False

"Feminism is the most revolutionary idea there has ever been. Equality for women demands a change in the human psyche more profound than anything Marx dreamed of. [sic] It means valuing parenthood as much as we value banking," Polly Toynbee. The impact of feminism on today's society is amazing, because more women are working outside the home than ever before. Women have more opportunities to go to college, and to better jobs than any other time in history. Yet, the most disturbing fact is that women are still stereotyped. This is a fact that women have been trying to shake for centuries. They have been known as shrews, seductresses, and have been seen as very vain. The most amazing fact is that these stereotypes are not new, in fact, they have been held for centuries. The very origins of these thoughts and feelings about women have come out of Renascence England during the pamphlet wars. Drawing on figures from the Bible, Greek, and Roman texts authors would make their arguments either for or against women.

The harmful effects of these stereotypes have been felt all over the world. Women in mass media usually fall into one of these categories, because it is easy to place women in a roll that people are used to thinking about. These women are also shown in jobs that are very traditional, and if they are not in these traditional jobs then they are seen as cold or lonely. Yet the average-working women does not fit into this mold.

The first aspect of comparison between the Renaissance stereotype and the modern one is the shrew. In England during the late fourteenth and early fifthteenth centuries women who had fiery tempers were considered the type of women that an upstanding man could not marry. The most famous example of this would be Katherine in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. In this play Katherine, the main character, had a mean temper and could not find a man to marry. Then a man named Petruchio came to her father's kingdom and asked for her hand in marriage. In the end of the play, Petruchio's behavior molds her into a kind wife thus changing her reputation. (web page)

Although Katherine was seen as a shrew and was able to change her ways, acting the way that she did in that time period was a dangerous practice. Women were taught to hold their tongues and not express any anger. (Half Humankind) If women went against this ideal, then they were difficult to marry. Being difficult to marry in this time was one of the biggest social sins that a woman could possibly make; her father or brother saw her as property. Women's dowries were a source of income that could not be matched under any standard (web page). If a woman could not be married then she was seen as useless.

The modern translation of a shrew is the easiest to see in mass media. Shrews in today's society are just as dangerous as they were in the Renascence. Women who have tempers are seen in a horrible light. They are talked about at water coolers and gossiped about on cigarette breaks. These women are seen as cold and uncaring for anyone. The best modern example would be Amanda from the television show "Melrose Place". She is an executive that speaks her mind to whom ever crosses her. Most see her as a bitch, which can not control her temper. She has had a string of marriages that have not

lasted for more than a season. Yet, this is a woman that American's love to hate. She has the ability to get her point across and be direct. Often she is compared to powerful men from other television shows. She is one of the most recognizable characters in the mass media today. Her character is paving a path that no other has paved before. Young girls now want to become businesswomen just like her.

Another example of a shrew in literary contexts would be Dagny Taggart in Atlas Shrugged. Some criticisms of her character is that she is cold and uncaring, yet she has the ability to fall in love with John Gault. This behavior makes her look head strong, but she has the ability to turn her father's business around. She goes by her own feelings and not the opinions of others. When other women see her as a threat she is doing what her heart tells her to do. She is not the typical literary women who does cooking and cleaning. Dagny runs her own business and tells other people what to do. In one scene of the book she is at a dinner party that one of her business associates is having. One women asks her if she will ever marry and Dagny just laughs. She is married to her job, and is truly happy with what she does. Dagny is the type of women that most modern businesswomen model themselves after. She is ruthless and always gets what she wants, yet she is out side her norm because some feel that she is doing a man's job. (Rand)

The next and most widely seen example of how women have been viewed through out history is the vision of the seductress. This is a stigma that women have had to battle even in Biblical times. Sex, to some, equals power and in this instance women hold all the cards. In the Renascence women who used their sexuality outside of the confines of a marriage were looked down upon. Men were expected to marry virgins. If a

women was not a virgin she was in great danger of being killed or kicked out of her family. In this era virtue was the only possession of value that a women had. It was

bought and sold like any other commodity.

The issue of children was of the most importance. Women were expected to produce a male heir. If she did not have the ability to do this then her dowry could be returned and she could be legally divorced. Bloodlines were the most cherished in this period. If a woman had had sexual relations with more than one partner then the bloodline could be compromised because of lack of availability of contraception. (web page)

A good example of a seductress during this period would be Alison in The Miller's Tale. She an improper relationship with a student staying at her home. In many discussions of this tale Alison is seen as a women of low morals. She has the ability to turn situations to her benefit. Even though she has a sexual relationship outside of her marriage she has the ability to come out on top. She uses her sexuality in a way that no other woman in her time has used it before. This is a frightening situation for many people that have not seen this before. She has the power of manipulation that can often frighten and offend men. This is why so many people look down upon a woman who has so many sexual partners. They are frightened of what they outcome may be, and who may have the most power in a relationship.

Modern examples of this are very prevalent in today's society. Women who use sexuality to get a head are looked down upon. The stereotype for this is as such: if women