Gender Dichotomy Reinforcement in Mary McCarthys Memories of a Catholic Girlhood :: Essays Papers

Gender Dichotomy Reinforcement in Mary McCarthys Memories of a Catholic Girlhood McCarthy reinforces the mind/body and culture/nature sexuality dichotomies proposed by Sherry Ortner through character presentation. She aligns mind and culture chances with male characters, and incarnate names and lifelike occurrences with the female. She exhibits traditionally feminine qualities of writing by using a more(prenominal) than circular rather than linear style, giving attention to details of food, clothing, and body appearances. In her book Making Gender, Ortner argues that womens dissimilar bodily functions may cause them to be surrounding(prenominal) to nature, place them in different social roles, and give them a different psychic structure than men (27). Along with the woman-is-to-man-as-nature-is-to-culture analogy come new(prenominal) dichotomies associated with maleness and femininity. Womens writings atomic number 18 traditionally more circular than linear and wom en are more concerned with their bodies than men. The opposite can then be tell round men they write in a linear style more often and value their bodies less. McCarthy aligns most female characters, including her gran Preston and her great-aunt Margaret, with bodily concerns. She describes her gran strong-armly, giving details active her high-bridged nose, and hair that was naturally black, black as a ravens wing and with a fine silky gloss, like discharge skeins of embellishment thread (202). McCarthy furthers the importance of her grandmothers body by stating that this body of hers was the cult quarry around which our household revolved (225). Her body is on display, not every aspect of her mind or personality. Mrs. Preston is most concerned with the presentation of the body, her own as well as McCarthys. Due to its importance, she keeps properly clothed so overmuch so that it becomes a garish sight whenever exposed. She often reminds McCarthy to pull her skirt down, f lat in the private home. This concern with coverage adds to the dramatic scene when her grandmother learns of her sisters death, goes into hysterics and her scrubs exposes her thighs. McCarthy remembers wanting to pull down the gown as a premiere impulse rather than comfort her. This thought reveals that body presentation is the concern that overrides the intellectual state of the woman. It also reinforces the idea that women are more concerned with bodies than minds. McCarthy presents her gramps Preston more abstractly with illustrations about his character rather than details about his physical appearance.Gender Dichotomy Reinforcement in Mary McCarthys Memories of a Catholic Girlhood Essays PapersGender Dichotomy Reinforcement in Mary McCarthys Memories of a Catholic Girlhood McCarthy reinforces the mind/body and culture/nature gender dichotomies proposed by Sherry Ortner through character presentation. She aligns mind and culture aspects with male characters, and b odily concerns and natural occurrences with the female. She exhibits traditionally feminine qualities of writing by using a more circular rather than linear style, giving attention to details of food, clothing, and body appearances. In her book Making Gender, Ortner argues that womens different bodily functions may cause them to be closer to nature, place them in different social roles, and give them a different psychic structure than men (27). Along with the woman-is-to-man-as-nature-is-to-culture analogy come other dichotomies associated with masculinity and femininity. Womens writings are traditionally more circular than linear and women are more concerned with their bodies than men. The opposite can then be said about men they write in a linear style more often and value their bodies less. McCarthy aligns most female characters, including her grandmother Preston and her great-aunt Margaret, with bodily concerns. She describes her grandmother physically, giving details abou t her high-bridged nose, and hair that was naturally black, black as a ravens wing and with a fine silky gloss, like loose skeins of embroidery thread (202). McCarthy furthers the importance of her grandmothers body by stating that this body of hers was the cult object around which our household revolved (225). Her body is on display, not any aspect of her mind or personality. Mrs. Preston is most concerned with the presentation of the body, her own as well as McCarthys. Due to its importance, she keeps properly clothed so much so that it becomes a garish sight whenever exposed. She often reminds McCarthy to pull her skirt down, even in the private home. This concern with coverage adds to the dramatic scene when her grandmother learns of her sisters death, goes into hysterics and her nightgown exposes her thighs. McCarthy remembers wanting to pull down the gown as a first impulse rather than comfort her. This thought reveals that body presentation is the concern that overrides the m ental state of the woman. It also reinforces the idea that women are more concerned with bodies than minds. McCarthy presents her grandfather Preston more abstractly with illustrations about his character rather than details about his physical appearance.Gender Dichotomy Reinforcement in Mary McCarthys Memories of a Catholic Girlhood Essays PapersGender Dichotomy Reinforcement in Mary McCarthys Memories of a Catholic Girlhood McCarthy reinforces the mind/body and culture/nature gender dichotomies proposed by Sherry Ortner through character presentation. She aligns mind and culture aspects with male characters, and bodily concerns and natural occurrences with the female. She exhibits traditionally feminine qualities of writing by using a more circular rather than linear style, giving attention to details of food, clothing, and body appearances. In her book Making Gender, Ortner argues that womens different bodily functions may cause them to be closer to nature, place the m in different social roles, and give them a different psychic structure than men (27). Along with the woman-is-to-man-as-nature-is-to-culture analogy come other dichotomies associated with masculinity and femininity. Womens writings are traditionally more circular than linear and women are more concerned with their bodies than men. The opposite can then be said about men they write in a linear style more often and value their bodies less. McCarthy aligns most female characters, including her grandmother Preston and her great-aunt Margaret, with bodily concerns. She describes her grandmother physically, giving details about her high-bridged nose, and hair that was naturally black, black as a ravens wing and with a fine silky gloss, like loose skeins of embroidery thread (202). McCarthy furthers the importance of her grandmothers body by stating that this body of hers was the cult object around which our household revolved (225). Her body is on display, not any aspect of her mind or personality. Mrs. Preston is most concerned with the presentation of the body, her own as well as McCarthys. Due to its importance, she keeps properly clothed so much so that it becomes a garish sight whenever exposed. She often reminds McCarthy to pull her skirt down, even in the private home. This concern with coverage adds to the dramatic scene when her grandmother learns of her sisters death, goes into hysterics and her nightgown exposes her thighs. McCarthy remembers wanting to pull down the gown as a first impulse rather than comfort her. This thought reveals that body presentation is the concern that overrides the mental state of the woman. It also reinforces the idea that women are more concerned with bodies than minds. McCarthy presents her grandfather Preston more abstractly with illustrations about his character rather than details about his physical appearance.