This week’s readings allowed me to have a deeper understanding of what oppression and privilege really mean, as well as how they intersect. In “Oppression,” Marylyn Frye brings up a bird in a cage in comparison to the oppression that women face. The visual she paints of the birdcage really emphasizes that women are surrounded by many barriers in their everyday lives, and those barriers add up and build confining walls around us. She goes on to describe oppression in single words such as “Mold. Immobilize. Reduce.”, perfectly expressing what it feels like. It’s really unfair that we are expected to smile through unjust treatment, expected to stay quiet, and not bring attention to our struggles. In “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” Peggy McIntosh focuses on bringing notice to her white privilege. This reading really made me understand that there are different kinds of privileges, there is the one that is “earned,” such as one’s education, and then there is the born into privilege, such as white privilege. With that being said, just because someone has privilege doesn’t mean they aren’t oppressed. McIntosh experiences oppression as a woman but is privileged because of her race. I thoroughly appreciated her piece because she acknowledged said privilege and literally listed 26 ways on how her white privilege has affected her life, at times not even being aware of it. If I’m being honest, this is the first piece of writing I’ve come across that focuses so much on white privilege acknowledgment. It’s a great example of someone understanding how to use their privilege for good and being an ally.