March Monthly Connection

Have we achieved equality between the sexes?

I wanted to approach the essential question of do you believe that we, as a country, have arrived at equality between the sexes? I don’t believe that this question has a definitive answer because in some ways equality between the sexes has been reached, but in other ways this has not been totally achieved yet.


The ways the sexes are equal is that women can hold the same jobs as men, as doctors and lawyers. Women are now allowed to vote and hold government positions. In this past election we were close to having our first female president. At home, women do not necessarily hold the same positions they once did, some women are supporting the family while the Dads stay home, watch the children, cook dinner, and clean the house. I have also noticed a shift in who controls the finances in some families; women are now being left in charge of balancing the check book and keeping track of expenses. This is a job, which not too long ago would have solely been the male role.


I do also believe the Virginia Woolf brings up a good point in A Room of One’s Own, when she states that the females are the protected sex, I do agree with this statement. Women are not as protected as they used to be, but they are still protected in a sense. I also believe, especially from our class discussions that some men still do not see women as equals to men. I think that equality will not truly be met until most people believe that men and women are equal with no exceptions.


As women we have come a long way and we have mainly achieved equality. Today in class we discussed a paper that had quotes on it that were all degrading or characterized women as unequal to men. The question was raised if it was important that these statements were known, I believe that it was important that women herd these statements because this is what led us to work so hard to no longer be in the background, to express our feeling even if it wasn’t what society wanted to here. These statements made women stand up for themselves and to overcome these derogatory statements and say ha what do you think now. Without these statements women would not be what they are today.

February Monthly Connection

Should you stay with someone just to keep up appearances?

Helmer from A Doll House states: “From now on, there can be no question of happiness. All we can do is save bits and pieces the wreck, preserve appearances…” At this point in the play, Helmer has just found out about how Nora borrowed money from Krogstad and now she is in trouble because Krogstad is blackmailing her to get his job back after Helmer fired him. This was Helmer’s response when he found all of this out.

This play relates to a lot of people’s lives in society, especially Helmer’s reaction and how they should stay together to keep up appearances. In society some people decide to stay in a marriage even if they don’t love each other, just to keep up appearances and so their lives won’t change. People care more about appearances and what other people think than their feelings or the feelings of the people around them.

Helmer shows that he really has no feelings or love for Nora and he is just worried about what other people think. This is also the point in the play where Nora sees for the first time what their marriage really is. I believe that if you are not happy, it is not worth trying to save something just for appearances. You should always follow your heart. If a man doesn't love you enough to at least try to see where your coming from then he doesn't deserve you. All Nora was trying to do was save his life and he didn't even consider that. One moment he was I love you and I will do anything for you and then when he found out everything could go wrong he turned around and said that all they could do was try to save appearances because that was the most important thing.

January Monthly Connection

Marriage for love or for reason?

This relates to a Socratic seminar question in Wuthering Heights. Is Catherine in some way bound to both Heathcliff and Edgar? Catherine is certainly bound to both Heathcliff and Edgar. Catherine loves Healthcliff, but he cannot provide her with the life she wants. While Edgar can provide her with the life and social standings that she desires, but their relationship does not contain the same type of passion and love. Edgar represents the logic and Heathcliff represents the passion in Catherine. Catherine chose to marry Edgar, for the social standings and the wealthy life. Ironically Heathcliff left for a while and came back with money. Catherine is never satisfied with her decision throughout the whole book even all the way up until her death. I do not believe that Catherine would have been satisfied, no matter what person she picked because she needed them both to be happy.

Today in society people tend to marry more for love than in the older years because social standing is not as big of a deal as it once was. Almost everyone wants to find love. There is still a small group of people who marry the person that will make their life easier or someone that has a lot of money, but those people usually don’t have a loving, successful, and rewarding marriage. Most people today are successful and independent in that they don’t need a spouse to take care of them; they want a spouse that they love. I believe that you should marry someone because you love them, not because they will help you get ahead in life. Marrying someone for a reason like money is not acceptable. Marriage is a sacred bond between two people that should only be between two people that absolutely love each other. I believe that if you love each other that you can make it through anything. If you love each other you can work around problems. If you love someone than no matter what obstacles life throws at you, together you can get through them.