Still an Illusion

While reading the Washington Post one day, I came across an opinions column that read, For Women in America, Equality is Still an Illusion. Naturally, I was curious as to what kind of thoughts this author had to say about the issue. Upon reading the article, the author, a female, addressed issues like women are still getting harassed and are still making less money than males, even though they will be doing the same amount of work. She argues that it is "an epidemic of sexism," in which many people are only fooling themselves when they claim that women have come a long way since the early 20th century. Women are still looked down upon from time to time, still being considered as the inferior gender.

In A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen, Nora is constantly being considered inferior throughout the novel. She is always being considered as the "little play doll" from both her husband, and from her father. She is always looking for ways to feel like she is worthy, whether it was raising some money by doing some copying when her husband fell ill, or making the decision to borrow money from Krogstad in order to save her husband's life. But even after she has accomplished these feats, once her husband gains his strength, she automatically goes back to her original role of being a mother/wife. Although I feel it is true that women are still considered inferior today, it is also evident that women have made great strides in order to get closer to the ultimate goal of equality in society. I feel Nora shows that determination that she is ready to be treated like an equal human being because even though she is risking so much, she is still willing to leave it all in order to be heard, and for independence.

For Women In America, Equality is Still an Illusion by Jessica Valenti
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/19/AR2010021902049.html