Patriarchal ideology
Patriarchy is said to be a social system that exists in society whereby roles played by men have great influence on how social organizations operate and thus give men authority and power over their wives, children and even society itself. While it is presented as a tool for making society better, patriarchy often results in the oppression of women by men who consider themselves better than their female counterparts and society has accepted and treats them as superior. If not implemented well, patriarchy results to the oppression of women who are either too scared to fight for equality or are convinced that society is better off in the hands of men despite how much they abuse their power. Evidence on the impact that patriarchal ideologies can have in society is demonstrated by the literary works 'A doll house' and 'A street car named desire'. The characters in these two pieces of art portray how women are forced to suffer under men who deem themselves superior and even though they have ability to defy the gender stereotypes that portray them as the weaker sex, the women are unable to because they lack the freedom to do so or because society will not allow them.
A street car named desire is a play by Tennessee Williams which was first performed in 1949 for a women's movement as it was meant to portray how society views American women during this time. However, a closer view of the play reveals the actual truth regarding the power that man was portrayed to possess and how men used this power to oppress women and treat them as lesser beings. Throughout the play, the female characters are presented as victims of patriarchal oppression and thus the play is a reinforcement of the gender stereotypes that exist in society which places men as superior to women.
A good example is seen in the relationship between Stella and Stanley whereby Stanley has all the power, similar to all men in society while Stella is presented as being dependent, and therefore needy, which is a reflection of women in society during that time. When the audience is first introduced to the character Stella, she is presented as a lesser being that is not equal to her husband who is presented as an authority figure and decision maker in the relationship. To begin with, Stanley objectifies Stella when he refers to her as a little woman instead of calling her by her name (Magdic 7). The events occur when Stanley wants to go bowling and Stella has to ask for permission before joining him. From the conversation, one can see that Stanley has little respect for his wife and sees her as a lesser being hence the 'little woman' reference to her. He believes that being a man makes him superior and that Stella; or rather women are lesser beings who are smaller when compared to men. Furthermore, it is clear that the power not only belongs to the man of the house but also that the wife has accepted to live in a relationship where she has no power at all. Instead of offering to accompany her husband as he goes bowling, she has to ask permission as if she is a child. She is presented as being dependent of her husband and willingly stays in a relationship where she is treated as a lesser being and not equal to her husband (Williams 1).
The play further presents women as weak beings who cannot survive on their own in a patriarchal society that gives all the power to men. This is demonstrated by Stella who admits that she finds it unbearable to stay at home when her husband stays away for the night. The dependence on men by women is so intense that Stella confesses to crying on Stanley's laps when he comes home like a child (Magdic 8). To Stella, her husband means everything to her and having to spend a night without him is quite devastating. However, her actions are presented as a form of dependence instead of love as they reinstate Stanley's reference to her as a 'little woman' who needs his permission and guidance and without it, she finds it difficult to survive even if it is just for a day. Instead of treating each other as equals, Stella presents a woman who is submissive to the point of being a child as is the case where she cries on her husband's lap (Williams 1).
While the patriarchal ideologies that exist in society are shown as being a tool for oppressing women and giving all the power to men, the literary works also show that women have the power to defy them and fight for equality or refuse to be oppressed by gender stereotypes that present men as superior beings. This is evident in the play A doll's house' by Henrik Ibsen which guides the audience on a journey that sees the character, Nora suffer under gender stereotypes that favor men but she is able to overcome them and gain freedom from oppression by men. When the play starts, Nora is objectified as she is presented as a trophy wife who is happy despite being married to a patriarchal and controlling husband who views her more as a possession than an equal partner (Muddin 4). Torvald, (Nora's husband) is dissatisfied with the way Nora spends too much money on shopping. In his opinion, Nora is a woman who cannot even control something as easy as budgeting money and she ends up spending more than is necessary. Through Nora, the play presents women as not having the same level of understanding as men and that it is the responsibility of men to not only provide but also control women so that they do not waste or misuse whatever resources the couple has as is demonstrated by Nora's overspending.
Nora is presented as both being an object and also dependent on men throughout her life. She is said to have been passed on from her husband to her husband who now bears the responsibility of taking care of her. Instead of being presented as a woman who had a say in determining when and if she would leave her home and start living with Torvald, she is instead presented as a possession that was given by her father to her husband. However, it is not just the men who view women as possessions that have no say in decisions that affect their lives but also that the women see themselves the same way men view them (Rachma 11) Nora narrates how her opinions were determined by the opinions that her father would have because going against his beliefs and opinions was unacceptable. Nora has accepted that she has to be submissive to the extent that she cannot even have opinions that go against the men in her life and this is extended to her husband. In the statement "Surely you can understand that being with Torvald is a little like being with papa" (Ibsen 504), Nora shows how all men oppress women in society to the extent that women act the same regardless of what role the man plays in their lives. The women are taught to obey while men are authority figures who have all the power and use it as a tool for oppressing women.
The patriarchal ideologies that exist in society also give men a sense of power that makes it easier for them to diminish women especially when they view themselves as the providers. Torvald for example believes that Nora cannot survive on her own and it is up to him to provide her with everything she needs even if she is too naive to understand the value of money or how to manage it. He refers to Nora and women in general, as little birds that have no clue how expensive it is to take care of them (Ibsen 335). In Torvald's opinion, Nora has no idea how the flow of money works and if it was not for his guidance, she would be living in poverty after misusing all her money. His ideologies present Nora as a reckless and careless child who went from being taken care of by her father and now is the responsibility of her husband who has to do practically everything because the only thing she is good at is looking attractive and shopping.
While Nora has been submissive and tolerated a great deal of oppression by a society that favors men, she starts evolving into a woman determined to change the gender stereotypes that portray women as being the weaker sex and dependent on men. An example is the case where she borrows some money with the intent of helping her husband. However, the patriarchal role that husbands, and men are expected to play make it difficult for Torvald to see that his wife was only trying to help. He instead views her actions as a breach of confidence and trust as he cannot get his mind around the fact that his wife can actually make decisions on her own (Rachma 23). Torvald had become so accustomed to his wife being dependent on him and a weak being who would be lost without his guidance and support. He feels threatened by the fact that his wife is no longer dependent on him as he thought as she can clearly make decisions on her own. He prefers that she remains the naive and submissive little girl she used to be but she is more determined to continue with her evolution and is no longer comfortable staying in a loveless marriage that gives all the power to the husband. She discovers that whatever flaws she bears is becasue her father and her husband treated her like a child instead of a woman. They therefore limited her ability to grow and become a person capable of making her own decisions. Her epiphany reveals that women do not need men but rather that men are the cause of all the flaws that women possess and their dependency is as a results of men's unwillingness to let women take control of their lives (Ibsen 621).
Conclusion
From the two plays, it is evident that the patriarchal ideologies that exist in society can be used to oppress women by giving all the power and control to men. Being at the center of major developments in society, men have developed a sense of entitlement that makes them feel superior to women. In the two plays, the women are presented more as possessions that men have but do not need. The women on the other hand are presented as needy and as being unable to survive without men taking care of them. Stella for example is portrayed as a woman unable to survive without her husband even for a night. She constantly seeks his attention and approval even if it means acting like a child. While the same is seen with Nora, the play further shows that men are actually the cause of the challenges that women face. While oppression of women does exist, it is also true that the makings of a patriarchal society offers women the opportunity to free themselves of the control that men have over them and in so doing, break the gender stereotypes that oppress women in society.
Work cited
Ibsen H, "A doll's house" 1879
Magdic M, "Gender stereotyping in Tennessee William's A streetcar named Desire" New York: Penguin Group, 2016
Muddin I, "Patriarchy in Ibsen's A Doll House" 2014
Rachma D, "Patriarchy in society reflected at Henrik Ibsen's A doll's house (1879): A feminist approach" University of Surakarta, 2015
Williams T, "A streetcar named desire" 1947
