Sunday 13 March 2016

Through Song, Women Continue With The Struggles Of Women Emancipation

                      

SUMMARY: In this write up, we explore  women and their contribution to society and diversity. This is traced through individual capacity to live as dignified people, creating and maintaining homes and communities. We shall read about Fannie Lou Hammer, Eve Ensler and a commentary on a song by the Supremes.
                 Women in the communities, families and homes can contribute to social life from any station of life. This discussion, is about the contribution of a social organizer, writer and singers. The discussion takes us through their experiences and aspects of life in which women are contributing to social wellbeing. 
                      Fannie Lou Hamer a poor, stocky, uneducated woman who had spent most of her life as a sharecropper in rural Mississippi, was able to turn into a dedicated and effective civil rights activist. She mobilized African Americans to register to vote even when she knew it would cause her trouble (Janice D. Hamlet, 2011, verse 1).  She was never discouraged in getting people in the fight to battle racism, poverty, and injustice. She faced police brutality as she went about mobilizing people. in doing this, she highlighted America's hypocrisy and injustices. “Although she lacked a formal education, she was more intelligent than most about the evils of American society and the hypocrisy of politicians’ rhetoric. Most importantly, she embodied a strong sense of character, intelligence, goodwill, and charisma, components that governed her life and the work she felt compelled to do,” (verse 42). 
                    Eve Ensler, is a writer of “In the body of the world.” Through that book, the reader is introduced to the different outcomes arising from respectful love as well as what results where abuses abound. The narrator shows how parenthood is important to the growth and development of children. Parenthood and a family ensure sense of wellness and confidence for children.  Children need their parents help and the author refers to it as a firmness that is dependable. She writes about it when she says “a mother’s body against a child’s body makes a place,” (Ensler, E., 2013, verse 1). It is in such an environment that fidelity, care, love and responsibility towards one another is possible.  She also shows us the pain of separation from her mother and this is when she experienced “gaps, hole, hunger, disassociation, violence and constant travels,” (verse 2). In her travels around the world to collect her stories, the author shows us the pain, recklessness and deprivations that resulted in  “the deeper crises and ills against women,” (verse 9).
                 Through song, it is possible to narrate experiences of love and happiness. The first verse of the song, “Someday We'll Be Together” by the Supremes, depicts a woman assuring her spouse of undying love (Someday We'll Be Together by The Supremes, verse 1). The song goes on in subsequent verses to show other social change themes like: fidelity, accomplishment, consideration, care, belief, hope and trust. These are experiences through which women as well can reciprocate true love for their spouses whether they are absent or present. Two literary techniques used in the song are: first person narration and setting. The first person narration enables the hearer to listen to first hand conversation as it is narrated. The setting is that of spouses who are not together but keep in touch through communicating. This is seen in: “You're far away from me, my love, And just as sure my, my baby, As there are stars above, Wanna say, wanna say, wanna say it,” (verse 2). Commitment to make their love work as spouses is emphasized in the song and it offers a social change perspective related to women’s family and community experience. “And long time ago, my, my sweet thing, I made a big mistake, honey, I said, I said, goodbye, oh, oh, baby, Ever, ever, ever since that day, Now, now all I wanna do is cry, cry,” (verse 6).  
                 The lyrics reflect the family and community themes Ensler and Hamlet raise in their writings. The recurring themes are: people committing to each other; providing a positive message of hope; motivating others to embrace actions that promote joy; sharing in a life that promises achievements; and showing what may happen if opportunities for happiness, growth, development, civic duties, political life, freedom of expression and enjoyment of relationships. These themes are outlined by Porter and Brady in their writings too.

                                            Reference:

Ensler, E. (2013). In the body of the world [PDF]. New York, NY: Henry Holt & Company.      Retrieved fromhttp://inthebodyoftheworld.com/pdf/EveEnsler-InTheBodyOfTheWorld- Excerpt.pdf. Retrieved on March 2nd 2016.


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