Misogyny is a recurring theme within Native Son. Compose an argumentative essay explaining how the aggression against the women in the text perpetuates sexism. Use “What Bigger Killed For: Rereading Violence Against Women in Native Son” to corroborate your argument.
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 Perpetuation of Sexism: Misogyny and Violence Against Women in Native Son
Introduction
Richard Wright’s novel, Native Son, is a powerful and thought-provoking work that explores numerous themes, including racism, poverty, and violence. One recurring theme that stands out is misogyny, which is evident through the aggression against women in the text. This essay aims to argue how the acts of violence against women in Native Son perpetuate sexism. The argument will be supported by the article “What Bigger Killed For: Rereading Violence Against Women in Native Son” by Julie H. Kim.
Thesis Statement
The aggression and violence towards women in Native Son serve to perpetuate sexism by reinforcing harmful stereotypes, highlighting the lack of agency for women, and ultimately normalizing the mistreatment of women within society.
Reinforcing Harmful Stereotypes
Throughout Native Son, the female characters are consistently portrayed as objects of desire and control, which reinforces harmful stereotypes. Bigger’s interactions with women, such as his girlfriend Bessie and Mary Dalton, illustrate this point. Bessie is depicted as a submissive and dependent woman who becomes a victim of Bigger’s violence. On the other hand, Mary is portrayed as a rebellious and sexually liberated woman who meets a tragic end at Bigger’s hands.
According to Kim’s article, these portrayals contribute to the perpetuation of sexism by reinforcing the notion that women are either submissive or rebellious, and that their worth lies solely in their relationship to men. This further entrenches societal expectations and stereotypes about women’s behavior and roles.
Highlighting the Lack of Agency for Women
The aggression against women in Native Son also serves to highlight the lack of agency that women have within the story. Bessie, for instance, is portrayed as having little control over her own life. She is dependent on Bigger for financial support and succumbs to his demands because she lacks other opportunities. Similarly, Mary is depicted as rebelling against societal norms but ultimately fails to escape the control of men.
Kim’s article supports this argument by explaining that the violence against women in Native Son serves as a reflection of the limited agency women had during that time period. By portraying women as powerless victims or rebellious figures who ultimately fail to liberate themselves, the novel reinforces the idea that women are inherently subservient to men.
Normalizing Mistreatment of Women
The acts of violence against women in Native Son contribute to the normalization of mistreatment towards women within society. Bigger’s violent actions towards both Bessie and Mary are not only condoned but also treated with indifference by other characters in the novel. This normalization is further emphasized when Bigger is tried for murder but not for rape or assault against women.
Kim argues that this normalization perpetuates sexism by downplaying the severity of violence against women and treating it as an expected part of life. By not holding Bigger accountable for his actions towards women, society at large is complicit in allowing such mistreatment to continue.
Conclusion
In conclusion, misogyny is a recurring theme within Native Son, as evidenced by the aggression against women in the text. The acts of violence perpetuate sexism by reinforcing harmful stereotypes, highlighting the lack of agency for women, and normalizing the mistreatment of women within society. Richard Wright’s novel serves as a reminder that despite progress in gender equality over time, there is still much work to be done to combat sexism and promote gender equity.
