I want to about gender and power but I'm having trouble coming up with a good thesis statement.
The one from my draft is "In the Iliad Homer shows that man an women do not follow typical gender roles in order to examine the distribution of power between the sexes." But that feels a little clunky, and possibly too simple. I don't want to end up saying the same thing over an over again. Any thoughts on how I could improve this?
9 comments:
If you do an inductive essay, I think this thesis works as an opening preview. By the end of the essay you need to explain the results of this exploration. Are gender roles more productive or supportive or combative than an engendered society?
What does Homer reveal about Greek culture by exploring gender roles?
I think at least for the women, I should look at the paradox of power you see between the gods and humans. I think the difference comes from the amount of free will. For example Helen and Brisus (sp?) don't have much control over themselves, they serve what ever man they belong to. However while Hera is married to Zeus he doesn't really have much control over her. I think what he might be trying to show is that the more sexual freedom the more power.
But this still doesn't feel like enough...
So if women are confined to sex and motherhood for power and men are confined to roles of warrior and commander for power, what does this tell us about Greek culture?
That in order to have power you need to follow gender roles rather than fight them?
Sounds like an argument to me!
Awesome! Thank you!
Hi Ms. D
I know you are busy with grading papers, so I completely understand if you don't get to this but as I'm writing about the gender expectations for men, I feel like every thing I write is too obvious. Should I just be ok with that since in the culture it was that fighting made men powerful? Or is there a more complicated way of talking about it? I'm using Hectors prayer about his son and sarpidons speech about fame coming from fighting on page 335 for evidence.
I think my main trouble is that both topic sentences are just facts but I'm not sure how to change them. They are:
Hectors prayer for his son reveals the Trojan gender expectation for men.
and,
Furthermore Sarpidon explains that for men to gain power they must fight.
For whatever reason I cannot access your last post so I hope you see this.
Consider what it it is that traps men. Achilles, Zeus, the warriors at Patroclus funeral. How are the options of these men limited?
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