Aren’t we all equal?

            Gender inequality is a widely debated topic throughout history and still is up for debate to this day. Women are not being treated as equal as men in many situations. The woman is supposed to be seen as weak while the male is strong and independent. Many sources of media tend to portray the inequality in an obvious fashion or hidden under the surface within the actions and dialect of the characters. Two significant plays that truly exemplify the portrayal of this theme would be Antigone by Sophocles and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. Each play shows different ideas of gender inequality through different time periods and in their own way.
             Antigone takes place in ancient Greek times. In these times women were portrayed as inferior to men in all situations. Antigone had recently lost both of her parents and now both of her brothers at each other’s hands. Her leader (also her uncle) was demanding that her one brother be buried while the other (who fought against the city) just be left on the streets and not be given an honorable burial. The main conflict in this play would be between Antigone and her uncle. The conflict may have arisen due to the difference in gender. There is even a point when the sentry is telling Creon (the uncle) about the burial and he assumes the act was done by a male. The sentry states “He scattered the skin some thirsty dust; he did the ritual” (Sentry 1136-37). Antigone or any woman in general was not seen as strong enough to complete these actions. Strong physically and mentally enough in any manner. Women would not go against their leader in any situation. Men were always seen as superior and they were to be listened to. Antigone is a perfect example of a woman who would not stop fighting for what she believed in.
    The idea of gender inequality is portrayed differently in the play A Streetcar Named Desire; it is portrayed as more of the idea of male dominance rather than inequality among characters. The play takes place in New Orleans in the late 1940s. Blanche and Stanley are introduced in this play and the second they meet there is an instant feeling of tension between them. Blance had arrived at her sister’s house unknowingly to her sister’s husband (Stanley). When they first meet Stanley immediately makes her uncomfortable by removing his shirt. He then proceeds to ask her many irritating questions. Blanche had been inconspicuously insecure about herself. She would always have to have the lights low or covered, then she would ask Stella to close the blinds as well. She went through all this to hide the fact that she was aging. Blanche believed that she her beauty was diminishing, and such would ruin her sense of belonging. She shouldn’t need to feel her aging would cause her to lose her beauty. Men had only wanted to be seen with beautiful women. Men needed to feel dominant as well. Stanley would eventually go on to rape Blanche as his final act to prove his dominance. Blanche had already been emotionally broken and now she had truly fallen apart. Men can destroy a woman if they try hard enough.
            Sadly, this idea of male dominance and gender inequality is not just a theme throughout stories, but a theme throughout real life. Many women today throughout the United States face ridiculous amounts of unfair treatment because of the fact they are female. Many jobs will not hire women for certain positions because they do not believe that they can do the jo perfect. In many circumstances the pay is not equal among men and women. Also, solely for the fact that men are supposedly better at their jobs. The man is even still seen as dominant today in American society. The male is supposed to be the breadwinner, the man is supposed to be out getting a different girl every night, if they are not they are sometimes called names indicating they are womanly and what is that teaching young girls now at days. The younger generations should not think that these ideas are ok. Here in the states the inequality and dominance need to be changed, but other countries need to reevaluate a lot more.
            In many other countries women are looked at as objects. Women have no say in their government in some areas of the world. One example of this would be in the country of Yemen. “Yemen is a traditional country where prevailing cultural attitudes, patriarchal structures, and Islamic fundamentalism accord women low status in the family and community and limit their participation in society.” (Breslin) Many countries still rely on the idea of a patriarchal society or a male dominated society.  Women in Yemen are also not allowed to make their own decisions which forces them into unwarranted, early marriages. The idea of arranged marriages as the “norm” for some countries is sickening. Arranged marriages is a concept that was during ancient times and the fact it is still being practiced today shows the horrid treatment of some women. Women in Yemen are not supported if wanting to run for any government position. Men tend to think that a woman will be to emotionally invested in not make rational decisions if they are in government. The last interesting fact about the women in Yemen is the fact they do not enjoy the same citizenship rights as men. “The children of male Yemeni citizens automatically receive their father’s citizenship, regardless of whether their mother is Yemeni…On the other hand, Yemeni women married to foreign citizens are unable to pass their citizenship to their children.” (Breslin). Women still have no rights in many countries and its hard to believe but it’s a harsh reality. The idea that a woman cannot pass on her citizenship to her children while a male can is ridiculous. Males cannot be the sole dominators of even the smallest countries. Woman are strong and need to be seen as such. There is a small area in Latin America called Juchitan that is a matriarchal society. They seem to be doing just fine being run by women and not men.
            The media constantly portrays the idea of male dominance even in the most discrete ways. On the show “The Alienist”, there is a female employee at the police department and she is very skilled, yet she does not receive the respect she deserves. The show also takes place in the late nineteenth century before woman ever even had the right to vote. She truly does rely on the males though even if she does not want to admit it. One male hit her, and she went crying to another one. There is also a point where all the men are given guns and she is not. She is a strong woman who is just lacking in confidence due to her unfair treatment in the police station.
            Gender inequality and the idea of male dominance has been around for decades. The topic will forever be debated, but no actions will be taken. Woman should be treated as equal as men and they should never have to worry about their actions because they are women. Antigone and Blanche are just two examples of women throughout literature who are mistreated due to their gender. The problem can only improve from here. Times have shown a change in some attitudes, but not all. Both males and females should be equally respected and there is no arguing that.

                                                                   Works Cited

Breslin, Julia and Sanja Kelly. Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa : Progress Amid Resistance. vol. 2010 ed, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2010. EBSCOhost, hs1.farmingdale.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=336992&site=eds-live
Sophocles. “Antigone” Norton and Company. Pp. 1129-1164
Williams, Tennessee. “A Streetcar Named Desire”. Norton and Company. Pp 1165-1238