Prostitution is defined as the act of engaging in sexual intercourse or performing other sex acts in exchange for money, or of offering another person for such purposes OR the use of a skill or ability in a way that is considered unworthy, usually for financial gain. According to Peter Williams' Ain't Nobody's Business if You Do, everyone is a prostitute because everyone does something with their body for money that they would not do normally had they not been paid. I believe that prostitution is wrong, whatever your definition. Selling yourself on any level is incredibly degrading and saddening. As we found in our research, individuals turn to prostitution for a variety of reasons. I find it incredibly hard to believe that many people become prostitutes purely because they like money and sex, as some of our sources indicated. Prostitution is an act of desperation. Many individuals who are abused or impoverished turn to poverty because it is their only option. Many are dragged into prostitution unknowingly and are then unable to liberate themselves. Overall, I think it is impossible to determine exactly why people turn to prostitution.
In the Glass Castle the women of Green Lantern wear elaborate costumes and makeup and lie around on the porch, waving to passing cars and welcoming men in. Brian's encounter with Ginger leaves him with a hatred for prostitutes and a view of prostitution as easy money. These women, it seems, viewed prostitution as simply an occupation, and represented the view that it is easily gained and desirable money. This is shown when Brian tells Jeanette regarding Ginger “She makes a lot of money,” he said, “and she should buy her own darn comic book.” (79). Every case is different, and I think it's unfair to label every prostitute as the Green Lantern stereotype, a woman who prances around in lingerie and makes "easy" money for selling herself. There was a case in Alabama where a 62-year old Grandmother and her daughter engaged in prostitution, charging $15 each. This is clearly an act of desperation. To me, prostitution is one of the saddest instances of human desperation and self-esteem. These women were willing to sell themselves for only $15; they were willing to degrade themselves in order to make a small sum of money to keep food on the table. In the Glass Castle, Ginnie Sue Pastor is described as “any other mom” (Walls 160). She is working as a prostitute in order to feed her children. It is merely her means to earn money to keep her family alive. I think Ginnie Sue is the perfect example of a woman who is driven into prostitution by her desire to feed her family, whether or not she finds the money easy, her motives are not occupational and she is not the typical "glamorous" prostitute of the Green Lantern. I think no matter what social state a prostitute comes from, they are desperate in some way, if not financially then perhaps emotionally or physically, and in some cases, in all three.
Prostitution is the third most lucrative trade in the black market(behind drugs and the selling of fire arms), and while we pride ourselves in being a highly civilized and moral society, prostitution is popularized in society today. Whether in the form of 50 Cents' P.I.M.P. or scoring points for running over, picking up, raping, or shooting a prostitute in a number of lovely video games, prostitution has become a joke of sorts amongst popular culture. A term once used exclusively to describe prostitutes, girls are called whores on a regular basis. It's incredibly easy to judge a person's life style from a distance and label it disgusting or abominable, or even[on some occasions] humorous. However, these portrayals are cruel and inaccurate. While I don't agree with prostitution, I sympathize with these individuals greatly and think its a truly tragic profession. I think society as a whole tends to view prostitutes as subhuman. It's just easy money gained through manipulation and sex. I think in the Glass Castle Walls attempts to humanize prostitutes, portraying them being kind to Brian on their first encounter and showing Ginnie Sue providing for her family. It's impossible to know definitively the motives behind prostitution, but I think in most cases the individual doesn't want to be doing what their doing but feels they have no other choice.
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3 comments:
Hey you! Happy Birthday, but back to the point. I completely agree with your perception of prostitution in The Glass Castle. I find it hard to believe, as you said, that any woman would result to this type of lifestyle because they want to. There is something missing in their life, whether they were abused or abandoned as a child and never loved, or just severely impoverished with no other means at their disposal. I don't know enough about the specifics to know what leads each woman to such a life, but I do know there is something. I find the idea very disgusting and demeaning, but yet you can't help but feel sorry for them for the terrible life that brought them to these means. Like you said, Ginnie Sue, outside of the world of prostitution, is like any other person, she is kind and caring. She is driven to prostitution because she cares about her family and is compelled to sell herself to put food on the table. It is the saddest thing I can possibly imagine and I can't hate the character for that, only pity her. I'm sorry if this is just an elaboration of what you already said, but I totally agree with you and its hard to express the truth and my opinion in any other way. The example you gave about the grandmother and daughter is so frightening and sad because you can only wonder what drives people to stoop so low and the most depressing part is that this will never stop. People have lost sight of the tragedy of such a lifestyle and it has turned into a mockery. Really powerful analysis!
Kaaytea,
I agree with your statements completely, especially how you noted that all prostitutes "are desperate in some way, if not financially then perhaps emotionally or physically, and in some cases, in all three." It can be very difficult to get down to the real reasons as to why someone would choose to prostitute themselves for a living. Like all of these social issues, prostitution is undoubtedly linked to many other problems, some of which include poverty, neglect, alcoholism, and depression. I find it hard to believe that a woman, especially one living in the United States can have no other option whatsoever but to sell themselves. Surely, any woman who respects herself enough can find a way to avoid prostitution. That may mean turning to a more respectable, but less paying form of income, or some other consequence. Whatever someone's motive may be for turning to prostitution, it is an unacceptable life style that must be avoided at all costs.
I'm going to be the third person to join in and agree with you. I think it is WAY too easy and simple to say that some women are prostitutes because the lifestyle and money appeal to them. These are things that enable them to tolerate and rationalize what they are doing, but not enjoy it. It's a tragic postion to end up in that is bred by desperation on some level, as you said. In response to "Hmmmmm", I don't think it is fair to condemn someone for turning to prostitution. There are many, many things in this country which people turn to in order to fill a void, and prostitution is just one of them. To blame or antagonize these people would involve blaming all those who have done something less than what they know to be morally correct in order to satisfy some sense of emptiness. And I think that's a very broad category.
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