Analysis #6

Just Ain't Right
Analysis on Feminism and Gender Studies through Genesis and the show Mad Men

It is interesting to see that Beauvoir starts out by bringing up the fact that people have discussed if women exist. Beauvoir says that we have all the proof; ovaries and such. She says "In truth, to go for a walk with one’s eyes open is enough to demonstrate that humanity is divided into two classes of individuals whose clothes, faces, bodies, smiles, gaits, interests, and occupations are manifestly different. Perhaps these differences are superficial, perhaps they are destined to disappear. What is certain is that they do most obviously exist" (Beauvoir).
And on to the question of what a woman is. This topic, as she says, was not easily written about with all the controversy and exhaustion. But I would like to highlight her statement that leads back to Adam and Eve. She says that "St Thomas for his part pronounced woman to be an ‘imperfect man’, an ‘incidental’ being. This is symbolised in Genesis where Eve is depicted as made from what Bossuet called ‘a supernumerary bone’ of Adam." Whereas most people cannot fathom that their equality be muted in any way, shape, or form, Genesis highlights the point that Eve was made from Adam's rib, and created as a helpmate for what symbolizes the head of a body, Eve symbolizing the body, which symbolizes the church, which we all know is a part of the head, and yet the head, holding everything together (representing Christ) is the Alpha and Omega, not the body. And so we have a text to consider with the feminist theories today. Her quote from Benda confirms this idea, that "'the body of man makes sense in itself quite apart from that of woman, whereas the latter seems wanting in significance by itself ... Man can think of himself without woman. She cannot think of herself without man.’"

Taking the show Mad Men for example, we see how women are discriminated and used, looked down upon and trying to be controlled. However, we see that man, as Beauvoir brings up, sees women as sex, and thus, this notion is brought into play as the men give way, appreciate, and extend grace, seemingly only for this reason, throwing the women into turmoil and confusion, but thus, gaining more confidence to be equal, socially, and in the work place. Now, we see that this is a place where the "other" is full blown. Eve was just as important as Adam, yet they had different roles. What we see today, is imperfection in God's perfection through these two beings, who even to this day, are continually struggling to be happy, just as feminists see that things just aren't the way it should be. And they are right. But then, what better to strive for God's perfection? Gaining a real sense of love, and therefore going about our daily lives with respect, concern, and understanding of the other gender, bringing relationships together not apart? Being ourselves in our specific roles as individuals and not putting men or women in a box?