I will use toolboxes 1 and 2 that talk about the comic and tragic frames. I think that the British suffrage movement moved between being comic and tragic over time.
The nonviolent aspects of the movement are definitely more comic. In this pamphlet page from the NUWSS, which was a prominent nonviolent suffrage organization, they point out reasons why women should be allowed to vote. These reasons seem painfully obvious; so obvious that it makes the men who won’t give them the vote look foolish. They’re trying to educate these men in power about this issue to get them to see reason and give women the vote.
On the other hand, when the movement became especially militant around 1911-1914, it fits better within the tragic frame. The WSPU, the organization responsible for most of the militant action, had the motto “deeds not words,” which can be seen in the photo of one of their meetings. These women believed that simply talking to politicians wasn’t enough, so their actions eventually escalated to bombing houses and burning buildings, acts that would be considered terrorism today. This part of the movement is tragic because these women try to completely overthrow the patriarchal society and government all at once through violent means.
No comments:
Post a Comment