I have been pondering a wide collection of challenging questions in my effort to build a comprehensive outline for my humanities project. The questions that have given me the most pause involved discussion of misogyny in our society. Systemic misogyny is one of the most powerful tools that society uses to oppress women. The policies and social conditions that promote misogyny are repugnant and an indictment of the quality of our society.
Greta Thunberg took the world by storm with her messages about climate change in 2018. Her rapid rise to fame was met with criticism from a unique subset of the population. This population group can be characterized in differing ways, but I would like to highlight their motivations.
“For some reason, a young woman pointing out these unpleasant truths and asking officials to take steps to save the planet is exceptionally triggering to, largely, older white men on the right”
–Harper’s Bazaar
Their deep-seated hate is a result of their misogynist worldview, and their outbursts use coded language that our sexist society created.
“And some [of Greta’s critics] are reaching deep into the misogynist’s playbook to divert focus from her message.”
–Camilla Nelson
Of the tweets denouncing Greta’s bold stances, they held many similarities; instead of attacking her ideas, they challenged her identity as a woman and a child. This criticism came from a wide variety of people, but it was mainly led by conservative men. It shouldn’t be a surprise that this is the group with the strongest response comes from the group that historically supported traditional family roles and have inhibitions about climate change.
I can’t tell if Greta needs a spanking or a psychological intervention…
Probably both. https://t.co/zyJ8WntCGk
— Let’s Start Our Own MAGA CHAZ! (@NolteNC) September 23, 2019
So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill! https://t.co/M8ZtS8okzE
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2019
I spoke last year of how Donald Trump appealed to specific subconscious and conscious racist sentiments to be elected in 2016. His criticism reveals the connections between those racist sentiments and misogyny.
It is not an accident that Greta’s critics describe her as a child needing to put in her place. The idea of not being capable of thinking for yourself is what this coded language is trying to imply. These sexist phrases and words have worked for thousands of years to convince women and men alike that the female gender is not capable of thinking for themselves.
“This infantilisation is invariably accompanied by accusations of emotionality, hysteria, mental disturbance, and an inability to think for herself – stereotypically feminine labels which are traditionally used to silence women’s public speech, and undermine their authority.”
–Camilla Nelson
In my explorations, I couldn’t help but think about Kate’s final speech in Taming of the Shrew. I was left wondering how similar the goals of Petruchio are to the critics of Greta. Their goals are similar in the sense that they both are attempting to silence an outspoken woman. Their process in which they attempt to silence her are indistinguishable; by demeaning and belittling her into submission using gender subtext as a major weapon. Kate pleads that her husband is “[t]hy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee” (5.2.159). Her statement echoes the misogynist idea that women need men to do the things that actually matter.
Connections like the one above remind me of the universality of many of the issues of our world today. Shakespeare’s language in Taming of the Shrew is a conduit for readers of today to understand the sentiments and societal norms during the Elizabethan era. Shakespeare’s work in Taming of the Shrew shines a light on the prevailing sexist norms in the Elizabethan era, and reading it today I can compare those sentiments to women’s empowerment today.
