Women in Persia, Essay Example

Women from different countries follow different customs, customs that was instilled in them from birth, customs that are necessary to their way of life lest it disrupt their life. Women who hail from Africa, Germany, Australia even Russia have customs that they follow that signifies and govern their life; it can be said that these customs aren’t just a way to survive but ultimately, a way of life. Some of these customs include following rules such as keep the home clean and children taken care of, wearing a dress and a pair of heels are mandatory even when just sitting around the house, going to the grocery store, waiting on their spouse hand and foot.

Women in Persia have to follow such customs, they are expected to do the aforementioned things and more. It can be argued that women in Persia are given high expectations from birth, they are expected to always do things such as stay looking pretty and youthful, wait on their husband hand and foot, they’re even expected to ask for permission before they can enter another wife’s domain or an anderoon where another wife is living.

It is a known fact that the women’s lives depend on them following these rules lest they suffer the wrath of their husbands, another fact about Women in Persia is that their husbands are allowed to have more than one which meant that they can be used and discarded at their husbands’ command.

There are many more analytic facts that I have gathered about the Women in Persia, facts that make them far more different than the women in Russia or Africa.

As previously stated, Women in Persia are held to a high expectation than any other woman in the world and this is illustrated by their actions, their behaviors, and the customs they’re expected to follow along with their feelings toward other things that they cannot control. Besides Women in Persia being treated like slaves themselves, they had slaves that followed them and their child all over the place because it was mandatory for a wife to have a slave that did what they were told to do hence the custom. Usually, the slave and/or child was a male because in their culture, male supremacy was absolute which also meant that wandering the streets without a male meant certain death.

Women in Persia also understood that their husbands were the absolute ruler of the household which meant that he decided what to do with them or with certain things involving them such as what they wore or how wore it, Persian women were complete slaves to their husbands; they had no say in anything. One thing about Persian women that was very enlightening was that Persia women always complimented their husbands and made it their life’s work to honor their husbands with the loyalty and grace that they felt he deserved, there was no disrespect of any kind lest that woman suffer a fate worse than getting her fingers cut off or being ripped apart by horses.

Also as previously stated, Persian women waited on their husbands hand and foot when they returned home from work. Even though some Women in Persia were treated as their husband’s favorites in certain situations, they were not allowed to complain. It can be argued that a Persian woman’s value lied in what she could offer her husband, this is clearly based on beauty and how much of it she had than the other wives that were aging. Persian women were nothing but property with no rights to anything that they wanted, everything had to be shared including who got time with the master.

Argumentatively, Persian women/wives were the sworn enemy of other Persian women/wives because they were constantly at each other’s throats about how to make the master happy with them so as to gain his favor. Often times, if the Persian woman gave her husband a son/male heir, it caused a huge upheaval amongst the other Persian wives. It can be argued that another value that Persian males sought in their women was their ability to produce a male heir, Persian women who failed to do that were either tossed out or murdered; it was mandatory that Persian women produce a male heir for their husband so as to not to disturb the natural order of things. Persian men ruling the roost was the natural order of things, Persian women were not allowed to step out of line for any reason.

Persian males could literally destroy his Persian wife for just about any reason that he can think of, she can mess up the coffee and it could be interpreted as a poison attempt on her husband’s life in which case, he could resort to brutal tactics to assert his male dominance such as stripping her bare naked, pour boiling hot oil on her body and set her ablaze. A Persian Woman’s screams and pleas for help are most of the time, ignored. With it being a male dominated society, Persian men can brutalize their women in the most awful ways, ways that are illegal in the U.S. Persian men can set his wife ablaze, run his scimitar through her innards, snap her neck, tear her limb from limb and the Persian man could not be stopped.

From the time that they get up in the early morning, Persian women are expected to get the children up and fed then have coffee ready for her husband by the time he gets up lest she incurs his wrath. From the time that they are chosen to be wives, Persian women are completely devoted to their husbands even if he is a total monster to her; she is expected to grin and bear it. I found it very interesting how they can smile through such abuse and torrential torture, it is not uncommon for a Persian woman to seek revenge on her abuser.

There are other classes of Persian Women who do not have it so bad or live strenuous lifestyles day by day, Persian women of upper class which could pass for upper middle class to almost rich, these kinds of Persian women are not exactly treated like their poverty-stricken counterparts. Upper class Persian women did pretty much whatever they wanted, they still had to follow the rules which meant no going out without a male present, clean house upon the husband’s departure, greet him when he came in and wait on him hand and foot.

Upper class Persian women got with other Persian women of the same class and they gossiped and drank the finest of teas, they pretty lived a life of leisure compared to their less wealthy counterparts who pretty much made it their life’s work to tend to the anderoon, children’s play area and kept up on the chores; their lives were pretty much a great one except when they fell out of their husband’s favor which seemed like it was hardly ever. Persian women also were subjects to be divorced by their husbands for anything that they husbands wanted, they could divorce their Persian wives because they were aging badly or they could even divorce their wives for picking a fight with another wife; no reason was too small.

Persian women followed different etiquette when it came to eating their food, they would eat their food with their fingers instead of using a spoon or a fork like the master did; it can be argued that because Persian women did this, their master thought that this was fitting for them considering that he sees them as nothing more than a toy to be thrown out once it loses its luster. Persian women had a unique style of dress which involved long robes and a veil, but that was changed to Parisian Ballet dancer uniforms because of the sexual appeal it gave the women; stockings were also a part of the uniform but were optionally left off on days where searing heat was evident. Ironically, it was a Shah, a male that changed the dress code; all Persian women were expected to wear this because this too was a part of their culture.

Persian princesses were a completely different story as far as style of dress, standards, the line between commonality and royalty, what was expected of them and how they were treated etc. Persian princesses always expected their children to grow up cultured and educated such as that of the European ways of education as well as fashion, it was a tradition within the royal family. Persian princesses were different from their upper middle class and poor counterparts in the aspect that their royal position advocated their dominion over their men instead of the other way around, Persian princesses held their men to a high standard; they often married males from other common families instead of men from other royal families.

Persian princesses who married other princes had some requirements, one of them were that they would be the only one in their husband’s palace; other wives were not allowed. Other Persian princes had several wives as well and they did not share an anderoon, each one had their own space to do with as they will, they were still treated as slaves but they were ultimately their own person living on their own in service to the prince and princess.

The author’s observations about the Islamicate culture was very spot on in the aspect that it is not hard to imagine the society being exactly as she described it, being from Europe, there is no doubt that the author’s was thorough in her observation. The author represents Islamicate society so accurately based on the customs, the women’s dress code as well as how they live their lives day to day. The author is not being judgmental, she is simply basing her observation on what she sees or saw around her. The author doesn’t misrepresent Islamicate society at all, a male driven society where women have no rights and can be discarded like trash; her account of the observation is frightenedly accurate. I definitely agree with the author about everything she observed because the Islamicate society is a cut and dry one where men and women are on two sides of different coins where one is treated fairly and like royalty while the other is not.

In summary, Persian women live in a world where they are treated like second class citizens with no right to complain if their husband is abusing them or threating to divorce them out of the Persian woman’s failure to produce a male heir. It is pretty clear that even though most Persian women are treated like garbage and are held to the highest standard from the time they are born, they are expected to behave a certain way in order to get picked by either a wealthy man, a middle class working man with disposable income or a prince to live a better life than the one they left behind.

However, the truth is far less designed; Persian women are constantly vying for their husband’s attention with their very sexuality on the line. Most times, the fact that the Persian woman/wife cannot bear her husband any children, keeps the peace even an alliance is formed by the Persian wives. It can be argued that Persian women do not live completely without their husband’s iron fisted rule, there are some Persian women who choose who they marry and who they choose to spend the rest of their lives with. Persian royalty, Persian princesses in particular choose the man she marries and raises her children to be as respected and knowledgeable as she is.

The author described the Islamicate culture perfectly in the aspect of what she saw, what she witnessed even what she discovered by talking with other Persian females. It is a known fact that the eyewitness accounts of what goes on in the household of Persian males is absolute and the author did an excellent job tying that to the different kinds of Persian women who also live lifestyles different of their counterparts.

Persian women are human beings with certain rights that they are denied because of their gender and many Persian women are subject to the most horrible treatment imaginable, but they are feared for their vengeful ways when they are provoked.