Thoughts Regarding This Week's Readings

I think the main focus of this week’s readings has ultimately been focused on how women’s independence has changed through time.  It goes without debate that since the beginning of humanity women were viewed as the weaker sex, and treated as such.  Even in America, a country that prides itself in personal freedom, women were not even allowed to vote until 1920.  Just think, a mere 92 years ago this was the case.  Thankfully things have changed, for the most part, but we are still reminded through stories such as “No Name Woman” how irrelevant women were viewed in society.  Even after we recognized women as independent, though, they were still viewed as incapable of thinking for themselves, which is seen in “Shiloh”.
What particularly stood out to me in “No Name Woman” was that Kingston’s aunt, in her mind, had no choice but to commit suicide.  She could not envision a world in which her child could survive or make a life for themselves.  In the 21st century, living in America, it’s hard to even comprehend this logic.  Yet somehow we as a society have managed to move on past what was once considered right and realistic.  Does this mean as modern readers that we are taking the times in which we live in for granted?  Perhaps, yes.  Or it could just mean that we are blessed to live in a time where a pregnant woman in your family will not result in your house being overrun by your neighbors.
“Shiloh”, in all honesty, was one of the few stories we have read this semester where I felt that wife was justified in wanting to leave her husband.  He was not providing any income, nor was he allowing her to branch out in a sense to change into the woman she needed to be.  This so-called awakening was met with hesitation from both the husband and mother.  Although we claim to give women the same respect in which we give men, there are countless stories such as “Shiloh” that says otherwise.  Instead of being supportive and understanding, her change was met with criticism.  Is she not her own person?  Can she not make decisions as an adult herself?  I think, at the heart of this story, that is what Mason was trying to get across.  Personal freedom does not necessarily mean you are given respect and, for lack of a better word, space.