Feminine in Parker's Here We Term Paper

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Though it is impossible to connect biographical details to the circumstances and characters presented in her works of fiction with any certainty, these female figures certainly had an impact on Parker's life. It is even likely that the female concept of sexuality struck Parker as incredibly ridiculous, and the hat is one way that is used to mock the way women think about sex in "Here We Are."

The hat first and foremost is an article of clothing. That is to say, it is something that is used to cover the body. This might seem obvious, but it is also important. The woman's initial reluctance to remove the hat shows her embarrassment and modesty in the new and frightening situation she finds herself in. When she does remove it, is a definite signal that she is loosening up and possibly even encouraging any advances. She puts it back on again when she is preparing to depart the train, again signaling the modesty that must be shown in public and which at first she was uncomfortable dropping even -- perhaps especially -- in front of her new husband. It is also interesting to note that on both occasions, she enlists the man to first put up and then take down her hat (Parker). This is the closest either has come to undressing (or dressing) the other.

This brings out the hat as an overt symbol of sexuality. Not only is it an article of clothing, it is also a display of beauty, and one over which the woman obsesses. She is very concerned with the man's opinion of the hat, though it is quite obvious that he doesn't really care all that much. The woman believes that her sexual attractiveness and femininity are tied up in her external and removable trappings, whereas the man's only real interest that can be ascertained from this brief glimpse into their lives is...

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well, you know. The hat is a symbol for the crossed communication wires, as it is the recurring physical issue that arises between them. And because the hat belongs to the woman -- and given that it is the woman who continues to obsess over the hat and the man's opinions of it -- Parker seems to be laying the bulk of the blame for this miscommunication at the woman's feet. The man is more direct -- though still sufficiently unspecific and embarrassed for a 1930s reading public -- in talking about what he wants, but the woman is hiding behind extra articles of clothing and thinly veiled symbolism.

The woman is deaf to the man's insistence that he likes anything the woman wears (Parker). Her obsession with the hat could be read as her anger over his seeming to not trust or agree with her idea of what is sexually attractive. She fails to notice that he is still quite intent on his goal, despite not particularly caring for (or about, really) the hat. What truly matter is her attractiveness to him, not what she feels should be attractive to him. In failing to grasp this and insisting on a purely constructed femininity, Parker's woman is by far the more foolish of the couple.

What this says about Parker's views on women is difficult to determine. Certainly, she found many of them silly. Their naivete regarding sex was also no doubt appalling to her. Of course, the man does not make for an excellent conversation partner, so it's hard to say how unfair Parker was being. It is entirely possible that she detested most people equally.

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