QUESTION 2
Gender-based violence has been deeply grounded with gender inequality which has continued to be one of the most significant human right violations in most of the communities. The ideal is directed to both men and women because of their genders. Moreover, most of the affected groups are the women and girls who struggle with gender violation from their area of relation. According to Elmwood’s argument on gender, all aspects of men and women are discussed and presented positively and negatively. He explains the situation in society and how the two genders relate and handle their differences in different activities using the available resources and the level of social intervention.
Victoria Elmwood explains how historians recognized the importance of gender, stating that men and women faced the same suffering in terms of gender. Women live in Maus, as expresses by Art Spiegelman, have been expressed and presented in a neutral and human perspective, turning out to be a masculine character. Art shows trauma that has affected most women, which is mostly expressed in his mother, where at last, she commits suicide. However, Holocaust advocates for males’ voices and their experience and their memories, unlike the women characters. Holocaust states that the feminist type is associated with trivializing the Jewish tragedy. According to the Holocaust, through gender, two sexes lead to a sense of loss as maintained by Lawrence Langer.
Art Spiegelman’s Maus explains that rape, sex exploitation, abortion, and pregnancy are associated with women. Maus also creates a discrimination view of women following the Holocaust experience criticizing the absence of women and their voices from the Holocaust writing, which they appear to be interested in. Maus is seen to neglect the female victims of gender-based and other vulnerable situations like sexual abuse. Spiegelman faces criticism as he presents his mother’s condition, where the criticism is used to support and prioritize the male perspective, making them seem superior to the female gender. The stereotype of females to be submissive was accustomed to the culture and tradition where they were expected to be passive and silent.
However, some scholars are interested in fighting against the gender-based situation and especially on women and ladies. The author is seen to be against the Holocaust, who seems to be in conscience with the gender-based supporters. As the Holocaust view women as helpless and fragile, the scholars gain the energy to fight against their victimization. According to the case presented in the Maus, one character addresses the lack of a mother’s voice, which represents a lack of women’s freedom. Anja is seen to face psychological torture when her three-year-old son and relatives lose their lives in the Nazi violence. The story is written based on Spiegelman’s interview to see what the cause of Anja’s death was.
The death caused significant trauma to Spiegelman and his father, who led them to be second-generation survivors. The perspective of Anja was not presented directly since there was the unavailability of dairies to be use3ed by Spiegelman to draw on his mother. Men are believed to be superior and that why the Art Spiegelman is against the discrimination which was later experienced when Vladek destroyed all the memories his wife has stored, which was majorly made for her son to read. To recover all the loss, the Anja has faced a reconstruction of Vladek and Art’s memories should be done in favor of this woman. Men are seen as dominant over women when Vladek courageously participates in the burning of the Jews’ bodies and destroys all the evidence of Nazi destruction.
As seen in the novel, awareness of gender discrimination and the story of Anja s revealed when Spiegelman calls his father a murderer after silencing her voice while presenting her grievances. Spiegel is seen to be angry with his father’s action, and the author presents him as a rival of all supporters of gender discrimination. Nazi violence gives a gendered character where the Jews were oppressed, and elimination of Anja’s perspective by Vladek represents an authoritarian regime and the ruling of women without a say. The comic presented by Spiegelman presents the self-consciousness of the concepts that are in the story, which give a challenge to the gender-based supporters.
Although some scholars argue that gender affects both men and women, mainly because they are abused at the same rate, others disagree stating that discrimination is majorly in women and men. Gender-based arguments have been presented in different sectors and organizations which help in addressing the problems. Most women faced a lot of domestic violence and referred to as inferior to men. The gender-based issue is a real situation that needs some awareness and support to be provided to the victims. Society should ensure their cultures and religions advocate for the freeness of women, and no man should be superior to any woman. They should also be free to speak about their problems in society.
