A Daughter of Han - Ning Lao T'AI-T'AI

"In those years it was not as it is now. There was no freedom then for women. I stayed with him." (634)

From The Nortons Book of Woman's Lives by Phyllis Ross

Stories from Ning Lao T'AI-T'AI's Life: A Daughter of Han 

A Daughter of Han: Ning Lao T'AI-T'AI

Written by: Idis Pruitt

    In A Daughter of Han, Ida Pruitt shares the stories that Ning Lao T'AI-T'AI, had told her and shares them with the world. Ning's husband was addicted to opium and went out one night and took Chinya with him. As Ning didn't actually think he would sell their daughter, she let him go begging for food for them. This deception had led to him coming back home drugged up and without their daughter, but only with sweet potatoes. Thankfully they ended up finding her that time after he traded her and got her back, but her husband ended up trading her again, and this time they did not end up getting her back. Though this was the case, the ending takes a positive turn after knowing her daughter was going to be properly taken care of, and then ends up growing to be a fine young lady. 

The quote above shows how hopeless she was living in poverty, so much so that she was willing to stay with her husband after all that he put her through. With her marriage on the decline, she conjures enough strength to leave him as she says she has to "'come out'"(635) and make her own living without a man. This must have been terrifying for her as she was a woman and women did not have much freedom in the 1800s, but it really shows us how strong of a woman she was to have gone through so much and still manage to escape from that toxic relationship. 

Nien Cheng - Life and Death in Shanghai

"I tried to take my mind off the present by recalling beautiful scenes and pleasant experiences of the past. But it was very difficult. The ugly reality was all too real and overpowering." (112) 

Nien Cheng: Life and Death in Shanghai 

From: The Norton's Book of Women's Lives by Phyllis Ross 

Nien Cheng - 1988

    Nien Cheng's quote above, from her writings in Life and Death in Shanghai, sets the scene for how much of harrowing her experience was during this period of time in her life. Around her, the communist party is surging, and the communist revolution is changing everyone's lives, including Nien. She went through an immense amount of fear and suffering after she was taken into seclusion for being a "spy" for the west. They tortured her, which put her in a place where she was helpless. 

    As for when she grew up, Nien did not get the emotional support she needed from her family, which seemed to put her in a place where she had to grow up earlier than the kids around her.  The quote above proves to us how she tried to keep a solid mental and emotional spirit, even when there seemed to be no hope to hold onto anymore. She displays a great deal of strength and perseverance for this, especially being able to come back to this time of her life and write about it, practically reliving all the trauma she had been through. 

Emilie Carles -A Life of Her Own

"In those circumstances, it is easy to become selfish, and I reassured myself with the thought that Jean was too old to go off and fight and my children were too young to be hurt." (102) 

From, The Norton's Book of Woman's Lives, by Phyllis Ross 

In Emilie Carles's reading,  a Life of Her Own, Emilie Carles and her husband Jean had comes from very different family dynamics. He came from a wealthy family and also had a mother. She came from a family of peasants with only her father alive. Jean gave out his money like it grew on trees, and didn't seem to be very smart when it came to his money. Emilie, on the other hand, was incredibly organized and hard-working all her life even up to the time she and her husband turned their house into a hotel. A pattern in life I have noticed is that most who do not grow up with much, are willing to work harder for what they never have had. 

Emilie Carles: A Life of Her Own 

 Throughout this passage, it becomes very clear that Emilie not only persevered through hardship but did it all selflessly. Even throughout the war and the death of her daughter, she still managed to push herself and the rest of her family to keep on moving and better themselves. Emilie does a great job setting an example of accepting all "fate" (107) and using that to grow and evolve so that we can live a precious life. 

Vera Brittain - Testament of Youth

"So incredible was our final separation that it made life itself seem unreal. I had never believed that I could actually go on living without that lovely companionship which had been at my service since childhood, that perfect relation which had involved no jealousy and no agitation, but only the profoundest confidence, the most devoted understanding, on either side." (85)

From The Norton Book of Woman's Lives by Phylliss Ross

Vera Brittain

     In Vera Brittian's reading, from the Testament of Youth, Brittain portrays the pain and grievance of the War. The quote above displays an example of how seriously it affected and changed Brittain's outlook on the world. Seeing as she couldn't believe he was dead, it hadn't set in yet, and it seemed as if she was more repressive with her emotions at the beginning, but then becomes more accepting. The loss of her brother and fiance had made her feel as though she was "st[anding] alone" (85), with nothing but a feeling of numbness and the broken world around her.  The war had left Brittian in such a state of despair, so much so that exploiting the damage the war did to her in her youth, was a way to showcase her experiences to the world. 

Nina Berberova- The Italics Are Mine

"I was still choosing a profession for myself, and could still not decide. There was no one to get advice from, because at the time mankind, for me, was divided into two halves - well-wishers, who in my opinion understood less than I about these matters, and enemies, who out of sheer meanness would not give good advice" (73). 

From The Italics Are Mine by Nina Berberova 

Throughout this exert, Nina seems to be a curious and independent woman, who sees the beauty in life, but also the fabricated lies that society presents to us. She did not want another person to have a say in what she can and can't do. At a very young age, her fascination with finding a profession had engulfed her, as she knew she wanted something to be passionate about, but hated that jobs were mainly gender-based. The quote above shows Nina's persistence through all the hate and false expectations set for her. She proves herself throughout the passage that she was very self-aware but mainly did not care much about what others would think. She knew she would not get approval from anyone or anywhere, so she took it upon herself to get her own approval.

The Italics Are Mine by Nina Berberova

She speaks of living at home at the expense of your parents as like living in a "nest," which she describes to be the stereotypical way of growing up. She liked being alone and being able to do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. She gets excited about things that are "unexpected" (76) and unique. She never wanted to make clothes or cook in a kitchen like others wanted her to do, she wanted something she could grow with, and be inspired by, which is exactly what she ended up doing as an author. 

The Prime of Life- Simone De Beauvoir

 "At every level we failed to face the weight of reality, priding ourselves on what we called our 'radical freedom.' We clung so long and so desperately to that word 'freedom' that it will be as well to make a closer examination of just what we implid by it." (57)

From The Prime of Life by Simone De Beauvoir

 This quote is a perfect example of how socially aware Simone was, especially for a woman in her era. Her examination of woman during her time had influenced her relationship with Sartre. She goes into great depth of the duality of the two of them and how they came to have an open relationship. Such a dynamic makes me question why she even got married in the first place, if she had always admired an independent life? She did not want to be held back by anything, which can happen during any kind of marriage. 

Simone De Beauvoir

From Simones description, once she endured her childhood ended and she was no longer with her parents, she felt as if Sartre had taken their place as an "unfailing security" (66) blanket. Her relationship with Sartre seems to be a tad hypocritical in my opinion because of her beliefs on marriage. I can, however, see how the opportunity for an open relationship could maybe seem admirable to her, as she may see other people, but the way she describes how foul and harmful marriage is, makes me question if she was ever scared of anything. 

Daughters of Simone De Beauvoir

     Simone De Beauvior made an immense impact on women, especially through her philosophical writings all throughout her lifetime. Two very impactful readings include "The Second Sex" and "The Prime of Life" display societal relationships with women. The influence behind her writings is very inspiring, as she didn't have a steady home or the societal approval of being a woman. She inspired many, as she was said to bring the "inner perception of feminine condition" which lead to a "disturb[ance in the] status quo" that society placed men and women in. After watching "The Daughter of De Beauvoir", it is very transparent that Simone had now the shame of speaking out against the label society had on women. She inspired many women to not only think about themselves in society but to think about the justification behind the perception of women. I can easily see how inspiring she could have been to women growing up after WWII. She disturbed the perception of the role of women, which gave people an alternate perspective of how either gender can contribute to society. 

The Prime of Life by Simone De Beauvoir

   The impression that WWII had caused greatly impacted the world, especially women. Simone, who had pursued a higher education, had been mocked and not taken seriously solely because of being a woman. Society has expectations of women staying home and taking care of a family and letting their spouse be the breadwinner. People thought women pursuing higher education was a "huge joke" but Simone insisted that this wasn't the case. The inspiration and empowerment of women she left in this world have made a massive impact on how society should properly perceive women. With the combination of her family life and unequal social construct, she will forever display a great example of a strong, independent woman who knows what she wants and believes. 

Maya Angelou - I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings

    Maya Angelou grew up in a time, and place, that made her have a unique experience in life. Growing up in Southern America made her life different. Growing up in such an intensely segregated time in the 1920s, kept her away from being included in many aspects of life. Even the people around her would mock her because of the way she looked. She has been so pushed away from others that she "'didn't, really, absolutely know what whites looked like" (40).  The racism and physical criticism from others made her endure some traumatic experiences. 

Maya and her brother had stuck together a lot which I thought was really adorable and reminded me and of my brother and me. Their family dynamic with her parents was tough, but seemingly with her heart brother around, she got to have someone there with her to experience some pain with. 

Introduction to the Anthology

    In the The Norton Book of Women's Lives, the author, Phyllis Rose admires the women who tells a different story. A unique story. And with so many pieces of writing, mainly published by men at the time, women needed to find a voice. Women including Anne Frank and Helen Keller had such a unique experience during their time on Earth, but without sharing that experience to the world,  the acceptance of women's writings would have been prolonged. Women were and still are being treated with lack of respect and some not having any freedom at all. Different parts of the world have given women a reason to want to spread awareness to everyone and put there story out there for the world. 

The Norton Book of Women's Lives 
By Phyllis Rose

    I believe that Rose's ability to conjur all of these stories about "wild" women is a brilliant idea for many reasons. Highliting different things women have gone through brings in real, raw details of the ups and downs in their lives that normally aren't brought to light. I think she does a great job at reiterating how she loves these writers and their emotions and how they tell their story through their words. She believes that "great books have many lives" (22), which I agree with. Writings that show all sides of a person, through changes and crisis, create a deeper level of connection between the author and the reader. A great writer makes a difference, which is exactly what they all ended up accomplishing.