What role did women play in the performance of cultural texts in this era? Why were there differences between the performative roles of men and women? Were the contributions of one gender valued more highly than the other?
Women were involved in many parts of the society. While men had to spend their lives in battlefields, women were responsible with taking care of the house hold. Conquergood stated that the women "managed the important domestic affairs which hold a society together, they probably sang work-song in the fields, soothed wedding-songs, educated children with hortatory tales, gossiped and joked among themselves" (Taylor, 2010). Women had to find ways to support their family.
The difference between the women and men's performative roles were significantly unlike because men were using performance as a support mechanism. There were pre-battle performances that kept men focused on their task. It was important for men to feel cohesive with eachother. The form of performance men used was to stay strong and be ready for the battle. On the other hand, women were left behind with children. They were responsible with taking care of the household and educating children which could be a difficult task for a women to deal with all by herself.
The contribution of one gender was not valued more highly then the other because each gender had responsibilities that required mental and physical strength. "There is no doubt that old english society allowed to women, not only private influence, but also the widest liberty of intervention in public affairs" (Stenton, 1942, p.1). Women had a say in almost all topics in the soceity. The performative roles of men and women were equal in Anglo-Saxon era. "The interdependence which women had enjoyed was never completely lost during the centuries of old english history" (Stenton, 1942, p. 13). Since men had other duties at that era, women had to step up and stay strong.
Stenton, F.M. (1943). Presidential address: the historical bearing of place-name studies: the
place of women in anglo-saxon society. Royal Historical Society, 24. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3678611
Don't hesitate to use "I" language in your essays and/or draw parallels to contemporary issues.
ReplyDeleteI'd like you to give more specific examples of the types of performances historians believe women took part in.
Nicely done and well said. I'd like to add an important (and sometimes overlooked) aspect of womens everyday life performative roles..this is the dialogue between other mothers and wives. I think the daily dish these women shared was an imperative part of coping with the struggles these women faced. I imagine once the men were gone (hunting or at war) these women probably engaged in their own level of communitas by joining together and partaking in shared empathy.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of a deleted scene in one of my favorite movies, Love Actually. Througout the film, a picture of two women is shown. These women are in Africa, walking across the barren, dry desert, carrying bundles of wood on their heads. Upon seeing the picture, one thinks of the struggles these women must face and how hard their lives must be compared to our own. However, as the scene begins, the camera enters the picture and the women come to life and the audience is allowed to witness what the two women are actually discussing as they carry bundles across the desert. Instead of discussing the drought or the difficulties of life, the two women are actually both complaining about their lazy husbands. They laugh at each others stories and as an audience member you quickly understand there is no reason to pity these women as not only are they quite content in their roles, they also are not all that different from the us.
I think it's a good example of how shared female relationships perform to aid in coping with everyday life difficulties.