Download Cameron Shetler Friday, February 7, 2013 Martino

Cameron Shetler Friday, February 7, 2013 Martino Global Studies Women: Chivalry and Bushido Gender roles vary from culture to culture. The principles of the society determine the social, economical, and political responsibility of each gender. Bushido and Chivalry are two comparable codes of warriors, from a similar Feudal system. Yet, while Bushido and Chivalry have similar aims, they differ in the view of women. Chivalry is the cultural philosophy of the knights in Feudal Europe. Chivalry “puts God, honor, and mistress above all else.” Chivalry book. This notion is the basis of the modern day gentleman. To elaborate, according to Chivalry, one of the knight’s major roles is to respect and look after women. According to William Altermatt in “Chivalry: the Relation Between a Cultural Script and Stereotypes about Women”:
“The positive beliefs are organized around the idea that women are more virtuous than men, and might explain why chivalrous behavior is ‘deserved’: men should take care of women because women are angelic creatures who deserve to be put on a pedestal. The negative beliefs are organized around the idea that women are less agentic than men, and might explain why chivalrous behavior is ‘required’: men should take care of women because women are not able to take care of themselves”
Nevertheless, men seek to protect women. During this time period, a Knight would prove his worth to a lady by performing tasks, going to battle, entering in tournaments in the name of the said lady. On the website medievalfantasiesco.com, Chris Pugh stated, “A Lady is first and foremost a woman and such she is the keeper of the hearth flame that provides a safe nurturing environment for her family.” She is the idol of elegance, poise, and fairness. Women are highly considered in the code of Chivalry. According to the Japanese Samurai code of Bushido, a woman’s life is her donation to the most prominent man in her life at the moment, whether it is her father, husband, or son. She is trained to be emotionally disconnected and suppressing of her feelings. Quoting Inazo Nitobé in Bushido, the Soul of Japan, Bushido praised women "who emancipated themselves from the frailty of their sex and displayed an heroic fortitude worthy of the strongest and the bravest of men." Nitobé went along to explain the “paradox” that came from these women being a mix of “Domesticity and Amazonian.” Not much is said on behalf of the women, leading to the assumption that their role isn’t a very outwardly important one. Women are not close to being looked after and respected as those in Chivalry are. Notably, these code, although similar, have almost opposite views on how women should act, think, speak. One is paid almost too much attention with a mention and connection the their presence everywhere; and on the other hand is the other that barely has a chapter in a book. Presently, these two codes have an impact on culture and the manner in which women are treated. Both situations have links that lead to the belittlement of females, though it was caused from opposite directions. Sexism is a topic that has a connection in anything dealing with gender roles. Works cited Altermatt, T. William. Chivalry: The Relation between a Cultural Script and Stereotypes
about Women. Thesis. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2001. N.p.:
n.p., n.d. Print.
Cabell, James Branch. Chivalry. Freeport, NY: for Libraries, 1970. Print.
Nitobe, Inazō. Bushido: The Soul of Japan. New York, NY: Kodansha USA, 2012. Print.
Pugh, Chris. "Code of Chivalry and Role of a Lady." Code of Chivalry and Role of a
Lady. Medieval Fantasies Co, 06 Jan. 2009. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.
"Roles of Women In The Middle Ages." Roles of Women in The Middle Ages.
Www.Medieval-Spell.com, n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014.