After reviewing the article above on global sisterhood answer the following questions: What is global sisterhood and what is it supposed to represent? According to the author, how is this concept oppressive? What is a better alternative?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Title: The Dilemma of Global Sisterhood: Navigating Oppression and Embracing Intersectional Feminism
Thesis Statement: Global sisterhood, as initially conceived, represents a unified movement of women across the world, but the concept has been criticized for being oppressive due to its failure to address the diverse experiences and struggles of women from different cultural, social, and economic backgrounds. A better alternative to global sisterhood is embracing intersectional feminism, which acknowledges and addresses the complexities of gender oppression in relation to other forms of systemic discrimination.
Global sisterhood is a concept that aims to represent a sense of solidarity and unity among women worldwide. It is supposed to embody the idea that women, regardless of their geographical location, ethnicity, or socio-economic status, share common experiences and should work together to achieve gender equality and justice. However, according to the author, the concept of global sisterhood can be oppressive because it tends to homogenize the experiences and struggles of women, disregarding the diverse and intersectional nature of oppression.
The author argues that the notion of global sisterhood often fails to acknowledge the intersecting identities of women, such as race, class, sexuality, and ability. This oversight results in the marginalization of certain groups of women whose experiences do not align with the dominant narrative of feminism. For example, women from marginalized communities in developing countries may face unique challenges that differ from those experienced by women in more privileged societies. By promoting a singular narrative of global sisterhood, these diverse voices are silenced and their specific needs are overlooked.
A better alternative to global sisterhood is embracing intersectional feminism. Intersectional feminism recognizes that women experience oppression in varying ways depending on their intersecting identities and social positions. This framework acknowledges the complexities of gender oppression and seeks to address the interconnected systems of power that perpetuate inequality.
Intersectional feminism encourages dialogue and collaboration among women from different backgrounds while recognizing and respecting the unique struggles they face. By centering the experiences of marginalized women and amplifying their voices, intersectional feminism promotes a more inclusive and equitable approach to addressing gender inequality.
In conclusion, while global sisterhood initially aimed to foster solidarity among women worldwide, it has been criticized for its failure to recognize the diverse experiences and struggles of women from different backgrounds. Embracing intersectional feminism offers a better alternative by acknowledging the complexities of oppression and advocating for a more inclusive and equitable approach to achieving gender equality. It is essential for the feminist movement to adopt an intersectional lens to ensure that all women are heard, valued, and included in the pursuit of gender justice.
