In “Oppression” by Marilyn Frye, the author analogizes women’s oppression as a bird trapped in a cage. As a woman, this feels resonant because we as a whole are often limited by our perceived gender in a patriarchal society.
Oppression itself differs from simply being miserable or frustrated in that those who suffer from it are bound into situations often out of their control. Solutions are limited, and typically detrimental or involve penalty. Those who are oppressed are also expected to be silent, to give way and hold space for their oppressors – leaving them occupying no space for themselves.
