“The Other Boleyn Girl” by Philippa Gregory, holds many different opinions. When Henry says to Mary, “Pray god it is a boy time”, she replies with, “I am sure it is. Remember that I never said so with Catherine. I am sure he will be a boy. Perhaps we will call him Henry”. Many people and religions favored boys.
My religion for example, very much favored boys. It hurt to know that sometimes families mourned over the birth of a girl. Many families would like to see he birth of a boy because of the title it gives the family. A son is very likely to take on the name of his father and keep his family in place. With a girl, apparently you can’t do that because she will be married off and carry the name of another man. Boys are treated with much more care and love than girls. Their need and want is considered more important than a girl’s. In this book Mary is forced to be a whore and bed with the king every night to birth him a boy, which will carry on the king’s crown. Mary was scolded at when she first birthed a girl; her uncle was very upset and didn’t show the slightest bit of care for her young girl. People need to understand that having been able to birth is a blessing for them, but we see that some people aren’t very grateful and take pregnancy for granted. Mary’s pregnancies were taken for granted. She wasn’t very well respected even when she did birth a boy. Boys are a good help with helping around the house or farmlands, if so. It was believed that a girl can’t do what a man can do, but today, there are just as many woman doing men jobs as men are. This proves that girls are just as equal as men, and shouldn’t be treated any less. The need for family title is not very important nowadays; at least not to as many people as in the last generation, which is a relief.
Chinese people favored boys as well, which is why they have a limit on the birth of children in this generation. Families would have girls and be very upset by it; eventually they would abandon their child by leaving them in a park or an open area so that someone would come by and care for them because they are not willing to. Chinese people ungratefully used boys as a helping tool in farms. They also didn’t believe that girls could do a man’s hard work. If anyone in China has more than 1 child, they are to be fined a very high price. Some people are still sexist today in China; they still prefer to birth a boy rather than girl.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I definitely agree with the fact that Indian and Chinese cultures are very different then others involving the boy and girl issue. They do favor boys more just because they will give an heir to the family name. Which I think is true but that doesn’t mean you should treat anyone else different just because of there sex. Chinese people as well are very sexist. The fact that they make you pay for having children is not right at all. Nobody should have to pay to have children we are all humans there shouldn’t be a price put on anyone, even if they happen to be a girl.
I couldn't imagine what it would be like to live in a household who would mourn over a birth rather than celebrate. I agree that it’s extremely hurtful and hard to understand the fact that your sex would direct your importance in your family or society. As Mary lived an obedient and disgraceful life, in reality there are many other girls who live the horror of not being wanted and used to prosper their family name. No one should ever have to live the guilt of not being wanted or loved.
Post a Comment