A different kind of the same thing
I know how things can be -- for women. I tell you, it's queer, Mrs. Peters. We live close together and we live far apart. We all go through the same things -- it's all just a different kind of the same thing.
This passage seems like a feminist sentiment: women all suffer injustices and unfair challenges, but of different sorts, and (in extension), if they were to rally together, to live "close together" in all respects, they could perhaps overcome those things.
Comments
Yes and no. Sure, everyone suffers injustices or faces unfair challenges sometimes, but the nature of those problems is different for women than it is for other groups.
For instance, a feminist would likely argue that women face special challenges because they have been traditionally viewed as inferior to men. Like the whole "glass ceiling" bit that they feel is still a problem in the business world. Men don't typically have to deal with that problem (unless, perhaps, they are working in a business dominated by women, which is a rather rare situation, methinks).
In any case, in my reading of the lines I quoted here, it seemed to me that the "we" that Mrs. Hale keeps referring to is representative of women ("I know how things can be -- for women").
You bring up a valid point, though. I can certainly agree that if that first line weren't there, the passage could refer to just about any group of people. Thanks for the insight.
Posted by: ChrisU | February 2, 2006 2:03 AM
Chris, this is a feminist play, but don't you think this sentiment can be applied across the board, to anyone?
Posted by: Megan Ritter | February 1, 2006 8:27 PM