American Literature

Undoubtedly, Wendy Brown has fully explored the notions behind the words tolerance and equality wherein Brown perceived utter discrepancy particularly in the way these words have been applied to two different groups struggling to find their rightful identities in society. In an attempt to demonstrate these discrepancies especially with the existing conditions of women, Brown focuses on investigating how tolerance was applied to the Jews. In this case, Brown asked why was the Jewish Question often framed as a matter of tolerance in the 18th and 19th century Europe while Woman Question emerged through the language of subordination and equality (49). 

    Brown traced the subjective notion of tolerance and equality in the way higher authorities such as the government impute meanings. Citing two examples namely the vice presidential candidacy of Geraldine Ferraro which was heralded as a triumph of equality and the nomination of an orthodox Jew, Joseph Lieberman for the same position as a triumph of tolerance, Brown depicted a sharp distinction between the meaning applied to these words, one that is highly politicized identity and the other being considered as a privilege. The politicization of identity was depicted by the recent controversy in France where President Sarkozy prohibited Muslim women from wearing their traditional Burka. While the president justified his action on the basis of equality calling the wearing of Burka as a symbol of shame and humiliation, it was viewed as a culture of political intolerance because such action undermines the religious significance of such traditional costume.

    The issue therefore behind Browns argument on tolerance and equality is concern on gender in which she depicted the negative meaning imputed to these words because of political objective. In the case of the Jewish race, being ostracized, demean and subjugated, their continued existence and flourishing during the early nineteen hundred can be viewed as tolerance, That is, they can exist with out government intervention or disruption or any disturbance. Whereas, tolerance was never applied to women despite they vehemently pursued their rights towards achieving similar treatment.