Class follow up-New Woman- ali pepin

Overall, this class has opened my eyes on many aspects of the New Woman. I came into this class thinking it was going to be a bunch of periods, emotional cycles, and girl power, yet there is so much depth that I've learned. The idea that women are actually the more powerful sex with our sexuality and persuasiveness, at least I think so. Even the way women have a greater realization of their own being and life they begin to take matters into their own hands, this may be a positive reaction or a rather negative reaction. Either way, it's as though women have evolved over the years into powerful beings who are very aware. Beginning as the inferior sex and evolving and rising to power, its a very vivid growth that has progressed and is still progressing into something even greater. Also, this class has shown me the ways women are viewed and how women writers are very different. Many women have very different stories to tell and you can count on interesting ways women authors will portray these stories.

Vera Drake - after class discussion

I always thought that abortion is not a tragic choice if a mother does not want the baby. If the mother was not expected the baby and does not want him/her, it would be better not to make the baby born. Because both mother and baby's life would be ruined if the mother does not want him/her and he/she raises without mother's love. However, after the discussion in class, I was wondering what is right or wrong.  I was not sure if my thought was right; also, I was not sure if Vera Drake was doing right thing.

New Gibson Girl

As this course comes to a close I feel as though I can say I have left with more knowledge then I would have expected on the traits and characteristics of who the Gibson Girl was. I was rather surprised to read that the idea of the Gibson Girl came from the drawings of a man. "Gibson himself could keep up with the fashions--the new shorter terraced skirts, the coronets of braided hair and the Merry Widow hats--and keep up with the changing social conventions--automobile driving, dashing to parties, dancing and having fun--but he was uncomfortable with American woman's seemingly increasing free-floating morality" (pg. 179). After everything we have discussed in class it amazes me that all the women's rights movements and everything women fought for themselves were brought on by the ideas of the Gibson Girl created by a man. Maybe more of women's rights were a joint effort than we were taught to believe?

Vera Drake

I became really intrigued when watching Vera Drake because it’s an issue I feel that is often avoided and not too commonly spoken about. This movie allows for empathy towards the issue, whether one supports it or not. We are able to observe why woman may feel compelled to go through with an abortion, and common misconceptions about the issue. Vera did what she did because she felt that strongly about woman’s rights. Who can tell a woman what to do with her body? Therefore, she chose to overcome a social stigma to do what she felt was right. Something that stood out to me was when her son found out and couldn’t bring himself to forgive her. It’s interesting that some men are totally against it when it is not something they ever have to worry about experiencing. It got me thinking about why it is such a political issue; could it be because men primarily make up politics? It’s kind of like us women telling men they can’t get a vasectomy as a form of birth control with allowing them very little say in the matter. Anywho, I thought it was a great movie with a good portrayal of abortions and women rights.

Vera

The moment I found most interesting in Vera Drake was the moment where Sally Hawkins character went to get approved for an abortion. it was interesting that the only people she spoke to were men. the way they treated her wish, like she was crazy to want an abortion contrasted so differently from Vera. Vera seemed to understand in only a way another woman could, that it was life or death for these women.

The New Woman

Before this class I have never heard of the term "The New Woman". This class has helped me realize how far women have come throughout the last hundred years. I was aware of some of the themes that we discussed; however, I enjoyed further learning about them through the readings throughout the semester. It seems as if we have come a long way since the 1900's but there are still some rights that we are fighting for today.Women have fought throughout the past hundred years for equal rights pay and rights to abort or take birth control to control when they have children. These issues are now coming up again and women are having to fight for their rights all over again. This astounds me because it seems as if men are becoming even more superior to women. Men are able to choose whether or not they want to stay with their children and there aren't any consequences besides paying child support; however women are then looked down upon because they just want to take money from their children's father. I am hoping that eventually women will become equal to men because as far as I am concerned we can earn an education and maintain a career so I do not really see much of a difference.

Vera Drake

When seeing the film I took much interest into the film because it discussed an issue which many women deal with. Abortions are something which have always been a wishy washy situation. I believe being forced to have a baby especially if you are raped is insane becasue you have to raise this child and explain to them that there father raped there mother. However, Abortions are now something which women have used a voice of freedom and now in today society is common. I want state on own personal stance but I will say that abortions are simply something which is a woman decision which needs to be thought out and consider. It was just nice to see how abortions were viewed then as opposed to how abortions are viewed now