Patriarchy, power, property Through feminist theory we experience this story as something greater than a tragic narrative of slavery; instead we can examine how power intersects with gender in producing a woman's experience. Valerie Martin's novel Property explores the ongoing struggle to gain power and the complexities of society's moral structure, which is based on the oppression of women in a patriarchal society. These societies consist of “any culture that privileges men by promoting traditional gender roles” (Tyson 85), roles that have been used to validate inequalities between men and women. Patriarchy by definition is sexist and promotes the belief that women are innately inferior to men. This dichotomized thinking has created a patriarchal order throughout the Western (Anglo-European) worlds, objectifying and marginalizing women and seeing them only for what they lack compared to men (Tyson 92). The property demonstrates the stratification of power during the period of slavery and the struggles to abandon femininity to achieve masculinity, and consequently gain access to power. The main character's efforts at control are shown through his drive to marry, own property, and achieve sexual dominance. The year is 1828 and slavery dominates the United States. Manon Gaudet, a beautiful and intelligent woman, is forced into a hellish marriage to the owner of a failing Louisiana sugar plantation. Manon has a privileged position within the plantation but is at the same time at the mercy of the Victorian ideal of the true woman, “submissive, fragile, and sexually pure” (Tyson 106). During this period, power is highly gender-stratified; therefore, a woman is nothing without a man. Manon's terrible marriage began because of his... middle of paper... power and masculinity. While Property reveals the corrupting and dehumanizing power of property on those who own, it also explores the stratification of power. between femininity and masculinity. The novel makes readers think about post-slavery gender constructions and how patriarchal systems are still in place today. Manon is an unsympathetic heroine, and her moral blindness and casual cruelty make it difficult to connect with her. However, she is a product of her society, and without hurting others to gain power, she would be forced into submission. His stand against the patriarchal order should be lauded, but the steps he must take to achieve his goal are abhorrent. Manon is an example of the many women who are trapped in the vicious cycle of being seen as weak and helpless but are ridiculed for their attempts to rise above it..
tags