Even though many studies have focused on elaborating the male gaze, the female perspective of doing things is often attributed to feminist campaigns portrayed as anti-men. The general misunderstanding has affected the nature of relations between women and society because of its impact on the thought process and people’s ability to make informed decisions. In this case, portraying women as a vulnerable population group denies them the opportunity to prove their worth against their male counterparts who are favored to dominate different aspects of life in the world today. When a woman accomplishes specific objectives that men have achieved, society portrays them as outliers who rose above their gender to challenge different aspects of life. From this realization, understanding the female perspective requires exploring their ability to express themselves through writing and embrace unity to overcome other issues affecting individuals in their surroundings.
In the film, Eat Pray Love, the lead character demonstrates the challenges women face when aligning their interests with societal expectations. Notably, women are expected to learn, have a successful career, and be part of a loving family. This way, society portrays them as accomplished individuals because of their ability to meet their expectations. However, Elizabeth Gilbert has had a successful career, a husband with whom they own a beautiful home, and is focused on enjoying the fruits of love (Gilbert). However, she is not happy despite having achieved the societal goals used to define a woman. Confused, Elizabeth makes a hard decision to divorce her husband and embark on finding her real purpose in life. The film demonstrates the different challenges many women encounter in their marriage life but are afraid to make the right decisions that suit their interests. Society has set specific standards that define the approaches women should use to fulfill their current world roles. Elizabeth’s ability to find her perfect food in Italy, realize the power of prayer in India, and enjoy her peace of mind in Indonesia is facilitated by the bold character that she uses during her traveling expedition around the world.
When writing about the female perspective, women are expected to play an essential role in demonstrating how individuals should use to accomplish their desired expectations in life. Given the challenges women encounter in their immediate environment, female writers should create a dialogue that involves all women to create a united front against aspects such as patriarchy, which hinder them from exploring their desired goals in the corporate world and beyond. Although feminism has been trying to achieve this outcome, engaging women to support the female perspective is often misinterpreted and portrayed negatively. In The Laugh of Medusa, Helene Cyprus clearly states her writing goal to provoke their thought process and enhance their historical understanding (Cixous). Based on the different aspects of life that affect women’s ability to work together, creating this outcome hinders individuals from realizing their desired objectives and other goals in their surroundings. Hence, Helene’s writing approach seeks to unite all women against the patriarchal structures that contribute to the emergence of glass ceilings in the workplace and beyond.
Ralph Waldo Emerson in Self Reliance speaks to men regarding their critical role in the community. Unlike women who encounter different challenges when pursuing their leadership ambitions, men are considered natural managers whose influence in the city should be seen through their actions seeking solutions to emerging problems. Importantly, Emerson creates an exciting perspective that initiates an interesting discourse regarding the changing roles of men in the modern world. Emerson talks about consistency and its contribution to realizing different goals that define the existence of men in the community (Emerson). Based on the level of commitment required to achieve consistency, Emerson believes that men should strive to be consistent in their actions that inspire their female counterparts in their immediate environment. However, Emerson indicates that men should know when to quit to avoid making little progress that is often time-wasting. In the City of Girls, Elizabeth Gilberts gets tired of being ashamed of failure because of its toll on her life (Gilberts). In a world where everyone is faking it, Gilberts acknowledges that it is okay for women to fail and learn from their mistakes.
Understanding the female perspective requires exploring their ability to express themselves through writing and embrace unity to overcome different issues affecting individuals in their surroundings. In many instances, women are judged differently from their male counterparts for failing to meet societal standards that benefit men. Since every woman is expected to have a husband, a home, and a successful career, the impact of pressure from society may compel women to make wrong decisions that affect their lives. However, existing literature on the female perspective indicates that women should share their insights and develop a united front that confronts societal expectations that hinder them from accomplishing their desired life goals. Therefore, women should avoid aspects that interfere with their relations and focus on creating a common perspective that attaches meaning to their existence in the present world.
Works Cited
Cixous, Hélène. “The Laugh of the Medusa” (1975). na, 1997.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Self-reliance. Caxton Society, 1909.
Gilbert, Elizabeth. City of Girls. Riverhead Books, 2020.
Gilbert, Elizabeth. Eat pray love: One woman’s search for everything. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2009.
