2. What do you think all of a sudden caused the school to change its mind about letting her use the women's facilities?
3. How will this impact her in her future life?
New: How is Alexandra prevented from doing everything she could've done if she were a man in that time period
Alexandra did everything possible that a man could have done. Her gender may have posed a problem to her, but she overcomed it and hence, she was not prevented. Although her brothers tried to prevent her from keeping her land and buying more, she was able to overcome their beliefs. She was able to become financialy successful. She made the right decisions and through her hard work was able to make a living from working on the land. It is important to note that she lived on the frontier. If she lived in the Eastern part of the United States she would have run in to more problems, because of her gender. The more civilized society had stronger gender barriers and a person's success potential would have beem more dependent on more people. Alexandra had the mindset to make it in the setting of the book and this mindset enabled her to transcend any difficult based on her gender.
ReplyDeleteAlexandra throughout the book took on many roles usually played by men. However, many things she did well went unnoticed due to the fact she was a female. Alexandra never was prevented from doing everything she could because she ran a farm better than most men in the area. For example, her brothers sat back and watched her to an excellent job on the farm. The only thing that prevented Alexandra was the fact that everything she did went unnoticed because she was a female. She still had the pioneer spirit and she achieved what she enjoyed in life so what everyone says does not matter. Leading to the main theme of people will always judge so who cares what they think. Today Alexandra would be a women revered by all women. If Alexandra lived in today's society she would be apart of all the women's movements. She was prevented by society in her accomplishments but not in what she actually achieved.
ReplyDelete1) I believe that the school should treat the girl equal to all the other students in class. I find it extremely important that the little girl not feel discluded at such a young age and the school should do it's best to make sure that does not happen.
ReplyDelete2) The school most likely realized how crucial the treatment of this situation was to the child's life, because it will shape her future to a great extent and shape how her peers treat her.
3) The little girls life will be in no way easy use to the fact that we live in such a judgmental society, but I have hope for society to become more accepting in the future. She will most likely have a hard time getting jobs, and making friends but the important thing is that she is happy with herself.
4) While Alexandra took on the role of a man in the novel, she was greatly prevented from recieving credit for what she did due to the fact that she was a women. While Alexandra did all the farm work while her brothers ignored their responsibilities many of Alexandra's thoughts and feelings were ignored due to her gender. While this is very unfair it is the way society ran at the time. Even facing this adversity Alexandra was happy as could be with herself and what she had accomplished. She was able to live her life without caring what society thought of her, which is an important theme Cather wanted to be recieved.
I think that for the most part society didn't stop Alexandra from doing what she wanted even if it was general a mans role to do, but it were her brothers who took her gender into play. they didn't so much prevent her, but disrespected her and didn't agree with her because of her gender. there are at least two times in the novel where Lou and Oscar argue with Alexandra about the land and her ideas. First, when Alexandra first talks about buying land. both her brothers think it is an awful idea, and it will waste their money. second, when her brothers are worried about carl marrying Alexandra for her money. they get into a fight and say that this is what happens when you do business with a women. they bag on Alexandra because she is a women. in the end though, she is prevented from doing anything. her brothers argue with her but the don't stop her from doing anything, neither does society.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, Alexandra was not prevented from doing anything because of her gender. Alexandra was cast by Cather as a strong female character whose main purpose in the plot was to show that women could overcome any obstacles they faced in order to accomplish the same feats as men. For example, Alexandra is able to work and build a successful farm. Her free spirit allows her throughout the book to be carried over any gender barrier that appears in her path.
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ReplyDeleteAs a woman, Alexandra was able to accomplish everything that she could have if she were a man. Despite the low amount of respect and credibility her brothers, Lou and Oscar showed her, she was known as a very dignified person. Being a woman did not hold her back and it did not label her. Emil even said he never really thought of Alexandra as a woman at all, though she was beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAlexandra wasn't exactly restrained of her privileges providing she had most control over the farm until told otherwise. Either way yes there was a gender barrier but I felt she surpassed this obstacle most of the time. Therefore I don't really think she lost many privileges in that her dad respected the fact that she could take care of herself and the family and the farm while her brothers could barely take care of themselves due to their immature and carefree attitudes. Cather introduced Alexandra as a strong independent character and thus expressing her independence and attitude towards being a strong woman that could hold her own
ReplyDeleteI believe that society did not stop Alexandra from doing what she wanted to do. Although her brothers, Lou and Oscar may have disagreed with her, she did not let them stop her from doing what she wanted to do. Cather wanted Alexandra to be portrayed as a strong, independent woman and by not giving in to society's norms and the pressure of her brothers, Alexandra was able to accomplish that role.
ReplyDelete1: I believe that the school should at least accommodate certain services for the girl at school, on the basis that she deserves the grade school education and experience that all her other classmates are in the process of attaining. In addition, the rights of the other students may also not be infringed by actions to accommodate singular students; every student should have an equal opportunity for comfort and proficiency.
ReplyDelete2: In driving the action in letting the young girl use the womens' facilities, the school may have either: payed closer attention to the emotional fragility of the situation, or executed the decision merely to improve public relations.
3: This state of affairs will continue to have a profound impact on the little girl's life; as she grows older, she will have to face certain indeterminate types of pain issued by a more ignorant and intolerant populace.
4: With regards to Alexandra, the types of barriers that block her furthering her career, are exclusive to non-official/legal obligations and culture structures. Alexandra is able to conduct business, but runs into friction with her brothers as a woman head-of-estate.
Julia M.:Alexandrea’s brothers and friends did disagree with what she was doing and the decisions she was making but that didn't stop her. Alexandrea always did what she felt was right and got it done regardless of others opinions. Willa Cather portrayed the character of Alexandrea as independent and self sufficient. The message she is trying to send is to not fall into the norms of society and follow your own path. Throughout the book Alexandrea continuously proves herself but many of the characters ignored it because of her gender. So in the end she did not let gender prevent her from doing anything but didn’t get the approval from everyone she loved
ReplyDeletePayton:Alexandra does not let her gender stop her from doing what she wants to ultimately portraying her as that strong female heroin that Cather was aiming for. Although Lou and Oscar constantly disagree with her, she does as she pleases. When she encounters people doubting her, she just follows what she believes is right. For example, when everybody wants her to sell the land, she disregards their opinions and acts on her own instincts. She doesn't let the fact that she is a woman get in the way of what she wants to do. Her gender doesn't prevent her from doing anything quite honestly because she keeps the land like she originally wanted to do, and ends up being with Carl even though her brothers tell her not to. Cather uses Alexandra to show a woman with drive and as a person who looks at herself as an equal with men, not letting anything stop her.
ReplyDeleteUnlike other woman during this time period, Alexandra owned land which was rare for a woman to do in this part of the nation. She indirectly challenged the normal gender barrier because she owned land and her father gave her the land to her instead of her brothers. However, since the 19th Amendment had not been passed yet giving woman the power to vote, Alexandra could not vote in local, congressional or presidential elections. She stilled had many unique opportunities that most women did not have, but she still could not do everything a man could do.
ReplyDeleteAlexandra had the luxury of being capable of doing anything a man could do withhin the boudary of law, but still faced societal pressures. Being a woman, it was unheard of for her to take the family farm in place of her brothers. However, like many of the main characters in Honors English 11, Alexandra goes against the grain to pursue what she believes is right, not what is socially acceptable.
ReplyDeleteAlexandra's issue of gender roles were removed when she was given the land of her father, John Bergson, over her brothers Lou and Oscar. After this, she time and time again proved that she had what it took to run a successful farm, despite overhanging and traditional gender roles. There was really no difference between her and men of that time period, a point I think Willa Cather wanted to stress: the strength women can have in society, especially when having to overcome adversity like Alexandra: difficulties with the land itself and the people around her, such as Marie and her brothers. Alexandra had everything it took to run a farm, and despite her being a women, had every right to farm the land that a man did in Nebraska at the time.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Alexandra took a man's role in that time period, she persevered and showed her strength as a female. She overcame hardships and was able to hold down the farm and keep her family in line. I believe that Cather wanted to show that women have just as much ability as men and that women deserve to have equal opportunities.
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