I discovered this bicultural bind in my own life when I was a freshman in high school. For me I began modeling at the age of fourteen and I was exposed to all sorts of things that were accepted as normal in that environment, but looked upon as a sin in my home. I began to become confused and I remained confused about whom I really was and what I believed was right and wrong until only about a year ago. When I finally decided to gain control of my li

During my research I interviewed many women, but will not be able to include all of the interviews. One woman I came across was a college freshman, Karla Jones. She grew up in Tennessee in a Christian home and came to The University of Illinois. When she arrived she joined a sorority against her parents’ wishes. Her parents believe that sorority activities are not wholesome and these girls will not be good influences on their daughter. Karla tells her parents she thinks being Greek will look good on her resume and that she does not participate in the drinking and partying that comes along with the sorority. In actuality, Karla says that she goes out to the bars to drink an average of four nights per week and is actually dating a man that is not a Christian. Her parents know nothing about the drinking and nothing about the boyfriend. When I asked her what she thought about herself after living this way for two semesters she said, “I do not feel like I am sinning except for the lies I am telling my parents. But those lies are necessary because I might not want to live this way forever so why should I get myself in trouble when I could decide to change….but the lies do get overwhelming sometimes.”(Jones) This is where living the double life starts. How happy can she really be tip toeing around in order to have fun?

fe and determine my own set of beliefs I began to wonder if other women have gone through the same thing. Through research I found that many women have gone through this and some are still involved in this bind.

In Paula Gunn Allen’s article, “Where I Come from is Like This” she describes how Native American women are looked upon differently by American society than they are by their Native American tribe.(Allen, Course Packet) This is her bicultural bind. The bicultural bind I have researched is similar in that women are looked upon in the Christian church as being very submissive to her husband. She is there to serve him and her family and must be a classy lady, yet also conservative. This idea clashes with the views about women that are becoming popular in our society. Women ar

Some topics in this essay:
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