to be able to survive in television news. Ann
Rubenstein of NBC Nightly News says, "You must really
decide for yourself what you're going to do and not do.
And what price you are willing to pay for whatever they're
offering" (Fensch: Orenstein 1993, p. 128).
Hard work and undying ambition are important
qualities of anchorwomen. Mary Alice Williams, of CNN and
NBC, gave it her all the first day she went to work for
NBC, "appearing on camera, as an anchor of the evening
news breaks, and by the end of her first three weeks she
had anchored every network news show" (Fensch: White 1993,
p. 289).
A passion for telling the news is important, and is
one reason why the successful women stay in the field.
Diane Sawyer explains,
"I really love what you learn every day in the
business. I love the breathtaking way we walk
into people's lives and ask them anything we
want and then leave. For a moment you have
available to you the whole universe of a person's
life-the pain and the suffering and the joy and
the struggle. You can learn from it and take
it with you and then come back the next day
with somebody else. That's what I like to do"
(Fensch: Zoglin 1993, p. 278).
Sawyer's never-ending ambition carried her from news
correspondent to network star. While working for CBS
Morning News and covering the negotiations to free Iran
hostages, she "would sleep all night on two secretarial
chairs so I could get up at 4 a.m., stalk the halls and
see what I could get" (Fensch: Zoglin 1993, p. 284).
The will to endure any obstacles and believe in
themselves keeps the few successful anchorwomen going.
Sally Quinn, CBS anchorwoman says
You've got to have self-confidence. If I didn't
have an enormous amount of self-confidence, I
would have been destroyed by this whole
experience...You can't learn to be a perfect
anchorwoman in one day, and I knew that I wasn't
going to be perfect and that people were just
going to crucify me because I wasn't perfect"
(Gelfman 1976, p. 75).
Michael Gartner, NBC News president, explains what is
important in television news anchoring. "You have to have
a special combination of person to be the focal point of a
successful show. You have to be a good journalist, and
you have to be able to deliver the message-which a print
person doesn't have to do-in person, in somebody's house"
(Fensch: Zoglin 1993, p. 281).
Barbara Walters is an exception to the rule that
older women do not succeed in television news. She is a
successful television newswoman who is well over the age
of 40. Even she had to take the hard road to make it to
the top, starting out as a secretary at a small
advertising agency, working in public relations and then
in public affairs for CBS. Walters recognizes the tough
times women in television news face. She says
You have to work harder. It's been said before,
but it's true. You are taken less seriously and
you are very often scorned by your own co-workers
...it's a tougher job for a woman because a woman
has to be awfully good. She really does. A man
can be much more excused" (Gelfman 1976, p. 88).
Women are not rising to the top quickly in television
news, although there is slow improvement, and anchormen
say they are fine with the idea of women at the top.
Walter Cronkite says of a woman anchor in the future,
"Fine, why not? I think it likely...I think by the time
the next change comes, the next generation of anchor
people, I would think that the barrier would be down and
that women would have as good a chance as men" (Sanders
and Rock 1988, p. 198).
Yet there are still roadblocks standing in the way of
women striving to make it to the top. They begin at
low-level jobs, such as researchers and logistics persons
and hope to take the right paths to get to the top of the
ladder. Sanders writes, "For years there were few women
above the level of researcher. While that has changed,
the amount of frustration for those who do not move ahead
has driven many people out of the business altogether"
(Sanders and Rock 1988, p. 198-199).
Lesley Stahl of CBS News points out that anchorwomen
are most often workaholics, with a never-ending drive to
do their job. She says
It's one reason we do succeed in this business.
We just give it everything...Maybe it's because
our kind of personalities are attracted to this
industry, compulsive, deadline-oriented people
who keep pushing ourselves to see how much work
we can do. We love work...It's not just a symptom
in the early stage, it goes on" (Sanders and Rock
1988, p. 81).
Society's expectations of female news anchors is very
much like that of any woman in a powerful and successful
career. While the women must portray a glamorous, yet
friendly image, expectations of men in the business are
not near as high. Jon Katz says in his article
The men who anchor today look, dress, and act
almost precisely the same way they did 50 years
ago. They only have to reflect a single trait
to succeed-gravitas. They wouldn't dream of
being intimate, glamorous, or coy. Nor would
anyone expect that of them" (Katz 1995, p. 162).
Katz goes on to say that men who make it in the
business usually never fail. He says of anchormen, "Old
anchors never fade away. And they can't be killed by
mortal means" (Katz 1995, p. 164).
Sadly, forward movements aren't apparent today by
women in television news. Forty years ago, a female
gaining the anchor position on the evening news was a leap
forward. Today "it feels more like a step backward, an
attempt to stuff accomplished, contemporary women into an
ill-fitting straightjacket" (Katz 1995, p. 164).
It is apparent that women news anchors face many more
struggles than men in the field. It takes a unique
individual to fight through those struggles and strive for
what they want most: to relay news throughout the world.
Equality with men is far from being reached, but a few
females have stood their ground and hopefully made a
difference for others that follow. If people open their
eyes and realize there are plenty of women who are just
as, if not more, competent than men at holding an anchor
position, women could gain respect within the field. For
now, the few women who find success and are willing to
endure the hardships that come along will likely survive
in the business, at least until age hinders their physical
appearance.
the work force today, and female television news anchors
are definitely part of the fight. The road to television
news anchoring is a rocky one, where only a few women
survive and many fail. Where progress was once thought
to have been made, there aren't many females getting ahead
in the world of television news. Today, there is a very
slow, if any, gain in the numbers of women who succeed.
There are many questions surrounding the subject of
women in television news, and I will attempt to answer
relevant ones in this paper. How have the women that
actually make it to the top and succeed as anchorwomen,
done it? What does it take to make it? Why do those few
endure it/enjoy it? Why has it been and still is
difficult for women? What are the expectations of women
in the field, as opposed to the expectations of men?
I am interested in this topic because I once aspired
to become a television broadcaster. I still have
inspiration in me, but not quite as much due to the
negative and discouraging aspects I have heard about in
classes and in the media. I am not sure that I could be
happy in a career such as this, and I know there are great
difficulties in "making it" in this profession. I have
read about the incredible ambition of successful females
in television news, and it seems like it takes a special
kind of passion to want to keep up in the business.
I kept my questions in mind when gathering research
material. While focusing on the key questions, I was able
to find information that led me to form answers to them.
Christine Craft's biography told of her individual
experience of being fired on the basis of her looks and
her age. I realized from reading her story that she had a
"nose for news", a passion for telling it to the world,
and a unique spark that made her a good journalist, yet
those qualities weren't enough in her case. She took that
passion and spark, filed a sexual discrimination case and
won.
Hard News: Women in Broadcast Journalism had a few
chapters that were relevant to today, and I could draw on
some information for my paper. However, much of the
information was historical and not helpful to answering my
questions.
Battling for News concentrated mainly on print
journalism. There was material about the first women in
broadcasting in the 1950's and how they were hired and
fired.
Television News Anchors had very helpful information,
in that there were individual stories from anchorwomen
telling of their experiences. This provided stories about
the women who have succeeded within the field--why and
how. There was a round table discussion conducted by The
New Mother Jones magazine with television newswomen Linda
Ellerbee, Marion Goldin, Ann Rubenstein, and Meredith
Vieira. This provided first-hand opinions about what these
women see going on in the business.
Women in Television News was published in 1976, and
thus, much of the information was outdated. However, I
was able to use some quotes from newswomen about what they
believe one must do to "make it" in broadcast journalism.
I also found some interesting quotes from a former vice
president of ABC News regarding women in the industry.
Waiting for Prime Time had valuable information about
Marlene Sander's experience and opinions of other
anchorwomen and men. It covered possibilities for the
future of women in broadcasting.
Pamela Creedon's two books were helpful in that they
discussed topics of sexual discrimination in broadcast
journalism and included a chapter by Marlene Sanders,
titled "The Face of the Network News is Male." Here she
attempted to tackle some problems women in television news
face: what the problems are, why they exist, and a bit
about what needs to be done to cure these problems.
Liesbet van Zoonen's book included a chapter titled
"Media Production and the Encoding of Gender." It showed
how society views women in the media. The expectations of
female anchorwomen in part stems from the overall view of
women on television--whether it be in a movie, music
video, or soap opera. This was relevant to my paper in
answering the question of why there are certain
expectations of women in television news.
The textbook, Gender, Race and Class in Media had a
few chapters relevant to my paper. Larry Gross wrote a
chapter titled, "Out of the Mainstream: Sexual Minorities
and Mass Media." He discussed various stereotypes in our
society that lead to stereotypes in all areas of our
lives.
I found some of my sources from Oasis, and also used
a couple of magazine articles that were relevant to the
subject. I focused on the questions that I wanted to
answer and drew points from the material that were
relevant and provided substantial evidence to answer my
questions. I found that opinions and thoughts of women
who had been through the business were most helpful.
There was one big limitation I faced if I wanted to
prove that women in television news were discriminated
upon based on sex and age. Women have been fired from
their anchor positions, and it has seemed that the reasons
were because of looks or aging. But this is hard to
prove. In August, Carol Schrader, a woman anchor from
KETV-TV in Omaha, Nebraska was asked to leave. She said
that it was because of her age, although her bosses didn't
say that was the reason, stating that she wasn't doing her
job. She was replace by a young, blond woman. Also, when
Marlene Sanders was asked to leave ABC, instead of saying
point-blank that she was too old, her boss told her she
had outgrown the profession. Lynn Sherr of ABC News was
also fired, and she believed it was because of her
appearance, as no one told her why she lost her job. It
isn't a proven fact that every case of a woman getting
fired from their professions were fired because of their
age.
The number of women news anchors is scarce. Only a
few succeed, and the reason for this is because what is
expected of them is much greater than what is expected of
men. Women must work twice as hard, be twice as
beautiful, and go above and beyond their abilities. The
television broadcasting business is dominated by males,
and, in turn, males have the majority of the power.
Positive steps have been taken by women, but they are
still far from being equal in the field. Advances are not
being made quickly.
Some men in the world of television news say that
women do have a tougher time. Larry King had this to say:
I know that if I were "Loretta" King instead of
"Larry" King I would be nowhere near where I am
today. I would not have had a national radio
talk show in 1978, a national cable show of my
own, and a national column if I had started out
being the "wrong" gender (Craft 1988, p. 6).
Al Ittleson, former vice-president of ABC News, says
that physical appearance is important for both male and
female broadcasters, but emphasizes the importance of a
woman broadcaster's looks:
Women are supposed to be beautiful. People
anticipate what a woman is supposed to look
like, so when they come to television-I haven't
seen an unattractive woman on television yet...
In fact, they're hired, I would say, probably
more because of the way they look and their image
than because of their background. A man with a
very strong journalism background and a man who
has broken stories...can get away with a little
bit of homeliness. Men aren't supposed to be
attractive. Women have a tougher time (Gelfman
1976, p. 53).
Our society pins importance upon women's looks.
They are required to retain qualities of femininity, yet
must also be professional. van Zoonen explains the
different expectations of men and women in journalism,
saying, "one must assume 'femininity' as a feature of
female journalists and 'masculinity' as a different
characteristic of male journalists" (van Zoonen 1994, p.
63). The images that are instilled in society are
carried over into all aspects of life, and are prevalent
in television news.
Just as our society is dominated by white, middle and
upper-middle class males, it is so in most professions.
The men are the bosses in television news, and this has
made it difficult for women to gain prestige. The men
place expectations upon the women, and punish them if they
aren't exactly what they want.
One good example of a case where a woman news anchor
was fired on the basis of her looks is Christine Craft.
Craft was discriminated against because of her sex,
appearance, and age. She was fired from KMBC in Kansas
City and told, "You don't hide your intelligence to make
guys look smarter" (Craft 1988, p. 66). Along with this,
she was fired because she was "too old, too unattractive,
and not sufficiently deferential to men" (Craft 1988, p.
66). Because her boss directly told her these things, she
felt she had been sexually discriminated against. She won
two court cases, winning a total of $600,000 in damages.
Craft's case opened the eyes of many anchorwomen, as
well as others in the media and elsewhere. Here is a
talented, competent broadcast journalist who was unfairly
treated and took a stand. She comments on her experience,
"The men could be balding, jowly, bespectacled, even fat
and encased in double-knit, yet the women had to be
flawless. Moreover, there was the expectation that I
should pretend not to know certain facts just because I
was a woman" (Craft 1988, p. 10).
What is disturbing about Craft's case is that it is
so blatantly obvious that she lost her job on the basis of
being a woman, being too old, and not being pretty enough.
At the time, out of all the anchors in the country who
were over 40, men made up ninety-seven percent of that,
with three percent being women who did not look their age.
Marlene Sanders writes that what is seen in Craft's case
is "that wrinkles are 'seasoning' in a man but
'disqualification' in a woman," and that while this may
not be sexual discrimination, "it is a sad statement about
how women are viewed in our society" (Sanders and Rock
1988, p. 148).
The world of television news is an unstable one,
where women take chances, not knowing if or how long they
can thrive in the business. Marlene Sanders puts it
plainly, "The message is clear; we can all be replaced.
There are no guarantees of longevity, and no obvious
destination where news professionals can translate their
experience and knowledge into new and satisfying careers"
(Sanders and Rock 1988, p. 205).
Before she took the job at KMBC in Kansas City, Craft
was working at a smaller station in Santa Barbara, where
she had a positive experience. She says, "I was content
to be in a place where the emphasis was on getting the
stories and getting them right. Only once did management
mention my appearance, and that was to tell me to pull my
hair back a bit" (Craft 1988, p. 28).
Craft was attracted to the Kansas City station in a
larger market. However, she made clear before taking the
job that first and foremost she did not want to change her
appearance. They promised her it wouldn't happen, yet
within the first week they had a beauty consultant piling
the make-up onto her face.
Sexual discrimination is evident in television news.
KMBC practically begged Christine Craft to come to their
station. "Women are rewarded more than men for changing
news shops often or for moving to larger markets more
because of their gender than because of their journalistic
qualifications" (Creedon: Smith, Fredin, Ferguson Nardone
1993, p. 174).
During the first trial, a former news producer at
KMBC, Sherry Chastain, testified, saying that her bosses
"instructed her to monitor the appearance of female
anchors and reporters, but never males...the male
counterpart was bald with a bad toupee and thick glasses,
yet nothing was ever mentioned about monitoring his
appearance" (Craft 1988, p. 118).
Diane Sawyer says that equal pay for equal work is a
more serious issue than aging on the air. The reason this
is such a difficult challenge is because the number of
women on a news staff, as well as their ages can be easily
established. However, salaries tend to be confidential,
and the dollar value of experience and other
qualifications are hard to determine. Therefore, while it
is possible that aging may not be a major issue for women
broadcasters ten years from now, equal pay for equal work
will most likely linger on (Hosley and Yamada 1987, p.
152-154).
Some of the blame for all anchorwomen's problems were
voiced by cynical male television executives in the
1980's. Jon Katz, former executive director of CBS
Morning News, tells of another executive who had a way of
deciding which women to interview for anchor positions.
He would look at their tapes in the VCR for eight seconds
and he would ask himself, "Do I want to fuck them?" This
was his basis in deciding who to hire (Katz 1995, p. 158).
Catherine Crier experienced tinges of sexism at CNN.
A former lawyer and judge, she was criticized for being
just another pretty face entering the field of
broadcasting. She had no previous experience in
journalism, yet her political experience provided the
skills and knowledge necessary to succeed. She says,
"Journalists couched their reaction in terms of experience
and background, but those same journalists have failed to
voice similar criticisms of Pierre Salinger of Bill
Moyers, two men who jumped from politics into broadcast
news" (Fensch: McHargue 1993, p. 182). Crier says that
the gains of women in television news is being made very
slowly, and that "it is still a frustration for most
women" (Fensch: McHargue 1993, p. 184).
Jane Pauley is an exception to the negativity women
broadcasters often receive. The public loves her. "It is
precisely because Pauley is so down-to-earth and
easy-going that Americans loved waking up with her"
(Fensch: Holloway 1993, p. 249). She possesses the
feminine quality that is appealing to the mass audience.
She was replaced by Deborah Norville, a younger, blonder
woman on the Today show, and viewers were upset to see her
go. Now she is a success on NBC Nightly News.
There are certain qualities a woman needs to have in
order to be able to survive in television news. Ann
Rubenstein of NBC Nightly News says, "You must really
decide for yourself what you're going to do and not do.
And what price you are willing to pay for whatever they're
offering" (Fensch: Orenstein 1993, p. 128).
Hard work and undying ambition are important
qualities of anchorwomen. Mary Alice Williams, of CNN and
NBC, gave it her all the first day she went to work for
NBC, "appearing on camera, as an anchor of the evening
news breaks, and by the end of her first three weeks she
had anchored every network news show" (Fensch: White 1993,
p. 289).
A passion for telling the news is important, and is
one reason why the successful women stay in the field.
Diane Sawyer explains,
"I really love what you learn every day in the
business. I love the breathtaking way we walk
into people's lives and ask them anything we
want and then leave. For a moment you have
available to you the whole universe of a person's
life-the pain and the suffering and the joy and
the struggle. You can learn from it and take
it with you and then come back the next day
with somebody else. That's what I like to do"
(Fensch: Zoglin 1993, p. 278).
Sawyer's never-ending ambition carried her from news
correspondent to network star. While working for CBS
Morning News and covering the negotiations to free Iran
hostages, she "would sleep all night on two secretarial
chairs so I could get up at 4 a.m., stalk the halls and
see what I could get" (Fensch: Zoglin 1993, p. 284).
The will to endure any obstacles and believe in
themselves keeps the few successful anchorwomen going.
Sally Quinn, CBS anchorwoman says
You've got to have self-confidence. If I didn't
have an enormous amount of self-confidence, I
would have been destroyed by this whole
experience...You can't learn to be a perfect
anchorwoman in one day, and I knew that I wasn't
going to be perfect and that people were just
going to crucify me because I wasn't perfect"
(Gelfman 1976, p. 75).
Michael Gartner, NBC News president, explains what is
important in television news anchoring. "You have to have
a special combination of person to be the focal point of a
successful show. You have to be a good journalist, and
you have to be able to deliver the message-which a print
person doesn't have to do-in person, in somebody's house"
(Fensch: Zoglin 1993, p. 281).
Barbara Walters is an exception to the rule that
older women do not succeed in television news. She is a
successful television newswoman who is well over the age
of 40. Even she had to take the hard road to make it to
the top, starting out as a secretary at a small
advertising agency, working in public relations and then
in public affairs for CBS. Walters recognizes the tough
times women in television news face. She says
You have to work harder. It's been said before,
but it's true. You are taken less seriously and
you are very often scorned by your own co-workers
...it's a tougher job for a woman because a woman
has to be awfully good. She really does. A man
can be much more excused" (Gelfman 1976, p. 88).
Women are not rising to the top quickly in television
news, although there is slow improvement, and anchormen
say they are fine with the idea of women at the top.
Walter Cronkite says of a woman anchor in the future,
"Fine, why not? I think it likely...I think by the time
the next change comes, the next generation of anchor
people, I would think that the barrier would be down and
that women would have as good a chance as men" (Sanders
and Rock 1988, p. 198).
Yet there are still roadblocks standing in the way of
women striving to make it to the top. They begin at
low-level jobs, such as researchers and logistics persons
and hope to take the right paths to get to the top of the
ladder. Sanders writes, "For years there were few women
above the level of researcher. While that has changed,
the amount of frustration for those who do not move ahead
has driven many people out of the business altogether"
(Sanders and Rock 1988, p. 198-199).
Lesley Stahl of CBS News points out that anchorwomen
are most often workaholics, with a never-ending drive to
do their job. She says
It's one reason we do succeed in this business.
We just give it everything...Maybe it's because
our kind of personalities are attracted to this
industry, compulsive, deadline-oriented people
who keep pushing ourselves to see how much work
we can do. We love work...It's not just a symptom
in the early stage, it goes on" (Sanders and Rock
1988, p. 81).
Society's expectations of female news anchors is very
much like that of any woman in a powerful and successful
career. While the women must portray a glamorous, yet
friendly image, expectations of men in the business are
not near as high. Jon Katz says in his article
The men who anchor today look, dress, and act
almost precisely the same way they did 50 years
ago. They only have to reflect a single trait
to succeed-gravitas. They wouldn't dream of
being intimate, glamorous, or coy. Nor would
anyone expect that of them" (Katz 1995, p. 162).
Katz goes on to say that men who make it in the
business usually never fail. He says of anchormen, "Old
anchors never fade away. And they can't be killed by
mortal means" (Katz 1995, p. 164).
Sadly, forward movements aren't apparent today by
women in television news. Forty years ago, a female
gaining the anchor position on the evening news was a leap
forward. Today "it feels more like a step backward, an
attempt to stuff accomplished, contemporary women into an
ill-fitting straightjacket" (Katz 1995, p. 164).
It is apparent that women news anchors face many more
struggles than men in the field. It takes a unique
individual to fight through those struggles and strive for
what they want most: to relay news throughout the world.
Equality with men is far from being reached, but a few
females have stood their ground and hopefully made a
difference for others that follow. If people open their
eyes and realize there are plenty of women who are just
as, if not more, competent than men at holding an anchor
position, women could gain respect within the field. For
now, the few women who find success and are willing to
endure the hardships that come along will likely survive
in the business, at least until age hinders their physical
appearance.
Women in Africa
Timothy Veneylo
November 26, 1995
History 387
Women in Africa
In many parts of Africa, there is a large discrepancy in who controlled the resources, access to the economy, individual autonomy and central voice in the government between the men and the women. African men, for the most part, have the largest say in the activities of the country. When issues of concern arise, "men's issues" usually became the issues of national concern, and those issues pertinent to women go to the back of everyone's mind. Women are forced to accept the results of men's actions, and usually nothing gets accomplished that benefits them. Because women continually were overlooked, they began to come together and protest. If one examines the following women's protests and their outcomes: A.E. Afigbo's The Warrant Chiefs, Sylvia Leith-Ross' African Women, Jean Allman's "Rounding Up Spinsters: Gender Chaos and Unmarried Women in Colonial Asante", and Irene Staunton's Mothers of the Revolution, several questions arise. What were women seeking and how did this differ from what men wanted? Did women attain their goals, and if not, why not? If women were not successful in getting their concerns at the forefront of national interest, at what, if anything, were they successful?
In several instances women became so angered by their lack of voice, that they were moved to act. In some of these cases, women were relatively successful in organizing and mobilizing. The story of the Aba Riots, which is discussed in both The Warrant Chiefs and African Women, proves this point well. In Nigeria, in the late 1920's, the Warrant Chiefs wanted to impose a system of annual taxation. What was so displeasing to the people about the tax was that it involved a census, and that the money went towards no specific project. The concept of counting free people was a foreign one to the Igbo. This notion went contrary to custom, and it was believed to bring about death (Afigbo, 229). The people of the Eastern Provinces felt that because they were being counted, the colonial government was enslaving them or that they were out to destroy them. Also objectionable to these people was the fact that the collected money went towards "'development'" (Afigbo, 228), something for which these communities had not asked.
The first year of tax collection went surprisingly well; except for a few isolated incidents. The first year was rather non-violent for two reasons: "It needed the shock of the first payment for people to realize what taxation meant in practical terms" and the second reason was the large police presence and prosecutions of opponents to the tax (Afigbo, 233). These two factors allowed for a relatively peaceful tax collection.
However, when year two arrived, so did the resistance. In September 1929, Captain John Cook was sent to Bende as the Acting District Officer, where he was disappointed with the male roll counts. He instructed his Warrant Chiefs to conduct new counts, and "added that the exercise had nothing to do with a tax on women" (Afigbo, 236). The mere mention of "women" and "tax" in the same statement sparked immediate disapproval. Rumors began to fly that the government had ordered a tax on women. Suddenly, the women reacted and agreed to resist by the end of October, 1929.
Captain Cook did not want to conduct the count himself, so he sent a mission school teacher to administer the count. When he arrived he asked a woman whom he met outside to go and count "'her people'" (Afigbo, 237). Within hours, women in mass numbers had gathered to discuss the tax, and went from there to the mission teacher's home to ask them why they were being taxed. The women equated being counting with taxation. "They also sent messengers 'armed' with fresh folded palm leaves to women of neighboring villages inviting them to come to Oloko" (Afigbo, 238). The women traveled on foot to ask other women for support, and the women they approached in their villages would go and rally their peers and bring the idea to their attention. From there, the women would decide if they would join the movement and what action, if any, would be taken.
The mere fact that women were able to organize themselves to act in such a short time was a definite success. Thousands of women from the Eastern Provinces participated in different activities; some of which were organized, and some of which were not. The women disturbed court proceedings repeatedly, decapped chiefs, looted court officials' homes, burned and vandalized court houses, even looted European factories and shops. Their actions definitely attracted the immediate attention of the colonial government.
Sylvia Leith-Ross describes how well the women were organized. In some of the interviews that she conducted with participants and viewers, people were amazed at the womens' solidarity. This text relays how the men in these areas had no large part in the Aba Riots. It was said that the men basically "stood completely on one side, passive, if consenting parties, to the extraordinary behavior of their wives" (Leith-Ross, 30). This kind of activity was unthinkable to men and women in other regions, but Igbo women were determined not to be taxed. From one portion of the text, it almost sounds as if the men might have taken care of the children while the women were out protesting. Some women who were bystanders and were forced to participate in the riots, commented on how they saw the women marching towards them and "they had no children with them" (Leith-Ross, 32). This implies that the men were the caretakers of the children during this period, because all of the women were involved in the riots. There was nowhere else to leave the children. It is amazing to see the opposite roles that men and women took in the Aba Riots.
However, the women did have some problems staying focused. There was an incident when two of the women were hit by a medical vehicle, which sparked the other women to participate in aimless looting. The women became so enraged at the doctor who hit the two women, that they followed him into a factory and began looting the European factories and shops, which was not the original goal of the riots. Another fault of the women was their inability to gain widespread support across the region. The method of carrying the palm leaf by foot to neighboring regions inefficient. These women could not reach remote or distant compounds. Any attempts that were made to get support from other women were quickly thwarted by government officials, because they had the luxury of transportation. The lack of modern transportation was no fault of the women, but it caused a failure in their efforts.
The womens' reasons for revolting were purely economic. Women were concerned first and foremost with their family's subsistence. The men had already been taxed the year before, so family resources were low. In addition the economy was in a deep depression, so money that was being made had far less value than before. Therefore, the women knew that they could not afford to be taxed, and still have enough money to support their families. Their concerns were local and practical. The men were concerned with their autonomy being threatened by the colonial officials. True the men knew that they would be in a worse economic situation if their wives were taxed too, but they were more concerned with being taken over by the government. The fear of enslavement was more threatening than poverty. Because they did have different aims, it is truly amazing that the women took the lead and made their voices heard.
As a result of the women's rioting significant changes came about in colonial Nigeria. The riot "caused a change of policy as regards the basis of local administration in the Eastern Provinces" (Afigbo, 247). The people also witnessed an intense investigation into their political system, which had never been done to that extent before. Essentially, "the policy and system of local rule through chiefs came to an end with the women's Riot" (Afigbo, 248).
There was another historic example of women's successful attempts to protest which is seen in "Rounding Up Spinsters: Gender Chaos and Unmarried Women in Colonial Asante." In this instance, women were again very instrumental in changing a situation which was disagreeable to them. They also went about their protests in an organized fashion. The occurrences of rounding up young unmarried women took place in Ghana during the late 1920's and the early 1930's.
During this time there was a high rate of venereal disease spreading across the region, and the Asante Chiefs were under the impression that all unmarried girls over the age of fifteen were loose and needed to find a husband. If a girl or woman was caught without a husband, she was sent to jail. The Chiefs argued that they were trying to prevent prostitution by forcing young girls to be married as their justification. The Asante chiefs gave several reasons why they wanted to round up the young girls, but probably the largest reason for the crisis was the different definitions of marriage held by men and women. Men viewed marriage as "a fact, a state of being, recognized by the court as non-negotiable" (Allman, 201). Furthermore, the men believed that once money was exchanged from the groom to the bride's family, marriage began, and the man had exclusive sexual rights over his wife. Many women, on the other hand believed marriage to be something very different. One woman in particular, Afuah Buo, thought marriage was "'a process. . .tenuous and fluid in nature'" (Allman, 201). It was obvious from the women's responses to their arrests, that they also felt that marriage was something that could be easily moved in and out of; which was equated to prostitution by the chiefs.
Therefore, because "chiefs and elders were articulating a new definition of marriage that upheld the husband's exclusive sexual rights over his wife, while minimizing or discounting completely the husband's reciprocal obligations toward that wife", women stopped marrying (Allman, 201-201). It is not true that all of the women had the same reaction toward the changing definition of marriage. Some women purposefully chose not to marry because they feared getting a venereal disease, other women could support themselves better without a husband, and others were simply unlucky. The women outnumbered the men during this time, so some women had no choice but to be single.
Because the women stopped marrying, the colonial chiefs responded the way they did, arresting the women. However, the women had made arrangements to get around the government's plans. When women were arrested, they were all taken to jail, where they had to wait for a man to come to get them. The women had to mention the name of a man that they intended to marry and have him come and pay a fee, in order to be released. Most women had arranged to have male relatives or friends to come and profess their plans to marry her. After the fee was paid, the girl was free to go. Then she would go back to supporting herself by farming or other means. .
Women were so disgusted by the fact that men were no longer fulfilling their basic marital duty, providing the bare necessities for their wives. Men were no longer doing so because of the order made by Effiduasihene, which "undercut one of the fundamental obligations of marriage, that a husband must maintain his wife" (Allman, 205). As a result women began "assert[ing] a great deal of autonomy and independence - much of it linked to the establishment of cocoa farms or to engagement in foodstuffs trade" (Allman, 204).
Women during this period were extremely successful at avoiding marriage, if they chose to do so, by supporting themselves and each other. They outsmarted the system in mass numbers and many went into business for themselves. Women who were unhappy with their present situation either divorced their husbands, went to court to challenge "matrilineal inheritance" (Allman, 210), or avoided marriage altogether. G. Clark's work on Kumasi market women shows that this was the "period during which women moved in dramatic numbers into trading, especially in previously male-dominated commodities" (Allman, 209). Although it is not definite, it is suggested that these women better survived the severe economic decline of the 1930's than many of their male peers.
In this account it is easy to see the difference in what men and women wanted. Men wanted total control of the women. The colonial chiefs felt that they were loosing authority over the women, so they wanted to tighten their reigns. Fond memories were recounted by the chiefs of "'the good old days. . .[when] no girl or woman dared to resist when given away in marriage to a suitor by her parents and relatives as is the case now'" (Allman, 199-200). Women's uncontrollability had grown too large for the men not to act. The chiefs felt as if their respect by women and the colonial government would diminish if they could not control their own women.
The Asante women fought back because they wanted exclusive authority of their productive and reproductive rights. Women were angry, rightfully so, at the fact that men no longer provided them "chop money." Also, when slavery was abolished, men began pawning their wives and exploiting them for use on their cocoa farms. The women became so enraged at their subjugation by men, that they reacted, successfully. Allman affirms that these women were successful when she says that "this particular form of coercion was unsuccessful in even minimally facilitating the exploitation of women's unpaid labour and one important reason for its failure was that the capture of unmarried women did not get the backing of the colonial government" (Allman, 212). In this particular instance, women were able to "shape actively the emerging colonial world" (Allman, 213). The only thing that the chiefs succeeded in doing was making the arrest of women a profit-making venture; because every time a woman was released from jail, she or the man had to pay the fine. Unfortunately, this was not their goal, so they were ultimately unsuccessful. Women's productive and reproductive rights remained under their control.
November 26, 1995
History 387
Women in Africa
In many parts of Africa, there is a large discrepancy in who controlled the resources, access to the economy, individual autonomy and central voice in the government between the men and the women. African men, for the most part, have the largest say in the activities of the country. When issues of concern arise, "men's issues" usually became the issues of national concern, and those issues pertinent to women go to the back of everyone's mind. Women are forced to accept the results of men's actions, and usually nothing gets accomplished that benefits them. Because women continually were overlooked, they began to come together and protest. If one examines the following women's protests and their outcomes: A.E. Afigbo's The Warrant Chiefs, Sylvia Leith-Ross' African Women, Jean Allman's "Rounding Up Spinsters: Gender Chaos and Unmarried Women in Colonial Asante", and Irene Staunton's Mothers of the Revolution, several questions arise. What were women seeking and how did this differ from what men wanted? Did women attain their goals, and if not, why not? If women were not successful in getting their concerns at the forefront of national interest, at what, if anything, were they successful?
In several instances women became so angered by their lack of voice, that they were moved to act. In some of these cases, women were relatively successful in organizing and mobilizing. The story of the Aba Riots, which is discussed in both The Warrant Chiefs and African Women, proves this point well. In Nigeria, in the late 1920's, the Warrant Chiefs wanted to impose a system of annual taxation. What was so displeasing to the people about the tax was that it involved a census, and that the money went towards no specific project. The concept of counting free people was a foreign one to the Igbo. This notion went contrary to custom, and it was believed to bring about death (Afigbo, 229). The people of the Eastern Provinces felt that because they were being counted, the colonial government was enslaving them or that they were out to destroy them. Also objectionable to these people was the fact that the collected money went towards "'development'" (Afigbo, 228), something for which these communities had not asked.
The first year of tax collection went surprisingly well; except for a few isolated incidents. The first year was rather non-violent for two reasons: "It needed the shock of the first payment for people to realize what taxation meant in practical terms" and the second reason was the large police presence and prosecutions of opponents to the tax (Afigbo, 233). These two factors allowed for a relatively peaceful tax collection.
However, when year two arrived, so did the resistance. In September 1929, Captain John Cook was sent to Bende as the Acting District Officer, where he was disappointed with the male roll counts. He instructed his Warrant Chiefs to conduct new counts, and "added that the exercise had nothing to do with a tax on women" (Afigbo, 236). The mere mention of "women" and "tax" in the same statement sparked immediate disapproval. Rumors began to fly that the government had ordered a tax on women. Suddenly, the women reacted and agreed to resist by the end of October, 1929.
Captain Cook did not want to conduct the count himself, so he sent a mission school teacher to administer the count. When he arrived he asked a woman whom he met outside to go and count "'her people'" (Afigbo, 237). Within hours, women in mass numbers had gathered to discuss the tax, and went from there to the mission teacher's home to ask them why they were being taxed. The women equated being counting with taxation. "They also sent messengers 'armed' with fresh folded palm leaves to women of neighboring villages inviting them to come to Oloko" (Afigbo, 238). The women traveled on foot to ask other women for support, and the women they approached in their villages would go and rally their peers and bring the idea to their attention. From there, the women would decide if they would join the movement and what action, if any, would be taken.
The mere fact that women were able to organize themselves to act in such a short time was a definite success. Thousands of women from the Eastern Provinces participated in different activities; some of which were organized, and some of which were not. The women disturbed court proceedings repeatedly, decapped chiefs, looted court officials' homes, burned and vandalized court houses, even looted European factories and shops. Their actions definitely attracted the immediate attention of the colonial government.
Sylvia Leith-Ross describes how well the women were organized. In some of the interviews that she conducted with participants and viewers, people were amazed at the womens' solidarity. This text relays how the men in these areas had no large part in the Aba Riots. It was said that the men basically "stood completely on one side, passive, if consenting parties, to the extraordinary behavior of their wives" (Leith-Ross, 30). This kind of activity was unthinkable to men and women in other regions, but Igbo women were determined not to be taxed. From one portion of the text, it almost sounds as if the men might have taken care of the children while the women were out protesting. Some women who were bystanders and were forced to participate in the riots, commented on how they saw the women marching towards them and "they had no children with them" (Leith-Ross, 32). This implies that the men were the caretakers of the children during this period, because all of the women were involved in the riots. There was nowhere else to leave the children. It is amazing to see the opposite roles that men and women took in the Aba Riots.
However, the women did have some problems staying focused. There was an incident when two of the women were hit by a medical vehicle, which sparked the other women to participate in aimless looting. The women became so enraged at the doctor who hit the two women, that they followed him into a factory and began looting the European factories and shops, which was not the original goal of the riots. Another fault of the women was their inability to gain widespread support across the region. The method of carrying the palm leaf by foot to neighboring regions inefficient. These women could not reach remote or distant compounds. Any attempts that were made to get support from other women were quickly thwarted by government officials, because they had the luxury of transportation. The lack of modern transportation was no fault of the women, but it caused a failure in their efforts.
The womens' reasons for revolting were purely economic. Women were concerned first and foremost with their family's subsistence. The men had already been taxed the year before, so family resources were low. In addition the economy was in a deep depression, so money that was being made had far less value than before. Therefore, the women knew that they could not afford to be taxed, and still have enough money to support their families. Their concerns were local and practical. The men were concerned with their autonomy being threatened by the colonial officials. True the men knew that they would be in a worse economic situation if their wives were taxed too, but they were more concerned with being taken over by the government. The fear of enslavement was more threatening than poverty. Because they did have different aims, it is truly amazing that the women took the lead and made their voices heard.
As a result of the women's rioting significant changes came about in colonial Nigeria. The riot "caused a change of policy as regards the basis of local administration in the Eastern Provinces" (Afigbo, 247). The people also witnessed an intense investigation into their political system, which had never been done to that extent before. Essentially, "the policy and system of local rule through chiefs came to an end with the women's Riot" (Afigbo, 248).
There was another historic example of women's successful attempts to protest which is seen in "Rounding Up Spinsters: Gender Chaos and Unmarried Women in Colonial Asante." In this instance, women were again very instrumental in changing a situation which was disagreeable to them. They also went about their protests in an organized fashion. The occurrences of rounding up young unmarried women took place in Ghana during the late 1920's and the early 1930's.
During this time there was a high rate of venereal disease spreading across the region, and the Asante Chiefs were under the impression that all unmarried girls over the age of fifteen were loose and needed to find a husband. If a girl or woman was caught without a husband, she was sent to jail. The Chiefs argued that they were trying to prevent prostitution by forcing young girls to be married as their justification. The Asante chiefs gave several reasons why they wanted to round up the young girls, but probably the largest reason for the crisis was the different definitions of marriage held by men and women. Men viewed marriage as "a fact, a state of being, recognized by the court as non-negotiable" (Allman, 201). Furthermore, the men believed that once money was exchanged from the groom to the bride's family, marriage began, and the man had exclusive sexual rights over his wife. Many women, on the other hand believed marriage to be something very different. One woman in particular, Afuah Buo, thought marriage was "'a process. . .tenuous and fluid in nature'" (Allman, 201). It was obvious from the women's responses to their arrests, that they also felt that marriage was something that could be easily moved in and out of; which was equated to prostitution by the chiefs.
Therefore, because "chiefs and elders were articulating a new definition of marriage that upheld the husband's exclusive sexual rights over his wife, while minimizing or discounting completely the husband's reciprocal obligations toward that wife", women stopped marrying (Allman, 201-201). It is not true that all of the women had the same reaction toward the changing definition of marriage. Some women purposefully chose not to marry because they feared getting a venereal disease, other women could support themselves better without a husband, and others were simply unlucky. The women outnumbered the men during this time, so some women had no choice but to be single.
Because the women stopped marrying, the colonial chiefs responded the way they did, arresting the women. However, the women had made arrangements to get around the government's plans. When women were arrested, they were all taken to jail, where they had to wait for a man to come to get them. The women had to mention the name of a man that they intended to marry and have him come and pay a fee, in order to be released. Most women had arranged to have male relatives or friends to come and profess their plans to marry her. After the fee was paid, the girl was free to go. Then she would go back to supporting herself by farming or other means. .
Women were so disgusted by the fact that men were no longer fulfilling their basic marital duty, providing the bare necessities for their wives. Men were no longer doing so because of the order made by Effiduasihene, which "undercut one of the fundamental obligations of marriage, that a husband must maintain his wife" (Allman, 205). As a result women began "assert[ing] a great deal of autonomy and independence - much of it linked to the establishment of cocoa farms or to engagement in foodstuffs trade" (Allman, 204).
Women during this period were extremely successful at avoiding marriage, if they chose to do so, by supporting themselves and each other. They outsmarted the system in mass numbers and many went into business for themselves. Women who were unhappy with their present situation either divorced their husbands, went to court to challenge "matrilineal inheritance" (Allman, 210), or avoided marriage altogether. G. Clark's work on Kumasi market women shows that this was the "period during which women moved in dramatic numbers into trading, especially in previously male-dominated commodities" (Allman, 209). Although it is not definite, it is suggested that these women better survived the severe economic decline of the 1930's than many of their male peers.
In this account it is easy to see the difference in what men and women wanted. Men wanted total control of the women. The colonial chiefs felt that they were loosing authority over the women, so they wanted to tighten their reigns. Fond memories were recounted by the chiefs of "'the good old days. . .[when] no girl or woman dared to resist when given away in marriage to a suitor by her parents and relatives as is the case now'" (Allman, 199-200). Women's uncontrollability had grown too large for the men not to act. The chiefs felt as if their respect by women and the colonial government would diminish if they could not control their own women.
The Asante women fought back because they wanted exclusive authority of their productive and reproductive rights. Women were angry, rightfully so, at the fact that men no longer provided them "chop money." Also, when slavery was abolished, men began pawning their wives and exploiting them for use on their cocoa farms. The women became so enraged at their subjugation by men, that they reacted, successfully. Allman affirms that these women were successful when she says that "this particular form of coercion was unsuccessful in even minimally facilitating the exploitation of women's unpaid labour and one important reason for its failure was that the capture of unmarried women did not get the backing of the colonial government" (Allman, 212). In this particular instance, women were able to "shape actively the emerging colonial world" (Allman, 213). The only thing that the chiefs succeeded in doing was making the arrest of women a profit-making venture; because every time a woman was released from jail, she or the man had to pay the fine. Unfortunately, this was not their goal, so they were ultimately unsuccessful. Women's productive and reproductive rights remained under their control.
Woman in management
Despite Legislation for Equal Opportunities, sexism is still in evidence in
the workplace.
Sexism is a particular concern for society when considering it's effect in the
workplace. Sexism has always been a particular problem in the labour
market especially with the formation of capitalism. In the last half of the
20th century this has been especially highlighted due to the increase of
woman entering the labour market. This aroused the need for a legislation
for equal opportunity for both sex's to be passed in 1975. It stated that
discrimination of a persons sex whether male or female was unlawful in
employment, union membership, education, provision of goods, services,
advertisements and pay.
In this essay the discussion will cover subjects such as why woman hold a
large percentage of the work force in companies but hardly any seem to
have any power. Obstacles in the way of woman in careers, if women
prefer different jobs to men, equal pay for both sexes and what's changed
since the law was made an Act of Parliament. This essay will only
concentrate on the problem of sex discrimination in the U.K.
Sex discrimination means that a person gets treated in a less favorable
manner because of their sex. A good example of this is to take two fictional
characters, Mr. and Mrs. Jones. The Jones's want to go swimming, they get
to the swimming baths where they find that Mrs. Jones is charged an O.A.P.
price while Mr. Jones has to pay the full price even though they are both the
same age. This is because woman become pensioners at the age of sixty
while men cannot gain the benefits until they are sixty five.
Sex discrimination is not only present within the older generation but is also
evident throughout the entire age range. Before legislation was passed in the
1960's most young girls left school after O-levels to receive a strong social
message that their careers where already setup for them as marriage and
motherhood (Pascall 1995: 2). The only jobs they would be getting were
tedious low paid jobs (a Secretary) and be only looking forward to when
they would meet a man, have a family and settle down. Statistics show that
in 1971, 51% of married women did not work compared to 29% in 1993
(Pascall 1995: 3). Women now hold 46% of the labor work force, with
young women seeing housework more of a part-time rather than a full time
job. This is an enormous social change for the family giving women less
dependence on marriages which are increasingly falling apart day by day
and a greater command over the increasing area of technology and resources.
With more women getting jobs, it encourages other woman who were reluctant
to move into the labour market to do the same and become more career
minded.
Although woman now make up 46% of the English work force only 3% of
woman hold chief executive positions. This has only increased by 2% in the
last 20 years (Mildrew 1992: 17). A point to be raised here is that as the
hierarchy of management positions increases, the amount of women in these
positions decreases. This quite clearly means that woman do not hold the
prestige and influence that men do, as their sector of high ranking jobs is so
small. We've all heard men say at some point, "I just don't understand
women", yet there are only 5 woman High Court Judges out of 91 men and 28
women circuit judges out of 496 men in the Judiciary in 1993 (Pascall 1995:
2).
Thanks to media attention women do have access to careers. In 1980 woman
made up 12-14% of professional and managerial jobs. In 1990 the figure had
raised to 32% managers/administrators and 40% professionals. On the other
hand women seem to fall into different sectors to men, they make up 62% of
teachers and librianship but only 25% of business and financial professionals
and shockingly only 5% of engineers and technologists. Teaching is a qualified
position, 90% of primary school teachers and 60% of secondary teachers are
women but 50% primary and 80% secondary school heads are men. This is the
same right the way across the specturm, in university only 5% of professors are
women (Pascall 1995: 3).
This segregation of gender in different jobs can be separated into two
dimensions, vertical and horizontal. Vertical segregation is the segregation of
gender in the hierarchy of power in a certain job. Woman tend to be found at
the low end of vertical segregation in professional occupations. Horizontal
segregation is the segregation of gender in the spread of different occupations.
Woman are usually found dominating teaching while men dominate
engineering. Data from the Eurostat Labour survey shows when woman break
horizontal segregation by increasing their presence in a particular occupation,
vertical segregation becomes securely established. This is shown by the fact
that 3 per cent of all clerks and typists in 1911 were woman. By 1971 the
situation had reversed and woman dominated this area. As soon as the number
of woman increased, office work was down graded and became a low paid
dead end job by deskilling. The activities where broken down to suit what was
thought as women's abilities (Mildrew 1992: 12).
Educational qualifications are a must for anyone who wants a career (man or
woman). 20 years ago girls would have left education at the end of their O-levels being norm. In the 1991/92 GCSE results 42.7% of girls compared with
34.1% of boys received 5 or more A-C grades and 16.1% compared with
14.4% of boys received 3 or more passes at A-Level. The number of woman
students at university has tripled in the last 21 years which is almost twice the
increase for male, making up 48% of the student population. At degree level
46-48% of medicine/business and financial students are women but only 12%
take engineering or technology. These men / woman dominated areas are
clearly seen, simply by looking in classrooms at secondary or university
education. 91% of sociology classes are female dominated and about 90% of
computer science / physics, classes are male dominated (Pascall 1995: 4).
The Sex Discrimination Act is in power to help woman in a number of ways
and lets them into previously closed doors. However due to the fact that most
legal institutions are male dominated it is not quite as clear cut as it may seem
on the outside. The law is often interpreted restrictivly meaning a woman may
have to fight an unequal battle with her employer and even if they come out
victorious little compensation is received and she may be victimized at work
in the aftermath.
A major need for the discrimination act is to try to help break down the
presence of what is known as the glass ceiling'. This is where men get
promoted and go further up the managerial hierarchy while woman get to a
certain position and can not climb any further. Although they can see the men
climbing further up the company they cannot break the glass ceiling
themselves (Gregg 1991: 8).
A study called Indsco' in a large industrial conglomerate lead by Rosabeth
Moss Kanter (A management professor at Harvard) in 1977, recognized that
people who work in large organizations have a tendency to hire and promote
those who resemble themselves (Mildrew 1992: 17).
Unfortunately some men feel uncomfortable with women being their equals
and since men dominate managerial levels they have much more control over
peoples careers beneath them. If men do not recognize women as their equals,
then women are overlooked for transfer or promotion, find themselves
directed into female' job areas and are not offered a challenge. Men use
strategies to cope with women such as patronizing them, not listening to them
seriously, being over protective and shielding them from dangerous situations
so they never have the knowledge of how to cope (Allen 1993 p26).
The Employment Act 1978 gives women going through pregnancy and child
birth the right to have time off with no loss of position. This is only given
however to woman who have a career involving full time and continuous
employment and stops just 29 weeks after childbirth (Pascall 1995: 4). Parental
leave, flexible hours and care of the child in sickness and health is left for the
employer and employee to discuss.
This is a very complex problem because once a child is born it must have the
proper care and attention. Nursery provisions for women who want to go back
to work are appalling. Only 2% of work places have nursery facilities and the
male dominated government seem to think that the problem doesn't exist!
Shocking statistics show that for every 14 females that work full time there is
only one which has children between the ages of 0 and 15 years old. i.e. There
is 4,200,000 woman with no children in full time work and only 300,000
woman with children between the age of 0 to 15 (Pascall 1995: 4). Taking into
account that most woman would like to have at least one baby, there is going
to be a lot of woman in low paid jobs. Professions such as medicine which
require an intensive course of work to build up the knowledge for the career
has actually implied a ban on woman with children. Even traditional woman's
jobs such as nursing do not have a career that can comfortably take on board
a woman with her off-spring.
Since for most women all this is a bit to much they will most certainly turn to
part-time employment which will be punished by lower grading and pay.
In 1975 the equal pay act came into power. This made it illegal to offer
different wages for the same work on the grounds of sex. Men's full time
wages over woman's fell drastically. The gap has been narrowing ever since.
The New Earnings Survey (NES) shows that in 1980, men's pay stood 40%
more on average over women's and in 1992 that gap had narrowed to 25%.
Woman in low paid jobs, where before were paid much less then men now
have leveled up to the same wage or sometimes higher. However in high flying
jobs there still is a large wage difference. The NES showed that woman's
hourly earnings where on an average 70.9% of men's in 1990. The problem
being is that since woman go into different areas of work than men it may be
very difficult to compare the skills and amount of work they do to claim equal
pay.
We can see that even with the law, there are many loop holes that clever
employees can seek. This isn't the only thing that stands in the way of woman
who want a career, there are many other obstacles. Society is a very powerful
instrument, people get molded by the society they are in. It changes the way
people think and act. Also (From personal experiance) many children are
directed to appropriate traditional' subjects by their secondary socialization
in schools particularly by old fashioned' teachers.
Unfortunately the law is not beneficial to everyone. It is not allowed to be
broken, but there are numerous ways of stretching it! A good example of this
is D.Quinnen vs Mr. J.H. Hovell. Mr. Hovell hired 2 woman and 1 man to
work in his store at Christmas time. The 2 woman got paid more than the man.
Mr. Quinnen complained and was dismissed, he claimed equal pay and sex
discrimination.
Mr. Quinnen took this case to the industrial tribunal (I.T.). At a preliminary
hearing the tribunal dismissed Mr. Quinnens claims on the grounds that he was
not employed by Mr. Hovell as the definition of employment was that there
was a contract of service' which Mr. Quinnens did not have. Mr. Quinnens
actually then to took his case to the Employment Appeal Tribunal which
awarded him œ530 (E.O.C 1989: 63), but most people would not take the case
this far after getting turned away by the I.T. A useful rule for woman is that the
law works on the rule of precedent, where if a woman has won a case before
almost in the same position as the woman who may want to go to court now,
the previous case will be used as a base for the prevailing case. With this in
mind woman can almost see what the outcome of the case will be before even
going to court, saving themselves victimization from male counterparts.
From what we have seen it appears that male dominance is to be blamed for
women's under achievement in the work place. However this may be a one
sided view. Once a woman gets a job in power she may adopt the I had to
work hard to get where I am so why shouldn't others' attitude and will
discourage other woman from taking responsibility. Woman also tend to be
more cautious then men, a survey by British Gas showed that when a
opportunity came up in their company for a job with more power the women
would only apply for it if they fitted the whole job criteria unlike men who
applied for it even if they didn't fill half the description (Allen 1993: 30). The
other obstacle that woman would seem to set up for themselves is their own
confidence. A study taped seven university faculty meetings and found that
men's contributions before someone broke in ranged from 11 to 17 seconds
while woman's where 3 to 10 seconds. Women also use deferential tag lines
like "Don't you think?" and "Isn't it?" far more often then men and are
reluctant to delegate work so they overload themselves (Mildrew 1992: 18).
In reflection to the examples given evidence shows that the effectiveness of
introducing the numerous acts of parliament have not been entirely successful
on implementation. Trends show that through out education females have been
directed towards traditional feminine subjects. Lack of fundamental education
needed to back up university courses have reflected women's immobility to
achieve positions of high statues in the whole range of occupations. Mature
woman share this problem as lack of qualifications in appropriate subjects
prevents them from achieving powerful positions.
Clearly, it can be seen that women are getting the same wage as men in low
paying jobs since the Sexual Discrimination act was passed in 1975 but there
is still a long way to go until woman in managerial jobs get an equal wage to
there counterparts. The fact that women are entering different job areas to men
e.g. Teaching / Social working, means that even if a woman takes a company
to court because she believes she is not getting paid as much as a male
employee, even though she is using the same skills and has the same work
load, this is very hard to prove if the two employees are not doing the same
job.
With most woman wanting babies, and leaving full time work to have a child
and probably only taking up part-time work after it is born, it gives directors
of companies a very bad opinion of women in powerful jobs as they believe
that as soon as the woman has worked her way up she will leave the company
due to maternity leave and never be able to keep up the same quality of work
as before. Women tend to naturally set obstacles in their own way and it seems
that the only way to get a powerful, influential, prestigious job is to never have
a baby and are never get married.
The law is not much use for woman in power as there is so many males above
them in any company. The usefulness of the law can be seen however in the
fact of precedent' where any previous case of a woman taking a company to
court for sexual discrimination or equal pay and winning may be considered
in a similar court case.
The glass ceiling is a major obstacle preventing woman from achieving high
status professions. However since the law has been in power I believe that the
glass ceiling is cracking but it's going to take a lot more years to see any kind
of noticeable improvements in woman's careers.
the workplace.
Sexism is a particular concern for society when considering it's effect in the
workplace. Sexism has always been a particular problem in the labour
market especially with the formation of capitalism. In the last half of the
20th century this has been especially highlighted due to the increase of
woman entering the labour market. This aroused the need for a legislation
for equal opportunity for both sex's to be passed in 1975. It stated that
discrimination of a persons sex whether male or female was unlawful in
employment, union membership, education, provision of goods, services,
advertisements and pay.
In this essay the discussion will cover subjects such as why woman hold a
large percentage of the work force in companies but hardly any seem to
have any power. Obstacles in the way of woman in careers, if women
prefer different jobs to men, equal pay for both sexes and what's changed
since the law was made an Act of Parliament. This essay will only
concentrate on the problem of sex discrimination in the U.K.
Sex discrimination means that a person gets treated in a less favorable
manner because of their sex. A good example of this is to take two fictional
characters, Mr. and Mrs. Jones. The Jones's want to go swimming, they get
to the swimming baths where they find that Mrs. Jones is charged an O.A.P.
price while Mr. Jones has to pay the full price even though they are both the
same age. This is because woman become pensioners at the age of sixty
while men cannot gain the benefits until they are sixty five.
Sex discrimination is not only present within the older generation but is also
evident throughout the entire age range. Before legislation was passed in the
1960's most young girls left school after O-levels to receive a strong social
message that their careers where already setup for them as marriage and
motherhood (Pascall 1995: 2). The only jobs they would be getting were
tedious low paid jobs (a Secretary) and be only looking forward to when
they would meet a man, have a family and settle down. Statistics show that
in 1971, 51% of married women did not work compared to 29% in 1993
(Pascall 1995: 3). Women now hold 46% of the labor work force, with
young women seeing housework more of a part-time rather than a full time
job. This is an enormous social change for the family giving women less
dependence on marriages which are increasingly falling apart day by day
and a greater command over the increasing area of technology and resources.
With more women getting jobs, it encourages other woman who were reluctant
to move into the labour market to do the same and become more career
minded.
Although woman now make up 46% of the English work force only 3% of
woman hold chief executive positions. This has only increased by 2% in the
last 20 years (Mildrew 1992: 17). A point to be raised here is that as the
hierarchy of management positions increases, the amount of women in these
positions decreases. This quite clearly means that woman do not hold the
prestige and influence that men do, as their sector of high ranking jobs is so
small. We've all heard men say at some point, "I just don't understand
women", yet there are only 5 woman High Court Judges out of 91 men and 28
women circuit judges out of 496 men in the Judiciary in 1993 (Pascall 1995:
2).
Thanks to media attention women do have access to careers. In 1980 woman
made up 12-14% of professional and managerial jobs. In 1990 the figure had
raised to 32% managers/administrators and 40% professionals. On the other
hand women seem to fall into different sectors to men, they make up 62% of
teachers and librianship but only 25% of business and financial professionals
and shockingly only 5% of engineers and technologists. Teaching is a qualified
position, 90% of primary school teachers and 60% of secondary teachers are
women but 50% primary and 80% secondary school heads are men. This is the
same right the way across the specturm, in university only 5% of professors are
women (Pascall 1995: 3).
This segregation of gender in different jobs can be separated into two
dimensions, vertical and horizontal. Vertical segregation is the segregation of
gender in the hierarchy of power in a certain job. Woman tend to be found at
the low end of vertical segregation in professional occupations. Horizontal
segregation is the segregation of gender in the spread of different occupations.
Woman are usually found dominating teaching while men dominate
engineering. Data from the Eurostat Labour survey shows when woman break
horizontal segregation by increasing their presence in a particular occupation,
vertical segregation becomes securely established. This is shown by the fact
that 3 per cent of all clerks and typists in 1911 were woman. By 1971 the
situation had reversed and woman dominated this area. As soon as the number
of woman increased, office work was down graded and became a low paid
dead end job by deskilling. The activities where broken down to suit what was
thought as women's abilities (Mildrew 1992: 12).
Educational qualifications are a must for anyone who wants a career (man or
woman). 20 years ago girls would have left education at the end of their O-levels being norm. In the 1991/92 GCSE results 42.7% of girls compared with
34.1% of boys received 5 or more A-C grades and 16.1% compared with
14.4% of boys received 3 or more passes at A-Level. The number of woman
students at university has tripled in the last 21 years which is almost twice the
increase for male, making up 48% of the student population. At degree level
46-48% of medicine/business and financial students are women but only 12%
take engineering or technology. These men / woman dominated areas are
clearly seen, simply by looking in classrooms at secondary or university
education. 91% of sociology classes are female dominated and about 90% of
computer science / physics, classes are male dominated (Pascall 1995: 4).
The Sex Discrimination Act is in power to help woman in a number of ways
and lets them into previously closed doors. However due to the fact that most
legal institutions are male dominated it is not quite as clear cut as it may seem
on the outside. The law is often interpreted restrictivly meaning a woman may
have to fight an unequal battle with her employer and even if they come out
victorious little compensation is received and she may be victimized at work
in the aftermath.
A major need for the discrimination act is to try to help break down the
presence of what is known as the glass ceiling'. This is where men get
promoted and go further up the managerial hierarchy while woman get to a
certain position and can not climb any further. Although they can see the men
climbing further up the company they cannot break the glass ceiling
themselves (Gregg 1991: 8).
A study called Indsco' in a large industrial conglomerate lead by Rosabeth
Moss Kanter (A management professor at Harvard) in 1977, recognized that
people who work in large organizations have a tendency to hire and promote
those who resemble themselves (Mildrew 1992: 17).
Unfortunately some men feel uncomfortable with women being their equals
and since men dominate managerial levels they have much more control over
peoples careers beneath them. If men do not recognize women as their equals,
then women are overlooked for transfer or promotion, find themselves
directed into female' job areas and are not offered a challenge. Men use
strategies to cope with women such as patronizing them, not listening to them
seriously, being over protective and shielding them from dangerous situations
so they never have the knowledge of how to cope (Allen 1993 p26).
The Employment Act 1978 gives women going through pregnancy and child
birth the right to have time off with no loss of position. This is only given
however to woman who have a career involving full time and continuous
employment and stops just 29 weeks after childbirth (Pascall 1995: 4). Parental
leave, flexible hours and care of the child in sickness and health is left for the
employer and employee to discuss.
This is a very complex problem because once a child is born it must have the
proper care and attention. Nursery provisions for women who want to go back
to work are appalling. Only 2% of work places have nursery facilities and the
male dominated government seem to think that the problem doesn't exist!
Shocking statistics show that for every 14 females that work full time there is
only one which has children between the ages of 0 and 15 years old. i.e. There
is 4,200,000 woman with no children in full time work and only 300,000
woman with children between the age of 0 to 15 (Pascall 1995: 4). Taking into
account that most woman would like to have at least one baby, there is going
to be a lot of woman in low paid jobs. Professions such as medicine which
require an intensive course of work to build up the knowledge for the career
has actually implied a ban on woman with children. Even traditional woman's
jobs such as nursing do not have a career that can comfortably take on board
a woman with her off-spring.
Since for most women all this is a bit to much they will most certainly turn to
part-time employment which will be punished by lower grading and pay.
In 1975 the equal pay act came into power. This made it illegal to offer
different wages for the same work on the grounds of sex. Men's full time
wages over woman's fell drastically. The gap has been narrowing ever since.
The New Earnings Survey (NES) shows that in 1980, men's pay stood 40%
more on average over women's and in 1992 that gap had narrowed to 25%.
Woman in low paid jobs, where before were paid much less then men now
have leveled up to the same wage or sometimes higher. However in high flying
jobs there still is a large wage difference. The NES showed that woman's
hourly earnings where on an average 70.9% of men's in 1990. The problem
being is that since woman go into different areas of work than men it may be
very difficult to compare the skills and amount of work they do to claim equal
pay.
We can see that even with the law, there are many loop holes that clever
employees can seek. This isn't the only thing that stands in the way of woman
who want a career, there are many other obstacles. Society is a very powerful
instrument, people get molded by the society they are in. It changes the way
people think and act. Also (From personal experiance) many children are
directed to appropriate traditional' subjects by their secondary socialization
in schools particularly by old fashioned' teachers.
Unfortunately the law is not beneficial to everyone. It is not allowed to be
broken, but there are numerous ways of stretching it! A good example of this
is D.Quinnen vs Mr. J.H. Hovell. Mr. Hovell hired 2 woman and 1 man to
work in his store at Christmas time. The 2 woman got paid more than the man.
Mr. Quinnen complained and was dismissed, he claimed equal pay and sex
discrimination.
Mr. Quinnen took this case to the industrial tribunal (I.T.). At a preliminary
hearing the tribunal dismissed Mr. Quinnens claims on the grounds that he was
not employed by Mr. Hovell as the definition of employment was that there
was a contract of service' which Mr. Quinnens did not have. Mr. Quinnens
actually then to took his case to the Employment Appeal Tribunal which
awarded him œ530 (E.O.C 1989: 63), but most people would not take the case
this far after getting turned away by the I.T. A useful rule for woman is that the
law works on the rule of precedent, where if a woman has won a case before
almost in the same position as the woman who may want to go to court now,
the previous case will be used as a base for the prevailing case. With this in
mind woman can almost see what the outcome of the case will be before even
going to court, saving themselves victimization from male counterparts.
From what we have seen it appears that male dominance is to be blamed for
women's under achievement in the work place. However this may be a one
sided view. Once a woman gets a job in power she may adopt the I had to
work hard to get where I am so why shouldn't others' attitude and will
discourage other woman from taking responsibility. Woman also tend to be
more cautious then men, a survey by British Gas showed that when a
opportunity came up in their company for a job with more power the women
would only apply for it if they fitted the whole job criteria unlike men who
applied for it even if they didn't fill half the description (Allen 1993: 30). The
other obstacle that woman would seem to set up for themselves is their own
confidence. A study taped seven university faculty meetings and found that
men's contributions before someone broke in ranged from 11 to 17 seconds
while woman's where 3 to 10 seconds. Women also use deferential tag lines
like "Don't you think?" and "Isn't it?" far more often then men and are
reluctant to delegate work so they overload themselves (Mildrew 1992: 18).
In reflection to the examples given evidence shows that the effectiveness of
introducing the numerous acts of parliament have not been entirely successful
on implementation. Trends show that through out education females have been
directed towards traditional feminine subjects. Lack of fundamental education
needed to back up university courses have reflected women's immobility to
achieve positions of high statues in the whole range of occupations. Mature
woman share this problem as lack of qualifications in appropriate subjects
prevents them from achieving powerful positions.
Clearly, it can be seen that women are getting the same wage as men in low
paying jobs since the Sexual Discrimination act was passed in 1975 but there
is still a long way to go until woman in managerial jobs get an equal wage to
there counterparts. The fact that women are entering different job areas to men
e.g. Teaching / Social working, means that even if a woman takes a company
to court because she believes she is not getting paid as much as a male
employee, even though she is using the same skills and has the same work
load, this is very hard to prove if the two employees are not doing the same
job.
With most woman wanting babies, and leaving full time work to have a child
and probably only taking up part-time work after it is born, it gives directors
of companies a very bad opinion of women in powerful jobs as they believe
that as soon as the woman has worked her way up she will leave the company
due to maternity leave and never be able to keep up the same quality of work
as before. Women tend to naturally set obstacles in their own way and it seems
that the only way to get a powerful, influential, prestigious job is to never have
a baby and are never get married.
The law is not much use for woman in power as there is so many males above
them in any company. The usefulness of the law can be seen however in the
fact of precedent' where any previous case of a woman taking a company to
court for sexual discrimination or equal pay and winning may be considered
in a similar court case.
The glass ceiling is a major obstacle preventing woman from achieving high
status professions. However since the law has been in power I believe that the
glass ceiling is cracking but it's going to take a lot more years to see any kind
of noticeable improvements in woman's careers.
William Handy
W. History - 05
W. History - 05
2/22/97
Hey I cant get the essay to paste up could I just email you the essay? let me know
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
W. History - 05
2/22/97
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
W. History - 05
2/22/97
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
W. History - 05
2/22/97
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
W. History - 05
2/22/97
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
W. History - 05
2/22/97
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
2/22/97
W. History - 05
2/22/97
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
W. History - 05
2/22/97
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
W. History - 05
2/22/97
Hey I cant get the essay to paste up could I just email you the essay? let me know
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
W. History - 05
2/22/97
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
W. History - 05
2/22/97
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
W. History - 05
2/22/97
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
W. History - 05
2/22/97
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
W. History - 05
2/22/97
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
2/22/97
W. History - 05
2/22/97
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
W. History - 05
2/22/97
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
William Christopher Handy
Handy was an American black composer and compiler of "BLUES" music. He
was born in Florence, Alabama. He was educated at the Negro Agricultural and
Mechanical College near Huntsville, Alabama. He was the son of former slaves. He
was educated in the public schools and by his father and paternal grandfather, both of
whom were clergymen. Handy was the first to bring the African- American blues to the
general publics attention with the publication of his MEMPHIS BLUES in 1912. He
began his musical career as a cornet soloist and bandmaster with minstrel shows;
one of his earislst engagements was with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
in 1893.
Handy also founded a music publishing house and edited and wrote several
books , including the autobiographical Father of the Blues (1941). Originally, the blues
were a type of black folk song little known beyond the southern United States. Handy's
songs brought the blues to international attention.
Handy's career was rooted in popular music. He began his career in 1896 as a minstrel
show and vaudville corntist and bandleader and then became one of the first publishers
of music by black composers.
William Christopher Handy was born on Nov,16, 1873, in Florence, Ala, the son
of former slaves . As a 15-year-old he left home to work in a traveling minstrel show, but
he soon returned when his money ran out. He attended Teachers Agreicultural &
Mechanical College in Huntsville, Alabama, and worked as a school teacher and
bandmaster. In 1893, during an economic depression, he formed a quartet to perform at
the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. For several years afterward he drifted
around the country working at different jobs. Eventually he settled in Memphas, Tenn.
Although he lost his eyesight at age 30, after WW1 he conducted his own
orchestra from
1903 intill 1921. His eyesight partially returned, but he became completely blind after a
fall from a subway platform in 1943.
Handy wrote music during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. The music
he had absorbed during his youth consisted of spirituals, work songs, and folk ballads.
His own work consisted of elements of all these in addition to the popular ragtime and
the blues notes that he inserted. His work developed the conception of blues as a
harmonic framework within which it was possible to improvise.
In 1918 he moved to New York City, where he continued to work as a composer
and music arranger for film, radio, and Broadway productions. Handy died in New York
City on March 28,1958.
Why the Internet is Like a Vigina
Why the Internet Is Like a Vagina
>
>
>
> -------------
>
> * The more people use it the bigger it gets.
>
>
>
> * If you play with it too much you can go blind.
>
>
>
> * You wouldn't believe the things people put in there!
>
>
>
> * Some people think they know how to move around in it, but they really
>
> can't interface.
>
>
>
> * In the long-distant past, its only purpose was to receive information
>
> considered vital to the survival of the species. Some people still think
>
> that's the only thing it should be used for, but most folks today use it
>
> for fun most of the time.
>
>
>
> * It provides a way to interact with other people. Some people take this
>
> interaction very seriously, others treat it as a lark. Sometimes it's hard
>
> to tell what kind of person you're dealing with until it's too late.
>
>
>
> * If you don't apply the appropriate protective measures, it can spread
>
> viruses.
>
>
>
> * You think you're just playing around, but you can get involved in
>
> something that takes 9 months to finish.
>
>
>
> * The part you see is actually just the front end of a very complicated
>
> system.
>
>
>
> * If you're not careful what you do with it, it can get you in big
>
> trouble.
>
>
>
> * It has its own agenda. Somehow, no matter how good your intentions, it
>
> will warp your behavior. Later you may ask yourself "why on earth did I do
>
> that?"
>
>
>
> * Some folks have it, some don't.
>
>
>
> * Those who have it think that those who don't have it are somehow
>
> inferior.
>
>
>
> * Those who don't have it may agree that it's a nifty toy, but think it's
>
> not worth the fuss that those who do have it make about it. Still, many of
>
> those who don't have it spend all their time trying to access it.
>
>
>
> * Once you've started playing with it, it's hard to stop. Some people
>
> would just play with it all day if they didn't have work to do.
>
>
>
> * Some people believe in security and avoiding penetration but others
>
> believe it should be open to all comers.
>
>
>
> * Both are subject to abuse by hardware dongles.
>
>
>
>
>
> -------------
>
> * The more people use it the bigger it gets.
>
>
>
> * If you play with it too much you can go blind.
>
>
>
> * You wouldn't believe the things people put in there!
>
>
>
> * Some people think they know how to move around in it, but they really
>
> can't interface.
>
>
>
> * In the long-distant past, its only purpose was to receive information
>
> considered vital to the survival of the species. Some people still think
>
> that's the only thing it should be used for, but most folks today use it
>
> for fun most of the time.
>
>
>
> * It provides a way to interact with other people. Some people take this
>
> interaction very seriously, others treat it as a lark. Sometimes it's hard
>
> to tell what kind of person you're dealing with until it's too late.
>
>
>
> * If you don't apply the appropriate protective measures, it can spread
>
> viruses.
>
>
>
> * You think you're just playing around, but you can get involved in
>
> something that takes 9 months to finish.
>
>
>
> * The part you see is actually just the front end of a very complicated
>
> system.
>
>
>
> * If you're not careful what you do with it, it can get you in big
>
> trouble.
>
>
>
> * It has its own agenda. Somehow, no matter how good your intentions, it
>
> will warp your behavior. Later you may ask yourself "why on earth did I do
>
> that?"
>
>
>
> * Some folks have it, some don't.
>
>
>
> * Those who have it think that those who don't have it are somehow
>
> inferior.
>
>
>
> * Those who don't have it may agree that it's a nifty toy, but think it's
>
> not worth the fuss that those who do have it make about it. Still, many of
>
> those who don't have it spend all their time trying to access it.
>
>
>
> * Once you've started playing with it, it's hard to stop. Some people
>
> would just play with it all day if they didn't have work to do.
>
>
>
> * Some people believe in security and avoiding penetration but others
>
> believe it should be open to all comers.
>
>
>
> * Both are subject to abuse by hardware dongles.
>
>
User or Victim
Robert L. Dye Jr.
English 1013
Women in Films
User or Victim?
Designed to prove that a woman can be anybody she desires to be, the legendary film,
Evita, is now shown to millions of movie viewers. Alan Parker=s Evita is a reflection of the
much-publicized images of two popular self-made heroines of different era, Evita and Madonna.
The discussion of this essay will show us how these ladies got far and revered once by their
followers.
The life of Evita Peron is almost like a dramatization of a romantic fiction, about the
tale of a young and poor illegitimate girl, who escapes the cruelty and poverty of her hometown,
and Aflees to the big city to become a movie star, fights her way to the top through succession of
men, marries her country=s president, only to die at a young age of 33" (Harbinson 154).
Eva was born illegitimate in a small remote town of Argentina, and spent most of her
childhood life under a cloud of illegitimacy. Besides being poor, Eva and her sisters were
regarded as bastard children , and for this reason, they were Alooked upon as >brats= and often
prevented from associating with the other children of thevillage. This sense of rejection and the
ridicules that young Eva and her family received from the other villagers, formed the basis of her
hatred of Argentinas middle and upper classes@ (19).
Eva grew up to be an intelligent, beautiful, and glamorous teen-ager, who attracted
many men=s attention. Aside from her good looks, Eva had the charm that could get her all the
things she wanted, the character of a woman who never gave into negative circumstances, and a
determination so strong, she found her way to the balcony of the presidential palace of
Argentina. The painful rejection, and the traumatic events of her father=s funeral, when she and
her family were refused entry by his legal wife, were still in Eva=s mind when she left her
hometown for the big city to seek a better life.
Despite her blighted childhood and early personal loss, AEvita never let herself be a
victim, and instead, used her deprivations as a motivating machine. She developed a strong
courage, a ruthless ambition, and a hunger for success and power@ (185-186). Armed with all
the good looks, strong character, determination to succeed, and, the secret resentment she
nurtured against the ruling classes of Argentina who looked down on her family, Evita was
ready to change her life.
Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, Evita found out that rich and poor people do exist in the
big cities. But this sight did not discourage Eva, and she went on to become a film and radio
performer. Although Evita had the glamour and talent to become successful, she was also aware
of the Acrushing limitations imposed upon Argentinean women of relentless male chauvinism.
It was the men who had the freedom and earned the money to use it@(25). But Evita was
determined not to be a victim, she instead, use men as a stepping stone to her success as she did
to Augustine Magaldi to escape out of her hometown.
In the film, Evita, Alan Parker portrays Madonna as if it was meant for her to be born to
portray the role. Significantly indeed, Madonna=s life is almost a replica of Evita=s life: a rags-
to-riches tale in which Aearly personal loss is a motivating factor, and in which, once success is
achieved, ruthless will is deployed to sustain it@ (163). Madonna=a childhood background
resembles Evita=s in many ways. Both came from a working-class background, both lost a
parent at an early age (Evita=s father and Madonna=s mother), and both ladies were
impoverished as little girls. Evita=s fight for success made her a role model to Madonna,
admiring the way she overcame her loss in early life. Despite all hurdles, Evita used her early
tragic experience as a motivating factor to seek what life has denied her. Madonna, on the other
hand, also used her own childhood loss and fears as springboards to personal freedom. Like
Evita, Madonna left her hometown to seek a better life. Similarly, Madonna too, was obliged to
used men to get what she wanted (185).
According to a review by Ken Mandelbaum, Madonna does not only have the perfect
look for the role of Evita--stunning, tough, enigmatic--but the persona has much in common with
that of the woman she is playing. Both ladies got far on glamour, detemination, controversy, the
ability to influence styles and play a crowd, and somewhat limited skills. In addition, he stated
that Madonna is a legend-in-her-time playing another one (26).
As the film opens with the contrasting funerals of Eva=s father and her own, we are
introduced to Che (Antonio Banderas), the floating narrator who represents all the feelings held
against Eva as politician and woman. He then takes us through a journey. First, a young and
ambitious Eva, seeking riches and fame. Eva is fifteen years old when she met a nightclub
singer, Augustine Magaldi, and begs him to take her to Buenos Aires. Although Eva finds out
that the big city of her dreams is not exactly what she dreamed about, she carves out a career as
a radio and film actress, becomes popular, and Aslowly bounces up the social ladder with the
help of her escorts@ (Parker 38). She then meets the poltical bravado Juan Peron (Jonathan
Pryce), whom she instantly charms, and leaves the concert with him. Eva eventually moves into
Peron=s residence and shows the door to Peron=s mistress. Consequently, Eva becomes Peron=s
strongest ally despite numerous criticisms by the military and the Oligarchy (ruling classes) who
Aview her as a whore@ (Harbinson 157).
Then the journey takes us to a confident and adored Eva. Now, with a dignity to her
face, Eva looks stunning and beautiful standing next to her husband and the newly -elected
President, Juan Peron. As Harbinson would put it,
The carnality and the dignity combined turned her into a common dream. Those
lips had to know fellatio. Those dark eyes had to know what suffering meant.
Thus her beauty speaks to all and bridges two worlds. On the one hand is the
flesh that learnt its lessons, on the other is that nobility, that transcendent,
outpouring love that turns the most sinful woman into a saint. Evita was now a
saint. She had paid her dues and emerged trimphant. (105)
The scene at the balcony of Casa Rosada is not a very pleasant view for the Oligarchs who
considers Eva as a ruthless woman. Although the privileged Argentineans and the ruling
classes fear her (on the grounds of vengeance); the masses of people, majority of whom are
underprivileged working class, worshipped Eva, now known as Evita.
Evita is finally on top of the world. Her followers revere her, as she has finally defeated
the Oligarchy, she uplifted the living standards of the working classes and Evita has given the
Argentinean women the A right to vote, set up homes for unmarried working girls, and
stimulated the idea of women in careers - all these in a country where women had never had a
role before (106).
And the last journey, a stricken Evita. According to Alan Parker, for eleven
eleven months, Argentina witnessed Eva=s slow and public dying. Eva fell into a steep and
sudden decline, and on July 26, 1952, she died of cancer at the age of 33 (13).
Evita, once a poor girl, became Argentina=s most beloved heroine, and the most
hated enemy to the ruling Oligarchs. Accused of being a >whore= and a>ruthless adventuress,=
by the well-to-do, Evita is considered a >saint= by her followers. She became the saviour of the
underprivileged Argentineans, and above all, she changed the cultural stereotype of women
in Argentina. Ruthless or not, her memory will always remain to the suppressed of Argentina.
Whether these two ladies, Evita and Madonna, used men to get to the top or not, it is a
tribute to their iron will, to their already highly developed sense of survival, to their strong
fighting spirit, and to their determination to succeed, that they became what they wanted to be.
Evita and Madonna may not exactly be the role models some mothers would want their
daughters to follow, but many women would love to have the strong characters they possessed
which made them heroines.
Works Cited
Evita. Writ. Alan Parker and Oliver Stone. Sir. Alan Parker. Hollywood Pictures, 1996
Harbin, W. A. Evita: Saint or Sinner? New York: St. Martin, 1996
Mandelbaum, Ken. "Review: Evita." Theatre Week. 30 Dec. 1996: 26
Parker, Alan. The Making of Evita. Canada: Collins Publishers. 1996
Robert L. Dye Jr.
English 1013
Women in Films
User or Victim?
Designed to prove that a woman can be anybody she desires to be, the legendary film,
Evita, is now shown to millions of movie viewers. Alan Parker=s Evita is a reflection of the
much-publicized images of two popular self-made heroines of different era, Evita and Madonna.
The discussion of this essay will show us how these ladies got far and revered once by their
followers.
The life of Evita Peron is almost like a dramatization of a romantic fiction, about the
tale of a young and poor illegitimate girl, who escapes the cruelty and poverty of her hometown,
and Aflees to the big city to become a movie star, fights her way to the top through succession of
men, marries her country=s president, only to die at a young age of 33" (Harbinson 154).
Eva was born illegitimate in a small remote town of Argentina, and spent most of her
childhood life under a cloud of illegitimacy. Besides being poor, Eva and her sisters were
regarded as bastard children , and for this reason, they were Alooked upon as >brats= and often
prevented from associating with the other children of thevillage. This sense of rejection and the
ridicules that young Eva and her family received from the other villagers, formed the basis of her
hatred of Argentinas middle and upper classes@ (19).
Eva grew up to be an intelligent, beautiful, and glamorous teen-ager, who attracted
many men=s attention. Aside from her good looks, Eva had the charm that could get her all the
things she wanted, the character of a woman who never gave into negative circumstances, and a
determination so strong, she found her way to the balcony of the presidential palace of
Argentina. The painful rejection, and the traumatic events of her father=s funeral, when she and
her family were refused entry by his legal wife, were still in Eva=s mind when she left her
hometown for the big city to seek a better life.
Despite her blighted childhood and early personal loss, AEvita never let herself be a
victim, and instead, used her deprivations as a motivating machine. She developed a strong
courage, a ruthless ambition, and a hunger for success and power@ (185-186). Armed with all
the good looks, strong character, determination to succeed, and, the secret resentment she
nurtured against the ruling classes of Argentina who looked down on her family, Evita was
ready to change her life.
Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, Evita found out that rich and poor people do exist in the
big cities. But this sight did not discourage Eva, and she went on to become a film and radio
performer. Although Evita had the glamour and talent to become successful, she was also aware
of the Acrushing limitations imposed upon Argentinean women of relentless male chauvinism.
It was the men who had the freedom and earned the money to use it@(25). But Evita was
determined not to be a victim, she instead, use men as a stepping stone to her success as she did
to Augustine Magaldi to escape out of her hometown.
In the film, Evita, Alan Parker portrays Madonna as if it was meant for her to be born to
portray the role. Significantly indeed, Madonna=s life is almost a replica of Evita=s life: a rags-
to-riches tale in which Aearly personal loss is a motivating factor, and in which, once success is
achieved, ruthless will is deployed to sustain it@ (163). Madonna=a childhood background
resembles Evita=s in many ways. Both came from a working-class background, both lost a
parent at an early age (Evita=s father and Madonna=s mother), and both ladies were
impoverished as little girls. Evita=s fight for success made her a role model to Madonna,
admiring the way she overcame her loss in early life. Despite all hurdles, Evita used her early
tragic experience as a motivating factor to seek what life has denied her. Madonna, on the other
hand, also used her own childhood loss and fears as springboards to personal freedom. Like
Evita, Madonna left her hometown to seek a better life. Similarly, Madonna too, was obliged to
used men to get what she wanted (185).
According to a review by Ken Mandelbaum, Madonna does not only have the perfect
look for the role of Evita--stunning, tough, enigmatic--but the persona has much in common with
that of the woman she is playing. Both ladies got far on glamour, detemination, controversy, the
ability to influence styles and play a crowd, and somewhat limited skills. In addition, he stated
that Madonna is a legend-in-her-time playing another one (26).
As the film opens with the contrasting funerals of Eva=s father and her own, we are
introduced to Che (Antonio Banderas), the floating narrator who represents all the feelings held
against Eva as politician and woman. He then takes us through a journey. First, a young and
ambitious Eva, seeking riches and fame. Eva is fifteen years old when she met a nightclub
singer, Augustine Magaldi, and begs him to take her to Buenos Aires. Although Eva finds out
that the big city of her dreams is not exactly what she dreamed about, she carves out a career as
a radio and film actress, becomes popular, and Aslowly bounces up the social ladder with the
help of her escorts@ (Parker 38). She then meets the poltical bravado Juan Peron (Jonathan
Pryce), whom she instantly charms, and leaves the concert with him. Eva eventually moves into
Peron=s residence and shows the door to Peron=s mistress. Consequently, Eva becomes Peron=s
strongest ally despite numerous criticisms by the military and the Oligarchy (ruling classes) who
Aview her as a whore@ (Harbinson 157).
Then the journey takes us to a confident and adored Eva. Now, with a dignity to her
face, Eva looks stunning and beautiful standing next to her husband and the newly -elected
President, Juan Peron. As Harbinson would put it,
The carnality and the dignity combined turned her into a common dream. Those
lips had to know fellatio. Those dark eyes had to know what suffering meant.
Thus her beauty speaks to all and bridges two worlds. On the one hand is the
flesh that learnt its lessons, on the other is that nobility, that transcendent,
outpouring love that turns the most sinful woman into a saint. Evita was now a
saint. She had paid her dues and emerged trimphant. (105)
The scene at the balcony of Casa Rosada is not a very pleasant view for the Oligarchs who
considers Eva as a ruthless woman. Although the privileged Argentineans and the ruling
classes fear her (on the grounds of vengeance); the masses of people, majority of whom are
underprivileged working class, worshipped Eva, now known as Evita.
Evita is finally on top of the world. Her followers revere her, as she has finally defeated
the Oligarchy, she uplifted the living standards of the working classes and Evita has given the
Argentinean women the A right to vote, set up homes for unmarried working girls, and
stimulated the idea of women in careers - all these in a country where women had never had a
role before (106).
And the last journey, a stricken Evita. According to Alan Parker, for eleven
eleven months, Argentina witnessed Eva=s slow and public dying. Eva fell into a steep and
sudden decline, and on July 26, 1952, she died of cancer at the age of 33 (13).
Evita, once a poor girl, became Argentina=s most beloved heroine, and the most
hated enemy to the ruling Oligarchs. Accused of being a >whore= and a>ruthless adventuress,=
by the well-to-do, Evita is considered a >saint= by her followers. She became the saviour of the
underprivileged Argentineans, and above all, she changed the cultural stereotype of women
in Argentina. Ruthless or not, her memory will always remain to the suppressed of Argentina.
Whether these two ladies, Evita and Madonna, used men to get to the top or not, it is a
tribute to their iron will, to their already highly developed sense of survival, to their strong
fighting spirit, and to their determination to succeed, that they became what they wanted to be.
Evita and Madonna may not exactly be the role models some mothers would want their
daughters to follow, but many women would love to have the strong characters they possessed
which made them heroines.
Works Cited
Evita. Writ. Alan Parker and Oliver Stone. Sir. Alan Parker. Hollywood Pictures, 1996
Harbin, W. A. Evita: Saint or Sinner? New York: St. Martin, 1996
Mandelbaum, Ken. "Review: Evita." Theatre Week. 30 Dec. 1996: 26
Parker, Alan. The Making of Evita. Canada: Collins Publishers. 1996
Robert L. Dye Jr.
English 1013
Women in Films
User or Victim?
Designed to prove that a woman can be anybody she desires to be, the legendary film,
Evita, is now shown to millions of movie viewers. Alan Parker=s Evita is a reflection of the
much-publicized images of two popular self-made heroines of different era, Evita and Madonna.
The discussion of this essay will show us how these ladies got far and revered once by their
followers.
The life of Evita Peron is almost like a dramatization of a romantic fiction, about the
tale of a young and poor illegitimate girl, who escapes the cruelty and poverty of her hometown,
and Aflees to the big city to become a movie star, fights her way to the top through succession of
men, marries her country=s president, only to die at a young age of 33" (Harbinson 154).
Eva was born illegitimate in a small remote town of Argentina, and spent most of her
childhood life under a cloud of illegitimacy. Besides being poor, Eva and her sisters were
regarded as bastard children , and for this reason, they were Alooked upon as >brats= and often
prevented from associating with the other children of thevillage. This sense of rejection and the
ridicules that young Eva and her family received from the other villagers, formed the basis of her
hatred of Argentinas middle and upper classes@ (19).
Eva grew up to be an intelligent, beautiful, and glamorous teen-ager, who attracted
many men=s attention. Aside from her good looks, Eva had the charm that could get her all the
things she wanted, the character of a woman who never gave into negative circumstances, and a
determination so strong, she found her way to the balcony of the presidential palace of
Argentina. The painful rejection, and the traumatic events of her father=s funeral, when she and
her family were refused entry by his legal wife, were still in Eva=s mind when she left her
hometown for the big city to seek a better life.
Despite her blighted childhood and early personal loss, AEvita never let herself be a
victim, and instead, used her deprivations as a motivating machine. She developed a strong
courage, a ruthless ambition, and a hunger for success and power@ (185-186). Armed with all
the good looks, strong character, determination to succeed, and, the secret resentment she
nurtured against the ruling classes of Argentina who looked down on her family, Evita was
ready to change her life.
Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, Evita found out that rich and poor people do exist in the
big cities. But this sight did not discourage Eva, and she went on to become a film and radio
performer. Although Evita had the glamour and talent to become successful, she was also aware
of the Acrushing limitations imposed upon Argentinean women of relentless male chauvinism.
It was the men who had the freedom and earned the money to use it@(25). But Evita was
determined not to be a victim, she instead, use men as a stepping stone to her success as she did
to Augustine Magaldi to escape out of her hometown.
In the film, Evita, Alan Parker portrays Madonna as if it was meant for her to be born to
portray the role. Significantly indeed, Madonna=s life is almost a replica of Evita=s life: a rags-
to-riches tale in which Aearly personal loss is a motivating factor, and in which, once success is
achieved, ruthless will is deployed to sustain it@ (163). Madonna=a childhood background
resembles Evita=s in many ways. Both came from a working-class background, both lost a
parent at an early age (Evita=s father and Madonna=s mother), and both ladies were
impoverished as little girls. Evita=s fight for success made her a role model to Madonna,
admiring the way she overcame her loss in early life. Despite all hurdles, Evita used her early
tragic experience as a motivating factor to seek what life has denied her. Madonna, on the other
hand, also used her own childhood loss and fears as springboards to personal freedom. Like
Evita, Madonna left her hometown to seek a better life. Similarly, Madonna too, was obliged to
used men to get what she wanted (185).
According to a review by Ken Mandelbaum, Madonna does not only have the perfect
look for the role of Evita--stunning, tough, enigmatic--but the persona has much in common with
that of the woman she is playing. Both ladies got far on glamour, detemination, controversy, the
ability to influence styles and play a crowd, and somewhat limited skills. In addition, he stated
that Madonna is a legend-in-her-time playing another one (26).
As the film opens with the contrasting funerals of Eva=s father and her own, we are
introduced to Che (Antonio Banderas), the floating narrator who represents all the feelings held
against Eva as politician and woman. He then takes us through a journey. First, a young and
ambitious Eva, seeking riches and fame. Eva is fifteen years old when she met a nightclub
singer, Augustine Magaldi, and begs him to take her to Buenos Aires. Although Eva finds out
that the big city of her dreams is not exactly what she dreamed about, she carves out a career as
a radio and film actress, becomes popular, and Aslowly bounces up the social ladder with the
help of her escorts@ (Parker 38). She then meets the poltical bravado Juan Peron (Jonathan
Pryce), whom she instantly charms, and leaves the concert with him. Eva eventually moves into
Peron=s residence and shows the door to Peron=s mistress. Consequently, Eva becomes Peron=s
strongest ally despite numerous criticisms by the military and the Oligarchy (ruling classes) who
Aview her as a whore@ (Harbinson 157).
Then the journey takes us to a confident and adored Eva. Now, with a dignity to her
face, Eva looks stunning and beautiful standing next to her husband and the newly -elected
President, Juan Peron. As Harbinson would put it,
The carnality and the dignity combined turned her into a common dream. Those
lips had to know fellatio. Those dark eyes had to know what suffering meant.
Thus her beauty speaks to all and bridges two worlds. On the one hand is the
flesh that learnt its lessons, on the other is that nobility, that transcendent,
outpouring love that turns the most sinful woman into a saint. Evita was now a
saint. She had paid her dues and emerged trimphant. (105)
The scene at the balcony of Casa Rosada is not a very pleasant view for the Oligarchs who
considers Eva as a ruthless woman. Although the privileged Argentineans and the ruling
classes fear her (on the grounds of vengeance); the masses of people, majority of whom are
underprivileged working class, worshipped Eva, now known as Evita.
Evita is finally on top of the world. Her followers revere her, as she has finally defeated
the Oligarchy, she uplifted the living standards of the working classes and Evita has given the
Argentinean women the A right to vote, set up homes for unmarried working girls, and
stimulated the idea of women in careers - all these in a country where women had never had a
role before (106).
And the last journey, a stricken Evita. According to Alan Parker, for eleven
eleven months, Argentina witnessed Eva=s slow and public dying. Eva fell into a steep and
sudden decline, and on July 26, 1952, she died of cancer at the age of 33 (13).
Evita, once a poor girl, became Argentina=s most beloved heroine, and the most
hated enemy to the ruling Oligarchs. Accused of being a >whore= and a>ruthless adventuress,=
by the well-to-do, Evita is considered a >saint= by her followers. She became the saviour of the
underprivileged Argentineans, and above all, she changed the cultural stereotype of women
in Argentina. Ruthless or not, her memory will always remain to the suppressed of Argentina.
Whether these two ladies, Evita and Madonna, used men to get to the top or not, it is a
tribute to their iron will, to their already highly developed sense of survival, to their strong
fighting spirit, and to their determination to succeed, that they became what they wanted to be.
Evita and Madonna may not exactly be the role models some mothers would want their
daughters to follow, but many women would love to have the strong characters they possessed
which made them heroines.
Works Cited
Evita. Writ. Alan Parker and Oliver Stone. Sir. Alan Parker. Hollywood Pictures, 1996
Harbin, W. A. Evita: Saint or Sinner? New York: St. Martin, 1996
Mandelbaum, Ken. "Review: Evita." Theatre Week. 30 Dec. 1996: 26
Parker, Alan. The Making of Evita. Canada: Collins Publishers. 1996
English 1013
Women in Films
User or Victim?
Designed to prove that a woman can be anybody she desires to be, the legendary film,
Evita, is now shown to millions of movie viewers. Alan Parker=s Evita is a reflection of the
much-publicized images of two popular self-made heroines of different era, Evita and Madonna.
The discussion of this essay will show us how these ladies got far and revered once by their
followers.
The life of Evita Peron is almost like a dramatization of a romantic fiction, about the
tale of a young and poor illegitimate girl, who escapes the cruelty and poverty of her hometown,
and Aflees to the big city to become a movie star, fights her way to the top through succession of
men, marries her country=s president, only to die at a young age of 33" (Harbinson 154).
Eva was born illegitimate in a small remote town of Argentina, and spent most of her
childhood life under a cloud of illegitimacy. Besides being poor, Eva and her sisters were
regarded as bastard children , and for this reason, they were Alooked upon as >brats= and often
prevented from associating with the other children of thevillage. This sense of rejection and the
ridicules that young Eva and her family received from the other villagers, formed the basis of her
hatred of Argentinas middle and upper classes@ (19).
Eva grew up to be an intelligent, beautiful, and glamorous teen-ager, who attracted
many men=s attention. Aside from her good looks, Eva had the charm that could get her all the
things she wanted, the character of a woman who never gave into negative circumstances, and a
determination so strong, she found her way to the balcony of the presidential palace of
Argentina. The painful rejection, and the traumatic events of her father=s funeral, when she and
her family were refused entry by his legal wife, were still in Eva=s mind when she left her
hometown for the big city to seek a better life.
Despite her blighted childhood and early personal loss, AEvita never let herself be a
victim, and instead, used her deprivations as a motivating machine. She developed a strong
courage, a ruthless ambition, and a hunger for success and power@ (185-186). Armed with all
the good looks, strong character, determination to succeed, and, the secret resentment she
nurtured against the ruling classes of Argentina who looked down on her family, Evita was
ready to change her life.
Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, Evita found out that rich and poor people do exist in the
big cities. But this sight did not discourage Eva, and she went on to become a film and radio
performer. Although Evita had the glamour and talent to become successful, she was also aware
of the Acrushing limitations imposed upon Argentinean women of relentless male chauvinism.
It was the men who had the freedom and earned the money to use it@(25). But Evita was
determined not to be a victim, she instead, use men as a stepping stone to her success as she did
to Augustine Magaldi to escape out of her hometown.
In the film, Evita, Alan Parker portrays Madonna as if it was meant for her to be born to
portray the role. Significantly indeed, Madonna=s life is almost a replica of Evita=s life: a rags-
to-riches tale in which Aearly personal loss is a motivating factor, and in which, once success is
achieved, ruthless will is deployed to sustain it@ (163). Madonna=a childhood background
resembles Evita=s in many ways. Both came from a working-class background, both lost a
parent at an early age (Evita=s father and Madonna=s mother), and both ladies were
impoverished as little girls. Evita=s fight for success made her a role model to Madonna,
admiring the way she overcame her loss in early life. Despite all hurdles, Evita used her early
tragic experience as a motivating factor to seek what life has denied her. Madonna, on the other
hand, also used her own childhood loss and fears as springboards to personal freedom. Like
Evita, Madonna left her hometown to seek a better life. Similarly, Madonna too, was obliged to
used men to get what she wanted (185).
According to a review by Ken Mandelbaum, Madonna does not only have the perfect
look for the role of Evita--stunning, tough, enigmatic--but the persona has much in common with
that of the woman she is playing. Both ladies got far on glamour, detemination, controversy, the
ability to influence styles and play a crowd, and somewhat limited skills. In addition, he stated
that Madonna is a legend-in-her-time playing another one (26).
As the film opens with the contrasting funerals of Eva=s father and her own, we are
introduced to Che (Antonio Banderas), the floating narrator who represents all the feelings held
against Eva as politician and woman. He then takes us through a journey. First, a young and
ambitious Eva, seeking riches and fame. Eva is fifteen years old when she met a nightclub
singer, Augustine Magaldi, and begs him to take her to Buenos Aires. Although Eva finds out
that the big city of her dreams is not exactly what she dreamed about, she carves out a career as
a radio and film actress, becomes popular, and Aslowly bounces up the social ladder with the
help of her escorts@ (Parker 38). She then meets the poltical bravado Juan Peron (Jonathan
Pryce), whom she instantly charms, and leaves the concert with him. Eva eventually moves into
Peron=s residence and shows the door to Peron=s mistress. Consequently, Eva becomes Peron=s
strongest ally despite numerous criticisms by the military and the Oligarchy (ruling classes) who
Aview her as a whore@ (Harbinson 157).
Then the journey takes us to a confident and adored Eva. Now, with a dignity to her
face, Eva looks stunning and beautiful standing next to her husband and the newly -elected
President, Juan Peron. As Harbinson would put it,
The carnality and the dignity combined turned her into a common dream. Those
lips had to know fellatio. Those dark eyes had to know what suffering meant.
Thus her beauty speaks to all and bridges two worlds. On the one hand is the
flesh that learnt its lessons, on the other is that nobility, that transcendent,
outpouring love that turns the most sinful woman into a saint. Evita was now a
saint. She had paid her dues and emerged trimphant. (105)
The scene at the balcony of Casa Rosada is not a very pleasant view for the Oligarchs who
considers Eva as a ruthless woman. Although the privileged Argentineans and the ruling
classes fear her (on the grounds of vengeance); the masses of people, majority of whom are
underprivileged working class, worshipped Eva, now known as Evita.
Evita is finally on top of the world. Her followers revere her, as she has finally defeated
the Oligarchy, she uplifted the living standards of the working classes and Evita has given the
Argentinean women the A right to vote, set up homes for unmarried working girls, and
stimulated the idea of women in careers - all these in a country where women had never had a
role before (106).
And the last journey, a stricken Evita. According to Alan Parker, for eleven
eleven months, Argentina witnessed Eva=s slow and public dying. Eva fell into a steep and
sudden decline, and on July 26, 1952, she died of cancer at the age of 33 (13).
Evita, once a poor girl, became Argentina=s most beloved heroine, and the most
hated enemy to the ruling Oligarchs. Accused of being a >whore= and a>ruthless adventuress,=
by the well-to-do, Evita is considered a >saint= by her followers. She became the saviour of the
underprivileged Argentineans, and above all, she changed the cultural stereotype of women
in Argentina. Ruthless or not, her memory will always remain to the suppressed of Argentina.
Whether these two ladies, Evita and Madonna, used men to get to the top or not, it is a
tribute to their iron will, to their already highly developed sense of survival, to their strong
fighting spirit, and to their determination to succeed, that they became what they wanted to be.
Evita and Madonna may not exactly be the role models some mothers would want their
daughters to follow, but many women would love to have the strong characters they possessed
which made them heroines.
Works Cited
Evita. Writ. Alan Parker and Oliver Stone. Sir. Alan Parker. Hollywood Pictures, 1996
Harbin, W. A. Evita: Saint or Sinner? New York: St. Martin, 1996
Mandelbaum, Ken. "Review: Evita." Theatre Week. 30 Dec. 1996: 26
Parker, Alan. The Making of Evita. Canada: Collins Publishers. 1996
Robert L. Dye Jr.
English 1013
Women in Films
User or Victim?
Designed to prove that a woman can be anybody she desires to be, the legendary film,
Evita, is now shown to millions of movie viewers. Alan Parker=s Evita is a reflection of the
much-publicized images of two popular self-made heroines of different era, Evita and Madonna.
The discussion of this essay will show us how these ladies got far and revered once by their
followers.
The life of Evita Peron is almost like a dramatization of a romantic fiction, about the
tale of a young and poor illegitimate girl, who escapes the cruelty and poverty of her hometown,
and Aflees to the big city to become a movie star, fights her way to the top through succession of
men, marries her country=s president, only to die at a young age of 33" (Harbinson 154).
Eva was born illegitimate in a small remote town of Argentina, and spent most of her
childhood life under a cloud of illegitimacy. Besides being poor, Eva and her sisters were
regarded as bastard children , and for this reason, they were Alooked upon as >brats= and often
prevented from associating with the other children of thevillage. This sense of rejection and the
ridicules that young Eva and her family received from the other villagers, formed the basis of her
hatred of Argentinas middle and upper classes@ (19).
Eva grew up to be an intelligent, beautiful, and glamorous teen-ager, who attracted
many men=s attention. Aside from her good looks, Eva had the charm that could get her all the
things she wanted, the character of a woman who never gave into negative circumstances, and a
determination so strong, she found her way to the balcony of the presidential palace of
Argentina. The painful rejection, and the traumatic events of her father=s funeral, when she and
her family were refused entry by his legal wife, were still in Eva=s mind when she left her
hometown for the big city to seek a better life.
Despite her blighted childhood and early personal loss, AEvita never let herself be a
victim, and instead, used her deprivations as a motivating machine. She developed a strong
courage, a ruthless ambition, and a hunger for success and power@ (185-186). Armed with all
the good looks, strong character, determination to succeed, and, the secret resentment she
nurtured against the ruling classes of Argentina who looked down on her family, Evita was
ready to change her life.
Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, Evita found out that rich and poor people do exist in the
big cities. But this sight did not discourage Eva, and she went on to become a film and radio
performer. Although Evita had the glamour and talent to become successful, she was also aware
of the Acrushing limitations imposed upon Argentinean women of relentless male chauvinism.
It was the men who had the freedom and earned the money to use it@(25). But Evita was
determined not to be a victim, she instead, use men as a stepping stone to her success as she did
to Augustine Magaldi to escape out of her hometown.
In the film, Evita, Alan Parker portrays Madonna as if it was meant for her to be born to
portray the role. Significantly indeed, Madonna=s life is almost a replica of Evita=s life: a rags-
to-riches tale in which Aearly personal loss is a motivating factor, and in which, once success is
achieved, ruthless will is deployed to sustain it@ (163). Madonna=a childhood background
resembles Evita=s in many ways. Both came from a working-class background, both lost a
parent at an early age (Evita=s father and Madonna=s mother), and both ladies were
impoverished as little girls. Evita=s fight for success made her a role model to Madonna,
admiring the way she overcame her loss in early life. Despite all hurdles, Evita used her early
tragic experience as a motivating factor to seek what life has denied her. Madonna, on the other
hand, also used her own childhood loss and fears as springboards to personal freedom. Like
Evita, Madonna left her hometown to seek a better life. Similarly, Madonna too, was obliged to
used men to get what she wanted (185).
According to a review by Ken Mandelbaum, Madonna does not only have the perfect
look for the role of Evita--stunning, tough, enigmatic--but the persona has much in common with
that of the woman she is playing. Both ladies got far on glamour, detemination, controversy, the
ability to influence styles and play a crowd, and somewhat limited skills. In addition, he stated
that Madonna is a legend-in-her-time playing another one (26).
As the film opens with the contrasting funerals of Eva=s father and her own, we are
introduced to Che (Antonio Banderas), the floating narrator who represents all the feelings held
against Eva as politician and woman. He then takes us through a journey. First, a young and
ambitious Eva, seeking riches and fame. Eva is fifteen years old when she met a nightclub
singer, Augustine Magaldi, and begs him to take her to Buenos Aires. Although Eva finds out
that the big city of her dreams is not exactly what she dreamed about, she carves out a career as
a radio and film actress, becomes popular, and Aslowly bounces up the social ladder with the
help of her escorts@ (Parker 38). She then meets the poltical bravado Juan Peron (Jonathan
Pryce), whom she instantly charms, and leaves the concert with him. Eva eventually moves into
Peron=s residence and shows the door to Peron=s mistress. Consequently, Eva becomes Peron=s
strongest ally despite numerous criticisms by the military and the Oligarchy (ruling classes) who
Aview her as a whore@ (Harbinson 157).
Then the journey takes us to a confident and adored Eva. Now, with a dignity to her
face, Eva looks stunning and beautiful standing next to her husband and the newly -elected
President, Juan Peron. As Harbinson would put it,
The carnality and the dignity combined turned her into a common dream. Those
lips had to know fellatio. Those dark eyes had to know what suffering meant.
Thus her beauty speaks to all and bridges two worlds. On the one hand is the
flesh that learnt its lessons, on the other is that nobility, that transcendent,
outpouring love that turns the most sinful woman into a saint. Evita was now a
saint. She had paid her dues and emerged trimphant. (105)
The scene at the balcony of Casa Rosada is not a very pleasant view for the Oligarchs who
considers Eva as a ruthless woman. Although the privileged Argentineans and the ruling
classes fear her (on the grounds of vengeance); the masses of people, majority of whom are
underprivileged working class, worshipped Eva, now known as Evita.
Evita is finally on top of the world. Her followers revere her, as she has finally defeated
the Oligarchy, she uplifted the living standards of the working classes and Evita has given the
Argentinean women the A right to vote, set up homes for unmarried working girls, and
stimulated the idea of women in careers - all these in a country where women had never had a
role before (106).
And the last journey, a stricken Evita. According to Alan Parker, for eleven
eleven months, Argentina witnessed Eva=s slow and public dying. Eva fell into a steep and
sudden decline, and on July 26, 1952, she died of cancer at the age of 33 (13).
Evita, once a poor girl, became Argentina=s most beloved heroine, and the most
hated enemy to the ruling Oligarchs. Accused of being a >whore= and a>ruthless adventuress,=
by the well-to-do, Evita is considered a >saint= by her followers. She became the saviour of the
underprivileged Argentineans, and above all, she changed the cultural stereotype of women
in Argentina. Ruthless or not, her memory will always remain to the suppressed of Argentina.
Whether these two ladies, Evita and Madonna, used men to get to the top or not, it is a
tribute to their iron will, to their already highly developed sense of survival, to their strong
fighting spirit, and to their determination to succeed, that they became what they wanted to be.
Evita and Madonna may not exactly be the role models some mothers would want their
daughters to follow, but many women would love to have the strong characters they possessed
which made them heroines.
Works Cited
Evita. Writ. Alan Parker and Oliver Stone. Sir. Alan Parker. Hollywood Pictures, 1996
Harbin, W. A. Evita: Saint or Sinner? New York: St. Martin, 1996
Mandelbaum, Ken. "Review: Evita." Theatre Week. 30 Dec. 1996: 26
Parker, Alan. The Making of Evita. Canada: Collins Publishers. 1996
Robert L. Dye Jr.
English 1013
Women in Films
User or Victim?
Designed to prove that a woman can be anybody she desires to be, the legendary film,
Evita, is now shown to millions of movie viewers. Alan Parker=s Evita is a reflection of the
much-publicized images of two popular self-made heroines of different era, Evita and Madonna.
The discussion of this essay will show us how these ladies got far and revered once by their
followers.
The life of Evita Peron is almost like a dramatization of a romantic fiction, about the
tale of a young and poor illegitimate girl, who escapes the cruelty and poverty of her hometown,
and Aflees to the big city to become a movie star, fights her way to the top through succession of
men, marries her country=s president, only to die at a young age of 33" (Harbinson 154).
Eva was born illegitimate in a small remote town of Argentina, and spent most of her
childhood life under a cloud of illegitimacy. Besides being poor, Eva and her sisters were
regarded as bastard children , and for this reason, they were Alooked upon as >brats= and often
prevented from associating with the other children of thevillage. This sense of rejection and the
ridicules that young Eva and her family received from the other villagers, formed the basis of her
hatred of Argentinas middle and upper classes@ (19).
Eva grew up to be an intelligent, beautiful, and glamorous teen-ager, who attracted
many men=s attention. Aside from her good looks, Eva had the charm that could get her all the
things she wanted, the character of a woman who never gave into negative circumstances, and a
determination so strong, she found her way to the balcony of the presidential palace of
Argentina. The painful rejection, and the traumatic events of her father=s funeral, when she and
her family were refused entry by his legal wife, were still in Eva=s mind when she left her
hometown for the big city to seek a better life.
Despite her blighted childhood and early personal loss, AEvita never let herself be a
victim, and instead, used her deprivations as a motivating machine. She developed a strong
courage, a ruthless ambition, and a hunger for success and power@ (185-186). Armed with all
the good looks, strong character, determination to succeed, and, the secret resentment she
nurtured against the ruling classes of Argentina who looked down on her family, Evita was
ready to change her life.
Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, Evita found out that rich and poor people do exist in the
big cities. But this sight did not discourage Eva, and she went on to become a film and radio
performer. Although Evita had the glamour and talent to become successful, she was also aware
of the Acrushing limitations imposed upon Argentinean women of relentless male chauvinism.
It was the men who had the freedom and earned the money to use it@(25). But Evita was
determined not to be a victim, she instead, use men as a stepping stone to her success as she did
to Augustine Magaldi to escape out of her hometown.
In the film, Evita, Alan Parker portrays Madonna as if it was meant for her to be born to
portray the role. Significantly indeed, Madonna=s life is almost a replica of Evita=s life: a rags-
to-riches tale in which Aearly personal loss is a motivating factor, and in which, once success is
achieved, ruthless will is deployed to sustain it@ (163). Madonna=a childhood background
resembles Evita=s in many ways. Both came from a working-class background, both lost a
parent at an early age (Evita=s father and Madonna=s mother), and both ladies were
impoverished as little girls. Evita=s fight for success made her a role model to Madonna,
admiring the way she overcame her loss in early life. Despite all hurdles, Evita used her early
tragic experience as a motivating factor to seek what life has denied her. Madonna, on the other
hand, also used her own childhood loss and fears as springboards to personal freedom. Like
Evita, Madonna left her hometown to seek a better life. Similarly, Madonna too, was obliged to
used men to get what she wanted (185).
According to a review by Ken Mandelbaum, Madonna does not only have the perfect
look for the role of Evita--stunning, tough, enigmatic--but the persona has much in common with
that of the woman she is playing. Both ladies got far on glamour, detemination, controversy, the
ability to influence styles and play a crowd, and somewhat limited skills. In addition, he stated
that Madonna is a legend-in-her-time playing another one (26).
As the film opens with the contrasting funerals of Eva=s father and her own, we are
introduced to Che (Antonio Banderas), the floating narrator who represents all the feelings held
against Eva as politician and woman. He then takes us through a journey. First, a young and
ambitious Eva, seeking riches and fame. Eva is fifteen years old when she met a nightclub
singer, Augustine Magaldi, and begs him to take her to Buenos Aires. Although Eva finds out
that the big city of her dreams is not exactly what she dreamed about, she carves out a career as
a radio and film actress, becomes popular, and Aslowly bounces up the social ladder with the
help of her escorts@ (Parker 38). She then meets the poltical bravado Juan Peron (Jonathan
Pryce), whom she instantly charms, and leaves the concert with him. Eva eventually moves into
Peron=s residence and shows the door to Peron=s mistress. Consequently, Eva becomes Peron=s
strongest ally despite numerous criticisms by the military and the Oligarchy (ruling classes) who
Aview her as a whore@ (Harbinson 157).
Then the journey takes us to a confident and adored Eva. Now, with a dignity to her
face, Eva looks stunning and beautiful standing next to her husband and the newly -elected
President, Juan Peron. As Harbinson would put it,
The carnality and the dignity combined turned her into a common dream. Those
lips had to know fellatio. Those dark eyes had to know what suffering meant.
Thus her beauty speaks to all and bridges two worlds. On the one hand is the
flesh that learnt its lessons, on the other is that nobility, that transcendent,
outpouring love that turns the most sinful woman into a saint. Evita was now a
saint. She had paid her dues and emerged trimphant. (105)
The scene at the balcony of Casa Rosada is not a very pleasant view for the Oligarchs who
considers Eva as a ruthless woman. Although the privileged Argentineans and the ruling
classes fear her (on the grounds of vengeance); the masses of people, majority of whom are
underprivileged working class, worshipped Eva, now known as Evita.
Evita is finally on top of the world. Her followers revere her, as she has finally defeated
the Oligarchy, she uplifted the living standards of the working classes and Evita has given the
Argentinean women the A right to vote, set up homes for unmarried working girls, and
stimulated the idea of women in careers - all these in a country where women had never had a
role before (106).
And the last journey, a stricken Evita. According to Alan Parker, for eleven
eleven months, Argentina witnessed Eva=s slow and public dying. Eva fell into a steep and
sudden decline, and on July 26, 1952, she died of cancer at the age of 33 (13).
Evita, once a poor girl, became Argentina=s most beloved heroine, and the most
hated enemy to the ruling Oligarchs. Accused of being a >whore= and a>ruthless adventuress,=
by the well-to-do, Evita is considered a >saint= by her followers. She became the saviour of the
underprivileged Argentineans, and above all, she changed the cultural stereotype of women
in Argentina. Ruthless or not, her memory will always remain to the suppressed of Argentina.
Whether these two ladies, Evita and Madonna, used men to get to the top or not, it is a
tribute to their iron will, to their already highly developed sense of survival, to their strong
fighting spirit, and to their determination to succeed, that they became what they wanted to be.
Evita and Madonna may not exactly be the role models some mothers would want their
daughters to follow, but many women would love to have the strong characters they possessed
which made them heroines.
Works Cited
Evita. Writ. Alan Parker and Oliver Stone. Sir. Alan Parker. Hollywood Pictures, 1996
Harbin, W. A. Evita: Saint or Sinner? New York: St. Martin, 1996
Mandelbaum, Ken. "Review: Evita." Theatre Week. 30 Dec. 1996: 26
Parker, Alan. The Making of Evita. Canada: Collins Publishers. 1996
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