The Idea of an Essay, Volume 2

73 decreased as expected over the years, especially in the medical field. On average, a physician makes around fifty thousand dollars more per year if birthed with a Y chromosome instead of a second X. As for the women behind the desk, they often feel the presence of a glass ceiling that prevents them from being promoted to executive positions in their companies. Despite all the women in the workforce, the reality is that the upper echelons of the corporate world are filled almost exclusively with men. One must ask the question, what exactly is the underlying obstacle—or perhaps, obstacles—that prevent women from equal standing with their male counterparts in the professional world? Like Woolf claimed eighty years ago, “they are very difficult to define” (P. 352). She believed that “Even when the path is nominally open—when there is nothing to prevent a woman from being a doctor, a lawyer, a civil servant—there are many phantoms and obstacles…looming her way” (P. 352-353). It is incredible how correct she was. Speaking of the “phantoms and obstacles” still hindering women, Woolf stated that “To discuss and define them is…of great value and importance; for thus only can the labour be shared, the difficulties be solved” (P. 353). She raised an excellent point. Society should be participating in an active conversation that tries to define these obstacles. One of the first topics that should be addressed in such a discussion is this: perhaps a phantom still torments women. Yes, the Angel in the House died at the hand of professional women almost a century ago, but a new, modern day phantom seems to have taken her place. Birthed by a society that tells women that they can have it all, this phantom is the woman who has everything. She works a full time job, raises her children, has a good relationship with her husband, is involved in her community, and still manages to shop, clean, cook, and put dinner on the table for her family at six o’clock every night. This phantom eagerly accuses professional women everywhere. Awoman who takes time off from work to raise her children is accused of not giving her full potential to her career; however, a woman who hires a nanny to raise her children while working full time is accused of neglecting her family by ranking her career as a higher priority. This creates an environment in which women are branded as inferior if they cannot measure up to the nearly impossible standard set by society. This modern day phantom is suffocating women and she must not be allowed to continue in her