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  • Essay / The importance of violence in Of Woman Born by Adrienne Rich

    The importance of violence in Of Woman Born In cultures as different as Sweden and the Yucatan, women participate in the decision-making process during their delivery. The midwife from Yucatan emphasizes that “each woman must “buscar la forma”, find her own way and that it is the task of the midwife to help her, whatever decision is made”. This does not mean that births are painless, but that unnecessary pain is avoided, that birth is not treated as a "medical event" and that the woman's individual temperament and physique are trusted and respected. » (p. 175) Rich both begins and ends his book on the theme of violence to attract our attention. Once she realizes that something needs to change, her ideas are developed further, implying that with a major change in the patriarchal system, this violence can end, and being a mother will not. be so difficult. I agree that it may be much better than this dated account of life as a mother, but as the Yucatan midwives stated, there will always be pain. Rich would agree that one should trust a woman's individual temperament and physique. respected, but I go a little further and think that this particular discussion of work should be a metaphor for the argument of this book. The description of labor and birth above is how motherhood should be approached, replacing the partner, the husband. , or friend for the role of midwife. In this situation, patriarchy does not need to fall, a much more achievable goal. Beginning and ending with violence, Rich states that these atrocities can or should at least be repaired by his proposal to denounce the patriarchy. Not only may this not be possible, but it implies that once the balance of power shifts, this much-discussed violence could change. Although the balance of power may shift, abusive, violent and uncaring parents, fathers or mothers, will continue to exist, regardless of who holds the power, thus leaving the burden of raising children on the other. parent, creating the same situation we experienced. Today. By placing so much emphasis on violence, Rich provides, in a roundabout way, hope that through his plan, this violence will stop. Since Rich suggests a solution to the problem, she too maintains a sort of myth..