The oil crisis continued, unemployment remained high, Jimmy Carter's presidency suffered blow after demoralizing blow, disco was the popular music, movies were breaking new ground and television continued remained the number one form of entertainment and relaxation. America was faced with hostages being held in Iran, a near nuclear melt down at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, and the auto industry was losing profits and cutting jobs due to unprecedented foreign competition. Among the many songs that made it to number one that year was Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive." This song quickly climbed to the top of the charts to hit number one in January. A popular song in the discos, it also became a sort of anthem for the gay rights movement and was adopted by women in their continued struggle towards equality.
[...] It seems the only thing to survive into the 70's from the 60's was the drugs, and rock n' roll.” Yet among the turmoil and cynicism, many still strove to realize the dreams of the earlier decade. Gloria Gaynor's song, Will Survive” was the cry of millions of those who still sought equality and a better life. Those who sought to attain the happiness we supposedly had the right to pursue. Equal rights is still an issue today in America as a culture where women are statistically and socially unequal, and gays [...]
[...] It was only in 1979 that Mississippi ratified the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. Despite the progress opposition was fierce and the patriarchal attitude of American culture deeply engraved on the nation along with homophobia as well. Terrorist attacks on abortion and family planning centers killed several doctors and destroyed many offices. That year, Dan White was convicted for the killing of San Francisco's mayor and a supervisor of his staff who was gay. Yet White was given the most lenient sentence of manslaughter and only sentenced to eight years. [...]
[...] The words then reflect back again to how the speaker over came her abandonment, mending her “broken heart.” In the next stanza, the voice takes on the tone of a healed victim, wiser and more confident with a healthier self image and self respect as demonstrated by the words “saving all my loving for someone who's loving She will no longer settle with for someone who takes and leaves, never giving, never loving. The song ends telling the returned lover to leave, then repeated the refrain with the obvious message and theme, she will survive. [...]
[...] In Washington, DC, Sister Mary Theresa Kane publicly challenged Pope John Paul II's stand against women in the clergy around the same time that a three year theological research program determined that there was no textual evidence in the Bible that stated that women could not enter the priest hood. While political battles raged across the country and traditional values and view were challenged, attacked, and defended; while international relations remained tense; while the economy continued its downward spiral-- many Americans continued to try and live with the carefree attitude of the 60's. [...]
APA Style reference
For your bibliographyOnline reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee
