lty for what it best for the individual. With that in mind, instead of maintaining cultural assumptions, it is possible to use the images that bombard us daily to change our theories of the position of women in our society. While Rich questions " whether an oppressive economic class system is responsible for the oppressive nature of male/female relations, or whether, in fact, patriarchy - the domination of males - is the original model of oppression on which all others are based" (604). Using images to change the perception of gender relations and gender roles poses an interesting possibility. Using the images may be the only way to shape any change at all in our society. Rich has used her experiences to grow and evolve. Her poetry gives voice to her pain, to her victimization, to her past and to her future. She uses the images in her poetry to shape awareness if not change. This all may be very difficult because, "We have inherited some of these representations from of former era" (Bordo 156). The timelessness of these images may be hard to eliminate or alter. There is hope though, because if images have been used to maintain cultural ideology, then images can also be used to change our perceptions. This would have a destabilizing effect and as a society, we are resistant to such a drastic change....
