I found Steinem’s article, “Wonder Woman,” to be really empowering for all women. She starts out by saying, “The female child is left to believe that, even when her body is as grown up as her spirit, she will still be in the childlike role of helping with minor tasks, appreciating men’s accomplishments, and being so incompetent and passive that she can only hope some man can come to her rescue” (203). It’s such a sad thought that women feel the same way as Steinem describes in her article. The comics we’ve read throughout the semester never depict women as being heroes instead they’re always depicted as the damsel in distress. Men are always coming to a woman’s rescue which I find insulting. Women have come so far to prove that we’re equal to men, we may not be physically equal to men but we are capable of doing things men do. Steinem points out that most superheroes are male and thus girls have to attempt to identify with male characters instead of female ones. It’s depressing to know that not until 1941, when Wonder Woman was created, that young girls didn’t have a female role model to look up to but instead had to compromise their identity to relate to the male superheroes in comics.
Steinem illustrates Wonder Woman as the super heroine I’ve been waiting to encounter among the comics we’ve read so far. She’s not violent and instead persuades her enemies as well as seeks to change the male dominated world. Steinem comments on the multiple feminist messages seen throughout Wonder Woman stories such as the story of Prudence, a young pioneer, who comes to realize that she doesn’t need a man and can rely on herself. Wonder Woman strives to improve the lives of all women and does this through the belief that “male means aggression and female means submitting” (204-5). She understands the pressures of being a woman and attempts to change that view beginning with helping other women realize their potential as well as their value. Although I know probably a lot of our classmates will argue that the Wonder Woman comics are too feminist, I actually enjoy the change of pace that provides us with a different perspective that Wonder Woman brings to comics. Steinem illustrates how most of the bad guys are evil men that treat women as inferior to them and they are taken down and “made to recognize women’s strength and value” (205). In other plots, weak women are transformed by Wonder Woman into women who learn the importance of not needing a man as well as respecting themselves. I find this to be such an empowering message considering women are still oppressed today and it can be difficult at times to be an independent woman instead of taking the easy way out and depending on a man for everything.
Something I found interesting that Steinem said about the Wonder Woman comics was that they expressed that, “woman are full human beings; that we cannot love others until we love ourselves; that love and respect can only exist between equals” (205). Too often women give in to male and societal pressures and with the introduction of Wonder Woman, it finally provides us with a strong super heroine. A woman who can help other women appreciate themselves and not rely on men to save or help them. Wonder Woman’s mother, Queen Hippolyte, also provides women with another example of a strong female heroine by supporting her daughter’s purpose in life as well as protecting her. By doing this, she provides us with a role we have yet to see which is a loving mother encouraging her daughter’s journey to changing the world.
Steinem illustrates Wonder Woman as symbolizing, “…many of the values of the women’s culture that feminists are now trying to introduce into the mainstream: strength and self-reliance or women; sisterhood and mutual support among women; peace, fullness and esteem for human life; a diminishment both of “masculine” aggression and of the belief that violence is the only way of solving conflicts” (205). I like Steinem’s description of Wonder Woman because it describes her thoroughly. Wonder Woman isn’t just a superhero, she’s a strong female role model for all women even today. She does her best to diminish violence, promote sisterhood among all women, and teach women to rely on themselves and revel in their strengths. One problem I see with the Wonder Woman comics is that she introduces the idea that women are superior to men instead of proving that they are equal. Instead of putting men down and making men see women as superior, it would come off as less feminist if Wonder Woman depicted both as equal. Yet Steinem proves how Wonder Woman was born in 1941 (World War II time) which illustrated her attempting to prove women were just as capable as men to serve their country. There are some inconsistences within the comics, particularly when Wonder Woman exemplifies women being superior to men and proving women to be able to serve their country alongside men. Overall, I found Gloria Steinem’s article to be the most empowering article I’ve read this semester. I really liked her comparison between male superheroes and Wonder Woman as well as her personal experiences as a woman. She provided me with more information on Wonder Woman as well as made me understand the importance of Wonder Woman as a strong female role model for all women.
Steinem illustrates Wonder Woman as the super heroine I’ve been waiting to encounter among the comics we’ve read so far. She’s not violent and instead persuades her enemies as well as seeks to change the male dominated world. Steinem comments on the multiple feminist messages seen throughout Wonder Woman stories such as the story of Prudence, a young pioneer, who comes to realize that she doesn’t need a man and can rely on herself. Wonder Woman strives to improve the lives of all women and does this through the belief that “male means aggression and female means submitting” (204-5). She understands the pressures of being a woman and attempts to change that view beginning with helping other women realize their potential as well as their value. Although I know probably a lot of our classmates will argue that the Wonder Woman comics are too feminist, I actually enjoy the change of pace that provides us with a different perspective that Wonder Woman brings to comics. Steinem illustrates how most of the bad guys are evil men that treat women as inferior to them and they are taken down and “made to recognize women’s strength and value” (205). In other plots, weak women are transformed by Wonder Woman into women who learn the importance of not needing a man as well as respecting themselves. I find this to be such an empowering message considering women are still oppressed today and it can be difficult at times to be an independent woman instead of taking the easy way out and depending on a man for everything.
Something I found interesting that Steinem said about the Wonder Woman comics was that they expressed that, “woman are full human beings; that we cannot love others until we love ourselves; that love and respect can only exist between equals” (205). Too often women give in to male and societal pressures and with the introduction of Wonder Woman, it finally provides us with a strong super heroine. A woman who can help other women appreciate themselves and not rely on men to save or help them. Wonder Woman’s mother, Queen Hippolyte, also provides women with another example of a strong female heroine by supporting her daughter’s purpose in life as well as protecting her. By doing this, she provides us with a role we have yet to see which is a loving mother encouraging her daughter’s journey to changing the world.
Steinem illustrates Wonder Woman as symbolizing, “…many of the values of the women’s culture that feminists are now trying to introduce into the mainstream: strength and self-reliance or women; sisterhood and mutual support among women; peace, fullness and esteem for human life; a diminishment both of “masculine” aggression and of the belief that violence is the only way of solving conflicts” (205). I like Steinem’s description of Wonder Woman because it describes her thoroughly. Wonder Woman isn’t just a superhero, she’s a strong female role model for all women even today. She does her best to diminish violence, promote sisterhood among all women, and teach women to rely on themselves and revel in their strengths. One problem I see with the Wonder Woman comics is that she introduces the idea that women are superior to men instead of proving that they are equal. Instead of putting men down and making men see women as superior, it would come off as less feminist if Wonder Woman depicted both as equal. Yet Steinem proves how Wonder Woman was born in 1941 (World War II time) which illustrated her attempting to prove women were just as capable as men to serve their country. There are some inconsistences within the comics, particularly when Wonder Woman exemplifies women being superior to men and proving women to be able to serve their country alongside men. Overall, I found Gloria Steinem’s article to be the most empowering article I’ve read this semester. I really liked her comparison between male superheroes and Wonder Woman as well as her personal experiences as a woman. She provided me with more information on Wonder Woman as well as made me understand the importance of Wonder Woman as a strong female role model for all women.