Jessica Wall-Smith, English teacher at Oak Park High School, defines feminism as “the advocacy for equal opportunities and treatment across all sexes.”
In Wall-Smith’s 10th and 12th grade English honor classes, she asks her students open-ended questions on deep philosophies that shape our society–deconstructing common ideals and questioning new ones further–based on the variety of books read throughout the year.
Her curriculum includes “Fried Green Tomatoes” by Fannie Flagg, a tale of inspiring women getting through their lives with the help of each other’s strong spirits. As a class, they interpret and analyze the book’s message through a feminist lens.
“I like to give [my students] definitions for different [feminist] philosophies and then have them evaluate a text for its ability to represent or interrogate that philosophy,” Wall-Smith said.
“Fried Green Tomatoes” was published in 1987; since then, the perception of feminism and how people feel about it has shifted. Still, one thing that has remained constant is the need to advocate for women’s rights. The two central characters in the novel are women and embody a queer identity; their way of combating issues of equality and ideology of domestic abuse is crucial to the novel.
“They are female, they have a voice, and they are able to use it to advocate for social change across their small southern ecosystem,” Wall-Smith said.
Wall-Smith notes that, as strong as the novel’s message is, it does not encapsulate everyone’s story.
“Fried Green Tomatoes” is written by a white woman, so it most accurately represents the white perspective,” Wall-Smith said.
Nonetheless, Fannie Flagg is also a woman, writing about the regressions women have faced throughout history.
“Anyone should write and anyone should write out of their perspective,” Wall-Smith said. “I appreciate how Fannie Flagg tries to bring in counter-voices and other perspectives, so she has a couple of characters of color in the novel. The class is invited to criticize the way they are represented; they are certainly represented less.”
Some speculate that a month dedicated solely to a group’s identity is unfair or even egotistical. However, this mentality distorted the point of setting a time for people. A month dedicated to a specific group of people is to commemorate their culture, traditions, their stories–not to undermine everyone else’s. The misconception that Women’s History Month is “anti-men” can demoralize the whole point of having a time dedicated to women.
“That’s what I think those days represent: us being intentional about recognizing our history and recognizing that women are no longer second-class citizens in this nation,” Wall-Smith says. “But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t more change to come…We still have these days because women’s identity still matter in this country as separate from men and oftentimes still unfortunately subordinated to men. We need to remember and talk about it.”
Feminism’s textbook definition is: “the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.” This can undoubtedly defer many from learning more about feminism because they are not in the definition.
“Just because men aren’t in the title feminism, doesn’t mean it’s not about the whole human experience,” Wall-Smith said. “I try to be very invitational in my approach, make sure people understand this book is for everyone because everyone is human…I would just love to invite all men to continue reading books like this, because they are also for you to consider the way that the boxes that you’ve been placed into socially do impact your ability to emote, to feel comfortable in a room, to connect with other people.”
One voice is never the answer, especially on a layered and complex subject. Wall-Smith recommends pouring your ear to a plethora of different perspectives, to really integrate yourself in the subject and to understand its origin and future aspirations.
“As many different voices that [students] can consume the better,” Wall-Smith said. “I think when we allow one voice to stand for a whole population, people or group, or perspective, we reduce the complexity of issues. So please don’t read this one book if you’re looking to be holistically exposed to literature that empowers the female experience.”
Women’s History Month has come to a close and so has our far-fetched idea that feminism is about making women superior and anyone else inferior. We have come far in progress with where we see ourselves and how others see us–we will still go much further.
