For the majority of women, marriage is considered a lifetime dream, something that is dreamt about since childhood. But for others, it is not at all a priority. In Jessa Crispin's New York Times opinion article, "St. Teresa and the Single Ladies", she makes historical references and includes humor in order to show women that marriage could be a one-way road to giving up their freedom.
Not speaking necessarily in terms of avoiding becoming a "housewife in captivity", there are many other forms of freedom that are gained from being an independent woman. As Crispin points out, the leaders of this idea date back to the ancient Catholic female saints such as St. Catherine, St. Lucia, and St. Olga. "It is simply the lengths to which they went to avoid marrying", that attracted Crispin to their outlook on marriage. "When St. Catherine's mother said her hair would surely attract a good suitor, she cut all of it off". It is bold acts like these that were the first to inspire the challenging of marriage standards. If this does not scream rebel, I am not sure what does. The example used perfectly introduces Crispin's message that a woman's purpose should not be focused on attracting a man. Instead, a woman should focus on things such as education and personal pursuits. In other words, if St. Teresa were given the choice between being a brain or a body, "she would choose to be a brain". By referencing such historic and religious figures, the author is gaining credibility for her claim that staying single is underrated.
In her article, Crispin also pays attention to style through her somewhat humorous tone. While explaining her personal experiences of being a single, she wonders what trait is holding her back from being "wife material". Crispin jokes that the reason is, "Maybe because of how much I swear". By remaining lighthearted in her joke, she not only pulls it off successfully and appeals to the reader's pathos, but she is able to seem like it is just a brush off her shoulder. Instead of taking it too seriously, she uses humor to show that she does not need a man's approval to happily live her life. Also, her choice of incorporating comedy into her essay may not turn the audience away so quickly. Rather than taking an extremely formal approach which is seen to be overdone in similar essays written about feministic topics, she chooses to show her funny side. With this, Crispin is not only informing her audience of the benefits from the "single ladies", but she is also entertaining them.
In today's world, young women feel constantly pressured into making marriage their number one objective. But what about that dream job? Or plan to travel around the world? Jessa Crispin claims that marriage can be the most restrictive thing to place on a woman, through her use of historical figures and whimsical tone in the article, "St. Teresa and the Single Ladies". It can take years for a person to realize that relationships are not only difficult to handle, but they may also be the number one thing holding that person back.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/10/opinion/sunday/st-teresa-and-the-single-ladies.html?ref=opinion&_r=0
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