Introduction
Oppression, control, and the lack of freedom of expression have influenced people throughout the centuries. Women, people of color, immigrants, and anyone persecuted for something they cannot change in themselves have continued to fight against such powers. Literature often centers on such heroes, presenting their often tragic but sometimes happy lives. In these works, the characters of the oppressed or persecuted are shown through their bold and courageous choices to oppose those in control while refusing to lose their identity.
Emilia from Shakespeare’s Othello
One of the traditional depictions of a woman repressed by her malicious husband is Emilia from Shakespeare’s Othello. Emilia is the wife of Iago, a man who wishes to ruin Othello’s life for his own gain. She steals Desdemona’s handkerchief, which Iago asks her to do, and she does not seem to question him: “I nothing but to please his fantasy” (Shakespeare 3.3.343). However, in a dangerous position, she speaks against Iago’s deeds, which reveals her goodness and bravery – “I will speak as liberal as the north” (Shakespeare 5.2.261). This decision leads to her death, but her open opposition demonstrates her honesty and resolution.
Antigone from Sophocles’s Antigone
Another tragic heroine is Antigone from Sophocles’s play of the same name. Like Emilia, Antigone is a woman in a patriarchal society, expected to be meek and subservient like her sister. Nevertheless, when Creon, the king, forbids burying her brother, she protests: “What right has he to keep me from my own?” (Sophocles 49).
Her actions throughout the story show the strength of familial love and her readiness to die for her ideals. Antigone decries the hatred that Creon shows for her brother – “my nature is for mutual love, not hate” (Sophocles 118). She emphasizes that her disruption of the order is not immoral but empathetic.
Nora from Ibsen’s A Doll’s House
The oppression of women continues to be a theme among writers in the modern era, which can be seen in the play A Doll’s House by Ibsen. Nora is the protagonist who engaged in forgery to support her husband’s health. When confronted, Nora’s devotion is shown: “Is a wife not to be allowed to save her husband’s life?” (Ibsen Act 1).
Ultimately, her husband thinks of her deeds as foolish, causing her to realize that she is not appreciated. Nora leaves, saying, “For eight years I had been living here with a strange man,” declaring that he never loved her (Ibsen Act 3). She could not live with a man who did not treat her with the same love she showed him.
A Hispanic Woman from Cofer’s “The Latin Deli”
However, resistance to changing one’s ideals does not always end in dramatic conflict. Sometimes, people retain their identity by creating places to find comfort. In the poem “The Latin Deli,” customers coming into a Hispanic woman’s deli try to reconnect with their culture.
Although customers complain that “it would be cheaper to fly to San Juan” than to buy coffee at the deli, they always return (Cofer line 11). The guests read the labels “as if / they were the names of lost lovers” (Cofer lines 26-27). These small actions reveal their love for their culture and desire to belong.
A Black Narrator from Angelou’s “Still I Rise”
The strength of one’s identity can also take the shape of an unyielding spirit and self-love. The speaker in “Still I Rise” answers racism, which affects black women’s lives without fear, confronting it directly – “Does my haughtiness offend you?” (Angelou, line 17). The woman’s words are bold and transparent about the power she and those she speaks for possess. The speaker rises above all, “bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave” (Angelou, line 39). This line conveys her philosophy of preserving her culture in the modern world.
Conclusion
The lives of people living under the control of others may not allow them to act freely. However, the presented examples show that one’s inner strength leads one to oppose the system with bravery. The discussed characters’ choices may be dangerous, but they display their philosophies of love, respect, and familial or cultural connections that cannot be shunned.
Works Cited
Angelou, Maya. “Still I Rise.” Poetry Foundation. Web.
Cofer, Judith Ortiz. The Latin Deli: Prose and Poetry. University of Georgia Press, 2010.
Ibsen, Henrik. “A Doll’s House”. Project Gutenberg, 2001. Web.
Shakespeare, William. “Othello”. Folger Shakespeare Library. Web.
Sophocles. Antigone. Translated by F. Storr, ReadHowYouWant, 2008.