Oppression Of Women In The Handmaids Tale - 1732 Words

The Oppression of Women that is shown in The Handmaid’s Tale When describing the newly established society in The Handmaid’s Tale, the Commander states that â€Å"better never means better for everyone [...] it always means worse, for some† (Atwood, 244). This accurately describes the nature of patriarchal societies, such as the society that is described by Margaret Atwood in The Handmaid’s Tale. The Republic of Gilead is a patriarchal society that has religious, and patriarchal values that benefit the men in the society, at the expenses of the women of the society. Atwood also develops the oppressive nature of the society through the use of her stylistic choices throughout the novel. Finally, Offred’s experiences in her past life, and her†¦show more content†¦The women of the society are reduced to clearly defined roles that have been traditionally been assigned to women in the past. By being required to fulfil their roles, the women of th e society are treated as objects that are solely valued for their functionality, and are discarded when they are no longer needed. Another way that the women of the Republic of Gilead are oppressed is by preventing women from reading. In the society, women are not allowed to read, and to deter this, the government removes any literature that women may possibly be able to read. For example, the signs for shops are replaced by images of what the store sells, and Offred explains that the government â€Å"decided that even the names of shops were too much temptation for us† (Atwood, 28). This policy demonstrates the totalitarian control that the government has, and how it uses its power to suppress women. In addition to the control of the government, the social hierarchy of the society shows how the position, and roles of women are less valued than the positions that are reserved for men. In the Republic of Gilead, males are able to hold dominant positions such as lawmakers, sold iers, guardians, or as members of the Eyes, which is a secret police. The positions that are reserved for women mainly involve doing household chores or bearing, and taking care of children. These roles are thought to be traditionalShow MoreRelatedOppression on Women in Margaret Atwoods the Handmaids Tale and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis966 Words   |  4 PagesOppression on Women in Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, is memoir of a little girl growing in Iran. She refers to a secular pre revolutionary time through contrast, the oppressive characteristics of the fundamentalist government upon women in particular. Her work is a lot similar to Margaret Atwoods, A Handmaid’s Tale, in which the protagonist Offred reflects upon her former life’s freedom, cherishing her former name and in doingRead MoreThoughts on Feminism and Dystopia in the Handmaid’s Tale Essay1044 Words   |  5 PagesENGL 252-01 28 November 2012 Thoughts on Feminism and Dystopia in The Handmaid’s Tale The Annotated Bibliography Dopp, Jamie. Subject-Position as Victim-Position in The Handmaids Tale. Studies in Canadian Literature / Études en littà ©rature canadienne [Online], 19.1 (1994): n. page. Web. 27 Nov. 2012 Dopp believes that Dopp believes that the goal of The Handmaid’s Tale is to work against the oppression of women, While he feels that is actually does the opposite. Dopp Argues that theRead MoreCultural Criticism In The Handmaids Tale By Margaret Atwood1011 Words   |  5 Pageswide range of topics to analyze literature. Cultural criticism considers a variety of perspectives and branches of knowledge to discover the compilation of beliefs and customs that characterize a group of people. For a cultural reading of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, a cultural critic would consider the historical background paired with theories such as Marxism and feminism to make assumptions about what culture engendered the creation of this novel. (104 words) Cultural criticismRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1516 Words   |  7 PagesThe Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, explores the idea of physical and mental oppression through hierarchy, patriarchy, manipulation of history, surveillance and finally, community identity; hence the main character’s name â€Å"Offred† or ‘Of-Fred’ if you will. 1984, by George Orwell, covers this by including configuration of language; the characters have a new language called â€Å"Newspeak† and are also constantly watched by the government and the â€Å"Thought Police.† The hierarchy in The Handmaid’s TaleRead MoreThe Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1709 Words   |  7 PagesOne of Atwood’s bestselling novel is The Handmaid’s Tale, a disturbing dystopian fiction novel. The Handmaid’s Tale is a complex tale of a woman’s life living in a society that endorses sexual slavery and inequality through oppression and fear. The female characters in Margaret Atwood’s novel demonstrates how these issues affects women’s lives. Offred is the individual with whom we sympathize and experience these issues. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood addresses her perception of the ongoingRead MoreThe Handmaids Tale Essay1591 Words   |  7 Pagesreading The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, one notices the tragedy of women losing rights. Imagine the feelings of losing all rights and freedoms; how hard the transition would be from an American society, centered on freedoms, to the society where Offred lives in The Handmaid’s Tale. Thankfully for all Americans, Atwood’s prediction of what society would become in the future was inaccurate. But, not all countries enjoy the same freedoms and luxuries as America does; the treatment of women in MiddleRead More Essay on A Society of Oppression in A Handmaids Tale745 Words   |  3 PagesA Society of Oppression in A Handmaids Tale      Ã‚   As the saying goes, history repeats itself. If one of the goals of Margaret Atwood was to prove this particular point, she certainly succeeded in her novel A Handmaids Tale. In her Note to the Reader, she writes, The thing to remember is that there is nothing new about the society depicted in The Handmaidens Tale except the time and place. All of the things I have written about ...have been done before, more than once... (316). AtwoodRead MoreMargaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale1537 Words   |  7 Pagesauthor of both Lady Oracle and The Handmaid’s Tale. Both of these novels follow the conventions of the oppression of women. Lady Oracle is the narrative in which Joan Foster, the first-person narrator, tells the story of her life. Spanning the time period of the early 1940s through 1970s, Joan’s story describes her growing up in Toronto, becoming an author of gothic romances, marrying and faking her suicide to escape the complicated turmoil of her life. The H andmaid’s Tale takes place in a city what usedRead More Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale Essay1246 Words   |  5 PagesAtwoods The Handmaids Tale In The Handmaids Tale, Margaret Atwood tells a saddening story about a not-to-distant future where toxic chemicals and abuses of the human body have resulted in many men and women alike becoming sterile. The main character, Offred, gives a first person encounter about her subservient life as a handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, a republic formed after a bloody coup against the United States government. She and her fellow handmaids are fertile women that the leadersRead MoreEssay about Handmaids Tale vs Persepolis971 Words   |  4 PagesDavid Miller Oppression on Women in Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis Marjane Satrapi, in Persepolis writes about a memoir of a little girl growing in Iran. She refers to a secular pre-revolutionary time through contrast, the oppressive characteristics of the fundamentalist government upon women in specifics. In comparison, her work is very similar to Margaret Atwood’s, A Handmaid’s Tale, in which the central character, Offred, reflects upon her former life’s

From Vergil s Georgics, Book I ( Trans - 1715 Words

2. From Vergil’s Georgics, book I (trans. A.S. Kline 2001) The Georgics is a poem in four books by Latin poet Virgil. The subject of the poem is agriculture; but rather than be about idyllic rural life, there is tension and difficulty. The title is a fitting one, as it is derived from the Greek word georgika, which means â€Å"agriculture† (Perseus Project). The poem is on the subject of early man living off the land, only to have Jupiter (The Roman name for Zeus) add considerably more difficulties in rural life which in turn forces man to adapt or die. The reason for this being is that man must develop skills to survive the harsh wilderness in order to become worthy inhabitants of the land the gods gave them. Essentially, it is survival of the fittest. The poem is crafted with deliberate tension. Of chief importance is the contribution of labour to the success or failure of mankind’s endeavors, agricultural or otherwise. The poem is didactic, and is composed in hexameters, additionally the poem is modeled in a similar manner to Hesiod’s Works and Days. Hesiod’s poem shares similar themes to Georgics, it emphasizes man’s relationship with the land they live on and the importance of hard work to ensure survival. Both poems are didactic, which is a way of writing that emphasizes instructional and informative qualities. This comes as unsurprising as both writers promote labour and emphasizes its importance for achieving a comfortable life. There

Causes Of The American Revolution - 718 Words

The American Revolution took place from 1765 to 1783. There are many well known reasons for the start of the American Revolution like king George III trying to impose tyranny over all the people by heavily taxing the American people and also the problem with trying to control people from the other side of the world. But there is one reason that is often not mentioned, and that is the American Revolution was also fought to preserve slavery. At the time slavery was a normal thing and to think about it being abolished was one of the most radical thoughts one could have. But in 1772 the fate of history was changed for ever, Lord Mansfield a judge of England ruled in the case of an escaped slave named James Somerset who was an escaped†¦show more content†¦The Irony of American Revolution and their fight for freedom became very self evident in the Declaration of Independence when they speak of all men are created equal and â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† John Dickinson of Pennsylvania wrote during the midst of the stamp act crisis, that since they are being taxed without their own consent â€Å"we are therefore slaves.†(5) This was very ironic because he was the largest slaveholder in philadelphia at the time. This just goes on to prove that many wealthy slave owners were not only fighting for freedom but also to preserve slavery. â€Å"The rhetoric of freedom that animated the Revolution did not apply to America’s original sin, the widespread system of slavery that fueled the southern economy.†(2) In other words the fight for freedom during the American revolution mocked the culture of America for enslaving others, therefore it was a fight for freedom Just for the white males and if the south lost their slaves they lost their economy. In Jeffersons draft of the declaration he strongly denounced the king for continuing the slave trade and introducing it into the colonies, unfortunately these word were dropped with the persuasion of the southern colonies, saying that slavery did not go far as to violate the â€Å"most sacred rights of life and liberty.†(3) Once again this evidence shows that many powerful people but not all of them wanted independence from Britain for the protection of slavery and forShow MoreRelatedThe Revolution : The Cause Of The American Revolution1898 Words   |  8 Pages The American Revolution was the turning point for the colonies that made up the United States today. It was the war that freed the colonists from British control. But what actually caused the American Revolution? Well, there’s no simple answer to that question. In fact, most of the causes acted as if they were dominoes. These events can be categorized in four periods of time or setting. These groups are, Salutary neglect, Mercantilism, Boston, and Unity of protests. Salutary neglect was the ideaRead MoreCauses Of The American Revolution1202 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout history ma ny revolutions took place, ranging from the unremarkable to a truly memorable, as the French revolution, the American Revolution, and the Bolshevik Revolution, but American revolution took place in 1775-1783. The revolution was different from other revolution because of growing tensions between residents of Great Britain’s 13 North American colonies and the colonial government because American revolution was not like the others. This revolution was not like the others becauseRead MoreCauses Of The American Revolution738 Words   |  3 Pagesas the American Revolution, or the Revolutionary War. The American Revolution was a war between the colonists of America and Great Britain and they were fighting over the independence of America from Britain. This war lasted until 1781, when the British surrendered to the Americans, As a result, America is a fully independent country and it has stayed that way since that day. There were many causes of the war, The Stamp Act, the Boston Te a Party, and Lexington and Concord. The first cause of theRead MoreCauses Of The American Revolution913 Words   |  4 Pages While the american revolution was caused from taxes, it was also formed from the effects of a corrupt system of government. The effects of britains rule was a much bigger flame for the revolution then the taxes placed upon citizens. The american revolution was an event that will forever shape us as a country. It was a tough war filled with blood and brutal acts of violence, but it was also an awakening for the colonies that will later become the United States, it showed that while under a governmentRead MoreCauses Of The American Revolution880 Words   |  4 Pages The American Revolution is the most important time in all of American history. This brought the birth of a new country and the treasured constitution. In the beginning, colonists were proud to be British. In the years to come, there were small occurrences that bothered the colonists and led to the Revolution. Other countries contributed to the start of a crueller British control. The French and Indian War caused King George III to introduce expensive taxes (Pavao). These taxes came about becauseRead MoreCauses Of The American Revolution1335 Words   |  6 Pageswere multiple causes for the American Revolution, but the most important was the violation and deprivation of rights from the American People. The American people were faced with multiple acts and taxes that violated and took away their rights. Americans were continuously being taxed after the French and Indian War by acts like the sugar act, the stamp act, the Townshend acts,the tea act, and many more(Hedtke, et al., The Ame rican Saga). Despite all the taxes being placed on the Americans and the thingsRead MoreCauses of the American Revolution953 Words   |  4 PagesEmily Thou Mr. G./ Period 1 September 14, 2012 Causes of the American Revolution The American Revolution began in 1755 as an open conflict between the thirteen colonies and Great Britain. The Treaty of Paris had ended that war in 1783, giving the colonies their own independence. There are many factors contributing to the start of the Revolution, but the war began as the way The Great Britain treated the colonies versus the way the colonies felt they should be treated. For example, the FrenchRead MoreCauses Of The American Revolution886 Words   |  4 PagesThe American Revolution began on April 19, 1775. It was the war between Great Britain and its colonies located in the New World. The colonists, as many historians put it, were like children rebelling against the motherland; however, they had many valid reasons for this revolt, including their desire for freedom and independence. My World History textbook says freedom was falsely promised when the colonists had settled (Krull 868). The more direct causes of this widely known rebellion include taxesRead MoreCaus es Of The American Revolution1344 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican Revolution The causes of the American Revolution go back to the beginning of salutary neglect and the French and Indian War, as well as changes in the thinking of society. The effects of these events and other factors led to pressure within the colonies, ultimately resulting in rebellion. There were five factors to the nature of the American Revolution: The Environment, The Enlightenment, Self-Government, Economic Independence and Colonial Unity. The first factor that led to the AmericanRead MoreCauses Of The American Revolution813 Words   |  4 PagesCauses Before the American Revolution, any imports from England from us had to come in ships owned by the British. Also, we could only sell tobacco and sugar to England. The British took French territory in Canada, east of the Mississippi River, and Spanish Florida which led to the American Revolution. Due to the war, Britain went in debt so, the British government placed taxes on goods so they could make more money. But that’s not all that led to the American Revolution, both the us and the French

The Theme of Perversity in Edgar Allen Poe’s the Black Cat

The Theme of Perversity in Edgar Allen Poe’s The Black Cat ENG 201 American Literature to 1865 2/28/2012 The Black Cat is a tale that leaves the reader somewhat perplexed. It certainly contains all the ingredients necessary to satisfy the appetite of any Poe enthusiast - an enigmatic narrator, alcohol and the effects thereof, mutilation, strangulation, murder, putrefaction, and, last but not least, one of Poes slight (but recurring) obsessions, perversity - but we are left wondering whether the tale really amounts to anything much at all. One could almost split this short story into two halves: one that contains a couple of ideas worth considering; and another that simply indulges briefly in an unlikely plot before grinding to a†¦show more content†¦One day when the narrator and his wife are visiting the cellar in their new home, the cat gets under its maters feet, nearly tripping him. In a fury, the man grabs an axe and tried to kill the cat but is stopped by his wife and ends up killing her with the axe instead. Near the beginning of the tale, the narrator says he would be mad indeed if he should expect a reader to believe the story implying that he has already been accused of madness. This confession can be applied to the actions the narrator takes until and after he mistakenly murders his wife. During the process of proving that he is not mad, we increasingly see the actions of a madman who knows that he is going mad but who, at times, is able to objectively comment on the process of his increasing madness, Any sane human would most likely (hopefully) seek legal assistance and promptly report such a tragic accident. A reasonable person would understand that certain repercussions for their manslaughter would be necessary but far better than attempting to conceal the crime. The narrator in The Black Cat uses his more vicious judgment and decides to hide her body in the wall. After carefully removing enough bricks, placing the corpse in the empty space, and repairing the hole the narrator feels satisfied with his efforts. When the police come to inves tigate the disappearance, a fewShow MoreRelatedPsychoanalytic Analysis on the Black Cat649 Words   |  3 Pageson The Black Cat By Edgar Allan Poe First of all, let us go into the world of â€Å"The Black Cat† and delve into the inner workings of the dark side of the human mind. The Black Cat is a story that leaves the reader perplexed to some extent. It certainly contains all the ingredients necessary to satisfy the appetite of any Poe enthusiast – an enigmatic narrator, alcohol , mutilation, strangulation, murder, and, last but not least, one of Poes slight obsessions, perversity In the story

Malls in America Free Essays

When observing an autocratic atmosphere, one’s mind, body and soul becomes engrossed within their surroundings. Richard Francaviglia highlights this perspective through his article â€Å"The Mall as Disneyland. † H e explains how Walt Disney’s Main Street USA has set the precedent for all malls around America because it incorporates all aspects that entice one to enter this environment. We will write a custom essay sample on Malls in America or any similar topic only for you Order Now David Guterson maintains a similar perspective in relation to Francaviglia’s article. Guterson further enlightens the reader in his article â€Å"The Mall as Prison† on the negative effects the Mall of America has, compared to Disneyland. The previous articles have provided thorough explanations on the social atmosphere of malls, whereas Lizabeth Cohen’s article â€Å"The Mall as Threat to Democratic Values,† addresses the legal aspects of malls in America. Each article, although not identical in their views, are effective in explaining each aspect a mall in America encompasses by using strong evidence to support each position maintained throughout the articles. Walt Disney played a larger role in American society than just providing entertainment; many developers turn to his park, Main Street USA, for ideas when they are designing modern American shopping malls. Walt Disney purposely designed Main Street USA to create a joyful environment. He carefully designed each of his small towns to a specific feature. One of those towns, Main Street USA, sole purpose was social interaction. Shopping malls are an abstract reincarnation of Disney’s Main Street USA. According to Richard Francaviglia in his article â€Å"The Mall as Disneyland,† Disney’s Main Street does not feature those inevitable services that indicate the other side, or darker sides of life. † He did not have pool halls, bars, or funeral parlors in his town. Disney tried to make fantasy come true. He used magical lighting to brighten up his town at night. By placing abstract images in exact spots he made reality appear joyful. Like malls today, Disney made his town so perfect that people would not want to leave. David Guterson’s narrative about the Mall of America delves into several facets that are embedded throughout the mall both physically and mentally. A vivid description about the mall’s interior design makes the audience feel like they have visited the mall. Guterson describes how people, individually and as a society, are affected psychologically by this pseudo-metropolis. The grandeur of the mall is, without question, second to none. Shoppers are drawn to visit because of all the modern frills contained within. A theme ark, arcade, hundreds of shops, and eateries are the staples of the mall, but the gardens, flowers, and trees define the mall as being â€Å"the best of the best. † The atmosphere created by combining â€Å"Mother Earth† with twentieth century technology creates a certain mystique to the mall and gives the shopper a very comfortable place to spend the day or maybe even days. In â€Å"The Mall as Disneyland† Disney himself does not sh ow any form of dark side of life, he created an abstracted image that it is so tempting to confuse with reality. Main Street USA is not the only instance of a shopping center providing an alternate sense of reality. In David Guterson’s writing â€Å"The Mall as Prison†, malls are compared to prisons. Guterson writes about how every mall can be like a prison, or an entrapment for the mind. There are, as Guterson points out, no windows or clocks or anything else to distract you from your shopping. Therefore you are consumed in the atmosphere which was built for the sole purpose of spending money and not thinking of reality. In Lizabeth Cohen’s article she states the legal actions malls have to endure when confronted with situations of free speech and social class. Diverse social groups are no longer integrated into central consumer marketplaces but rather are confined to differentiated retail institutions, segmented markets, and new hierarchies. In â€Å"The Mall as Disneyland† and â€Å"The Mall as A Prison† you are not limited to public shopping malls, according to your social status. Everyone is treated equally. Their main goal is to consume you into their world, the owners of the malls have used business strategies to keep their public focused on one thing; buying. By keeping you engaged with majestic structures and great distractions of light shows, movie theatres, roller coaster and much more. How to cite Malls in America, Papers

Modern China free essay sample

O’Dwyer Imagine if your brother raised your children and your husband visited a few times a week. This is the ancient cultural practice of the Mosuo people – one of the last surviving matriarchal societies in the world. Image: Musuo woman Du Zhi Ma, 68, poses in front colorful Musuo textiles at her home in Luoshui Village on the edge of Lugu Lake. (Dave Tacon) In a remote corner of Southwest China in the Yunnan province, the Mosuo people live as one of the world’s last matriarchal societies. Erin O’Dwyer visited a Mosuo village to produce a documentary for 360documentaries. In the village women are the head of the household, children are raised in the mothers home and uncles play father to their sister’s children. In villages that sprawl around pristine Lake Lugu—high on the Tibetan plateau in Yunnan province, about a day’s journey from the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city Lijiang—women are head of the household. They control the wealth, inherit the property and do most of the manual and household labour. Children are raised in the mothers household and uncles play father to their sister’s children. People say the Mosuo are a matriarchal society but actually it’s a matrilineal society, says French anthropologist Pascale-Marie Milan, who is living with the Mosuo as part of her PhD research. There are matrilineal societies in India and Africa but those societies have marriage. In the Mosuo society there is no marriage. In their custom, the man visits the woman in the night. It’s the only society that does that now. In the Mosuo’s dialect there is no word for husband or father. In a walking marriage, a woman can take as many lovers as she pleases. A man comes to a woman’s house at night, arriving under cover of darkness and leaving again before dawn. The relationship is only made public once children come along. Even then, lovers live separately and can end their relationship easily. Adult males stay living in their mother’s homes, and the childr en and property always belong to the mother. Image: The Mosuo girls dress in elaborate costumes for the fire dance. If a boy is interested in a girl he taps her on the hand during the dance. (Dave Tacon) Image: Mosuo villagers perform a fire dance for tourists. (Dave Tacon) Anthropologists believe walking marriages could have begun as early as the 8th century. It was a way of protecting family wealth and keeping the family clan together. And despite a push towards traditional marriage from the Chinese Government for the past half-century, walking marriage is still the norm among the Mosuo. Its practised as widely by young people in their twenties as it is among their grandparents. Because we do walking marriage, we have no idea what it’s like to live with your wife in a conventional marriage, says a 23-year-old Mosuo man, who lives with his mother, grandmother, two older sisters and two of his eldest sister’s children. Walking marriage was part of our culture from ancient times so I as a Mosuo boy should follow the tradition. In the Mosuo’s dialect there is no word for husban d or father. In a walking marriage, a woman can take as many lovers as she pleases. A man comes to a woman’s house at night, arriving under cover of darkness and leaving again before dawn. Now, though, the Mosuos ancient ways are at the mercy of modern China. Domestic tourism is exploding across the country and tourists are coming to Lake Lugu in rapidly rising numbers. The same new roads that bring the tourists to see the Mosuo’s rare culture and stunning mountain-and-lake home are also taking young people away from the villages for the first time. Teahouse owner Xiao Ming, 25, spent five years working in factories in Guan Dong province before returning to Lake Lugu two years ago. He came home wanting to find a girl and settle down. In the city I realised that our way of seeing relationships is totally different, says Xiao Ming. People I met didn’t know about our walking marriage. I was dating a girl and I told her about our traditions and she said she wouldn’t be my girlfriend anymore. He continues, What I discovered in the city is that one woman is meant to be with one man. In the city I saw older people holding hands and walking in the park to gether. I feel like relationships should be stable and you should stay together for better or for worse. You Zhen Zhuo Ma, a medical student in her mid-twenties studying in neighbouring Sichuan province, is more circumspect. She says she will continue walking marriage if the right guy comes along. But already she is one of the best educated people in her village. In the end her decision to honour Mosuo traditions will depend on whether she returns to Lake Lugu to live and work. Image: Aya Si Geng Ma, 69, the head of a Mosuo household of eleven in Luoshui Village on the edge of Lugu Lake, carries food scraps to be fed to pigs in the courtyard of her familes home. The region around Lugu Lake is home to the matriarchial Musuo ethnic minority who practice Tibetan Buddhism. Mosuo women are responsible for much of their households manual labor. (Dave Tacon) Image: Young Mosuo men enjoy beer and a card called called Fighting the Landlord at a village near Lugu Lake. (Dave Tacon) But I don’t think our culture will necessarily change because of better education, she says. With more education, people are able go out and learn more about the world. They learn alternative ways of thinking and can voice their opinions and consider any problems in more dynamic ways. Image: La Chuo Zhu Ma, 27, in traditional dress before a fire dance in Xiaoluoshui, a village on the edge of Lugu Lake. Each night, around 400 tourists are charged 30 CNY (around 50 cents) to attend these spectacles. Profits are evenly distributed throughout the surrounding villages. (Dave Tacon) Hear more about the Mosuo and their way of life at 360documentaries. From http://www. abc. net. au/radionational/programs/360/kingdom-of-women/4649198 accessed Monday, 6 May 2013 Read page 1 amp; 2 then listen to the documentary ( at https://soundcloud. com/abc_rn/kingdom-of-women ) or use the file on moodle. What is a matriarchal society? (what characteristics define it in this document and audio presentation) . . . Women are the head of the household; children are raised in the mothers home and uncles play father to their sister’s children. 2 Why do people want to visit the Mosuo? Because of their culture. 3 What are the features of new society mentioned at 8-9 minutes? Washing mach ine, high speed internet, satellite TV, ipads, clothes 4 Pork house? How long do pigs stay in the pork house? 10 years 5 When are the pigs/pork used? Festivities 6 They talk to the son at 13 minutes. What is his job? Build houses, do the heavy labour work, go down to the field, tourist, help his sister. 7 What do the women do? Take care of the children and animals, housework, the cooking. 8 At what age do they become adults? 13 9 But when do they start walking marriage? 18 10 What happens if they declare their walking marriage? (at about 15 minutes) They have children and they stay together until the death of their partner. 11 What is the dance that it mentioned in the audio (17:45). Fire dance, dressing up 12 What do they do during the dance to let the other person know if they are interested in them? 1/22 mins Dance around the fire, holding hands together. When boys are interested in someone, they will touch that person three times, and if the girls are interested too, she will response and do the same thing to the boy too. 13 What is the name of the goddess (23mins) Gemu 14 What is important about the lake? lake keep them alive and feed their family 15 Who/what is the Dahba (24mins) Local sham an 16 What does the Dahba do? (25mins) Protect Mosuo and locals. 17 What is the â€Å"Life and Death Gate†? Small cupboard 18 What has tourism brought to the village? More changes 9 How is tourism a blessing and a curse? It brings prosperity to the village, makes the village more unsafe 20 What are the moral restrictions on Walking Marriage? (32. 30min) Stay together if the relationship is public and the whole village will know. If one of them doesn’t like the other they will criticize them and the whole village will know. 21 What does a Mosou family leader do? Start the fire, burn incense, re-new the fruit offerings to the gods, make breakfast, feed pigs, and organize chores for the day, take everything in the household. 22 Who is responsible for the children? Everybody 23 What type of tea is shared? (37 mins) Thick Yak butter tea 24 How did the rich family punish her? (38mins) and what work did she do for them? She takes care the animals. Tie her hands and spray her with cold water. 25 What happened when the Red Army arrived? The rich landlords fled and officials made her head of the household. 26 What was the result of the Cultural Revolution? Stop practicing their tradition 27 What is the Mosou boat called? Pig’s trough boat 28 Cha Ming left Lake Lugu as a 17yo. Now he has returned, why? Tired of that kind of working life. 9 How has his view of marriage changed? Because of a girl he learnt that normally woman is supposed to be with one man. It made him wanted to settle down with one girl and marry her and stay with her 30 Modernisation is changing things; travel into the valley is now reduced to 6 hours. More tourists come. There are not many jobs so this encourages people to move away. A new airport will bring more high end tour ists. What are the anticipated problems? (45-47 mins) Bring more high end cooperatives, they get less shared of the wealth, the culture maybe deistroy.