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    Mind & Behaviour Final Paper - Suhaani Gala.

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    Suhaani Gala
    This document summarizes Marilyn Frye's birdcage analogy for understanding oppression. The birdcage analogy describes how oppression restricts freedom similarly to how birds in a cage cannot fly away. It explains how oppression establishes barriers that reduce and shape oppressed groups. The birdcage metaphor is more impactful than ordinary examples of harm because it implies our thoughts are confined and we would thrive if freed. It prompts broader perspectives on how racial and gender oppression are pervasive.

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    Mind & Behaviour Final Paper - Suhaani Gala.

    Uploaded by

    Suhaani Gala
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    This document summarizes Marilyn Frye's birdcage analogy for understanding oppression. The birdcage analogy describes how oppression restricts freedom similarly to how birds in a cage cannot fly away. It explains how oppression establishes barriers that reduce and shape oppressed groups. The birdcage metaphor is more impactful than ordinary examples of harm because it implies our thoughts are confined and we would thrive if freed. It prompts broader perspectives on how racial and gender oppression are pervasive.

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    Mind & Behaviour Final Paper- Suhaani Gala.

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    This document summarizes Marilyn Frye's birdcage analogy for understanding oppression. The birdcage analogy describes how oppression restricts freedom similarly to how birds in a cage cannot fly away. It explains how oppression establishes barriers that reduce and shape oppressed groups. The birdcage metaphor is more impactful than ordinary examples of harm because it implies our thoughts are confined and we would thrive if freed. It prompts broader perspectives on how racial and gender oppression are pervasive.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    3 views3 pages

    Mind & Behaviour Final Paper - Suhaani Gala.

    Uploaded by

    Suhaani Gala
    This document summarizes Marilyn Frye's birdcage analogy for understanding oppression. The birdcage analogy describes how oppression restricts freedom similarly to how birds in a cage cannot fly away. It explains how oppression establishes barriers that reduce and shape oppressed groups. The birdcage metaphor is more impactful than ordinary examples of harm because it implies our thoughts are confined and we would thrive if freed. It prompts broader perspectives on how racial and gender oppression are pervasive.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    Gala 1

    Name: Suhaani Gala

    Instructor: Professor Saran

    Course Title: 2022 Monsoon: Mind and Behavior

    Date: 17th December 2022

    Introduction

    Marylyn Frye's writings touch on numerous subjects pertaining to oppression and

    feminism. In addressing oppression and feminism, Marylyn Frye uses metaphors and literary

    devices to describe her way of thinking. In the Politics of Reality: Essays in Feminist Theory,

    Marylyn Frye speaks on oppression utilizing a novel style of thinking known as the bird cage

    analogy. This essay seeks to describe the birdcage analogy, what it helps explain and how it is

    more impactful than examples of ordinary harm.

    What is the birdcage analogy? 

    It’s a way of looking at the world that parallels humans to caged birds. Everything in the

    world is a cage, and we are the birds inside. The birds signify those who are confined by the

    constraints of the world, which are symbolized by the cage. "Oppression is a system of

    interrelated barriers and forces which reduce, immobilize, and mold people who belong to a

    certain group" (Frye 33). The mechanisms of oppression in our society are so well-established

    that many of us have come to accept them as the norm for integrating new members into

    established groups. Multiple concepts, such as the scope of human understanding and the

    influence of established authorities, can be explained by imagining them as birds in a cage.

    What does it help explain?


    Gala 2

    The metaphor of a "birdcage" describes how tyranny can limit a person's freedom and

    quality of life. In the same way that a bird trapped in a cage can't fly away, oppressed people

    frequently feel helpless when trying to escape their own confines. Using this comparison, we can

    see how oppression restricts people's freedom of action and ultimately stunts their development.

    "But if one would rather get clear about what oppression is and is not, one needs to sort out the

    sufferings, harms, and limitations and figure out which are elements of oppression and which are

    not" (Frye 10). The text preaches that oppression can take many forms, and individuals must

    consider the many reasons that lead to the subjugation of particular groups, such as women.

    How does it differ from ordinary harm?

    The comparison of a mind to a birdcage is more impactful than the ordinary one. This

    metaphor implies that while we are confined, our thoughts are restricted, and we would thrive

    from being set free. This metaphor might serve to prompt us to broaden our perspectives,

    consider alternatives, and acknowledge the pervasiveness of racial and gender-based oppression.

    In addition to being out of the norm, it serves as a cautionary tale against putting artificial

    boundaries on our thoughts and abilities, especially in the face of unforeseen challenges like

    accidents.

    Conclusion

    A sophisticated structure, like the birdcage, in which individuals are constrained despite

    their best efforts is how Marilyn Frye describes oppression. The oppression of women has many

    layers, and the birdcage metaphor illustrates how males can be unaware of them. Birdcage is

    unconventional in the sense that it draws attention to marginalized voices' experiences of

    oppression.
    Gala 3

    (Word Count: 510)

    Works Cited

    Frye, Marilyn. The politics of reality: Essays in feminist theory. Crossing Press, 1983.

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