I need help proofreading and making the essay stronger. If you have any points to add, that would be awesome! There is no question prompt, it's a reading response on the book The Handmaid's Tale. I just related it back to Chinese society.
The superiority and inferiority of men and women, respectively, is a bias that has already been preconceived during their preconception. Men and women are made possible through the unity of an egg and a sperm. Before a baby's gender is revealed, the value of the baby's worth is already indirectly reflected upon the stereotypes society places on the sperm and the egg, which is a direct reflection of the stereotypes society places on males and females. In Martin's article, it is stated that the egg is passive, while the sperm is active and is necessary to activate the potential development of the egg onto fertilization. It seems as if males are imperative in the function of society, and women serve the duty in continuing the male hierarchy. This attitude operates society in The Handmaid's Tale, as well as the underlying obligations of women in China.
Women have a capability men do not have: childbearing. Childbearing is necessary for the continuation of generations and preservation of family names; therefore, women are recognized for this special feature. In the Handmaid's Tale, the handmaids' only duty and purpose in society is for procreation. This makes me think of the familial obligation and societal expectation of women in China. In China, the "self" is placed within the context of the family. Filial piety, the child's obligation to the family, is strongly valued because it is respect. One aspect of filial piety is the fulfillment of grandchildren. For women who are not either married by 27 or have a child, or both, they are considered "leftover women." The Handmaid's Tale reconstructed society in the elimination of love, which would eradicate the concept of "leftover women." The handmaids are in a sense the "leftover women." By assigning women to a male, it eliminates the fear within families that there will no generational lineage. It will also eliminate fear in society that there be no continuation of society.
A prominent characteristic within both China's society and the one in Handmaid's Tale is the obligation of women for procreation. In the Handmaid's Tale, the handmaids are brainwashed by the aunts into a state of mind that they are responsible for any sexual harassments and their duty in society is for reproduction purposes. They serve strictly as walking wombs. Forced to conform to the expectations of society, like the "leftover women's" in China, it constricts women to limitations based on the pressure to meet the standards of a what a woman is and should do.
Despite all the pressure from society, not all women conform themselves to the roles they are assigned acceptable to. "Leftover women" and the Unwomen of The Handmaid's Tale can be viewed as partaking in the feminist movement. The label of the "Leftover Women" is highly stigmatized, yet are doing this to be themselves. When women conform to the expectations of others, they are losing parts, if not, whole, of their individuality and allowing their self-expression and worth be dictated by others. In the Handmaid's Tale, Moira acted to get out of the situation she did not want to live in. Therefore, "Leftover Women" and women like Moira are setting the precedent for giving women the stepping stone to say it is okay to not adhere to the rules and have the freedom to explore their individuality and options in life. They don't have to keep pace with everyone else.
The stereotypes of the egg and sperm are rooted in gender bias, and they will probably never go away. However, as long as women are willing to speak up and act against the norm, it may be enough to set the pathway of nonconformity to the gender expectations.