Our readings this week feature supposedly “normal” women who simply fell of the path of morality and were forced to pay the consequences. Readers of these curious texts—especially young readers—were encouraged to believe that this “fall” could happen to anyone who dozes off in church, “runs out at night,” or mingles with the wrong crowd. In fact, these earlier moral indiscretions are more fully explored in the text than the alleged infanticides. These women are portrayed as representative figures in order to warn the rising generation of Americans not to disobey parental or civil authority.
How are these women similar or dissimilar to women in contemporary America? To focus more closely, how are they similar of dissimilar to students at TCU? Clearly women today have certain advantages and means to control their reproductive systems, but is it possible that women are still stigmatized running out at night with lewd men? We’ve since outlawed hanging for such “crimes,” but have we developed other ways to punish women for these activities? Please discuss these issues and ideas in your weekly posting.
Remember that your posting is due Thursday at 8am and respond to 3 of your peers by 5 pm on Friday.
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