ENG110: MIDTERM
Name- Fariha Tabassum
ID: 24341071
Sec- 02
Sec - 02
Answer to question: 2
Cavendish’s “The Blazing World”, and Ghuznavi’s “The assessment” both carry similar themes of
feministic ideals among futuristic societies. Although the authors come from especially distinct
time periods; the plight of both the female protagonists to overcome patriarchal standards and
exercise autonomy over their lives; remain the same.
“The Assessment”- takes place in an era of drastic technological innovation and progress;
especially in the sector of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Our protagonist is very aware of this
progress, being a roboticist herself. Despite that, she is not in complete support of the way her
society has become overrun with robots, changing every facet of human life including human
relationships. Ghuznavi explores this futuristic world in her work, and the implications it has on
the protagonist’s life and her marital relationship.
In contrast, “The Blazing World” takes place in the 17th century, a world still not familiar with the
ideas of feminism or with the very the idea of a woman ever being a man’s equal. Nonetheless,
Cavendish does not fit into the mold of an average woman at her time, namely being a
philosopher, poet, scientist, fiction writer and playwright. In her novella, Cavendish challenges
the patriarchal standards of her time by creating a fantastical utopian world with a female ruler.
Margaret Cavendish uses her novella “The Blazing World”, as a medium to express her feministic
and utopian ideals. Her novella, serving as one of the earliest known works involving science
fiction, explores a fantastical utopian society with an empress as the absolute ruler, over the
emperor. A vision far too unconventional for her time. She expresses the empress as a version of
herself, ruling with intelligence and love. “And as for the Blazing-world, it having an Empress
already, who rules it with great Wisdom and Conduct” (Cavendish p. 100). Asserting the idea
that a woman can be feminine as well as a successful leader of her people. Cavendish further
challenges the idea of women being inferior to men in both intelligence and in their contribution
to society, through the empress, who establishes scientific societies and promotes innovative
thinking and progress, whilst creating a harmonic society where everyone is seen as equal. The
Empress inspires each anthropomorphic being in the blazing world to play a vital role towards
shaping a harmonious and balanced society, drawing on their distinct qualities and strengthsregardless of gender or personal biases. “The Bearmen were to be her Experimental
Philosophers, the Bird-men her Astronomers, the Fly- Worm- and Fish-men her Natural
Philosophers, the Ape-men her Chymists, the Satyrs her Galenick Physicians, the Fox-men her
Politicians, the Spider- and Lice-men her Mathematicians, the Jackdaw- Magpie- and Parrot-men
her Orators and Logicians, the Gyants her Architects, &c” (p.14).
In “The Assessment”, the protagonist Dr. Razia Rehman, is seen receiving judgment from her
peers for marrying a man younger than her, even though her male peers have wives the same
age as their daughters. Which implies that even though society has made much technological
progress, the standards for women remain unchanged. They are expected to be younger than
their husbands as women are seen as less “desirable” the more they age, a standard not
applicable for men. She further faces backlash from society due to her maternal choices. Her
own husband calling her primitive for choosing to breastfeed. This showcases how women’s
autonomy over their choices and their bodies are persistently undermined even when disguised
as advancement. Her husband brings in a robot as a partner for himself under the guise of it
being a nanny for their child; all the while planning to have his wife institutionalized to take
control of her money. Razia realizes that; as she states, “So, he decided to get rid of me. We all
know that no one comes out of those reprogramming facilities intact.” (Ghuznavi p.81). “Anyway,
unwelcome as she was to me, Pammie handled Maya well enough. She was programmed with
over a trillion stories, songs, and games for a child's entertainment. And she handled Jai even
better! All of which served to emphasize my redundancy.” (p.81). This highlights the deeper
issues of a highly technologized society, where men and women have achieved equal standing
on the surface, but the abuse of women and fixed gender roles imposed on them remain
unchanged. If a robot can carry your child, feed it, and raise it, it threatens the basic needs of a
child for human parents with a healthy marital life.
In conclusion, in both the stories the female protagonists navigate futuristic and fantastical
worlds that are unfamiliar and unworldly. Yet, the issues discussed transcend time periods,
blurring the line between fiction and reality. Central to both stories are the themes surrounding
feminism and gender biases, topics that remain controversial despite continuing social progress.
By placing women at the forefront, the authors highlight their wit, wisdom, and resilience
against patriarchal structures.
Answer to question: 3
The works of Rabindranath Tagore’s “My Boyhood days” and “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, both
discuss about the authors’ distinctive childhoods. Both coming from starkly different countries,
cultures and time periods, their stories highlight the implications of one’s childhood in shaping
their identities. Children growing under rigid societal structures, often develop internal struggles
within themselves, which they carry lifelong. Analyzing these struggles provides a glimpse into
how their sense of self develops as they navigate through life.
Tagore came from an upper-class family in Calcutta, slowly losing their former aristocratic status,
Tagore’s family did not lead a luxurious life. His mother died when he was very young, and his
father mostly stayed away from the house on business, so he was left to be raised by servants.
Similarly, Kincaid faced neglect from her mother after she had three boys in succession.
Therefore, in both stories the authors describe a childhood devoid of parental guidance and
affection. Both received a neglectful and isolated childhood, a consequence of which might have
heightened their curiosity and progressed their imaginations.
Even though Tagore’s family was not rich, they were highly educated and did not compromise on
their children’s education. He received homeschooling from various teachers and delved into
many renowned literary works from around the world; he also learned music and art. This
shaped Tagore as a connoisseur of art and literature from a young age. In contrast, Kincaid was
pulled from school at sixteen to help look after her brothers despite being a good student.
Kincaid’s academic progress was halted instead of being uplifted by her guardians. Even though
both the authors went on to become successful in their respective careers, Tagore’s upbringing
shaped him for it, whilst Kincaid became successful despite of her abusive childhood.
Tagore describes his childhood in “my boyhood days” spent in isolation and mostly in the
company of his young servants. He describes spending a large portion of his days sitting in
isolation in a big palanquin, that remained unused, which served as a quiet escape for young
Tagore. “But inside the palanquin the day does not acknowledge the authority of the clocks”
(Tagore p.09). There he would use his imagination to create outlandish stories to entertain
himself, showcasing his early brilliance in creativity. His servant Abdul and him would imagine
the palanquin as a ship with Abdul as a captain. “My palanquin, outwardly at rest, travels on its
imaginary journeys. My bearers, sprung from airy nothing at my bidding, eating the salt of my
imagination, carry me wherever my fancy leads.” (p.09). He also expressed a taste for intricate
and complicated stories with many twists and turns and would get upset at Abdul for not making
his stories more complicated. “But the story comes to an end far too quickly for my taste, and
besides, the boat is not lost, everything is saved —that isn’t what I call a story!” (p.10). His early
fascination with elaborate storytelling and imaginative play foreshadowed his future as a literary
genius, but also suggested that, even in childhood, these imaginative plays served as more than
mere pastime—it served as a means of psychological escape and a subtle resistance to the
constraints of his reality.
Kincaid’s poem “Girl” emphasizes on a critical part of her childhood, her relationship with her
mother. The poem contains relentless and prescriptive commands by her mother to her, devoid
of any warmth and affection expected from a parental figure. The instructions range from
common household chores to social conduct. Which seem harmless guidance at first, but the
judgmental tone coming from the mother is made far too clear by the repeated connotations of
her mother perceiving her as a ‘slut’. The author’s sense of self gets drowned among the harsh
repeated commands thrown by the mother, only coming out twice in the poem in small protests,
which quickly get shut down. Firstly, with the accusation of singing Benna in Sunday school
(songs containing scandalous or provocative lyrics) “but I don’t sing Benna on Sundays at all and
never in Sunday school” (Kincaid L. 11). Secondly, with the accusation of being a woman the
baker would not let near the bread. “But what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread? you
mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won’t let
near the bread?” (L. 39-40).
To summarize, growing up in a world that does not understand you often creates tension
between external expectations and personal identity. In “Girl” and “My Boyhood Days”, the
authors display this struggle and their subtle resistances against these strict expectations- which
permit the youth to reclaim their agency and individuality.