Although Andrea's character does not act upon this urge in Chapter 8 or Chapter 9, Chapter 9 closes with a reawakened desire to violently defend her rights as an equal human being. The renewed violent promises of "I will make myself into a weapon; I will turn myself into a new kind of death, for them; I got a new revolutionary love filling my heart; the real passion; the real thing" and "Sister child, lost heart, poor girl, I'll avenge you, sister of my heart" (272) strengthen Dworkin's call to action. Through these assertions, Dworkin unites the female gender through "sister child" and "poor girl" (272) in order to create a collective revolution in redefining societal gender treatment. Furthermore, her threats grow increasingly violent. I think these bold statements foreshadow violence, and even murder, of men in the proceeding chapter. Viewing Mercy as a literary work, this action performed by women against men is necessary to develop Andrea's female character with more agency than male counterparts. This fictional murder will also serve as a catharsis for Andrea's character and womankind, allowing a template to redefine the gender constructs of society.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
A Call to Action
In Chapter 8, Dworkin powerfully demands a call to action in the female gender. Through the character Andrea, she communicates that "justice pushed you into a new womb and outrage, a blind fury, pushed you out of it onto this earth, this place, this zoo of sickies and sadists. You are an avenging angel; you have a debt to settle; you have a headstart on suffering" (166). These powerful lines follow a haunting description of Andrea's symbolic death comparable to the perished Jews of the Holocaust. Dworkin translates this religious discrimination, that once evoked millions of deaths, into the prevalent sexism within her "Amerika." Her rebirth following her metaphorical murder comes with a vengeance as she commits to violence for justice's sake. Her adamant repetition of "kill[ing] Nazi" represents her attempt to eradicate sexism, and more extremely men, in society.
Although Andrea's character does not act upon this urge in Chapter 8 or Chapter 9, Chapter 9 closes with a reawakened desire to violently defend her rights as an equal human being. The renewed violent promises of "I will make myself into a weapon; I will turn myself into a new kind of death, for them; I got a new revolutionary love filling my heart; the real passion; the real thing" and "Sister child, lost heart, poor girl, I'll avenge you, sister of my heart" (272) strengthen Dworkin's call to action. Through these assertions, Dworkin unites the female gender through "sister child" and "poor girl" (272) in order to create a collective revolution in redefining societal gender treatment. Furthermore, her threats grow increasingly violent. I think these bold statements foreshadow violence, and even murder, of men in the proceeding chapter. Viewing Mercy as a literary work, this action performed by women against men is necessary to develop Andrea's female character with more agency than male counterparts. This fictional murder will also serve as a catharsis for Andrea's character and womankind, allowing a template to redefine the gender constructs of society.
Although Andrea's character does not act upon this urge in Chapter 8 or Chapter 9, Chapter 9 closes with a reawakened desire to violently defend her rights as an equal human being. The renewed violent promises of "I will make myself into a weapon; I will turn myself into a new kind of death, for them; I got a new revolutionary love filling my heart; the real passion; the real thing" and "Sister child, lost heart, poor girl, I'll avenge you, sister of my heart" (272) strengthen Dworkin's call to action. Through these assertions, Dworkin unites the female gender through "sister child" and "poor girl" (272) in order to create a collective revolution in redefining societal gender treatment. Furthermore, her threats grow increasingly violent. I think these bold statements foreshadow violence, and even murder, of men in the proceeding chapter. Viewing Mercy as a literary work, this action performed by women against men is necessary to develop Andrea's female character with more agency than male counterparts. This fictional murder will also serve as a catharsis for Andrea's character and womankind, allowing a template to redefine the gender constructs of society.
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