Women Essay

How Does Eggers Present Women in AHWOSG?

Eggers presents Dave's view of women in very distinctive categories, often valuing them based on physical or practical use rather than any personal or emotional aspects. Anyone not falling within these parameters is deemed inadequate to Dave and are often ridiculed in terms of age or appearance, and Eggers uses this to present Dave's constant dehumanisation of women and inability to perceive them as equal.

For example, Dave's apparent ageism becomes clear with his statement "by and large they're ugly - old enough to have mothered me." The collective phrase 'by and large' segregates the mothers apart from Dave, and by grouping them as such, he dehumanises the women - taking away their individuality and labelling them 'ugly', a derogative adjective that gives connotations of ghastly unattractiveness."Old enough to have mothered me" expresses the concept that age is linked with responsibility and parenthood - something Dave identifies as boring and outdated ad evidenced by the  quote "they are the old model and we are the new" when referring to the older generation whilst on the beach with Toph. The metaphor gives the connotations that, in the general scheme of things, the mothers are rapidly becoming unnecessary and replaced by Dave's generation, which he feels is superior.

In terms of appearance, Eggers presents Dave as having a particularity for perfection. He often associates stereotypically 'normal' physical standards with health and happiness, as expressed by the quote "taller than her parents, heavier than me - I want Toph to make her happy" assuming that because of her 'abnormal' height and weight she is unhappy. The comparative phrase 'heavier than me' is egocentric, as it focusses on Dave as the comparative standard, and the overall statement is offensive and degrading. This concept of perfection is further developed by the quote "Marney's breasts...are uneven. June is normal - with everything perfectly in place." The contrasting adjectives 'uneven' and 'perfect' express his strict intransigent view of body standards, which further dehumanises women, in terms of the fact that he is unforgiving in the face of anything that diverts from his perception of 'normal'.

This obsession with perfection follows through to his objectification of women, best expressed by his statement "for 10 dollars, there had better be some very impressive nude women down there." The imperative statement "had better be" expresses his sense entitlement and expectation, solidified by the quote " I expected single mothers ad flirting." The personal pronoun 'I' followed by the stative verb 'expected' exemplifies his egocentric behaviour ands misguided sense of entitlement in reference to how he is supposedly 'owed' attractive women.

Eggers is fully aware of his presentation of Dave's objectification and naivety in his pursuits of women, shown by the retrospective statement "I honestly thought" in reference to ow he though his advances/ fantasies of women would play out. The adverb 'honestly' expresses his sincere naivety, and in hindsight, he realises he was mistaken. Eggers constantly refers back to Dave's obsession with making a family with each reasonably acceptable woman he finds. For example, upon meeting the interviewer, Dave states "I want to settle down with her, raise a family with her." These cliched phrases are twisted imitations of romantic overtures found in more lighthearted situations, commonly found in romance genre novels, not in the memoirs of a manic depressive man desperate to stabilise his life with the semblance of a family.

In conclusion, Eggers present Dave as having a rather utilitarian approach to women, categorised by their use, best expressed by the quote " She is my mother, my girlfriend, my wife" which rather encapsulates Dave's view of women: a familiar comfort of a mother - which he is attempting to separate himself from in his new generation style of raising Toph - the sexual intimacy of a girlfriend, and the stability of a wife - a role which Dave is constantly looking for in a woman, desperate for the security that comes with the concept.