Margaret Atwood Surfacing Analysis

How would one feel if they had to drop all of their dreams and goals in order to look good for the neighbors? How would one feel if all they were used for was to conceive their spouses child? Those instances don’t sound too good, well a woman's role in the 1950’s was just that. In the dark novel written by Sylvia Plath, Esther Greenwood is constantly battling an inner conflict of listening to society which leads her to battling depression. Plath shows the women’s roles and the challenges of how women must sacrifice their dreams to become wives and mothers through Esther’s accountings.

Oates’ View on Women’s Revolution The traditional housewife is dying out, and the sex object is becoming more and more popular; suddenly, women are showing skin and acting promiscuously. The article “Overview: ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’” explains these events occurring in the 1960s, the time that Oates’ protagonist, Connie, begins and continues to develop, by claiming that “women began to challenge cultural, societal, and legal restrictions that had been imposed upon them for generations.” As a teen maturing during this time period, Connie pursues this lifestyle which just as anything else comes with its positive and negative aspects. Connie chases fun and excitement through her desire of male attention which she receives on some level, whether in her dreams or the town’s drive-in restaurant, without worrying about the consequences of her actions. Through her short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Joyce Carol Oates expresses her belief that the harmful consequences of this transformation of

“The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of a women begins when the doctor says, ‘It's a girl!’” Women are forced to conform to a set place in society, and the pressure they feel to conform starts when they are born.

Women in the media are constantly hypersexualized, but when they choose to express their own sexuality they are called names and put down, while men are praised for expressing their sexuality. Also, many famous women are asked blatantly sexist questions that a man would never be asked but they are expected to smile and answer the questions even though these questions demean and invalidate them. From a young age, it becomes imbedded into a girl’s brain that she is inferior, weak, and fragile; seemingly harmless princess movies are teaching young girls that they need a prince to save them and that they are incapable of being their own hero. Also, young boys are taught from a young age that they should be the strong hero and if they are not strong, they are not manly. I would love to research the negative effects of subtle sexism through the outlet of media and how it affects all individuals, female and

The behaviors and societal norms we associate with male and female are socially constructed. As Dr. Thompson states in the film “boys and girls are far more human and far more the same than they are different.” However,

From television to film, from music to advertising, men are often portrayed as strong willed and powerful, while women are often shown as submissive, powerless, and sexually promiscuous. Particularly in American

The purpose of this research was to discover the current amount of stereotypical sexualized behavior among men and women. It also looked at the differences between these stereotypes and how often students of both genders participated in these behaviors. Another purpose of this research was also to see how often the perceived norms of stereotypical sexualized behaviors were actually reported through behavior; as in they wanted to see how often these stereotypes were actually happening in the lives of late adolescent students.

It is apparent that there are clear distinctions between men and women and what is meant by ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity.’ For example, as noted by Södergren (2014), feminine women possess qualities of empathy, weakness and nurturing. Men, on the other hand, are shown with qualities of ambition and dominance (2014). It should come to no surprise, then, that men and women are represented differently in the media. Studies have shown that women are usually portrayed as younger than men

The dominant group—men, white people, upper and middle class people, and heterosexuals—are considered the “norm” and all assumptions are created off of this “norm.” The media today creates the “norm” by showing boys and men as being tough and manly, and girls and women as passive, yet also sexy and sophisticated. Also, in school we are taught that girls should not take woodworking class, and instead should take cooking or health classes. By learning these rules and roles of our gender at school and in society, we are reinforced by what we have learned at home. The article about the cycle of socialization justifies that the media, our cultural practices, and the assumptions on which our society is built “all contribute to the reinforcement of the biased messages and stereotypes we receive.” The messages from the media, culture, and our own homes have embedded in our minds what is accepted in society and how to act. In the cycle of socialization, the institutional and cultural level of socialization is enforced constantly; therefore, the people who go against societies “norms” are immediately oppressed. The results of the cycle of socialization are disturbing, for the majority of society plays their roles and simply does nothing to change the “norm.”

Literature changes as current events change and as the structure of society begins to shift. American feminist literature started to become prevalent during the Victorian era, or around the latter part of the 19th century. This is the time when the first wave of feminism in the United States hit. The Seneca Falls Convention - the first women’s rights convention - and the emergence of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony’s American Equal Rights Association in the middle of the 19th century are among some of the noteable events that sparked this movement in literature. Women across America were inspired by the changing of the times, and that is reflected in many American female authors’ writings.

An Annotated Bibliography for The Main Cause In Negative Gender Stereotypes and Traditional Gender Roles:

Throughout today’s society, almost every aspect of someone’s day is based whether or not he or she fits into the “norm” that has been created. Specifically, masculine and feminine norms have a great impact that force people to question “am I a true man or woman?” After doing substantial research on the basis of masculine or feminine norms, it is clear that society focuses on the males being the dominant figures. If males are not fulfilling the masculine role, and females aren’t playing their role, then their gender identity becomes foggy, according to their personal judgment, as well as society’s.

From a young age, we are exposed to gender stereotypes. Television, the Internet, and books define what is “feminine” and “masculine” for a child. Feminine is defined as “having qualities or appearance traditionally associated with women, especially delicacy and prettiness”. Masculine is defined as “having qualities or appearance traditionally associated with men, especially strength and aggressiveness”. Media takes this a step further and dictates exactly what girls and boys can and cannot do. In television and movies, women are mainly portrayed as homemakers and damsels who need a man to reach their full potential. They are often uneducated or seen as less intelligent than their male counterparts. Oppositely, men are portrayed as breadwinners and authoritative figures. They control most aspects of their lives and have more opportunities. According to Common Sense Media, these depictions cause “false assumptions and harmful conclusions”. Little girls learn that are worth less without a man and little boys boys learn that they are above women. The media also feeds into rape culture. Rape culture is the normalization of rape in societies. Rape culture is taught to young girls and boys. Girls are taught tactics to avoid rape and boys are taught that

Society has clearly defined boundaries between what is considered to be male or female. The development of an individual’s gender role is formed by interactions with those in close proximity. Society constantly tells us how we should look, act and live based on gender. Family, friends and the media have a tremendous impact on how these roles are formed and the expected behavior of each gender role.

Ever since the dawn of time, women and men have been associated with specific gender roles that can be seen controversial in the eyes of many. Traits and roles associated with a specific gender can be either innate or learned over time. Looking into the deeper concept of gender roles and stereotypes, it is clear that these fixed gender roles are not naturally born with, but rather taught, learned, or influenced by external forces.