What Makes Life Good by Martha Nussbaum

 

The issue of gender and social inequality is one that remains prevalent in contemporary society. This is an opinion that is expressed by Martha Nussbaum in her article “What Makes Life Good” which seeks to show that women in developing countries tend to bear the brunt of negative social attitudes. She makes an analysis of the situation in the rural areas of Gujarat in India, and follows the story of Vasanti, who has been a victim of poverty, domestic violence, and the lack of an education, which have prevented her from achieving the means through which she can be able to effectively advance socially. She comes from a poor family and because of this; she has been denied an education in favor of her brothers. Furthermore, she has been a victim of domestic violence, especially following her husband’s squandering all their little wealth and undergoing a vasectomy, which has denied Vasanti the right to have children. Nussbaum seeks to show that the lot of women in developing countries that are steeped in tradition tends to be quite difficult and that they are often victims of gender discrimination. She appeals to the reader to have an understanding of the situation that these women find themselves in, and to consider it in the context of inequality, both social and economic.

Throughout her piece, Nussbaum seeks to show that women in rural India are often victims of gender discrimination. In order to enforce her opinions, she makes use of a diversity of sources and statistics that are aimed at showing the reader the contrasts of the lives of women in two states within the same nation. She makes a comparison of the states of Gujarat, on one hand, and Kerala, on the other with the aim of showing the differences between women in these states. She makes use of such sources as, “the Human Development Reports of the United Nations Development Programme by Mahbub ul Haq”, “the Indian Constitution”, and the “2001 census” to show that women are still being left behind in some areas of the world while in others, they are advancing swiftly (Nussbaum, 2011). She compares the state of Gujarat unfavorably to that of Kerala because while the former is shown to be lagging behind when it comes to the literacy rates of women, in the latter, the literacy rates of women are at par with those of men. The same situation applies to access to healthcare, which shows that despite Gujarat having a higher rate of economic growth, it does not translate to the improvement of the lives of its population, especially women. Nussbaum uses these sources as a credible means to enforce her argument that women are still victims of gender discrimination in some parts of India based on the traditional structure of society which have developed in such a way that promotes the privilege of men over them whenever it comes to gaining access to opportunities for advancement.

Nussbaum continues with a diversity of facts and statistics concerning the discrimination of women in Gujarat in a bid to appeal to the logos. She points out that while in a state such as Kerala, girls are at par with boys when it comes to education, the same is not the case with Gujarat and the rest of India. She further makes use of statistics stating that in the state of Kerala, the literacy rates among adolescents, according to the 2001 census, is close to 100% for both boys and girls. However, in the whole of India, the literacy rates between boys and girls is 75.3% and 53.7% respectively (Nussbaum, 2011). These circumstances are extremely critical when it comes to consider the sources of educational inequalities in the country because women are thought to have lesser options than their male counterparts. These statistics support Nussbaum’s claims that despite progress being made in some states, girls in India are still behind their male counterparts when it comes to education; contributing significantly to their lack of substantial progress. 

Nussbaum also seeks to appeal to pathos, as seen through the way that in the beginning of the piece, she uses many emotionally charged words. These are aimed at creating a sympathetic image that makes the readers more engaged. Furthermore, she evokes the challenges that are associated with being a woman in India, especially one from a poor background. These words ensure that there is the creation of sympathy for these women as well as a sense of injustice concerning what they are undergoing.

In conclusion, Nussbaum begins her piece by persuading her readers that there is a problem in society that is exemplified through the discrimination of women. Her stance shows the readers that there is indeed a problem and her use of statistics drives this point home. However, she would have been more effective in her analysis if she had enforced her points based on the local Indian context, in which her subject lives, rather than looking at the situation in a Western context, which is extremely different.