Lysistrata is immediately established as a
strong, scheming woman compared to other women in Athens. In the opening of the
play, when she calls a meeting to discuss the state of Athens, many of the
women as well as some key characteristics of Lysistrata are introduced; this
introduction to many foil characters of Lysistrata, help to set apart the
self-determining protagonist. Her fiery attitude is first apparent while discussing
the entire female sex--"I'm on fire right down to the bone. I'm positively
ashamed to be a woman--a member of a sex which can't even live up to male
slanders!" (16.21-23) Lysistrata is infuriated about how long the war
between men of Athens has been going on and therefore has "spent...nights
kneading [a plan], mulling it, [and] filing it down" (17.48) in order to
put a stop to the war. Unlike many of the women Lysistrata bands together,
she is a strong-minded individual that is taking it into her own hands to stop
the war.
Lysistrata is similar to many feminists in
history especially Rosie the Riveter. Rosie the Riveter was a symbol of all
American women who joined the work force when their husbands, brothers, and
fathers were drafted for the war. These women represented a huge step towards independence
and self-actuality for women; much like the women who are represented by Rosie
the Riveter, Lysistrata formulated a plan to stop the war when all the men were
too busy fighting. She serves as a role model and leader for all the other
women of Athens, and neighboring cities, and encourages them to join her in a
stand for peace.
I appreciate your comparison of Lysistrata ad Rosie the Riveter; the juxtaposition between these two female leaders demonstrates how women still continue to strive for rights to the same amount of power men had. In both situations, women stayed home from the war and they did 'their part' to either win it or end it. Ironically Lysistrata and her army of women use what Rosie the Riveter and her followers got rid of: femininity. Lysistrata used women's sexuality to coerce the men to stop fighting while Rosie decreased femininity to take on roles men usually had before the war.
ReplyDeleteYour reference to Rosie the Riveter is quite accurate. Woman in Lysistrata are being used and categorized by gender roles. They are supposed to be around the house and be at the mans' disposal whenever he pleases. Both Lysistrata and Rosie the Riveter are fighting for the things woman deserve.
ReplyDeleteLysistrata definitely holds a correlation to that of Rosie the Riveter. Both figures hold symbolize women's right and uplift them to be something greater than a statistic. Before today's time, women only held the value of being wives, child bearers, cooks, and maids. But with these figures, it shows that they can be something more than that.
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