There are many specific explanations and definitions of terms feminism and patriarchy. First of all, it should be stated that these two notions create an opposition as feminism presupposes the domination of women with the restriction of subordination to men while patriarchy is the male domination over women.
However, the explanation to these notions is not easy. There are a lot of cases in the history which help explain these notions. Patriarchy is the particular regime when male domination is observed, men occupy the higher positions and do not allow women tot have their opinion, to express their desire, etc. Patriarchy presupposes the direct subordination of women to men as men are the main in such society.
The discussion of the feminism is more complicated than just reference to the female domination. Feminism is an ideology, not a regime, that is why it may exist any time and the restructuring of the regime cannot change the point of view of individualities. Feminism should be explained as the desire to create the world with equality and justice for women in all spheres of their lives. Feminism may be compared with racism as in this case women consider themselves as the minority and struggle for their rights.
Moreover, all the achievements and women have are put as the main destinations which are to be affirmed and supported. In other words, feminism is understood as the movement for justice (Shaw and Lee 10). Hogeland is sure that feminism requires “an expansion of empathy, interest, intelligence, and responsibility across differences, histories, cultures, ethnicities, sexual identities, othernesses.” (Hogeland 658).
It is possible to predict that feminism is an aggressive movement while the desire of women to be equal with men is another notion which may be considered as the healthy competition. Remembering different actions and movements at the streets of the USA with the feminist proclamation, it is possible to remember how aggressive women are.
The main difference between feminism and patriarchy is that patriarchy is the regime which is created under particular circumstances while feminism is the intrusion into the human life and the desire to convince then that men are trying to be the heads in the society and it is impossible to leave the things as it is. Feminism is an aggressive ideology which has nothing in common with reality.
Those who have personal opinion about this issue may understand that sometimes the attention to feminism becomes too high and it creates problems.
Reading “My Name”, it becomes obvious that the notions feminism and patriarchy have played vital role there. The time which is discussed is the patriarchy as the domination of men is seen. Esperanza’s great-grandmother could do nothing but obey and it means that men were dominant.
However, it is also possible to say that the great –grandmother was a feminist as she ever accepted the fact that a man “threw a sack over her head and carried her off.” (Cisneros 11)
Moreover, being unable to accept and to forgive great-grandfather, the great-grandmother showed her inner power and strength sitting and looking “out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow.” (Cisneros 11) This is the greatest example of the patriarchy as the regime where a woman has to obey to a husband and the feminist ideology when being subjected a woman still follows her personal considerations and does not break.
Works Cited
Cisneros, Sandra. “My name.” The House on Mango Street.
Hogeland, Lisa Marie. “Fear of Feminism: Why Young Women Get the Willies.” Women’s Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings. Eds. Susan Shaw and Janet Lee. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2011. 655-678. Print.
Shaw, Susan and Janet Lee. “Women’s Studies: Perspectives and Practices.” Women’s Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings. Eds. Susan Shaw and Janet Lee. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2011. 1-22. Print.