1. What does each text tell you about feminism?
Both Silverman and Lugones pinpoint the lack of recognition that females are deserving of and how they are negatively perceived, are misrepresentations of who they are. Readers can agree that each text identifies the ways women have been wrongfully labeled and abnegated in the past.
In Helping Women Cope with Grief, Silverman comes from a cultural and liberal feminist stance. She directs much of her work concerning how women react to loss, how they go about expressing their grief, and how they cope with it (Silverman, 1981). Silverman outlines an issue between women and mental health. Generally, women have always been scoped out for everything they do; however, women whom are or have experienced struggle or a traumatic event such as abuse or the loss of love one, are more vulnerable to be ignorantly perceived. Women coming from backgrounds similar to this have been perceived and questioned to be “weak, fractured, and or damaged” (Silverman, 1981). The impact these falsified and unjust labels have one a woman, vulnerable women, has serious negative consequences that are constantly being overseen by society. In. her book, Silverman underlines the importance to identity for a woman, explaining how this lack of recognition has detrimental impact on one’s own status. She discusses bringing more awareness of what experiences a woman goes through and what we can do to help. Silverman states that although bereavement is universal, how it is expressed and impacts women, may vary between men and women. In Silverman’s text, she works to understand and create a constructive course intervention treatment, allowing for an easier transition for woman coming from loss into a woman in recovery. Much of Silverman’s goals is to balance the inequities of situations between the experiences of men and women.
In Playfulness “World”-Traveling, and Loving Perception, Lugones discussed the arrogance of perception. She presents how this arrogance of perception has been, “systematically organized to break the spirit of all women and of most men” (Lugones, 1987). Lugones comes from a multiracial feminist stance, specifically Chicanas feminism. She offers a multiracial feminist standpoint in her work where she suggests for women of color to all stand by each other, to learn to love and travel with one another and to each other’s “worlds” (Lugones, 1987). Her work looks at mechanisms for people to use on how to appropriately recognize another individual, to learn how to love other individuals. She does this by introducing two exercises “world-traveling” and “playful”. She defines “world-traveling” as a willful exercise, allowing one to acquire flexibility and ability to shift. She continues to explain in order to obtain the mentality of “world- traveling,” one must have a “playful” attitude (Lugones, 1987). Lugones also comes from a postcolonial feminist place, mentioning how she was brought up to identify with and or as a “victim of enslavement of my mother, to practice and become a slave in the process,” (Lugones, 1987). This is a major statement suggesting that we have been taught to love wrong. She goes on state how when women judge or perceive each other wrongfully and inaccurately, we are only reemphasizing our servitude to the oppressing system.
2. Is either text making a social or political statement? (either overtly or covertly)?
Both texts are making overtly social and political statements with their writing. In Helping Women Cope with Grief, Silverman examines how women are not only treated unjustly for being of a different gender by society but also by labels, stereotypes. Silverman understands and identifies how traditional practices have been criticized for turning their heads away from women dealing with problems and from those whom are seeking help. Silverman and other feminists continue calling out for greater public services and bringing more awareness towards aspects of women’s lives that foster helplessness and ineffectuality. There is a push for more women to not only recognize and identify their concerns of suffering (openly), but also actively searching for new solutions to preexisting age-old problems (Silverman, 1981). Silverman also speaks up for more treatment methods in hopes of providing more availability and reaching a broader range of women, whom too are dealing with specific or overlapping symptoms. This is a critical aspect for women and mental health. As Silverman points out in her text, women affluently affect other grieving women who have suffered from same or similar losses. (Silverman, 1981).
In Playfulness, “World”-Traveling, and Loving Perception, Lugones focuses on mechanisms to systematically break the arrogance of people’s perceptions. By doing so, Lugones hopes this will allow for more visions by women, providing more inspiration for other women. Luognes quotes political feminist, Marilyn Frye in, The politics of reality: Essay in feminist theory. Frye proposes in order for a woman to go “untouched by phallocratic machinations,” is to perceive them with “loving eyes” (Frye, 1983). Frye’s statement suggests that by having or offering loving eyes, invites an opposite effect, contrary to arrogant eyes. However, Frye also implies that one needs to be careful with this “love” that women have grown up to become a servitude to, a slave of. Frye cautiously states how the love women have been brought to appreciate and expressed for others, as a form of submission. Lugones was able to connect this with her own personal upbringing and cultural understanding. She goes on stating how she grew up to identify with a victim of enslavement and unknowingly becoming a slave through the practice of arrogant perception (Lugones, 1987). Again, this is another example of how a woman is a servitude to others than for herself.
3. What assumptions about race, gender, and/or sexuality does each text rely upon?
Although Lugones directs her message towards racism and gender while Silverman directs much of her focus to women and mental health. Both text focus on mechanism(s) for women to be more open with one another, to not oppress each other through arrogant lenses, and to both recognize and prevent into being coaxed or persuaded to abnegate women.
From this statement and suggestions by Frye, Lugones pinpoints another concern about how women are arrogant perceivers, especially U.S. and Argentina women. For example, they denoted how White/Anglo women are more likely to oppress other women, stating how “they ignore us, ostracize us, render us invisible, stereotype us, leave us completely alone, interpret us as crazy, all the while we are in their midst” (Lugones, 1987). As Lugones simply puts it, people analyze these women and feminist groups not to help them, but to put them out of one’s field of vision because of differences. By ignoring the nature of the issue and the different characteristics involved, arrogant perceivers are also simultaneously robbing from the original source(s). As Lugones best explains, “they rob me of my solidity through indifferences, an indifference they can afford” (Lugones, 1987). From Lugone’s statement, one can assume that privilege regardless of race or gender, provides another excuse to tolerate and appropriate arrogant practice.
Silverman’s work relies heavily on women and mental health in the United States. She focuses on exposing the prevalence of mistreatment of women within the health care system. Silverman uses this as a driving force toward reorienting the health care system for women. The author states in her text that the consultation by practitioners on the nature of women and the nature of grief are out of date and incomplete theories, they are completely inaccurate testaments (Silverman, 1981). Historically speaking, women have also been negative stereotyped (i.e. weak, hysterical), precisely when they express their emotions and struggles. Women have been and continue to this day remain subordinates to the quality of men. In these stances, Silverman exposes how the mental health care system has not offered a sufficient and successfully providing equal and proper care for women. This is detrimental to the well-being of a women’s health as by not providing the necessary aid, the system is reinforcing the mistreatment of women. By not utilizing and creating more appropriate treatment methods, we are harming these vulnerable women, oppressing them even more, potentially leading them to develop learned helplessness. Learned helplessness can be derived from how women perceive themselves after the loss of something or someone (Broverman et el., 1970). However, this can also be contributed to arrogant perceptions by others who do not value nor give proper identity. This may be impacted more by not only by other women but also by women coming from a similar background or situation.
4. What is the purpose of each text?
Both authors fight for the respected recognition that women deserve by looking how women treat each. Similar to Anzaldua and Moraga notion about bridging, both Silverman and Lugones work towards the same goals about “bridging” cultures and differences. However, in contrast to This Bridge Called My Back where the authors Anzaldua and Moraga discuss using their own physical selves to bridge pieces and people together, Silverman and Lugones take a different approach. They direct their focus of bridging through perception. Both authors reiterating the importance that in order for change to occur, it must begin at home with each other. In other words, to change the avenue for women, women need to recognize that they too are a part of the oppressing system. Women need to reevaluate who they are oppressing and how they are doing this, themselves. Women also need to recognize what privileges they may have over other women and what can they do to provide more for those with lesser. As Lugones expresses coming from a female and feminist view, she feels “incomplete and unreal without other women. I am profoundly dependent on others without having to be their subordinate, their slave, their servant” (Lugones, 1987).
Each text exemplifies how the negative impact that arrogant perception has on an individual. This arrogance has been projected onto each other by both men and women. This is an important factor that women unknowingly contribute to on a daily basis. As Lugones stated in her work, women are arrogant perceivers, especially U.S. and Argentinian women. Systematically, women have been coaxed, secluded into abnegation of other women, through emotive persuasion and not by proper analysis (Lugones, 1987). This can also be exhibited in Silverman’s work. Silverman references Broverman dealing with the issues between women and mental health. Broverman states, “as far as mental health is concerned, the feminine role apparently implies pathology” (Broverman et el., 1970). Surely most must know this is not the case, femininity does not constitute to pathological symptoms. A women’s expression should not be used as a tool against them, as a tool to misrepresent, belittle, and bar them as taboo. By critically thinking, using empirical research, and properly analyzing one’s evidence, will allow for more recognitions and belonging; thus, acknowledging a women’s role in society matters, and they have a place, a home within society.
5. After considering these questions, develop a cohesive thesis that relates these two texts to one another.
One can agree that there is not simple nor completely correct technique that can meet all the needs and concerns feminist groups are proposing to help women. As Frye states in The Politics of Reality: Essays in Feminist Theory, “the object of the seeing is another being whose existence and character are logically independent of the seer and who may be practically or empirically independent in any particular respect at any particular time” (Frye, 1983). In order to provide different methods of aid, one must independently, empirically, and openly travel to those whom are different and whom comes from a vulnerable status. Doing so allows for positive self-reflection, mastering love, and ability to cultivate a new vision for all women. This type of playfulness will allow for world traveling and easier ways to travel. By openly sharing and receiving differences amongst and between women will facilitate for a bigger push for change, providing a positive outcome for all women.