Gender Stereotypes And Expectations In Literature

Everyone knows that boys only want one thing, and girls, above all else, must protect their virtue. Society, through such means as literature, popular culture, and tradition, has perpetuated these gender stereotypes and expectations for much of history. Unconscious and conscious assumptions about gender shape how readers perceive sex in literature; men are typically considered lustful, whereas women are considered loving. However, the subjects of sex, love, and lust in literature, as demonstrated in poems written by Robert Burns and Andrew Marvell, become increasingly nuanced when gender stereotypes and expectations are questioned and removed. Gender roles, expectations, and stereotypes have shifted and become less clearly defined†¦show more content†¦He says that â€Å"the youthful hue / sits on [her] skin like morning dew,† but that this fresh beauty will soon fade (Marvell 584; 33-34). The description of this woman supports stereotypes of both genders. The man is lustful, and his tactic is to appeal to the woman’s shallow vanity. He appeals to her desire for love by almost offhandedly tacking on how he would like to know her heart (Marvell 583; 18). Additionally, he says that, should they act upon his lustful desires, they would be â€Å"like amorous birds of prey† (Marvell 584; 38). The contradictory image of loving raptors enforces the stereotype of a predatory man spouting any lovely lie to get a woman in his bed. â€Å"A Red, Red Rose† by Robert Burns is not as overtly sexual as â€Å"To His Coy Mistress.† However, Burns was notoriously promiscuous, and his subject matter was often of a sexual nature. It is safe to say that his purpose in this poem was a sexual purpose. He says his â€Å"luve’s like a red, red rose / that’s newly sprung in June† (Burns 935; 1-2). He also describes his love as a beautiful song being â€Å"sweetly played in tune† (Burns 935; 1-2). He uses this flowery language to appeal to women’s stereotypical love for beauty and emotion. He additionally appeals to an overemotional woman by using hyperbolic language to describe his love. He claims that he will love this woman until all the seas dry up and â€Å"the rocks melt wi’ the sun†Show MoreRelatedGender Socialization And Social Control1508 Words   |  7 Pageslarge, gender socialization is a major contributor to identity and self- concept. Gender therefore becomes a characteristic that defines other’s perceptions and evaluations of us. People come to manage gender along with aspects of other aspects of the self by making sure that we are acting in gender-appropriate way (Goffman, 1959, Libby). In itself, the self is a product of social forces and it emerges through socialization. Being that gender is a major function of one’s identity, stereotypes aboutRead MoreG ender Roles Of Women s Literature1661 Words   |  7 Pages The way in which gender roles are portrayed in children’s literature significantly contributes to the development of our youth’s understanding of their own gender’s role and how they are perceived by society. It is important for children to understand gender roles because gender roles are an essential cog in the perpetual machine that develops our society, but these cogs have been replaced with newer, more up-to-date cogs over recent years, so to speak. As society has changed, so has the typicalRead MoreOrganizational Psychology : Gender And Leadership938 Words   |  4 Pagesstereotyping causes of the phenomena studied by organizational psychology underlying. Research on gender and leadership focuses on both college students and executives in various business settings. A common theme concerns the idea that a good leader is model described incompatible male with feminine behavior, sometimes thought of as think-Manager. For example, to provoke some settings pron ounced stereotypes. If the expected leadership style of an organization at a given hora direct, exacerbate uncaringRead MoreTeaching In A Twenty First Century Society, The Expectation1140 Words   |  5 PagesTeaching in a twenty first century society, the expectation for gender equality is important to provide the proper exposure, understanding, and educate individuals about society’s norms. These expectations that students will need to make acceptable choices for the betterment of their future. Therefore, it is the duty for educators to offer introductions in gender roles, gender stereotypes, and sexism. These are sensitive topics and need to be taught accurately with balanced information and with aRead MoreGender Identity And Children And Gender1335 Words   |  6 PagesGender Identity Children and Gender Gender Identity refers to how we feel and express our gender. From the time we are born, we are identified as being a male or a female. We learn gender identity from others and interaction helps produce it. A baby by the age of 1 knows if they are a boy or girl and by the age of 2 to 3 they form an opinion about the way they feel about their gender. Children take cues from their environment and the people around them to form gender identity. Anthony SchulloRead MoreUnderstanding The Cognitive Processes Of Organizational Psychology950 Words   |  4 Pagesorganizational psychology light on the causes of events based on stereotypes. Fri and the leadership of the research focuses on a variety of business environments, students and administrators. the general manager of the matter, I think it s a good model is sometimes described as a thought that is incompatible with the behavior of male and female leader refers to the idea. For example, the pronunciation of certain parameters in order to promote stereotypes. Time is expected that the management style, bad, indifferentRead MoreThe Egg And The Sperm1188 Words   |  5 PagesChoice) Surname Instructor Course Date The Egg and the Sperm Emily Martin begins the literature piece by claiming that culture tends to shape many things in the society including the manner as to how biological scientists illustrate what they know about the scientific world. She goes ahead to explain various scientific details regarding reproductive technologies that confer information as to how gender stereotypes prefer hiding within the scientific language of biology. Martin uses two physical aspectsRead MoreGender Inequality in Womens Rugby1181 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction As the nation’s gender inequality continues to diminish, things like sports stereotypes, and labour force conflict cannot be understood without understanding the term of identity. Identity work is explained by Schwalbe and Mason-Schrock in 1996 as â€Å"anything people do, individually or collectively, to give meaning to themselves or others† (as cited in Ezzell, 2009, p. 1). I propose to examine inequality based on gender identity and in depth the process of stereotype issues, - how people constructRead MoreAesthetic of Character: Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott Essay608 Words   |  3 Pages1970s, another approach appeared. It was called sociohistorical approach to literature, and was mainly concerned with how characters’ behaviours resembled to those of the real people’s, and whether their portrayal is truthful to the general script, or to its gender role. In close connection to this, another term appeared, called gender performance, which implies both, men and women, behaving according to the norms and expectations put by the society. For example, while men were allowed to be active, assertiveRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night1155 Words   |  5 Pagesrules that define their place in society. They often try to meet expectations that society has made for them based on gender and social status. William Shakespeare reinforces these ideas in his play Twelfth Night, which introduces many meaningful messages about situations that still occur in society today. He clearly develops important themes worthy of analysis. A few of these strong themes are about stereotypes and society’s expectations and rules, which he proves to be irrelevant most of the time.

Fences Black People and Wilson - 1976 Words

Joseph Fernandez Ms. Reilly World Lit 27, January,2010 The Isolation and Alienation of Troy in Wilsons Fences August Wilsons Fences is a play about life, and an extended metaphor Wilson uses to show the crumbling relationships between Troy and Cory and Troy and Rose. Troy Maxson represents the dreams of black America in a majorly white world, a world where these dreams were not possible because of the racism and attitudes that prevailed. Troy Maxson is representative of many blacks and their attitudes and behavior...within the social flux of the late fifties, in their individual and collective struggles to hew a niche for themselves in the rocky social terrain of postwar America†¦show more content†¦And then I want you to stay on the other side...You stay on the other side of that fence until you ready for me (Wilson, 77). There is also the literal fence in the play, which Rose wants Troy to build around their yard. Troy wonders why Rose would want a fence when they have virtually nothing of value to steal. Bogumil believes that, A fence to Rose has spiritual significance, solace to comfort her during the times she must intervene in the dysfunctional relationship between her son Cory and husband Troy...(48). The beginning of Act One, Scene Two begins with Rose singing to herself, Jesus, be a fence around me every day.... (Wilson, 21). While Troy is building fences to keep people out, Rose builds a fence to keep them in, as she, dearly desires to preserve the family she has never had (Bogumil, 48). Rose herself says to Troy, ...you know I aint never wanted no half nothing in my family. My whole family is half.....Cant hardly tell whos who (Wilson, 68). Alan Nadel believes that Wilson is making a political statement with the metaphor of a fence. He sets up his argument with the assertion that. the idea of a fence is inextricable from the idea of property (86). He continues in this vein, linking property to humans, linking humans as a form of property to the days of slaveholding. He then says that one of the human ideals of freedom was in ownership; ownership of property. He states that in previous times, Race or skin color was just such a fence.Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Fences By Fences Essay1419 Words   |  6 PagesAllie Weeks Mrs. Hartwig English 102 30 September 2015 Wilson has drawn from his experiences as a young black American to write the play entitled Fences. Fences describes the plight of black America; to escalate their standing in society from historic slavery to successful self sustaining through their own efforts and skills. â€Å"Significant for the playwright is the connection between the unique values and traditions of African American culture and the ability of its characters to overcome theirRead MoreAnalysis Of Fences By August Wilson1656 Words   |  7 Pageswhen the people that children emulate are not the best examples society has to offer. In the play Fences Cory looks up to his dad when it comes to sports. However, by the end of the play the reader starts to notice that Troy is not the man to look up to. The plot in Fences by August Wilson is centered around an African American family that looks at the world a little differently by that I mean when Troy was young people believed blacks shouldn’t be able to do the th ings whites can. People were rudeRead MoreThe Role Of Women In Female Fences, By August Wilson1493 Words   |  6 PagesFemale Fences Fences took place in the 1950’s, during that time the role of women in the 1950 was repressive and constrictive in a lot of ways. The 1950s is often viewed as a period of conformity, when both men and women observed strict gender roles and complied with society’s expectations (Women in 1950’s). Society placed a very high significance on different expectations on behavior in public as well as at home. Women were to be homemakers, caring mothers, and to be an obedient wife to theirRead MoreSummary Of August Wilsons Fence1095 Words   |  5 Pagesplay â€Å"Fence† by August Wilson’s start from the setting part partially he was trying to show the structure of troy family. â€Å"The yard is a small dirt yard, partially fenced, except for the last scene, with a wooden sawhorse, a pile of lumber, and other fence-building equipment set off to the side. Opposite is a tree from which hangs a ball made of rags. A baseball bat leans against the tree. Two oil drums serve as garbage receptacles and sit near the house at right to complete the setting† (Wilson 2)Read MoreCharacter Analysis of Cory in The Play Fences by August Wilson1109 Words   |  5 Pagesbecause of a fear that was rooted in him nearly eight-teen years earlier. When Troy was released from prison he dreamed of playing Major League Baseball but at that time it was an impossibility because of racial dis he other primary relationship of Fences is that of Troy to his son Cory (Courtney B. Vance) - a promising 17-year-old football player being courted by a college recruiter. Troy himself was once a baseball player in the Negro Leagues - early enough to hit homers off Satchel Paige, tooRead MoreAnalysis Of August Wilson s Fences1609 Words   |  7 PagesIn 1965, August Wilson’s â€Å"Fences† was created as the fifth part of his Pittsburg Cycle of dramas of the 20th Century investigation of the evolution of black culture. The play has an abundance of symbolism and metaphors that tells the late life story of Troy Maxon and the family that surrounds him. Even from the beginning of the drama there is conflict and foreshadowing that can be attributed to his own belief that he has failed in life and that the world did not give him what he deserved. He takesRead MoreAnalysis Of August Wilson s Fence 1146 Words   |  5 PagesThe play â€Å"Fence† by August Wilsonâ€℠¢s has a connection with real world fence. â€Å"The yard is a small dirt yard, partially fenced, except for the last scene, with a wooden sawhorse, a pile of lumber, and other fence-building equipment set off to the side. The Opposite is a tree from which hangs a ball made of rags. A baseball bat leans against the tree. Two oil drums serve as garbage receptacles and sit near the house at right to complete the setting† (Wilson 2). He mentions that the fence has three partsRead MoreBaseball InFences, By August Wilson1239 Words   |  5 PagesWilson uses baseball to not only develop the character of Troy Maxson, but also to express the black community as a whole in the 50s. As Mollie Wilson O’Reilly put it in her article â€Å"Fertile Ground: August Wilson’s ‘Fences’†: â€Å"Wilson wrote about black Americans ‘reassembling’ themselves and their communities and coping with discrimination and poverty in another decade of the twent ieth century† (20). Troy is the embodiment of black American in the 50s. Myles Weber wrote, in â€Å"Rescuing the TragicRead MoreFences, By August Wilson1104 Words   |  5 PagesAfrican-Americans during the middle of the twentieth century were treated differently than those of the white population. Fences, a play by August Wilson, demonstrates the frustration of white dominance during a time when African-Americans were secluded from society. The Maxson family are the main characters of the play, showing the life they lived in their black tenement in Pittsburg in the 1950s. The setting demonstrates the drama of their struggle, frustration, rebellion, and the predicamentsRead MoreSymbolism in Fences1385 Words   |  6 PagesSymbols in Fences As we know that, â€Å"Symbolism is a literary deice in which an object, event, or action is used to suggest a meaning beyond its literal meaning† (p.1801). In the play night Mother, by Marsha Norman used the symbol of â€Å"bus† to compare Jessie life; she feel herself as if no progress in life after the age fifty years. Therefore, she compares herself with such a â€Å"Bus† which will reach in same place even after fifty years. So, ‘Bus’ symbolizes the lack of progress, sense of hopelessness

Cooked Essay Free Essays

string(95) " he is a little Hard Head he has been taught how to steal by his grandfather \(Henderson 13\)\." In the movie named The Smell of Coriander, I find a touching story about a man who realizes his profound redemption from the punishment. Waking up early, having a heartily prepared meal, dressing up and being picked up to the company by a private driver is the beginning of a normal working day of Thanh who is a successful middle aged investor in real estate and stock market in Viet Nam. He is also the CEO of the trading center naming Sky. We will write a custom essay sample on Cooked Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Many people look at his successes and his happy family with the jealousness. But behind his current clean, perfect profile is an ashamed background in which he appears as a true, heartless betrayer. Thanh was a talented, handsome man in a small village besides a mildly flowing river. His superficial youth led him to the pregnancy of Hoa, his girlfriend. They were really in love with each other, and they were planning for a wedding by themselves. A month after the pregnancy of Hoa, Thanh was accepted to an illustrious university. He was a smart and ambitious man, so he wanted to follow the call of a promising life which would change his life totally if he took the chance. Obviously his girlfriend became a burden for his own career. Thanh knew that she would not let him go unless he would take her with him. He decided to leave Hoa in secret and pursued his dream. When Hoa realized that his boyfriend has left, she was drastically shocked, but she still wanted to keep the child. As a part of Asian culture, having a child without the husband is a considerable shame for a family, so Thanh left her family and born the child in a motel; then, she gave him to a poor family in another village. She could not admit the truth that his boyfriend had left her, so she committed a suicide in the hopelessness and the severe hurt. After graduating from the university, Thanh got married with a wealthy and powerful woman and began his own career, while his forlorn son, Huy, tried to overcome every single complication to go to school and to survive. Huy was as smart as his father. He always appeared as an outstanding student at school, so he got a scholarship to study business in a university. Ironically, that scholarship was sponsored by his unknown father’s corporation. Huy somehow knew about his mother’s death and his betraying father from the poor family in which he was adopted. He grows the revenge toward his father. He swore that he will destroy his father’s current successes and be a big man in his father’s fields. Thanh kept moving on in his profession without the redemption of the past; he even did not care if he had a child. With him, money was everything. While he thought that nobody could stop him in controlling the market, a small company was established and tried to contract a project that the Sky of Thanh was also aiming at. The manager of the small company was Huy, he won the project from his crafty father. Since then, thing began to change, Sky fell down in the market and Thanh lost his CEO position and his pride when the press discovered his past. His wife divorced him. He finally found himself and his own redemption when he lost everything. He lived by himself and thought of what he had done. He realized that he was totally controlled by money. He had never had the feeling of peace since he knew about the death of his death’s girlfriend. Two year later, Huy came and let his father know that he would forgive his past. Thanh finally felt he was back to his life with a recovered heart. Similarly, Jeff Henderson in Cooked falls from the most insane richness into the prison to find out the redemption. The cause of JH’s Fall are the concupiscence, misguided success, and denial. However, the Fall is the beginning of a powerful recovery and redemption. His amazing adventure from the forgettable past is inspired by the imprisonment, the will to study and the resolution of to renew his own life. Concupiscence is one of the causes of JH’s Fall. According to McMahon’s blog Breakthrough Write, concupiscence is defined as the search for happiness based on gratifying pleasure and ego without a moral compass. Slowly going over JH’s life, we can easily symbolize him as the man of concupiscence. First, he gives himself a very reasonable, magnanimous ground which defends that he is pulling his family out of the poverty. Then, things begin to change when he has made so much easy money. With him, money never has the definition of adequateness. JH admits â€Å"he had eights car, each one worth more than $30,000, and it still wasn’t enough† (64). Crack dealing in Hard Head’s eyes is not illegal. He considers himself as a â€Å"businessman† while his job is killing hundreds of people consuming his drug. His so called â€Å"business† brings him a lot of money quickly enough for his awareness of value and labor to disappear. We need to make it clear between the self interest and the concupiscence in JH. More exactly, the positive self interest no longer exists in this man. The concupiscence controls JH in every step he makes when he is an immoral crack dealer. JH tries to satisfy his appetites in many unreasonably spending situations; in fact, his irrational expenditure just makes his demand of money go higher. It also means he is willing to trade more in his crazy so called business. He is a talented man in his business. Unfortunately, he easily lets himself follow the flow of the concupiscence, and the result of his irresponsible acts is the out of control life. Besides the concupiscence, misguided success is also the reason that partly creates the Fall of JH. When he is a little Hard Head he has been taught how to steal by his grandfather (Henderson 13). You read "Cooked Essay" in category "Essay examples" And one more time, he categorizes his grandfather’s stealing into the knightly acts. He says that â€Å"his grandfather was kind of like Robin Hood† (15). He slowly masters the stealing skills which he compliments about it as a proud achievement. We feel sorry for him because he is so deficient in the care of family although he still has father and mother. In fact, he has never lives in the really happy and safe childhood which every kid needs to have. T Row can be considered as the most influential element in forming JH’s characteristics and personality. T has the PhDs in game and he is extremely admired by JH. T is the replacement figure of JH’s ideal father with the weird ridiculous â€Å"homie love†. Like father like son, JH finally graduates from the â€Å"crack dealing institution† of T Row when T is sent to prison. In the book named Freakonomics, the economists discovering the hidden side of facts make a stunning conclusion that drug dealers still live with their moms! (Levitt and Dubner 103). According to their calculation, the foot soldiers like JH earn just $3. 30 an hour, less than the minimum wage (Levitt and Dubner 103). That is the reason why JH wants to go his own way. JH desires to become a new professor in the game that T Row is playing which means he will keep moving forward in his criminal activities. Educational misdirection leads Hard Head to the most serious Fall in his life, but he refuse to accept the truth that he is falling down from his insane wealth. He builds himself a thick, stable, undestroyable wall to protect his foolish criminal pride from the warning of his sister Cali Sim and family. He is absolutely insane about his success and tries to exaggerate its value by showing he is not about violence, taking drug or hanging out with gang bangers. He denies the fact that his drug dealing is extreme harmful and mortal. In practice, the victims of his business can be abandoned and addicted babies, neglected children, strung-out fathers, battered mothers, or an addicted young man in a car accident†¦ JH might not know that ninety percent of sentenced crack dealing cases in federal level are black, and he will be one of them (Brown). There is no doubt that JH is living in the illusion of insanity which means he is convinced that there is no truth and he is absolutely â€Å"untouchable†. He denies the wakening of his conscience because he is so under the spell of his virtual success and wealth. Being imprisoned is the best way to stop Jeff Henderson’s Fall. This Hard Head is like a bungee guy who has just jumped out of a bridge. He closes his eyes and enjoys the excitement of a free drop. He will never know where the stopping point is if his face is not slapped by the cool, pure and fresh surface of the river. The imprisonment plays a role as this river. It wakes JH up, holds his head and shakes it up. At last, he realizes that he has reached the bottom. Like a bungee jump, the end of the Fall is the beginning of a recovery. In prison, JH experience many unique things which essentially turn him into a new man. He finally knows that he is also vulnerable and helpless when he is striped in front of Fed officers (76). The feelings of weakness and lonesome make him keep praying to Jesus. We cannot imagine that Hard Head will cry in hopeless and regret. Crying will not help him out of the detention room, but crying shows us that there is something which stays deep inside this man’s soul is trying to pull him back with the real life. He painfully realizes how toxic his job was when he unintentionally witnesses a prisoner is dying because of a balloon of heroin (115). The fear of himself and his mortal job is rising day by day. The man with the PhD in the game now fully learns the most basic lesson: how far people would go to get high (Henderson 115). His philosophy of life changes to Nihilism which indicates a life without purposes, meaning and intrinsic value. This can be the most dangerous thing for his return because a man living in Nihilism is not different from a man without a soul and mind. It directly ruins his owns life and put a huge bold period for everything. But as we mentioned earlier, JH has PhD in the game, and when he truly finishes the course he is going to come back. Being imprisoned has recalled in JH the will of study. The hurting nineteen and half years punishment turns Anderson in to a totally new man. He learns how to read and to listen. He loses the passion for marriage and love. Instead, he concentrates on cooking; he wants to be a chef. He finally finds the passion which deserves to be pursued. Struggling with a dangerous life in prison helps JH horn his skill in confronting the problems. He is willing to work at the lowest position such as pot and pan room (Henderson 132) to get a change of promotion (Henderson 132). He built up for himself a strong endurance which supports him a lot in winning the popularity in prison and even after being released. He reads more; sometimes, he wondering if the black is dominated by the white. This thought never has a bad influence on him; in fact, it pushes him to study harder, to earn the respects from the people in his life. A determined goal and a resolution to be successful make JH stronger than ever. After the years renewing and training in prison, the fear still follows him like a ghost. His fear is undetermined; he calls it the â€Å"unknown† (Henderson 176). We might wonder if this Hard Head will return to his familiar path of his forgettable past, but we have to admit that his mind is refreshed and his skill day by day becomes more perfect. He is the person who truly knows the real value of cooking. In his point of view, cooking is not only an occupation but also the art of making food and the passion of facing new challenges. In the Cooked, there are at least four times JH move to a new location to pursue his cooking career. His efforts are paid by the prize Las Vegas Buffet Chef of the Year (Henderson 254). In that touching moment, nobody sees in him the figure of the past crack dealer but an impressive returning of a guilty soul. When a door is closed, there is always another door open. With JH, the door of the prison is closed behind him, and now he is opening the door which leads him to the world of the most famous chefs. JH would never have the feeling of real success and complete recovery if he had not been stopped by the Fed. His Fall is the result of concupiscence, the misguided success and the denial. Luckily, his life is saved by the imprisonment, his will of study and the resolution of renewing his life. It does not matter if we are black or white. We always have a chance to make a turning point for our life because â€Å"nobody pulled a gun on you to make you commit the crime; you made the choice† (Henderson 171). Works Cited Brown, Joseph H. â€Å"A pointless lament for crack dealer. † Headway 9. 10 (1997) Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. El Camino Coll Lib. , Torrance, CA. 22 Sep, 2009. Henderson, Jeff. Cooked. New York Times Bestseller, 2007. Levitt, Steven and Dubner, Stephen. Freakonomics. New York Times Bestseller, 2005. McMahon, Jeff. â€Å"1A Lesson #1 for Cooked†. Herculodge. typepad. com. July, 2009. El Camino Coll Lib. , Torrance, CA. 22 Sep, 2009. How to cite Cooked Essay, Essays