Content Warning: This article contains brief mentions of rape and sexual violence.
Women are taught that assertiveness is a negative aspect of their identity. We are taught that being courteous is the only method of confrontation society allows. However, continuing to conform to patriarchal stereotypes only represses women’s rights further. Anger should be a productive outlet for identifying societal injustices and refusing to sit idly by.
Having the self-autonomy to adequately assert your needs should be provided for all people, especially women. Anger should not be a hidden emotion limited to an exclusive group of individuals; it is simply a reactionary form of self-expression. Pulling emotions from the depths of ourselves is a form of liberation and power. With the characterization of anger being a primary male emotion, women are de-feminized with their responses and improperly characterized as dramatic if retaliating against structural injustices.
The reclamation of feminine rage is not a new concept in society. The 1990s Riot Grrrl movement brought to light the damaging effects of passive feminism and responded to sexism with justifiable anger through feminist punk rock. Allowing an outlet to express societal injustices is an essential element of female liberation and equality. Bands such as Bikini Kill were raunchy, unapologetic and spoke out against the rape culture within the male punk scene. They saw silencing your voice in the name of politeness as inadequate and an active obstacle to truly fighting back against oppression. Their methods of putting their societal frustrations into poetry and musical expression connected with feminists across the globe and provided significant importance leading up to the #MeToo movement.
Authors such as Audre Lorde have repeatedly advocated that anger be used as a creative outlet and tool for women. She highlights that women of color, particularly, are forced to be silent because their anger is seen as disruptive or counterproductive. The scrutinization of anger is demeaning and anguishing for women of color. The perpetuation of harmful stereotypes and repeated denial of emotions only continues to reject aspects of femininity that have been lost.
The patriarchal idea that we must criticize anger rather than its purpose is a dangerous cycle that continues to damage women today. Time Magazine revealed that the learned behavior of gendered norms such as self-sacrifice and suppression of anger was linked to an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and even autoimmune disorders and premature death in women. The mental turmoil of internalizing anger does long-term damage to a woman’s psyche and health. Not only does rage serve as a protest against societal standards, but it also serves individual benefits. Despite this, feminine rage has adopted a new meaning in today’s sphere linking anger directly to violence.
The modern-day adaptations of female rage have improperly characterized anger as a harmful outlet. Films such as “Pearl” by Ti West demonize female anger by implicitly suggesting that rage is abnormal or a result of deep psychological trauma. These narratives seep into the stigmatization of anger in women. Portraying the characters as deranged or mentally unstable ignores the true underlying emotions that bring about strong feelings of frustration. They intentionally reject the purpose and rightful justification of having anger and reduce it to pure violence.
The media’s idealization of violence from women is counterproductive and reduces the legitimacy of what anger should truly stand for. The binary expectation of politeness or brutality ignores the complexities of human emotions. It focuses primarily on the response without analyzing the reasonings behind these strong sensations.
Anger and rage are specialized emotions brought about through frustrations, injustices, misunderstandings, and the patriarchy. By believing that there is no place to express these feelings, women are left with a culmination of unprocessed emotions that are then shut away, damaging the individual. By embracing the uncensored and unapologetic aspects of femininity, women can continue fighting for their collective liberation and themselves. Having a full understanding of what anger represents and expressing it properly will lead to a societal shift of self-acceptance and destigmatization.
