Most men view themselves as being the superior life-form in society. They justify this belief by saying that they are stronger and more capable; thus, making them more qualify for the more important roles in society. They place themselves on pedestals and force women to believe in their own inferiority to men and their incapability to excel educationally, politically, economically, and domestically. But the truth is that women will eventually advance in all these areas and come to realize that they do not need men to survive.
John Steinbeck, in his short story “The Chrysanthemums” depicts the trials of a woman attempting to gain power in a man’s world. Elisa Allen tries to define the boundaries of her role as a woman in such a closed society. While her environment is portrayed as a tool for social repression, it is through nature in her garden where Elisa gains and shows off her power. As the story progresses, Elisa has trouble extending this power outside of the fence that surrounds her garden.
Elisa learns but does not readily accept, that she possesses a feminine power weak for the time, not the masculine one she had tried so hard to achieve through its imitation. Through the years, women have challenged the traditional female roles and have gradually climbed up the social ladder. They have split up the domestic chores with their husbands and entered the workforce and/or returned to school. They are no longer compelled to become domestic housewives who stay at home to cook, clean, care for the children, and serve their husbands.
However, they are given more choices and opportunities, and are becoming more independent. From the time of the women’s movement, women have proven to society that they are just as capable and qualify for the same roles that men perform. Since they have been given more educational opportunities, they have also proven that they are just as competent by accomplishing the same educational level as men. They also proved that they are capable of performing the same kinds of work that men have traditionally done.
They have forced society to modify job titles (formally known to be only men jobs) to acknowledge the women who have gone into these fields: from fireman to firefighter; mailman to mail deliverer; policeman to police officer; and etc. Due to these new opportunities that have been made possible to women, more and more of them are joining the workforce each year. According to America Today, about 55% of the people who enter the workforce each year are female.
At this rate, women will eventually dominate the work force; thus, dominating the economic system. Gaining this financial independent will allow women to surpass in other areas of society, which is also give them more political influence. The government positions currently being held by women in the White House and state capitals all over the United States prove that this is true. It is also comprehensible that women will eventually be able to take on the role of presidency as they have other government positions.
It is only a matter of time that this should happen. Once women advance and control these aspects of society, they will learn that they do not need men to survive. Even though the belief of male domination is being severely jeopardized in the recent years, men are still ignorantly holding on to the ludicrous idea that they are superior to females. They are in denial; they do not want to believe that women could do without them because they are so egoistic.
Deep down they are afraid that women will come to the realization that they do not need men; therefore, they have tried subliminally to keep women inferior in almost every aspects of life for as long as possible. But eventually, the women will excel in all these areas and come to realize that they can survive without man and rid of them. This extreme idea is hard to believe now because the world is full of men, but I believe that there will come a day when women will rule the Earth and men will only exist in history books.
