Amelia Earhart On Aviation And Womens Rights English Literature Essay

Throughout a series of main events from Amelia’s life at the beginning, the portrait of this heroine is emerged simply and briefly. However, to answer the question of why she becomes a big American inspiration or what are the reasons for her influence on young women, this section will make way for shrunken view into her life as well as her contribution.

2.1 Amelia’s efforts of encouraging women pilot on aviation

In today’s world, it has been more than 100 years since the first plane of Wright brothers was invented in 1903 as one of the most important innovations of the world. From that time, it goes without saying that pilot becomes certainly a respectful job. In fact, in conducted survey in USA in 1996 by J. Davis and Smith named “Prestige Rankings of Occupation”, pilot comes in the place with 60 score, being moderately high as compared with other jobs. This is also highlighted by the fact that men dominate the sky. A report in the Women of Aviation Worldwide Week revealed that “the percentage of women pilots is 5.39%”. There is a big gap here between male and female flyer. It may be resulted from the common notion that it is strong and powerful job and women cannot do that. While men can do a lot of things involved manufacturing and technical industries, women are limited in caring and service sector. Even Richard T. Schaefer and Robert P. Lamm (1997, p.230) found that “Sociologist…tend to neglect the occupations and incomes of women as determinants of social ranks”.

All things considered above, when Amelia Earhart set a stunning record like that, she exists as a spotlight and triggers a huge wave in the history of aviation. The first and foremost thing is that Amelia is not the first women pilot in the world but a successor of a great deal of wonderful female pilot before her such as Elisabeth Thible, Mademoiselle Delon and Madame Therese Peltier and so forth. Therefore, like her last generation, Amelia is considered as one of the contributors to the development of aviation for women at that time. With 6 times of leaving a mark on the history of women in aviation in which the solo flight across Atlantic is the most impressive one, Amelia is really outstanding. The public gives her a variety of honorable names like “Lady Lindy”, “queen of the air”, “heroine of the sky” or “daughter of the sky”.

Not coming to a stop here, Amelia Earhart brings about a higher level to that development. Amelia is world-renowned significantly as a pioneer aviation for women. That is the way she affects the aviation. Her efforts are illustrated by the activities in which she take aviation closely to the women and motivate them to fly. Specifically, in her writing career, Amelia writes 3 books telling about her flying experience including “20Hrs., 40Min”., “The Fun of it” and “Last flight”(compiled by GP Putnam) or plenty of articles in the time when she is the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine. The mutual feature is that she always encourages girls to be a pilot in her works. Additionally, she is voted as the first president of the Ninety-Nines- an organization for female pilots and vice president for NAA National Aeronautic Association. Besides, when working in Purdue University, Amelia transfers her inspiration and love of flying for scores of young girls to advocate them being a flyer. As a matter of the fact that a range of competitions like Bendix Trophy Race or Men’s Cleveland Air Race does not allow women to participate in, her efforts are absolutely remarkable and respectful.

All in all, Amelia Earhart makes a breakthrough in aviation and she just goes beyond social norm that flying belongs to men. In detail, she brings about a change of old social convention which is deeply-rooted and difficult to alter that women can fly. She stresses the importance thing: that attitude must be changed and Amelia herself is the embodiment for that change through achievements being certified above. To put it differently, equivalence is needed here in this society. Despite the fact that human nature or norm is hard to modify, Amelia make that gap is smaller. In fact, during World War II (1939-1945), the number of women pilots of the Women Airforce Service Pilots increases sharply serving for the war. This becomes a trend at that time with the contribution of many women to fly the American military aircraft. These women are inspired to be “the female aviators who flew military aircraft around the United States” or “civilians who wore uniforms and performed dirty, dangerous work without much fanfare” (John, K., 2009). After Amelia’s death, there are also other women continuing her aviation pioneer’s career, especially Eleanor Roosevelt who has a famous saying:

This is not the time when women should be patient. We are in a war and we need to fight it with all our ability and every weapon possible. Women pilots, in this particular case, are a weapon waiting to be use.

Consequently, it can be seen that to some extents, efforts to change of Amelia are come into reality successfully.

2.2 Amelia’s influence on women’s right and society as a whole

In the field of aviation, Amelia does a definitely incredible job. Furthermore, she is widely-known for stimulating of women’s right. The gist of her ideology is that women can do whatever they want no matter of different stumbling blocks preventing them from their dream.

On the timeline of women’s rights in USA, the earlier generation of Amelia does a diversity of efforts. In 1848, the first women’s rights convention was held in New York. In 1916, the first USA birth-control clinic was opened in New York City. The year 1920 also witnessed the Amendment for the right to vote of women and many other events like that.

When it turns to Amelia Earhart, her contribution also makes the “boundary” between man and women faded out more and more. This is shown in both direct and indirect way.

The direct way lies in the activities she conducts in her life. Amelia joins in the National Woman’s Party and other feminism movement to support the equality for women in society. Especially in her lecture, book or article, Amelia talks lots about how women can be independent or how they hold the key of their life. She said that “the woman who can create hew own job is the woman who will fame and fortune”. In the letter sent to her husband before her last flight, Amelia wrote: “I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be a challenge to others”. Her talks and her words really inspired the spirit of many young women at that time. As Patrick Rothfuss- author of “The name of the wind” said:” Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts”. Thus, there is no doubt that Amelia’s message is transferred effectively to the women population.

The indirect way is underlined through the story of her life that becomes an inspiration. As Dan Clark-author of the “Chicken soup: Puppies for sale” said that: “Stories has a magical power. They allow us to look at ourselves in relation to other people. They act as mirrors-reflecting our own actions through the actions of others. They make us aware of our own talents and idiosyncrasies…” So it is right as regards the case of Amelia Earhart. She is much-loved be many people because she is the spectacular woman which is encourage, passionate, hard-working, talented. In view of the fact that flying solo across Atlantic is clearly dangerous accompanied with a number of high risks, she really does amazing job. That encouragement is so admirable for any women at that time. Amelia also tries her best in spite of a diversity of hindrances: finance or her own injuries. At the initial time, she did not have enough money to buy a plane so she must do a quantity of jobs to achieve her dream. Sometimes, Amelia must sole it or buy another one according to the financial condition as a result from the huge overheads for a plane. Talking about her health issue, Amelia is affected by the chronic sinusitis. Once George P. Putnam- Amelia’s husband said with the reporter that Amelia

…Had a fragile psychic quality, some strange susceptibility to conditions beyond understanding. She rarely mentioned it to friends, never discussed it publicly. But whenever [she] participated in mental telepathy or other psychic experiments to further her curiosity, observers were astonished at the results

. Even after being in the public eye thanks to the flight across Atlantic with Wilmer Stultz in 1928 or flight solo in 1932, Amelia still tries more to gain many other records and does her job passionately and unstoppable. Her independence also is highly appreciated. She does not want to live under other’s shadow and would like to do it by herself. She prefers the equal and freedom thing which is a very exceptional progress in society.

. Amelia cannot the most skillful or passionate female pilot in the world. She even fails to gain the success of the last flight. But why she becomes tremendously notable aviation legend like that? Why women admire her with all of their hearts like that? The determining point here is by facing many “walls” and bridging over those difficulties, Amelia proved out that she can do it. As Amelia just said: “never do things others can do and will do if there are things other cannot do or will not do”. She is the most clear evidence. Her life becomes useful recipe. It penetrates women’s mind, making them rethink about what they want to do. If they find something, just do it. Nobody but themselves finds, hold tightly and develop that in their own way.

In terms of fashion, Amelia’s image is promoted with the significant flight wear that becomes a hot trend at her time and still an inspiration nowadays. The flight suits with leather bomber jacket, sunglasses or tie-up boots are really attractive and totally addicted. Amelia Earhart successfully establishes her image with that personally branch identity. Samantha Critchell, in her article “Aviator style from Amelia lands on runaways too”, mentions that “…as aviation pioneer such as Amelia Earhart brought their style around the world…Early on, Amelia wore these things…the more stylish, more feminine came from her”.

With respect to society, it must be said that USA sees the life of an astounding women. Until the present, Amelia Earhart still lives in people’s mind as a beautiful symbol of inspiration. Regarding the future, Margie Richison-chairman of the Ninety-Nines Museum of Women Pilots said that: “When Amelia Earhart set out on her legendary trip, she probably didn’t realize just how big of an impact she would have on the future of aviation”.

Generally, the journey of any pioneer women like Amelia is never easy. There is no doubt that their role is very vital as a cornerstone in society. Amelia achieved that shift so obviously she deserved to any fame or prestige. This marvelous woman will be remembered for such a long time in the history.