Chapter 5 Documents.

The first reading by Ben Zhao "Lessons for Women" really irritated me because women are not only god for serving their husband or cooking or cleaning. It angers me because women are just as equal as men. I think it is very sad that men during this time and some still today think women are not as capable as they are. The part I did enjoy reading was in the section "Womanly Qualifications"; I believe women are or should carry themselves in a sophisticated manner, and that they should speak with grace at all time.
I do not understand how women can live without wearing any jewelry at all or be told how much jewelry to own and what to wear in public. So when I read "Roman Woman in Protest"I was so shocked and felt bad for these women. I believe jewelry is what adds to a woman's beauty, it is what helps a woman feel sexy or even helps them stand out. I love jewelry and clothes; and have tons of jewelry and clothes I cannot imagine being told how much jewelry to own or what to wear due to a war. It really bothered me when I came to the part when Marcus Porcius Cato spoke in favor of the law. He speaks as if women did not matter at all in this world and that their want and needs do not matter. When he said "As soon as they begin to be your equals, they will have become your superior..."  it made me laugh because we are equal and if women were so "weak" as he tries to describe them he would not worry about them at all. If something or someone is weak you do not have to worry about them trying to become your superior unless you feel less than them.

Chapter 4 Documents

After reading and discussing chapter 4 in class it made me views things very differently, and it made me question some of my beliefs I thought were "right".  Although I don't believe there is only one way a person should live. Reading these documents sparked up a conversation with my roommates about our beliefs and upbringings. We were all raised in a Catholic family, however I was the only one out of the four who hardly went to church. They were really stunned, but my argument was I feel like a hypocrite when I go because I don't really pay attention to the priest during the mass. I also don't regret what I did the night before so I'm not going to pray for forgiveness. But most importantly, if we observe the church during mass you'll find a lot of people who are smacking their gum, texting, paying attention to the toddler who is throwing a tantrum, and criticizing how people look. So no, I prefer to pray at my own house, thank God on my own time and that's that. As I read the documents I came upon the reading of "The Gospel of Mathew" where it said "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men...But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen" which reminded me of what I do. My friends agreed with my position because they too sometimes lose focus during the mass and get distracted by the examples I gave in the beginning.

Another reading I enjoyed from the documents that made me really sit and think was "Apology" by Socrates. I loved this reading because Socrates stood his ground even if everyone was against his beliefs. He didn't like the materialistic lifestyle the men of his time were focused on. To him he looked at the men as a joke because their appearance didn't mean anything to him "I found that the men most in repute were all but the most foolish; and that some inferior men were really wiser and better..." This also sparked another conversation between my roommates and I because it is true looks aren't everything. Our society has made many people believe that if you're from "the hood" you will not make it out and you'll always have a low education or drop out; and if you're from a nice neighborhood you'll go far in life. However that's wrong because it's not true you can dress with inexpensive clothing and look a little shaggier than a person with a nice suit and well-groomed and be much smarter than that person.