As I read Deborah Tannen's "There is No Unmarked Woman" the other day, alarm bells went off in my head. They were screaming "Donald Trump" like bloody murder. Truly, as Tannen went on to describe how she "considered the clothes of each woman" she saw and paid no mind to the style of each man, I immediately though about our great President's unequal treatment of the sexes (Tannen 552). He is the type to peg Tannen as a "male-bash[er]" when she states that men, unlike women, have the option of going about their day unmarked and are not viewed as objects of affection or targets of sexual impulses.
Really, though, I think being "marked" versus "unmarked" is dependent largely on your own perspective. I'm not saying this applies in every case - after all, I don't think the misogynist President will ever cease to judge women by how "tight or revealing" their clothes are - but this is especially true for hijabi women, who are followers of Islam.
In American society, hijabs are sometimes seen as a symbol of oppression; Why should these young women be forced to cover themselves up? They are occasionally marked as ignorant followers of religion without the ability of free thought. In fact, in extremists' views, the hijab poses a danger to America. It is a reminder to them that all terrorists are Muslim (which, of course, is false). Thus, hijabi women are marked even more deeply.
However, in many cases, hijabi women feel as though the hijab completes them. It frees them from the burden of our society's obsession with physical appearances. In that sense, it renders them unmarked. They are able to remain modest and to be viewed for their intellect rather than physicality.
These women have the right wear their hijabs proudly and to be unmarked in their own way, a point enforced during the Women's March in Washington D.C. on January 21, 2017.
 |
| Protesters at the Women's March |
P.S. If you need a pick-me-up, just watch this video, titled in French "Hijabs for All: The March for Women". It depicts two Muslim women helping pin American flag hijabs to other supporters of rights. The moment at the 32 second mark is particularly heartwarming.
I found your view on hijabs very interesting, about how they free women instead of opressing them. I discussed something similar to this in my class group, how society tends to place their own views on women wearing religious dress instead of taking the girl's opinion into account. This was very interesting to read and well written.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I agree that whether something/someone is marked or unmarked boils down to perspective. As in the case of hijabs, Muslim women should be able to freely wear whatever garment they feel without being scrutinized by American society.
ReplyDeleteLove this post! Your voice really came through with your political views and everything, but you also backed it up thoroughly with Tannen's words. My personal belief is that hijabs need to be marked differently. To me, hijabs represent a certain type of devotion to a peaceful religion that is often mistaken for a violent one. They are something beautiful that should be marked with respect, instead of the negative assumptions some may have.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you contrasted how society marks people wearing hijabs versus how the hijab itself is really unmarked. I also liked how you related Tannen's definition of the word "marked" to a different, more current context. Nice post!!
ReplyDelete