Femininity In America

Words: 606
Pages: 3

To be a woman in American culture is to be socially and collectively categorized into a way of life that is believed to be normative. It’s hard for individuals to have an idea of what a woman is when there’s so many depictions that society has created and will continue to transform as time goes on. This then places constraints on ladies in choosing whether or not to be the “exemplary woman” or transcend amongst what’s deemed as socially acceptable. Initially when I began the rough draft of this image essay I believed that being a woman had to do with being independent, strong a as well as bringing life into the world. However, after reading the section about femininity and the modernization of patriarchal power by Bartky my interpretation has …show more content…
I think that women are assembled through their appearance, purpose, roles/ actions as well as being seen as oppositional forces. As for the images I selected, the first depicts a woman who’s being controlled by strings while trying to cut them loose. The strings represent the restraints of society her cutting them shows the struggle females have to step outside of the norm. The other images surrounded around the enlarged one are the sections in which America uses place women. The next block depicts a pregnant individual which symbolizes that one of the major purposes of women is to give birth to children in order to ensure the creation of future generations The following under that, portrays how women are seen as the opposite of men, mentally, physically and emotionally; which often instills the notion of men having higher power in the workplace or household. The fourth image illustrates the appearance and trends that females have which values makeup as well as what should and should not be worn. Appearance is such an intricate piece of a woman because it’s essential in how she is evaluated. A woman has numerous roles to fill which flows into the next depiction; it includes working, providing stable homes, being the care taker which coincides how one can and cannot act. The last image demonstrates the strength a woman who is socially constrained has to evoke the power to go against societal