Oppression
1. Oppression, a word no one understands and no one cares enough to understand its definition. The piece I will be writing about is, “Oppression” by Marilyn Frye. When first reading this article Marilyn Frye describes to the reader what oppression means by stating, “The word ‘oppression’ is a strong word. It repels and attracts. It is dangerous and dangerously fashionable and endangered. It is much misused, and sometimes not innocently.”(Frye p.41) “The root of the word ‘oppression’ is the element ‘press’. The press of the crowd; … printing press; press the button. Presses are used to mold things or flatten them or reduce them in bulk sometimes to reduce them by squeezing out the gasses or liquids in them.”(Frye p.42) Which brings up Frye’s main concern to share with her audience that oppression is invisible to many people and it is such a word and action that is so powerful we as human beings look ridiculously…show more content… Throughout this piece I questioned why it would be called oppression but oppression is really the main topic throughout this whole article and Frye wants to clarify to her readers what oppression is and why many people ignore it or “don’t see it” but also those who ignorantly use it. This piece all together proves why the author is right; the simple fact that she is writing about oppression because oppression is a problem is why this piece is so important and why her argument is so clear. Frye also mentions in this piece how, “If a persons life or activity is affected by some force or barrier that person encounters, one may not conclude that the person is oppressed”… “One must look at the barrier or force and answer certain questions about it” (Frye p.47) and these lines stood out to me in light of the fact that one doesn’t realize many things that are happening around them unless they question certain things and that is what Frye is talking about when she says they must question, “who constructs and maintains it” (the oppression)(Frye
