“The day when it will be possible for a woman to love not in her weakness but in her strength, not to escape herself but to find herself again, not to lower herself but to impose herself : that day love will become for her, as for man, a source of life and not of mortal danger." Simone de BeauvoirSay no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Maya Angelou's poem, "Men," is an exceptional example of power V/S powerlessness and cleverly brings us into the mindset of a woman who was undoubtedly a victim of male dominant society. The poem very conveniently communicates to us the intricate complication of our vulnerable need for men, as well as the stark divergence of our characters. The topic and the way she approaches it confirm the height of the poet's maturity and her remarkable ability to portray the thoughts of her body as well as the workings of her mind. He tried to reveal the callous, bitter and ruthless nature of men through a hidden contract that portrays the delicacy, innocence and patience of women. The “non-significant other” of the first stanza seems to be fully exposed to the bitterness of life at the end of the poem. Bearing in mind Lacan's concept that "the entry into the symbolic order, the structure of language, is different for boys and girls" and also focusing on the fact that post-structuralist feminist theory highlights "the category or position' woman' as part of a binary opposition, 'man/woman', in which 'man' is the favored term", we can take a look at the poem and get a very vivid idea about it. We must also remember that the goal of feminists is to deconstruct this “man/woman” binary and all the other binaries that reinforce and emphasize it, such as “masculine/feminine, good/evil, light/dark, positive/positive.” negative, culture/nature etc. The 'phallogocentric culture' we live in values ​​left-sided terms more while viewing right-sided terms as 'other' or undesirable. Women's experiences and their representation differ enormously from that of men. Feminists believed that it was important to develop a uniquely feminine consciousness based on women's experience rather than insisting on conventional "male theories of reading, writing and criticism". Known as “gynocriticism,” (a term coined by feminist scholar Elaine Showalter), this “feminine model of literary analysis” provides four directions for evaluating a given text that we would apply to poetry. The first direction takes us to "images of the female body" in poetry. According to Bresslor, women writers use "anatomical imagery" to present their complex themes. For example, breasts have always been a point of controversy in feminism, being our "primary" sexual appeal, so to speak. It's a dilemma for feminism: on the one hand, breasts are something that declares us women; but on the other hand, men like breasts so they are dirty and evil. The image of "breast" here suggests the innocence and vulnerability of young girls to the probable and expected harms of society (of course, through exploitation by the dominant sex). We find here a hint of a kind of presumptuous satisfaction in the possession of breasts when Maya compares the "high" shoulders of men with "the breasts of a young girl." Examining this poem brings us to the type of "language" Maya uses. The selection of words for men and women differs strongly and we can clearly observe that for men a harsh and arrogant vocabulary is used while for women it is treated in a very fragile andpious. Although we are told that it is the woman who spies on the men from "behind the curtains", watching them as they walk up and down the street, but we have the feeling that the real "spy" is the man who would eventually grab the woman "defenseless" and would eventually "tear her to pieces." Words like “mustard-sharp young men” with “tall” shoulders suggest the power of the male, highlighting and supporting Western culture's assumption that “males are superior to females and therefore are better thinkers, more rational, more serious and more thoughtful." compared to women." The fragility of the tender sex is further accentuated by the dramatic illustration of the treatment of women by men. The similes and comparisons as well as the vocabulary used clearly confirm that the poet's sex is female. We can trace a series of images that refer to cooking and cooking objects. Phrases such as “strong as mustard”, “starving”, “last raw egg” and “match head” are obvious examples of the vocabulary used by women Not can be used by men, but the way it is used unconsciously here in this poem is undoubtedly a woman's effort. The third and most significant direction suggested by gynocritics is to evaluate the “female psyche” and its connection with the writing process. We need to look at some of the concepts instilled in women's minds about men to trace and evaluate the hidden female psyche behind this poem. Men are feared by women everywhere. They are strong, powerful and loaded with the ability to exploit women at any time. They treat women ruthlessly, are deceitful and vile towards them, and lack loyalty in relationships. The poem refers to all these concepts in an engaging way. It seems pretty obvious that she had a traumatic and unforgettable experience with men or a man. The only power she seems to have over men is the power to stay behind the "curtain" which, of course, isn't much at all. The tent, here, could be a symbol of various things including virginity, distance, oblivion and innocence. The need for a man in a woman's life is obvious and the poet is aware of it as he knows that she is "starving" for him but the ultimate fear keeps her behind the "curtain" as he has a vague knowledge of the deceptive nature even of man. He knows that as long as he remains behind the scenes, he is relatively safe from the tyrannical treatment of man. The more distant she is from the "centre" man, the more likely she is to be "slippery", "fluid", "less fixed" and "playful". Another image that "Men are always going somewhere" refers to the universal characteristic of males of never being satisfied with one thing. No matter what they own, they are always looking for more. After fully using (read exploiting) the bodies of these “mindless entities,” they move on, leaving behind “destroyed” existences with “locked” bodies without keys. Keep in mind: This is just an example .Receive a personalized article from our expert writers now.Receive a personalized essayThe influence of culture and society on a woman's understanding of herself and her surroundings is the fourth direction to which we must look according to gynocritics. The customs and traditions of the society are so overwhelming especially for women who have to shape their lives according to the customs set by the male rulers. In this poem we see that the poet has excellently traced the gradual development of the woman's mind. The Curtain, seen through the eyes of culture, could also refer to the naivety and simplicity of the young girl in the poem. The design of the “window”.