Things like the introductory paragraphs in Fausto-Sterling’s article, “Hormonal Hurricanes: Menstruation, Menopause, & Female Behavior” are the reason female reproductive organs have become such taboo. If society really believes that menstruation and menopause limit the potential of women to be leaders, I do not blame the female population for never speaking about their reproductive organs. If the widespread belief of the time was that women are less competent than men are because their hormones control them more than their intellects, I would be ashamed to be female (Fausto-Sterling, p. 91). As a result, it makes sense that Anne Sexton’s poem, “In Celebration of My Uterus” was seen as groundbreaking in the mid 1900s. Her collections of poems about “breasts and wombs, about abortion, menstruation, masturbation, incest, adultery” (Sexton, p. 329) offered a new position on females. Instead of suggesting women should be ashamed of the natural processes that occur in their body, and their “smaller” brain size, Anne Sexton decided to celebrate the woman she was, down to her very soul (Sexton, p. 331). Beliefs like “if you are a woman, you can’t win” (Fausto-Sterling, p. 95) and women “are a permanent…underclass in our society” (Valdes, p. 28) make it seem like a woman can get nowhere in life. It is refreshing that Sexton seemed to believe that she already had won, just by being born a woman.
Sexton’s poem really sticks out to me because instead of searching for happiness in life with material goods, power in an office, or a beautiful appearance, she celebrates herself and a very large part of herself. Instead of feeling ashamed that her hormones and reproductive organs could possibly make her into a “monster” who abuses her friends and family (Fausto-Sterling), she embraces her uterus. She is thankful for “the central creature and its delight” (Sexton, 331). In addition, unlike the women who attend Alisa Valdes’ aerobic classes, it seems like Sexton is content with her body the way it was given to her. Instead of “hopping around in leotards” for no purpose, Sexton celebrated her natural body (Valdes, 28). Perhaps reading more poetry like “In Celebration of My Uterus” would prevent fueling more women’s “obsession with their appearance” (Valdes, 28).
Ideally, more work like Anne Sexton’s poetry and less of Valdes’ “let’s tone up” mentality would benefit the feminist movement. However, it is completely unrealistic to believe that abandoning all negative stereotypes of women can be abandoned (PMS). Moreover, in these writings specifically it is important to bring up the issue of financial well being. Reading a piece from Valdes represents a more diverse representation from the Feminist movement than the typical white, middle class American woman. Valdes’ racial identity as a “Hispanic” combined with her need to rely on being an aerobics instructor for a source of income to repay her debts. Representation from this author in addition to the few stanza’s of Sexton’s poem begin to paint a picture of how different each woman can be. Although we all may be united by similar biology, it is wrong to oversimplify the entire gender. Reading Fausto-Sterling’s piece shows us that the first group to make this rash overgeneralization was men who claimed to be backed by science. However, it is unfortunate that eventually the feminist movement made the same mistake by only addressing feminist issues pertaining to the white middle class. Even though there is still more to be done, it is encouraging to read from an author of color.
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When Katrina commented that menstruation is in no way abnormal amongst females, and that as Sexton depicts that all women, whether they be factory workers or marine biologists experience it, I immediately wondered, why can’t this discussion be turned on its head? That is, contrary to what scientists used to believe – and some people may still believe, in terms of a woman’s ability to function being impeded by monthly hormonal fluctuations, most women are able to live their lives. Though I’m sure all of us women probably know someone who have been put temporarily out of commission by cramps or other symptoms at that time of the month, I can’t imagine that this is true of the overwhelming majority. With that said, whether a woman is a mother or a marine biologist, they are most often able to perform their jobs and live life on a daily basis despite any discomfort that may result from menstruation. So why not view it from the perspective of a testament to a woman’s strength? It is curious that the original “scientific” basis for female incompetence as a result of hormonal fluctuations seems to primarily have been the opinions of males, yet as Katrina pointed out, researchers do not look to testosterone fluctuations as a “problem” or “syndrome.” When men get into fights and put on other displays of over-aggression, nobody hones in on testosterone as a culprit worthy of extensive research or as an indicator of male incompetence, even though in many situations physical aggression clearly is not desirable or effective. Frankly I agree with Katrina, that the reason probably is that since men are dominant and hold more power that they determine what is desirable and thus “normal.” Yet at the same time I could not help thinking as I read, that if a man could be in a woman’s shoes for a month, that women should be more appreciated for demonstrating their abilities while having to “deal” with mild to severe monthly discomfort. Perhaps that was one of Sexton’s inspirations for her poem, where she celebrated the very organ that is the source of the occasional discomfort of many!
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