Well, as clearly discussed, this current unit has been particularly illuminating the issue of equality among males and females. I am aware that this concept of feminism is generally seen as an unnecessarily defensive subject, and that its advocates are passionate to say the least. Although I am immensely proud to be a female in today’s world, I do not consider myself any form of die-hard feminist. When reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, however, I found myself dumbfounded at the inequality that human beings endured simply because of gender. As I read, I thought it not a matter of women’s rights or men’s rights, but the rights of humanity as a whole and the blatant unfair treatment of women. In particular, the notion that really got under my skin was the promiscuity that was allowed, and even promoted for men, while women were banned from showing an inch of skin to anyone other than their husband(s). Also, it pains me to have to add that “s” on the end of husband, yet again highlighting another repulsive unfairness in culture. Mariam and Laila were owned by their husband, that they had to share. They depended on him for food and shelter and sustenance. He, who brutalized and forbid them from the world’s eyes, and expected them at his beckon call, had the cultural obligation to treat them as instruments of service. Why were men chosen to have these privileges? What differs from the amount of dominance they possess compared to women? Why, in almost every culture, is the male figure allowed more leeway in profession, athletics, promiscuity, leadership, and strength? What quality unifies all men that sanctions them for these automatic generalizations? I can fortunately state that the law has generally maintained equality of mankind as of recent generations, yet we all still manage to uphold these typical male dominant perspectives.
As reluctant I am to admit this, these issues have endured the test of time to manifest themselves in today’s modern society. Especially in high school, this specific example is in abundance, and is distastefully common. The more girls a boy dates or hooks up with, the more notoriety and praise he receives. In retrospect, a girl can be considered a whore if she dates even a slightly elevated number of guys, or is simply over flirtatious. This double standard predominantly aggravates me, and I hope that one day it will not be an issue of male or female, but of equality and humanity.
