The Marginalization of Women

Natsuo Kirino's novel Out conveys the challenges that four Japanese women have to face after one of the women named Yayoi strangles her abusive husband to death. Kirino highlights the hard work that women put themselves through, yet they are still underappreciated by society because of their gender.

In the beginning, Kirino describes the lives of the four women, and each of them have to face difficulties of their own, especially Yayoi. Yayoi works early in the morning, she takes care of her children, and she has an abusive husband named Kenji. Kenji does not appreciate anything that she does, and he lost all of their savings while gambling. Without Yayoi, Kenji would be lost, and without Kenji, Yayoi would be living a much better life. The three other women are also undervalued by their own family, which is unfortunate. In Beverly Bishop's text The Diversification of Employment and Women's Work, Bishop states that "without women's short tenure and confinement to lower level positions, it would have not been possible for men to rise upwards through the company" (94). Women do just as much work as men. However, they get less credit because they are inferior.

Throughout history, men have always been superior, and women are seen as vulnerable caretakers. Nevertheless, women are capable of doing "men's" work, and Kirino expresses that in her novel. The marginalization of women is seen all over the world, especially in Asia. If women were to have the same advantages that men do, societies would certainly be more progressive.