The Sayer and the Namer

Fear of Flying, and an even bigger Fear of Denigration

I'm really loving the selection of literature in my class, Post WWII American Literature. My professor has chosen such an ecclectic group of books that I admittedly would NEVER have read if left to my own devices. So I'll start with a shout out to Dr. Hochenauer for requiring me to read works that are off the beaten path!
Erica Jong is a tough author to read, but I believe she is a product of her time. She's a crazy feminist. Angry. Selfish. Wants-it-all-no-matter-who-it-hurts. Not the standard of an empowered woman in 2008. Now, I'm all for equal rights and breaking the glass ceiling, but we've come a LONG way since the 1970's. However, I believe that this novel stands the test of time not for the validity of its arguments, but as a type of time capsule into the struggles of women in America.
Since I obviously wasn't alive to witness the sexism of the 1960's and 1970's, I rely on media for my knowledge. I know that TV and books do not compare to experience, but the AMC show Mad Men is an eye-opening glimpse of sexism in the workplace in the 1960's. I almost quit watching the show because the way that women are depicted is really disturbing. In the time before phrases like "political correctness," "equal rights," and "sexual harrassment" existed, many businessmen were openly sexist while thinking they were doing these poor things a favor by giving them a job and letting them use typewriters and answer their phone calls. If you haven't seen that show, I really recommend it. It's a really unique look into life in America 48 years ago.
After watching the way that women were viewed in the 1960's, I'm thinking that if I was an adult woman back then, maybe I'd be buds with Erica Jong after all. Probably not, but just maybe :)

posted by Erin @ 7:15 PM