Read the following poem by Muriel Rukeyser. When you are done, answer the prompt below.
Myth
Originally published in Breaking Open (1973)
Long afterward, Oedipus, old and blinded, walked the
roads. He smelled a familiar smell. It was
the Sphinx. Oedipus said, “I want to ask one question.
Why didn’t I recognize my mother?” “You gave the
wrong answer,” said the Sphinx. “But that was what
made everything possible,” said Oedipus. “No,” she said.
“When I asked, What walks on four legs in the morning,
two at noon, and three in the evening, you answered,
Man. You didn’t say anything about woman.”
“When you say Man,” said Oedipus, “you include women
too. Everyone knows that.” She said, “That’s what
you think.”
roads. He smelled a familiar smell. It was
the Sphinx. Oedipus said, “I want to ask one question.
Why didn’t I recognize my mother?” “You gave the
wrong answer,” said the Sphinx. “But that was what
made everything possible,” said Oedipus. “No,” she said.
“When I asked, What walks on four legs in the morning,
two at noon, and three in the evening, you answered,
Man. You didn’t say anything about woman.”
“When you say Man,” said Oedipus, “you include women
too. Everyone knows that.” She said, “That’s what
you think.”
Prompt: Using this poem as your evidence, make a statement about the misconceptions about men and women. Think about what we assume are traits of women and traits of men. What happens if someone chooses to defy the societal expectation?
33 comments:
The poem makes the misconception that everyone views men and women equally. The point of the poem is to show that they are not equal in the minds of everyone. Oedipus says, "When you say man, you include women too. Everyone knows that." Oedipus is a person who views men and women as equals. ALthough the Sphinx is trying to prove not everyone thinks that way when she says, "That's what you think." The Sphinx is commenting on how some people just assume that everyone has the same mindset that they have themselves, and that men and women are equal, but not everyone knows that. When someone chooses to defy social expectation, they are seen as giving the wrong answer. Just as the Sphinx said that Oedipus answered wrong because he went against what the Sphinx thought was correct.
B. Geiss 5/6 Period
This poem shows what there is an existing inequality between men and women. Men are seen as the dominant, superlative figure, being able to do nearly anything and everything. While at the same time the women are seen as submissive to men and are weaker in mind and spirit. However, this is entirely not the case. Men and women were created equal as individuals, the irony is that the individuals don't always see it that way. In the poem, the female Sphinx states, "When I had asked, What walks on four legs on the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening, you answered, Man. You didn't say anything about woman." Oedipus had stated the answer to correlate to all humans, not just men. By stating "man" he implied the race of all people which also includes women. This is an example of how some individuals see the difference between people, yet there are some who go against the norm. Oedipus stated, "When you say Man, you include women too. Everyone knows that." Not only does he have the right idea of how the world should work, but he also is someone who defies the social expectation. There's one thing for certain that will happen to those who see men and women together to some people in society, and that's being ridiculed. Many see others that think men and women are equal as radical or incorrect, so they are ignored and shunned. The Sphinx indirectly does this to Oedipus by saying, "That's what you think," in response to his answer.
The poem makes the point that men and women are not always equal in the minds of some people. In the poem the sphinx asks Oedipus, “What walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening, you answered, Man.” The sphinx tells Oedipus that is the wrong answer and Oedipus replies, “When you say Man, you include women too. Everyone knows that.” Oedipus defies the societies expectations because he thought everyone knew that when he says “Man”, he referring to all humans, not just men. Clearly not everyone knows this because some people do not treat the genders equally. Man is not saying men as a gender, but is referring to all of mankind, including women.
~Becca Gardella 5/6 Period
The misconception about men and women is that they are not entirely viewed as equals. The Sphinx said, “When I asked, what walks on four legs in the morning,
two at noon, and three in the evening, you answered, Man. You didn’t say anything about woman.” Oedipus replied, “When you say Man, you include women too. Everyone knows that.” The Sphinx then said, “That’s what you think.” This shows that people subconsciously view men as superior to women. This is probably because of the stereotypes woven into our society. Women are supposed to do the housework and cooking, raise children, have non-demanding jobs, and be submissive, more emotional, and weaker than men. Men are supposed to be strong, make the decisions, and bring in the paycheck for women and their family. When these expectations are broken, people tend to look down on and judge these people, thinking that something has to be wrong with them since they broke the societal norms.
Muha, J 5-6th period
The misconception about men and women is that men and women are viewed as equals. In this case, the Sphinx does not view men and women as equals, as Oedipus does, because the Sphinx says "...you answered, Man. You didn't say anything about woman." Oedipus claims that when he said man, he meant all humans, but the Sphinx doesn't agree. Men and women have not been seen as equal from the beginning of civilization in most cultures. Traditionally, men are supposed to be the provider while women are supposed to raise children and be a home maker. This societal line has been slowly blurring in some, not all, cultures in the past 6 or 7 decades, so when someone decides to defy this expectation, it is becoming less and less taboo. In early 1900's, behaviors outside of the gender role would not be tolerated, but today, its becoming more and more accepted.
The common misconception between men and women is that men believe that there is nothing wrong with equality and that they in fact are equal. While women do not think this and are still striving to gain equality to the highest degree. If someone defies the societal expectation they are looked down upon and in a way used as an example of how not to be
Eric Bulic
1st
This poem shows that men think men and women are equal but women think men have all the power. Women are traditionally viewed as weaker and secondary to men, and this poem is showing that men may not see this because they aren't experiencing this imbalance of power directly. However, the Sphinx sees this because she is a woman, and she feels directly the effects of this traditional view. Should a woman try to defy this norm by adopting "masculine" traits it would be considered out of place and unappealing. Women dont consider the sexes equal because they firsthand rely experience the effects of trying to defeat or defy a norm
the main misconception between men and women is that men believe both genders are equal while women see themselves as inferior to men and believe they need more equality. Oediphus believes men and women are equal where as Sphinx does not. Stereotypes see men as overpowered and women as mainly doing household chores and raising the offspring of the family.
In this poem there is a huge misconception between Opedipus and Sphinx based on women equality. Opedipus believes that women are just as equal as men. In the poem Opedipus states, "When you say man,you say women too." this statement gives off the impression that many use the term "women" in their vocabulary which means everyone views women the same as they do for men. Sphinx agrees that women are equal to men but disagrees that everyone views it that way. Opedipus is more on side of people who defy in the societal they view society based on their beliefs. Opedipus is wrong in this situation and Sphinx has a point. Just because you believe in something doesn't mean other people believe it too. Everyone has different views and mindsets.
-Giavonna Gilbride 5 / 6th
The poem is pointing out how men and women are not viewed equally. Men are always seen superior to women. It is a common misconception of how men and women are equally and they do everything the same. In the poem Oedipus believes men are equal to women and in return the Spinx says "That's what you think". A lot of people believe that men are women are equal but in some situations they are not. The poem just gives the view of a man and women and how men think that everything is equal were women will sometimes disagree.
M.Al-Zarraq 5/6th period
The common misconception is that men and women are not viewed to be equal to one another. This poem shows that men believe women and men are equal but it is then brought up that this is false. Men really believe that they are superior to women because of the stereotypical house wife. Many men see women as having less power and weaker to them. But the Sphinx explains how they should be shown as equals. If someone defys this common societal view, then they are looked at in a negative way.
E, Pelka. 1st period
The misconception in this poem is that men and women are seen as equal when in reality they aren't. Women are generally "supposed to" do house work and take care of the kids where as men do the work and support the family. If someone chooses to defy this problem then they are looked down upon by everyone else.
Oedipus misconception from the sphinx had to clarify what he means “man” in his answer. Also what the sphinx was saying to Oedipus that not all people would understand that a man can be defy as male or female. Instead, what Oedipus so had said is “human”, as it implies to the predecessor of the primates in prehistoric times. From the riddles was a creative possibility of choices to solve. To answer this is a baby walks on four legs in the morning symbol of birth, two legs is an adult which mean of middle age, and two legs and a cane is an elder person of sunset to represent death. This riddle may not mean much; however, the answer of Oedipus has implement both man and woman are just the same and the only difference is the physical characteristic. No one should defy that men and woman are different. Instead, more people should accept the fate that everyone is just the same.
J Dhanraj 3rd period
The common misconception that people make about men and women is that the two are equal, when they really are not. In this poem. When someone decides to defy social expectation, they are seen as less, and they are looked down upon. Women are considered to be less than men because it is thought they cannot do a much as men can do, which is not true.
The misconception in this poem is that men and women are viewed as equals. This is unfortunately wrong. For many centuries, there has been a clear difference in the roles of each. For instance, men are viewed as the stronger ones, who earn more money in the workforce and are the main bread-winners in the family. On the other hand, women are viewed as the "caretaker" that cooks and cleans for her children and husband. Women are also judged as weak and quite emotional human beings. If someone acts outside of societal norms, they are looked down upon. (Example: When a man cries, he is considered weak, like a girl.)
In society, most people have the misconception that men are above women and must carry the society to its future. This is shown when Oedipus gives his answer simply as 'man,' meaning the entire human race. But he uses the gender 'man' to describe it, because of this societal misconception. Men are the soldiers, the construction workers, politicians, bankers, everyone in society that contributes to the betterment of everyone's lives. Women are seen as not being able to do these things because they are supposed to be the housewife. They are supposed to raise the kids, maintain the house, etc.
These misconceptions, are just that; misconceptions. They are false. Everyone is created equally and what matters are the actions that individuals take in their lives, not their gender or even race.
Paul Smith 3rd Period
This poems presents the problem of sexual inequality. In society there are some problems where people believe that one gender is subject to act in certain ways. In the case of this poem it suggests that women are not put into the same category as men, meaning that they may be considered less than them. In society there are people who may consider women as less capable when compared to men. They may consider men to be more intelligent, stronger, and overall better. On the other hand though, there are people who believe that men are stupid, less organized then women, and are less capable in raising their children. These are stereotypes created by both sexes. Now, the people who normally go against the stereotypes are scrutinized at and looked at differently. Individuals would be looked at as different and become shunned from the rest of society due to the different thought structure and culture. This all comes down to a matter of perspective; if one person does not align with the thought structure of other people then they often persecute the others. In this poem, this is we see the Sphinx and Oedipus have two different perspectives and they lead to the absolute destruction of Oedipus and the rest of his family.
Colton K. ~1st
This poem alludes to the myth that sexist language is not unfair to women. Without clarification words can be interpreted in numerous ways, and society bases its opinions of how the majority grasps an idea. For example, the famous saying from the Declaration of Independence, “All men are created equal…” can be interpreted in many ways, just like the conversation between Oedipus and the Sphinx. Oedipus believes that the term “men” includes women, while the Sphinx thinks the opposite, due to one added detail. One of the most common expectations of men is that they be physically powerful: big, strong, and muscular, while women are expected to be the perfect housewives. To cook, to clean, and make the stability of the household their number one priority. When men go outside their social expectation, it doesn't affect them all that much. Though if a woman goes outside these social expectations, she will be considered/classified as a "feminist".
-Mike Glencer
5/6 Period
The poem makes the point that even though men and women are equal in the minds of some, they aren’t equal in the minds of others. The Sphinx posed the question, “What walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening” in which Oedipus answered, “Man,” along with the words, “When you say Man, you include women too. Everyone knows that.” Here we see what Oedipus represents, which is the expectations of society where all men and women are equal. That’s not always the case though, for the Sphinx then states, “That’s what you think.” Here is where reality sets in because gender equality isn’t always present throughout society. Women are seen as the ones to be “housewives” while the men go out and do all the providing for the family. This isn’t always the case though, for sometimes these roles are flipped or changed. The problem is, society sees that as wrong, instead of supporting the idea of gender equality.
- Winston S 5/6*
This poem is making the misconception that in everyones eyes, all men and women are created equal. Men think that there is no inequality, while women are constantly saying that there is a gap between the sexes. Oedipus is the man in this situation believing there is equality, while the sphinx is showing that may not be true. If someone chooses to defy the societal expectation, they are seen as outcasts, someone who is just wrong and saying or doing nonsense. Anyone who defies the expectation is looked at as inferior.
Wyatt Crosher 3rd
The poem gives the visionary that men are portrayed differently than women. This however, is only present in some cases as to in others, men and women are seen very much to be the same. It talks about many times, people assume everyone see's them as equals which is not the case. When someone chooses to defy said social expectation. They may be looked at differently because it defies a social norm.
Since the dawn of early human civilization the common misconception is that men are equal to women. This statement cannot be more inaccurate. Even today our entire culture is ran by the male race, excluding certain cultures over the centuries. Even though America boasts of equality, it still truly doesn’t exist. Stereotypes and ignorance mask this issue. “When I asked, What walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening, you answered, Man. You didn’t say anything about woman”, this quote shows the ignorance that men when requiring equality with women. “When you say Man,” said Oedipus, “you include women too. Everyone knows that.” She said, “That’s what you think”, simply states that women have another view on how they are being treated in today’s society. If someone chooses to defy the social expectation usually people would reject them or their actions as being taboo. Going against something that our culture has had in place for so long is not as easy to give up as we think.
The misconception between men and women comes from the generalization of women in the same category as men. We assume the trait of power in men while women are seen as powerless. “you include women too. Everyone knows that.” This displays the misconception in society about the role of men and women, this causes us to view women as lesser an unequal.
Megan Zajkowski 5/6
The poem is making the misconception that men and women are treated equal in everyone’s eyes. Men don’t really recognize the inequality, while women are constantly trying to fight to be treated equal between trying to break glass ceilings and promoting feminism. In this situation, Oedipus is the man that thinks there is equality, while the sphinx shows that this might not be true. If anyone choses to rebel against the societal expectation, they’re seen as outcasts, and someone who is wrong to think and say such nonsense. Anyone that goes against the societal expectation is viewed as a lesser.
In the poem Oedipus is old and meets the Sphinx when he was walking down a road. Oedipus asked the Sphinx and question and she said he gave the wrong answer because he said man and did not you think." The poem shows the difference between how men say woman too. Oedipus thought saying man included woman but the Sphinx said "that's what and woman think. Saying just man can make it seem like a woman is less important and everyone should be seen as equal.
They are a lot of misconceptions between the man and women stereotypes. The man stereotype is always the strong one in the relationship and the one who does all the outdoors physically things and is the strong one. The women is usually is weak and is dependent on the man. This is of course false and women are of course capable of anything men can do. Now a days when people defy the standards no one takes notice because it has become common to do that, but there are some circumstances that the women stereotype is still in. For example the president, there has never been a female president. If there would be a a female president it would be history made.
This poem shows that the misconception is men and women are treated equally. Oedipus believes that man and woman are equal, but the Sphinx does not believe the same. Society expects the man to be the bread winner and be strong. Society expects the woman to be weak and a house wife, and that they always have to rely on the man to do the tough jobs. When someone decides to defy society's expectations for their role, people look at them differently. According to the specific gender roles, women should not necessarily be strong, they should not have any muscle, and men should not be weak. I believe that society is definitely coming closer to the common goal of equality of the sexes, but there is still a ways to go.
Bloxsom, N. 5/6th period.
This poem expresses the idea of equality between men and women. Oedipus has the belief that both are equal however the Sphinx thinks otherwise. People in society feel as if labeling something as a "mans" job or responsibility that a woman wouldn't be able to do a specific task such as hard strong physical labor. As time moves on the roles become altered, women trtying to take on the role of men, its becoming more prevelant to have interchangeable roles amongst both genders but the problem still reveals itself.
Jeff Anzo 3rd
The poem uses the misconception that men and women are equal when it comes to every day things. In some cases, this is true, but it is accepted to be true about everything. Oedipus says, "When you say man, you include women too," and this statement is just assuming that it is socially accepted to group men and women together. Not everyone accepts it to be this way though, men and women are very different in ways physically and mentally and how they go about their every day lives. In conclusion, one cannot group men and woman together considering they are very different in many ways, however, it is accepted to be this way and they are accepted to be equal when grouping them, but in this world that is not always the case.
Renfro, B 1st period
This poem is an example of how some people think there should be equality for women. Some people think that if someone says men they are only talking about men and men only. others think of everyone when they say men. there should be a equal ground for both men and women in the world. there are places where there isnt equality in the world. an example of that is the work place. there is a unspoken "glass ceiling". that glass ceiling is what keeps women from being sucsessful in their work life.
the poem focuses on the idea and stereotypes about men and women.that there is an inequality between them. Oedipus views men and women as equal, but the Sphinx goes on to say that everyone has the same mindset that men and women are equal, but not everyone knows that or is willing to admit it. going against social expectations is viewed as wrong, which is why men and women arent seen as equals
This poem shows the vague qualities that words sometimes possess. Many times, our words can be unclear, leaving people to guess what they actually mean and what or who the words pertain to. In the poem, the Sphinx says "...you answered, Man. You didn't say anything about women." Oedipus then replies, "When you say Man, you include women too. Everyone knows that." The Sphinx knows better, however; she knows that not everyone would interpret his words in that way. The Sphinx responds, "That's what you think." Spoken words and ideas are open to interpretation. Even if someone doesn't notice when they are doing it, people are interpreting the words they hear in a form they can understand based on their experiences and opinions. Typically in our culture, boys are to become a "man". A girl becoming a "man" is strange to think about because they tend to grow into women. So when is the line drawn? When does the word "man" apply to both genders and when does it apply to one? This presents the idea that not all people are properly spoken for. The poem implies that the reason Oedipus could not recognize his mother is because he answered the Sphinx's question wrong, answering with "Man" and not including women as well. This leads Oedipus to not being able to properly recognize his mom. This is true for all women. We may think that when we speak for men, we are, too, speaking for women. With the constant fight for equality, we know this is not true.
Traits that are usually associated with women are sensitive, emotional, dependent, soft, or weak, whereas men are thought to have traits such as tough, strong, independent, hard or tough-skinned. When someone chooses to defy these expectations, people can be looked down upon by society. A man can be called a woman, and a woman can be called a man, but this is often done in a way that is meant to be hurtful. Men and women are often told to act in a certain way that is believed to be "right". When someone goes against these expectations and simply becomes whoever they wish to be, that person becomes strong and even admirable. It is a widely growing idea, today, that men are allowed to be soft and show feelings and women should stand up and fight for proper recognition. With the acceptance that we are all just people, we can begin to move forward, unrestricted by any limitations that society has placed on us based on gender, race, or orientation.
Corrine Luzier
5/6 period
Men and Women are created equal, but in people's minds that's not necessarily the case. The point of this poem is to show that even though Men does have more power then women and they're seen as being more strong and dominant, women and men were created to serve equal right. As Oedipus says, ''When you say man, you include woman too '', because that what he thinks and that's what he believes in, but in others eyes that's not always the case.
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