Women and Power

Comparison Essay # 102811

Literature
Women Studies

This paper examines the power of women in "A Proper Goodbye" by Katherine Vlassie, "Suitcase Lady" by Christie McLaren and "The Other Family" by Himani Bannerji.

1,359 words () | 5 sources | APA | 2008 | United States

Published on: Apr 02, 2008

Paper Summary:

The paper looks at how the power of women is constrained in ideological and socio-economic ways in three different stories; "A Proper Goodbye" by Katherine Vlassie, "Suitcase Lady" by Christie McLaren and "The Other Family" by Himani Bannerji. The paper discusses how the women in "A Proper Goodbye" and "Suitcase Lady" seem to have become relatively powerless, while the women in "The Other Family" have successfully resisted the forces seeking to limit their power.

From the Paper:

"The story The Other Family(1990) looks at how ideology is combined with physical appearances in order to determine what a proper family is. In this story the daughter draws a picture of a family. However, the family she draws is comprised of blond haired, blue-eyed white people. This would not be problematic except for the fact that the narrator's family has dark skin and hair. This leads to a conflict between the mother and the child."

Sample of Sources Used:

Bannerji, Himani(1990), "The Other Family" in Other Solitudes: Canadian Multicultural Fictions, Linda Hutcheon & Marion Richmond(eds).,Oxford University Press: 141-152.
Lavenda, Robert H. and Schultz, Emily A.(1995), Cultural Anthropology, Mayfield Publishing, Toronto, 1995.
McLaren, Christie(1995), "Suitcase Lady" in The Act of Writing: Canadian Essays for Composition, Ronald Conrad(ed), 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill Ryerson: 82-84.
Silverman, Eliane Leslau(1997), Changes in Women's Lives in "A Passion for Identity: An Introduction to Canadian Studies", David Thras, et aI.(eds.), 3rd Edition, ITP Nelson: 171-188.
Vlassie, Katherin(1986), "A Proper Goodbye" in The Oxford Book of Short Stories in English, Margaret Atwood & Robert Weaver(eds.), Oxford University Press:102-120.