“The unrepentant whore” is a thrilling story describing a transgender woman Jamie Lee Hamilton who managed to alter the way people treat Canada’s underclass. Harris’s piece is based on actual events portraying the underestimation and oppression of transgender individuals involved in the sex trade. Being a young boy, Hamilton revealed his biases towards having romantic affairs with same-gender people willing to pay for a one-night stand. It was the start of his obscene business where he plied his trade. Like all transgenders, Hamilton indulged his sex-related whims in terms of changing his image to the core and becoming present as a real woman. Changing her gender, she became a prostitute to earn her living to survive. Harris (2011) describes her as a woman with a hearty face that was “galvanized with energy, the strength of her shoulders set off against plunging necklines” (p.1). She was the actual embodiment of formidable power aiming to protect sex minorities participating in the sex trade.
Back then, transgender people strained into devastated and impoverished living were ousted and vagrant and had to survive under the seizure of untenable conditions they were lured. The sex trade was a current phenomenon among people who manifested different gender expressions. Prostitutes were given second-class treatment; authorities did not provide these people with proper security. Jamie Lee Hamilton came into prominence as the first transgender activist, and former sex worker, claiming protection for her so-called colleagues. She put in her best endeavors to be listened to at the governmental level in Canada.
Harris raised a critical issue in her story by portraying a strong woman who did not correspond to the social standards. She was not afraid to be indignant or be labeled as a person who was not worth being respected. She emerged in front of a mayor demanding to guard people who had the same life paths as she did. Harris (2011) symbolized “sixty-seven pairs of stilettos” with people who were mutilated and whose cases were not uncovered (p.1). Aboriginal, transsexual sex worker put her life and dignity at stake, demanding equality and sympathy. Finally, she received a social endorsement and became the first transgender activist in Canada to protect sex minority rights.
From my perspective, this story is thrilling, as it depicts a larger-than-life tale of a woman being smashed by stones on a regular basis because of her transgender insignias. It is a telling example of a person who did not want to remain in the shade of consecutive bullying and mockeries. On the contrary, she steeled herself to present her interest and interests of her colleagues to the public. It is a trustworthy example of a strong-willed individual who decided to break long-standing boundaries society established. Finally, Hamilton achieved the desirable effect by following her philosophy centered around protecting her right and identity, whatever it took.
Harris’s piece is the black mirror of transgender reality, where people have to hide and be like a genuine vagrants in the society of ordinary people. Abnormality is treated as something corrupted and decayed. Homosexualism is considered to be a mental disorder that might be catchy. This is why this category of people try to keep aloof to avoid looks full of disgust and abomination. Just imagine a person being derelict challenging people to invite them into the world of normality and morality. Hamilton is the expectation from the rules as she cracked down the armor of social stereotypes and managed to earn people’s indulgence.
“Professions for Women” by Virginia Woolf is a story about a writer who tried to be rewarded and dubbed as an eminent novelist. In her piece, Woolf described how she clawed her way in her career path of being a writer. Woolf (1937) described the process of writing as “a reputable and harmless occupation” (p.1). In the 1900s, most women were engrossed with writing as this occupation provided them with a passable and decent living, and they did not have to gallivant around the world to survive. Being a writer meant to be under the seizure of men’s influence who conducted all working processes as well as writing. Female novelists had to oppress their gender in their works and credit to men running this world. Her story “the Angel in the House” symbolized female destiny being violated and undervalued, which Woolf had to kill in her story in order to continue her writing career.
In her piece, the primary argument Woolf centered around was women’s submission to men’s rules and demands imposed on females. Woolf (1937) compared the female writer’s way to “phantoms and obstacles” (p.4), as female authors suffered from a lack of freedom and facilities of ideas in their art. The unprecedented issue was pervasive and current claiming a choice to make: whether a writer put up with inconveniences and vision oppressions or ended up with nothing.
From my assessment, this story is a clear-cut example of women’s indignity entailing them to battle suffrage in all spheres of lives they participated in. This story depicts women who had to remain silent and humble in their expressions. Besides, females had to praise men for their rewards and life positions. Woolf represented women’s sacrifice and inferiority in working and domestic environments so as not to end up their existence in tatters.
The theme of women’s rights violation was current and much spoken within different time frames. Back then, females were not allowed to vote to express their social positions, as women were minor additions to the men’s world. Suppose a person arrives in that world as a girl. In that case, she had to follow a preordained path during her upbringing, marriage, and other significant stages of a person’s mental and spiritual growth. A woman had to be a formidable housewife engrossed only in household chores. If she accidentally got a job to earn her living to feed children, left after an unfaithful husband, a female had to endure constant indignities and underestimation so as not to be fired. She had no right to voice her concerns, opinions, and visions but adjust to the stark reality without presenting her identity. Woolf’s story portrays a gloomy world where women acted out like pawn’s in the men’s games.
Female aggression and their oppression are common subjects in these mesmerizing stories. No matter whether a person differed from others in terms of their transgender expressions or a woman resorting to lies to earn a living, both of them were in a desperate need to protect themselves. However, Harris’s piece depicted a woman risking everything to take her “place under the sun,” while Woolf’s work portrayed a female who had to endure inconveniences to continue her career. These stories are about women who witnessed challenging times arousing acute pain inside them, and they both made their choices.
References
Harris, M. (2011). The unrepentant whore. General Press.
Woolf, V. (1937). Professions for women. General Press.