WS100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Lee Maracle, Anne Sexton, Adrienne Rich
How difficult it is to talk about things that matter to you - made fun of or told you have no sense
of humour (shuts down addressing classism/sexism etc)
● Important figures in history in addressing issues were very courageous
● Anne sexton - writing so other women can write, speaking so other women can speak
(she got message she was inadequate, if only other women had stood with her she
wouldn’t need to die, committed suicide)
● Adrienne rich - we have had enough suicidal women, says women pull statements about
who they are inside their bodies and feel bad about themselves
● Women “lesser” unless they comply and conform
● So wrapped into force of technology we do not know how to have conversations
● Lee maracle indigenous writer
She read a lot of quotes
● We live where you can speak if you maintain status quo
● Scripts tell us how to think of ourselves
● Stories about girls and women always end in marriage
● Privilege allows us to share sympathy and empathy or shut it down
● Women told not to be anger or express anger - expressing anger of course
PMS/menopause/hysterical women who have nothing important to say
● Why waste money on university when all you are going to be is a mother
● This class makes me angry because it makes me think of upsetting things ive never
thought of and now feel bad
● True women signifies submission
● Champion men for being parents but not women
● Only in last 100 years women have started talking and writing about women
● Teach little girls to be quiet and never talk back
● Told we are in service to men
● Black women can never be considered real women bc it would displace white women
● Shame to go out if pregnant bc symbol they had sex (but she said that was women’s
only job wtf)
● 72 books written in 1960s - starts quiet revolution in quebec - about making sure catholic
church and govt would no longer be united in process that created awful living standards
based on gender/class
● So many women have put their life at risk for how we live now (are we aware?) are we
aware of levels of women/girls continue to die
● Ecole polytechnique - some men involved committed suicide - she told the story of this
event
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
How difficult it is to talk about things that matter to you - made fun of or told you have no sense of humour (shuts down addressing classism/sexism etc) Important figures in history in addressing issues were very courageous. Anne sexton - writing so other women can write, speaking so other women can speak (she got message she was inadequate, if only other women had stood with her she wouldn"t need to die, committed suicide) Adrienne rich - we have had enough suicidal women, says women pull statements about who they are inside their bodies and feel bad about themselves. Women lesser unless they comply and conform. So wrapped into force of technology we do not know how to have conversations. We live where you can speak if you maintain status quo. Scripts tell us how to think of ourselves. Stories about girls and women always end in marriage.
