John Wang Blog 5

In Anderson’s work women are curiously absent from the formation of nations. Traditionally this may very well have been true. Men made the decisions and carried out the actions. Women served in a support role providing cooking, comfort, and children. This can be seen in Black Girl. Duana is portrayed in a very helpless light. Seemingly strong-willed, she still gave up on life when it was clear there was no shame of taking the money she earned to go back home and try to change things. Instead, she did not see that she could change the situation and committed suicide. Her decision definitely came through years of imprinting that she as a woman could do little to change the way things were.

More recently, women have been shown as able to impact nations. In Who Killed Vincent Chin? although the mother is not well spoken she will not take no for an answer and through her persistence, she started a large Asian American movement that stood together for their rights.

What I believe about women in nations is this: they have always been important, but it is only now they are starting to take the spotlight. Behind every great man, there was probably a loving woman or a complete bitch that broke his heart. Now in our consumerist society, women have gained and will continue to gain more and more power and eventually, women may try to be in total control, but it probably won’t work.