Where would an aspiring female soccer player be without the footsteps of Mia Hamm to follow? Where would a student teacher be without the guidance of a successful professional teacher? Where do the majority of children without some responsible adult guidance in their lives end up? Each of these situations presents an amateur of some sort needing the example of an “expert” to become successful in each of these areas. Furthermore, each area needs to have had a “history.” For example, the student teacher is following the history and traditions of education. Education has had a history, and, therefore, can produce teachers with the ability to replicate and improve the process of educating. Most humans like to have a path to follow; a step-by-step process of how to achieve their goal. Of course humans also like to be individuals and create their own unique techniques within their field, but, generally, the major aspects of the field will remain constant. Over time, the unique techniques will sew themselves together to adapt the overall process, but one person does not typically change an entire process. The next conclusion that can be drawn is the difficulty of an individual to begin “something” that no other individual has achieved previously. History has shown, though, that the world has had firsts. For example George Washington was the first President of the U.S., and Aretha Franklin was the first women inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Virginia Woolf intruduces another arena in which there had to be a first: female authors of novels.
In the words of Woolf, women “had no tradition behind them.” Female literary geniuses had no example to follow. Carving their way was the only option. Although this was an obstacle, these women were geniuses, so they probably could easily overcome this downfall of not having a predecessor. Another possible problem would be not having the encouragement of another woman’s success. The idea “if she can do it, I can do it to” is a very real human consideration. We think that if another person with some similarity to ourselves can accomplish tasks, then we in return can accomplish the task. The first female novelists were left to their own devices. The final, and most obstructive, was that the world, since it had never had a first, was afraid to have a first. The fear was expressed through oppression; women had never written novels, so, therefore, women were “not capable of writing novels” in the minds of humans at the time (many males and females thought this). The first had to be able to push through this opposition. Not having a lineage to follow was the greatest discouragement to female novelists because of the consequential fear it created.
Human nature tends to fear change. At times this is warranted because change can be negative. The universe has a moral standard that all humans are accountable to. Change that allows humans to defy this standard is not a positive change, and it should be feared. For example, as a society, we should not allow undeserved murder to be acceptable. We should fear a change that would allow this. However, some necessary changes face adversity even if these changes are correct and justified. Many men and women before the twentieth century in the U.S. (and continuing today) fear the changing of women’s roles in society. Women being able to vote, enter the work force, write, sing, and act are all examples of positive changes of women’s roles. Many people still fear this change, but it is an appropriate, even positive, change. On the other hand, I do find that this change, although positive, has been abused by humans to have some adverse effects. Women are now expected to “do it all.” Having a successful career, family, and marriage are expectations put on women. Some women do have the ability to successfully handle it all. However, to expect all women to be able to juggle these successfully is unrealistic. In many cases, depending on the career, women should chose between a family (children) and a career. Children are dealt a raw deal when mom and dad are both never home. Of course there is always the option of the father being available for the kids, but many times it is a mother’s nature that desires this naturally. This is not to say that all mothers have these tendencies (I am not a mom, so I do not know), but I would conclude a majority do based on conversations I have shared with mothers.
Hopefully, the world will not stop having its “firsts;” hopefully, the geniuses out there will recognize their abilities and not allow their reservations to stop them in their journey.
Very well written Julie!
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