Martin Luther King was an
African American, who played an important role in the development of the civil
rights movement. He was an exemplary human being. He did not tolerate
injustices and was characterized by his passiveness and wisdom. One of his most
important phrases was, "Freedom is
never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the
oppressed." King was trying to communicate and emphasize that the need for
something must be expressed in order for our lives to see a change. Our silence
keeps us prisoners and until there is a voice who urges change, everything will
always remain the same. History is a witness that oppression was always a human
characteristic. Women’s oppression is one of the clearest examples of the lack
of freedom our society lives today.
In
The Yellow Wall Paper by Charlotte
Perkins Gilman, a woman is oppressed by men with the idea that she is going
crazy. She displays a different image and intellectual capacity from other
women of her time. She wants to write, she has the capacity to do it but according
to her husband and brother, who are physicians, her condition gets worse as she
develops her intelligence. She does not believe it is that way, she says, “Personally,
I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with
excitement and change, would do me good. But what is one to do?” (Gilman, 316).
she finds herself in a difficult situation where her voice means nothing even
though she has a lot so say. The oppression of her time consumes her desire. Although
from different times, this woman knew what King said, that change does not come
by itself and she tries to look for change. she talks to her husband and tells
him that his treatment is not doing her any good but her husband, in his role
of domination says, "My darling, I beg of you, for my sake and for our
child's sake, as well as for your own, that you will never for one instant let
that idea enter your mind! There is nothing so dangerous, so fascinating, to a
temperament like yours. It is a false and foolish fancy. Can you not trust me
as a physician when I tell you so?” (Gilman, 322). Gilman depicts with no
difficulty the oppression that women had to live during her time because the
story is a narration of her own experience as a woman back then.
Today,
women’s oppression in the United States is not as visual and evident as it was
on Perkin Gilman’s time, but there is oppression in the world. In countries all
over the Middle East women are under men control, just as it was throughout the
centuries. These women are not protected under any constitution. They are
expected to behave a certain way and to follow the parameters provided by their
culture throughout their existence. They are neglected the privilege of having
sexual pleasure. They are thought of as a tool for reproduction. They are not
socially participants of elections or any other form of decision making in
their countries and their lives are not their but their husband’s. Women are
severely punished and oppressed in the Middle East where the fear of exposing
their ideas prevents women from shouting that they need a change.
You can read The Yellow Wallpaper here:http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/wallpaper.html
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