By: Zhaohua Chen
Roe v. Wade has cast a shadow upon the country for the past few weeks, leaving many women distraught about what its overturning could bring.
Many people have been disapproving of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, a law that would severely restrict abortion rights for women unless a state decides against it. Social media platforms such as Twitter have been bombarded with messages of women experiencing what could only be described as “ghost cramps”, along with severe headaches and nausea.
Women are no strangers to emotion. In the past, many have believed the fact that women’s emotions will often get the better of them and prevent rational thinking. However, the response on social media platforms to Roe v. Wade’s overturning is not merely emotion, which it was painted to be by complainers who lashed out, saying that the women were “hysterical” and “simply overreacting”. Instead, it is a brave defense.
Despite Roe v. Wade’s overturning, the women have found a way to persevere and find comfort in hard times in an unexpected place– art. Not a work of revolutionary ideals or heroic paladins, but rather a piece that could come across as sexist: The Lictors Bringing Brutus the Bodies of His Sons.
The Lictors Bringing Brutus the Bodies of His Sons is a piece that holds many tangled strings of different perspectives. In one sense, it shows a coldhearted man in a work of propaganda, in another, it could show pity. But, as traditionalists like to call it, it is a piece that depicts the man, Brutus, as a hero filled with valor, and the women, his wives, as grieving and weak pawns, who are to be manipulated for their emotional reaction.
However, these women are not hysterically overreacting, they are bearing a burden heavier than the weight of the Earth. Despite both Brutus and the Lictors being shown as strong pillars of men, they do not show a single ounce of emotion towards the death. While the women could be painted as being overly emotional, they are in a way, “protecting” the men and others from the true emotional pain.
When the world turns against women, and even takes away their right to freedom of abortion, it’s only natural they feel angry. These women make grief and the shock of losing something important look like a barrier that must be overcome bravely.
In The Lictors Bringing Brutus the Bodies of His Sons, every bit of body language tells a massive story. The servants in the background who come bearing the bodies are hunched over and tensed as if the grief of witnessing somebody you know lose someone is nothing new to them, and that they’ve bored the pain before too.
In fact, Brutus is not emotionless in the painting. It’s only because of his face and body language that he looks like a pillar of fortitude– the picture-perfect image that society has painted for men. If you were to look closer, you would see that his eyes are dull and he is likely struggling to remain in a tranquil state separate from the harsh reality.
Compared to the women, who have arms outstretched towards the sons, likely already trying to accept this reality instead of trying to run away from it, Brutus looks less respectable– trying to steel himself in the tragedy.
In a society where people emotionlessly carry on with their life in times of turmoil, few will turn to using emotion to embrace the pain. But, as women have always done in crisis– whether we call it a hysterical overreaction or not, they still do now, even in the wake of Roe v. Wade’s overturning.
Sources: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1657493098828x406846312015330750/The%20grieving%20women%20in%20this%2018th%20century%20painting%20have%20a%20lesson%20for%20us%20-%20The%20Washington%20Post.pdf