Literature and Women: The Power of Words

Much has been written about women and women'swhether you agree with their message or not, will
issues throughout the ages - by women themselves,keep track and gauge women's progress.Women
and about women by men. Books and poems aboutwriters have given us bibles, road maps to navigate
women's mastery and mystery, their beauty andthe passages of time, how to turn roadblocks and
perceived lack of it, the ties that bind them to gooddetours into new roads - they have told us how to
men, the lies that bind them to bad men. Millions ofavoid crashing. But, men too, often with great sensitivity
words have been written about women's tight-knitand understanding of their subject, write perfectly
bonds with other women, their co-dependency on men,eloquent treatise ode to women. Thus many poets
the wondrous bliss and fulfillment of being a newand authors have played a key role in advancing the
mother. Writers throughout the ages have turnedsociety of women. Others, sometimes unintentionally,
ordinary women into legends, pariahs, or superheroeshave aided women's regression. Others still, have
being equally vilified, vindicated, or honored in theirelevated women to goddess and queen who rules all,
society for their perceived weakness, overcoming thetheir mellifluous poems and stories an unabashed
odds, or simply because they are beautiful.Significantcelebration of WOMAN. Awestruck they have
works of literature by women like Germaine Greer,created for women's hungry hearts and minds, female
who authored a ground-breaking and controversialcharacters who like birds on the wing, are fluid, magical,
book called The Female Eunuch in 1970, echo still withinflash-dancing bolts of warm liquid lightening whose
the hearts, minds, and sexuality of many women oververy existence makes man's world go 'round. And
fifty. This one work was so compelling andwriters from every age have felt compelled to
controversial that the women of the time werechronicle that sparkling, and ever so scary dance of
confronted with an 'in your face' force that propelledlove and desire, that men and women either wickedly
them beyond any place they otherwise would haveor heartfelt, engage in every day of our lives.Literature
more comfortably inhabited. Some of them embracedis the mirror that reflects our society. It is unforgiving
the message and passed the passion down to theirand completely accurate. Books and poetry have
daughters. Anti-feminist critics accused Greer of beinggiven us an in-depth exploration of women and their
a bitter man-hater. Some feminists accused her ofjourney, how they fit into the complex tapestry of time
catering to men and castigating women for the sexual- how far they have come, and where they need to
disabilities of society.Many women did indeed rise totravel next. The written word teaches us that mothers,
the challenge of that rallying cry way back then todaughters, sisters, friends, and life partners make rich
break free, to empower themselves! It was calledcontributions to their loved ones and to the world.
'women's lib' in those days. But, here we are more thanThrough reading, we sense their power and become
half way through the first decade of the 21st centuryacutely aware of the elegance they possess - even
and women have a considerable journey ahead. Stillbeyond their own imaginings.Thousands of women
women must persist and strive for that peaceful placethroughout the world overcome adversity every day,
where their accomplishments are recognized andrise above their circumstances to create beauty, share
ultimately their needs are met - where their souls, spirit,their boundless love, and lead the way for others.
and value as human beings are defined by themselvesLiterature records it all. The essence of women
and no one else.Today, with the women's liberationresonates through the poetry and stories of women
movement almost entirely demobilized, women's livesthemselves and those who love and appreciate them.
are actually getting harder. Social services areAmple proof that courage, strength, perseverance, and
de-funded, wages and working conditions are eroded,vision can and do change laws, scare the hell out of
and women once again are working round the clock,the powers that be, give children successful role
on the job and at home. Ironically, Greer's most recentmodels, and ultimately make for a better world. Read
book, The Whole Woman, documents this new turnthe books, welcome poetry into your soul, write your
and angrily refutes the claim of some feminists thatown story! Because sometimes, putting it in writing is
women have achieved their liberation. She states:the only voice we have that can really be heard.Susan
"Fake equality is leading women into double jeopardy.Dorling is a freelance writer and poet, copywriter, and
The rhetoric of equality is being used in the name ofweb designer who lives in rural Ontario with her furry
political correctness to mask the hammering thatand feathered family of dogs, cats, ducks, and soul
women are taking. When The Female Eunuch wasmate, Gary. She writes articles on a wide variety of
written our daughters were not cutting or starvingsubjects including web design, small business, personal
themselves. On every side speechless women enduredevelopment and success, Internet marketing, jewelry
endless hardship, grief and pain, in a world system thatcollecting, animals and nature, environmental issues, and
creates billions of losers for every handful of winners.pest control.
It's time to get angry again." Books such as this,