Sadekah Mahjabin

Professor Robert Balun and Sonja Killebrew

FIQWS 10108

December 2021

Research Essay

The concept of self and other implies that our individual experiences and ideas are fundamentally and uniquely distinct from one another. Women have fought a never-ending battle to show their value in the world and have struggled with the idea of identity throughout time. This concept illustrates how one person can never completely comprehend the thoughts of another since we all have various experiences that shape our own identities. Some works that dwell on this theme of “self and other” Include Jamaica Kincaid’s Girl, Kate Chopin’s The Awakening and Amanda Fortini’s The Feminist Reawakening. Ultimately, these three literary works employ the theme of “self and other” to convey ideas about how a sense of identity is formed through unique life struggles.

Jamaica Kincaid’s Girl is a short narrative introducing two characters to illustrate the idea of struggle: a girl and her mother. Throughout the story the author offers a discussion that is comprised of a sequence of instructions given by a mother to her daughter. During the mothers’ conversation on “advice,” she often made harsh statements in a demanding tone to instill the idea of being a respectable lady within her daughter’s core. The harsh criticism and humiliating words emphasize the severe penalties her daughter will suffer if she does not follow in her mother’s footsteps. The reader is placed in the daughter’s shoes by the mother’s frequent usage of the term “You.” This strategy helps the reader to identify with the girl and empathize with her situation. An important quote from the text is “on Sundays try to walk like a lady and not the slut you are so bent on becoming” (Kincaid 320). This demonstrates how the mother is revolted by any “unwomanly” conduct and implies that her daughter would become a “slut” if she didn’t guide her. Furthermore, although the mother is attempting to shield her daughter from the dangers of the world, she is disregarding her daughter’s ability to grow and develop her own identity by using demanding remarks and limiting her independence. Instead, she seems to have been fabricated and molded into the “ideal lady” that society demands. Kincaid expanded on the concept in her work by using symbolism. The quote, “you mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won’t let near the bread?” (Kincaid 321). This reinforces the mother’s belief that her orders are unquestionable. Bread is a symbol of affluence for the people. The concept is the idea of being respected, you can be trusted to be near items that other people value. In this case, it was bread. This is the concept the mother was striving to convey. Overall, this story demonstrates how unique difficulties form one’s sense of self. In this story, the protagonist is trying to find her position in the world.

Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, Edna Pontellier, the protagonist, learns to think of herself and defies traditional expectations set on women in the 1800s. The first half of the novel is set on an island, where Edna lives her life according to the expectations of women in the 1800s. Edna marries, has a family, raises her children, and takes care of the household while her husband is at work. Edna, on the other hand, soon realizes that she is very dissatisfied with her life and with herself. Even though Edna realizes that she does not have a strong mother relationship to her children, Edna feels guilty about it. Later, she discovers that she never really loved her husband and that she just married because it was required of her as a woman in society. As Edna bears the weight of the expectations placed on women in the 1800s, these realizations serve to highlight her internal struggle as she is dragged down by the weight of society’s demands. Edna’s moments of self-discovery are closely intertwined to the sea. As shown from this quote “The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.” (Chopin). These lines describe the beginning of Edna’s process of awakening into an independent woman, which occurs when she proudly learns how to swim. The majority of the novel’s themes are discussed, include solitude, identity, intellectual growth, and fulfillment. Edna’s experiences and hardships, such as leaving her husband Leónce, learning to swim, moving out on her own, and establishing a means of making a living have all contributed to the development of her sense of self. A quote that reals Edna in her “awakened” state is

“I suppose this is what you would call unwomanly; but I have got into a habit of expressing myself. It doesn’t matter to me, and you may think me unwomanly if you like.” (Chopin).

Edna starts to experience a change within herself, she begins to develop a sense of herself as a whole person, with unique wants, interests, and desires. She realizes that she is not content to be simply a wife and a mother. Overall, The Awakening by Kate Chopin demonstrates concepts of “self and other” as it is evident that Edna began to realize her position in the universe as a human being, and to recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her.

Amanda Fortini’s The Feminist explores the themes of how women battle to be respected and seen as equals in the twenty-first century. In this article, Fortini discusses the different ways in which women were seen as inferior and unknowledgeable. The author goes on to point out how pointless the justification for insulting is in a variety of situations. The quote: “In the public realm, women are frequently subjected to a sort of bodily lit-crit, where dress and demeanor are read as symbolic of femininity or a lack thereof.” (Fortini). This demonstrates how, even in the current day, a woman’s “character” may be called into question if she chooses to dress or behave in a manner that society considers to be immodest in some way. Fortini highlights the concept that, rather than concentrating on what a lady is wearing, we should instead concentrate on her outstanding characteristics. The drive, devotion, and personality of a woman makes a statement, and these qualities should not be overlooked just because of what someone wears. This notion demonstrates the difficulties that women encounter in a male-dominated society. This is also an example of how these problems may cause a person’s grasp on self-identity to be shaken; in this case, women are pressed into conforming to what society thinks to be proper and ideal, even if this is not the case. This kind of pressure is strong enough to cause one to doubt one’s own self-identity. One quote that stood out to me is “why do overtly sexist remarks slip by almost without comment, while any racially motivated insult would be widely censured?” (Fortini).

This reveals how racism seemed far more pernicious than sexism. At issue is the fact that race is, as it should be, taboo grounds for criticism, but gender remains open territory. (Fortini) Overall, this article highlights the difficulties women experience in establishing a secure atmosphere in which they may freely express themselves, since one’s living environment is a significant role in finding and constructing one’s own self-identity. This notion is related to the concept of “self and other” since it depicts how identity plays an important role in one’s life and how one perceives the world and those around them.

In comparison, all three works “Girl” “The Awakening” “The Feminist Reawakening” depict the difficulties that women encounter, which makes it incredibly difficult for them to fully feel free to voice their authentic, unique selves. The concept of identity is the single most significant thing in life since it enables other people to perceive you and your efforts. These writings convey how a woman who does not meet society’s expectations of appearance, clothing, and behavior will be seen as “improper,” “promiscuous,” “attention-seeking,” or “arrogant.” They rattle an individual’s sense of self, compelling them to pick a “side”: either they live up to these standards while becoming slaves to life’s delirium, or they live freely in the name of justice while risking public ridicule and humiliation. This notion pertains to “self and other” and illustrates how everyone has their own set of troubles and challenges. The notion of “self and other” is deeply intertwined with an individual’s sense of self, since maintaining one’s sense of self helps one’s identity to develop. Most importantly, it ensures that we remain unique and distinguishable from everyone else.

Ultimately, the concept of “self and other” is used in these three literary works to communicate ideas about how a sense of identity is established through unique life struggles. Each of the texts: Jamaica Kincaid’s Girl, Kate Chopin’s The Awakening and Amanda Fortini’s The Feminist Reawakening depicts comparable but distinct problems and trials that women encounter in creating a sense of belonging. Throughout these works, social expectations and stereotyped roles are the most prevalent barriers to the development of authentic self-recognition and finding purpose in the world and with others.