Oppression

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the assigned sections in Race, Class, and Gender for next class. There were many interesting points that were brought up about how we all need to view race, class, and gender in relation to one another, rather than as separate entities. I liked seeing how the authors of each of these essays were talking about very specific and different types of oppression, but how when you take a step back and view the essays in relation to one another (like Marilyn Frye’s birdcage!), each of these people share the common problem that they are being excluded, for whatever reason, from the rest of society.

I found the essays about the oppression of women to be particularly intriguing. It was interesting to read about Cherrie Moraga’s definition of the "oppressor’s nightmare." She said, "It is not really difference the oppressor fears so much as similarity. He fears he will discover in himself the same aches, the same longings as those of the people he has shitted on…He fears the hatred, anger, and vengeance of those he has hurt" (33). I thought that this was an interesting idea, and I think I agree that the oppressor does have a tremendous amount of fear. The oppressor points out the differences between him/her and the oppressed person so that those characteristics will stand out more than the similarities, and so that the oppressor will remain the more privileged one in society. Moraga continues, "We women have a similar nightmare, for each of us in some way has been both oppressed and the oppressor. We are afraid to look at how we have failed each other" (33). This reminded me of a discussion we had in class about how women are never going to gain the proper respect from men and from society if we don’t stop picking on ourselves and pointing out each other’s differences. Even if our gender is the only thing that we have in common, that is still a place to start. We are both females and, because of that, we have had similar experiences in life even if our backgrounds are different.

I think that June Jordan summed this point up nicely. She said, "It is not only who you are…but what we can do for each other that will determine the connection" (42). We must stand up for each other, before society will stand up for us.