"The Post-feminist Woman"

What do you think feminising our society would involve?
I think that feminising our society would involve women becoming a great deal more involved in every day life. For example, women taking on roles and jobs that are more traditionally associated with men. It would make women seem a lot more capable than they already do seem, giving them the professional power as well as power in the home.

What effects do you think the women's movement has had?
I believe that the women's movement has helped women become a lot more equal in society than they once were. Suffragettes fought very hard for equal rights for women and I feel that their fight has been carried on into more modern years, with women not giving up the fight for equal rights.

In which areas do you think things have changed since 1984 and in what ways do you think things are the same?
Since 1984, women have continued to become even more independent and women have a great deal more freedom now than they did then. In the article, Jong writes "Women still earn about 60 cents for each dollar men earn" which shows that although women are now accepted in the work place, they are not considered totally equal and are not financially superior to men. Now however, most women earn the same amount as men as they are not considered less important.

Do you agree that having to be the main carer for children is what oppresses women?
No, I do not feel that this is the case as I believe that most women have a maternal instinct and choose to have children. Nowadays, a lot of men decide to stay at home to look after children as opposed to the women leaving work to look after children. Caring for children is no longer a chore for women and it is not something they are obliged to do.

Radio play script

Radio Script


Characters 
Fiona, Rochelle, Betty

Three friends are on a hen night party in a bar
SFX : Background noise in a bar

Betty : Are you excited then, love?
Rochelle : That's one word for it!
Fiona : Can't believe you're getting married! Are you ready to be a wife? It'll be weird won't it?
Rochelle : Eugh, don't use the word wife! It makes me sound so old! Like the old ball and chain or something (laughs)
Betty : What d'ya mean?
Rochelle : Well y'know! Settling down, it seems so (pauses) middle aged.
Betty : But you love him!
Fiona : Yeah, you love him don't ya?
Rochelle : Of course I do, but I dunno if I'm ready to cook him dinner every night and wash his bloody socks all the time! (they all laugh)
Betty : Aw come on, you know it won't be like that.
Rochelle : That's not what he thinks. He's sure I'll be the perfect little housewife, cooking his meals, rubbing his feet, washing his clothes and all that! Sounds like it's the good life from now on for me, ladies!
Fiona : I'm sure you'll eventually get used to the role though.
Betty : Yeah, you'll probably end up being a right little housewife!
Rochelle : Desperate Housewives more like! (they all laugh)
Betty : Nah, I bet you'll love it!
Rochelle : I'm telling you, I'm not gonna end up like that! I can't even imagine how dull it'd be, to give up my job and all just to take care of him as if he's a king or something. The same thing, day in day out. I'd go mad.
Fiona : Yeah, but then I guess some people must love it.
Betty : Yeah, the husbands! (they all laugh)




Commentary
I initially started of listing the setting and the SFX's as this is very important in radio production. Because there is nothing to see, sound is very important and it must be made clear where the production is set so that the audience can gain a mental picture of the production.
          I used a lot of colloquial language and contractions to make the conversation seem friendly and informal. I realised that the audience would not be able to see that the three characters were friends so the way they spoke would have to reflect this. I also used a lot of SFX to show the friendship between the girls, using laughter to show that they're joking around together and having a good time.
          I tried to draw from the text, 'Why I want a wife', when writing my script. I tried to show the attitudes of the women and how they feel about their "responsibilities" in comparison to how the men see it. I feel I achieved this reasonably well but possibly could have drawn from the text even more.

How satire is use in 'Why I want a wife'

Satire is the use of ridicule or sarcasm to deliberately mock something. 'Why I want a wife' is a satirical piece of writing, mocking the contextual stereotype of wives at the time.
          At the beginning of the text, the author, Judy Syfers, uses satire to poke fun at the idea of the apparently dreary lives that wives at that time led. Syfer writes "As I thought about him while I was ironing one evening". This is clearly untrue and used for satirical effect. The present tense verb 'ironing' connotes the almost never ending amount of housework done by the wives at the time.
          The use of satire is very important in this text as it shows Syfers attitude towards the stereotype and her strong disagreement with the idea that as soon as a woman marries, she must give up everything to fit in with the conventional way of life.

Novel extract

Novel
Bitch. The (slang) term is defined as a malicious, unpleasant, selfish woman. It's a shock when you find out that that is how people see you and think of you. It's difficult to accept. It's a word that rings in your ears after the first time you hear it. People didn't seem to want to like me. 
        It's worse to hear something like that when it's not said to your face. When it's said candidly. When it's muttered, whispered or hissed behind your back. Some people may say they'd rather have it said behind their back but they're lying. It's worse to know that there's so much more that they've probably said. That's how I feel. It plays on my mind all the time. I have to smile and pretend as if I didn't hear anything, as if I don't know what they really think of me.
        Even if they knew that I knew, what could I do? I can hardly condemn people for their opinions, choosing to dislike them simply because they don't like me. Part of me thinks of playing up to the part, showing them what a bitch really is.
        Is it something to be embraced? Is it something to be reveled in? How is one supposed to enjoy being a bitch? I don't quite understand how it's a positive thing. I've tried my best to try and be ok with it but it makes everything more difficult. I'm always paranoid at work that everyone is judging my personality, talking about me behind my back.


Commentary
I started my extract with a one-word sentence in order to gain the audiences attention. The fact that I started it off with the term "bitch" then leaves the audience wondering what the extract will be about, as the term has numerous meanings. I think it's important to start writing with something that will attract attention and make people want to keep reading.
        I used a lot of rhetorical questions throughout my writing to engage the audience, making them feel involved and interested in what they are reading. I also used repetition of terms to reinforce points and emphasise my opinions.
        I used powerful past tense verbs like "muttered", "whispered" and "hissed" to connote gossiping and being two faced.

Article

Article
Should married women work? Is the sky blue? These questions do not need answers, they are plainly obvious. It seems trivial for anyone to question if a married woman should work. Why is a married woman any different from an unmarried woman, and more importantly why is any woman at all different from a man?
        Our society is crumbling. Less and less people are working, relying on the government to pay for their lives. What happened to Britains 'get up and go' attitude, getting through whatever troubles and working no matter what? Now people want any excuse to avoid having to do the slightest bit of work. Surely this pathetic attitude towards work and society should be motivation enough for any man or woman to want to work.
        I would like to marry and become a mother as much as the next woman but this aspiration in no way means that I will suddenly want to become dependant on my husband when I settle down. If I was to bring a life into the world, I believe it would be more my responsibility than anyone elses to provide for that life. Granted, I would want a good few months after giving birth to stay off work, put my feet up and watch daytime television, but this in no way means I would want to give up work for good! I feel I am too much of an independent person to suddenly give everything up and dedicate my life to cooking, cleaning and mothering. This is not to say that I would never cook, clean or be an active mother, but I feel that every lifestyle needs a healthy balance and if you eliminate all of something from your life in favour of something else, it is not a decent balance.
        It seems futile for women to have fought so hard for the vote and equal rights for so long, if no women want to be equal!§


Commentary
I started my essay with a rhetorical question to engage my audience and make them want to continue reading. I structured my writing featuring a short introduction in which I asked questions and simply introduced what I'd be talking about, I tried not to give too much of my opinion away too quickly.
        I started my second paragraph with a short, shocking statement. I feel that this keeps the reader interested as it's such a shocking statement therefore meaning they would want to read on and read further evidence to back this point up.
        In my third paragraph, I drew from personal experience in order to give a personal, more involved approach to my writing. I believe that the audience will agree with an opinion more if it is backed up and the writer has personal experience in the issue.

Interview with a Suffragette
"Feminism. What does it mean? Has the suffragette movement made changes for how women are treated? Today we'll explore this issue in further detail and even speak in depth with a woman directly involved with the movement. Was the fight worth it? Let's hear from Emily, a feminist very much involved in fighting for womens rights and equality for women. Emily, why do you feel so strongly on the subject?"

"I believe that there is no reason for women to be treated any differently to men. There is no evidence that women are any less capable of anything than me. Understandably, some women prefer to be treated differently to men as they consider this the traditional approach but the opinions of this minority should not be enforced on every woman."

"You may say there's no evidence to show that women are unequal to men but do you ever consider that the fact that women have been in that position for millions of years is evidence enough to back up this point?"

"No, of course it is not evidence. Everything changes, and principles are no exception to this. If we were supposed to believe that nothing should change, that completely contradicts all scientific evidence of evolution."

"But then it reinforces the religious belief. Are you saying that every person to believe in religion is wrong and is not believing the truth?"

"No, people are free to believe whatever they please. However, if one can be allowed to disbelieve scientific research and evidence than there is no reason that I, and other feminists, cannot be allowed to disbelieve the religious aspects."

Commentary
I started the interview with a short sentence to capture the audiences attention. The short, snappy sentence pulls in the interest of the audience, making them want to listen on. I followed this with a rhetorical question, to capture the audiences attention as well but also to make them feel involved in what they're listening to. When writing as the presenter of the radio show, I wasn't particularly careful about using proper English as in modern English, a lot of words are contracted and informal and it's acceptable. However, when writing as the Suffragette, I tried to use proper English and no contractions. I tried to put across both sides of the argument but using strong opinions. I didn't want to seem biased by putting across my own opinions on the subject too strongly.

Why did you choose English Language and Literature?

Because I wanted to study language as well as literature. The thought of studying literature on its own didn't interest me.

What do you like / dislike about the subject?

I like studying texts that I wouldn't normally chose to read.
I dislike having to try and remember and learn all of the literary terms and their meanings.

Which texts have you enjoyed studying most?

A Streetcar Named Desire, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Handmaids Tale because they're all in modern English and I find this easier to enjoy and understand

What do you think of the mix of discussion and writing on the course?

I like that we don't write all the time because I feel I often learn better from discussions.

Are you using the blog to help you work outside of the classroom?

Yes.

How do you use the blog to help you develop essays?

It's easier to edit my work using the blog, meaning I can make changes and develop my work easily. I can also look through past notes on my blog and on the class blog to find points.

What is your approach to writing essays?

I don't have a specific approach. I just prefer to look through past notes rather than make a plan.

Next term you will be studying Cup Cakes and Kalashnikovs - how do you think you can use the blog and other online features to enrich your study?

I can use past notes and previous classwork on The Handmaids Tale and The Wife of Bath to compare with work on Cup Cakes and Kalashnikovs.