Raven King
Professor Holcomb
ENG 3060J
18 September 2012 The Woman Identity Prior to the last 100 years, a woman’s true identity has been suppressed from public due to societal pressures and expectations. For example, women of the 19th century were primarily expected to marry and serve their husbands’ wishes, not receive an education, go out with friends, or find new forms of amusement. Instead, women were required to be at home and loyally obey their husbands. But how long can one go without exploring the inner intricacies of oneself? In her critical essay “Laugh of the Medusa”, Hélène Cixous looks upon the woman who “allows herself to be threatened by the big dick” (347) with contempt and scorn. Still, this intimidation that men have instilled in women is not easily overcome. Colette (1873-1954) and Jean Stubbs (1926- ) expose the risks that come with the discovery of a woman’s true desires in their short stories, “The Secret Woman” and “Cousin Lewis”. When the false woman is revealed, she suffers and is tormented by ridicule or shame even more than when she was in hiding. Cixous wants women to stand out and be who they are by embracing their bodies and being proud of their femininity. Women need to stop being reduced to “the servant of the militant male, his shadow” (338). “Laugh of the Medusa”, is a proclamation to women writers to “write about women and bring women to writing” (334) and to stop hating themselves and hating other women for being women- celebrate each other’s femininity and set free the body! Cixous wants women to make the world fear them though their identity and femininity; not fear the world because they are insignificant servants of the male. Women should not feel guilt for being different and being strong and having desires (338).
Stubbs writes of a character, Margery Jones, who has not embraced her femininity or true identity.