No Doubt's 'Just A Girl'

We live in a society where we are constantly being told how to behave, look, and think a certain way because of our gender. These messages are found in the media we consume daily, ranging from advertisements, billboards, movies, magazines and even children’s books. They are also found in daily interactions, such as borderwork or in norms that “involve rewards and punishments” (Clark-Ibañez., Marisol Lecture 14 Mar.). Socialization, the traditional theory of children in sociology, is described as “the process by which children adapt to and internalize society” (Clark-Ibañez., Marisol Lecture, 14 Feb.). The topic of this research is girl empowerment because I believe it’s important that young girls read encouraging narratives at an early age. “Children's pre-school books are an important cultural

In “Why Boys Don’t Play With Dolls,” Pollitt writes about the differences between growing up as a boy growing up as a girl. She brings up the stereotypes that society naturally creates between genders in early ages, which leads to the lifestyle and path that boys and girls are raised in. Parents and feminist alike play a big part in establishing these sex roles. They raise their kids wanting them to be successful at what they are expected to be good at based on their gender and the trend that has been set before them.

Through such actions of defiance and revolt, she manages to keep herself “free” from the social gender pressures imposed upon her. This girl feels imprisoned by her family, as she thrives on what is accepted as “a man’s job”. Furthermore, it is through her imagination that she is able to escape reality, inventing a “world that is recognizably [her] own”. She imagines “opportunities for courage, boldness and self-sacrifice,” where she can ride horses and save lives. This young girl’s ambitions and dreams to live a man’s life are impeded by her mother and grandmother’s protests to “act like a girl”.

In Jamaica Kincaid’s story, Girl, a mother is talking to her daughter about all the proper things she must do to be considered a good girl to her family and to the public, and when she grows up, a proper lady. She must follow the rules that are given to her by her own mother and by society. The mother also teaches the daughter how to act when things don’t go her way. She is told that along with being a proper lady, she must also be able to get what she wants and be independent. This story was written in the late 1970’s and gender roles, for women, back then were not being “followed” because women wanted equal opportunities (Women In the Workforce). “Gender stereotypes are beliefs regarding the traits and behavioral characteristics given to individuals on the basis of their gender” (Deuhr). This essay will discuss the gender roles that were given to women in the story, during the late 70’s, and in today’s society.

She examines this cultural transformation of the female persona by examining prominent characters in literature and film. She writes about the March sisters in Little Women but also analyzes lesser-known characters like Capitola Black in The Hidden Hand. Her goal is to help the reader understand how the definition of “tomboy” has changed since the 18th century and the impact change has on feminist culture the 21st century. She covers the role race and sexuality have in defining the “tomboy” image and

It is important to teach children about gender roles since it is something that society holds in regards, but most of the time in literature it is done unequally. The portrayal of gender in literature is based off of the expectations of society and places bias on gender. Boys are portrayed as strong, adventurous, independent and capable and often play the roles of fighters, adventurers and rescuers. Girls are portrayed as sweet, naïve, dependent, sensitive and emotional and play roles such as caretakers, princesses and mothers. The roles of gender portrayed in literature are often a reflection of the views of society and do not offer objective insight. Even though it is important to teach children about gender roles, the fashion in which it is done in does not allow children to see beyond those expectations. If a young girl is constantly read stories about a woman’s role as a housewife, homemaker and mother, she will assume that’s what is expected of her and will not know society will allow her to be anything she wants to be.

Feminist theory has been around for many years restricting women on how they behave, dress and even what jobs they are ‘allow’ to do. In the short story, “Boys and Girls”, Alice Munro portrays a young girl who is socially and psychologically undermined by her family and the sociality to show her readers how feminist theory took a toll on girls back in 1964 and still happening till this day.

But she shows no intention of behaving differently, but rather, shows an increased desire and ability to do a man's job a thought that disturbs her mother. Her relationship with her mother is not typical and at times she would feel that her mother “was not to be trusted”(154). She had always thought her mother was “plotting” against her but in reality her mother was trying to prepare her so that she can face the gender stereotypes she is going to face as she grows older. As the story progresses the protagonist realises that she has to become a girl; "A girl was not, as I had supposed, simply what I was; it was what I had to become" (155). Here, the protagonist realises that there is no escape from the fixed duties that go along with the child into being a girl and a girl into a

In order to properly view a story from a feminist perspective, it is important that the reader fully understands what the feminist perspective entails. “There are many feminist perspectives, and each perspective uses different approaches to analyze and interpret texts. One is that gender is “socially constructed” and another is that power is distributed unequally on the basis of sex, race, and ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, ability, sexuality, and economic class status” (South University Online, 2011, para. 1). The story “Girl” is an outline of the things young girls

puberty bring with it a complex tradition of restrictions and behavioral guidelines. Kincaid’s poem reveals the rigidity and complexity of the social confines the girl is expected to operate underl. A girl is an induction into the women community as well as an orientation into the act of womanhood (Walkerdine et. al.). The lectured instructions given to the silent girl child vary from the housekeeping, “this is how you sweep a whole house”, to dealing with intimate relationships, “this is how a man bullies you; …how to bully a man” to medicine, “this is how to make good medicine (to abort)” (Kincaid).The inane patriarchal society expects gender stereotypes to prevail. The mother is tasked to give her daughter instructions on how to be a good woman in the stereotyped society. The advice the mother gives to the daughter cements the gender stereotype and portrays limitations on a woman (Bailey and Carol 107).

Both men and women face the cultural strains of gender norms. Although one can sympathize for both genders, historically speaking, women have faced much more repercussions. In Amy Tan’s, Two Kinds, symbolism of the song in which the main character, Ni kan, must recite as a child, represents the theme of feminine oppression. She recites a song called“Pleading Child” and she only realizes that the song has a second half called “Perfectly Contented” until adulthood. The two contrasting pieces of music represent women defying the standards of femininity set by the patriarchy. Similarly, the relationship between Ni kan and her mother symbolizes the relationship between women living in a patriarchal society and the patriarchy itself, respectively. Moreover, their relationship reflects the oppression of women by the ideologies of; undermining a woman’s value, denying a woman’s choice and the disagreement between the sexes.

The lyrics from this part of the song also relate to people who are feminists or what Conley writes as “a consciousness raising movement to get people to understand that gender is an organizing principle of life. The underlying belief that women and men should be accorded equal opportunities and respect.” However, everything in this song says that it is easier to be a boy because in a relationship it is easier for them to not care. In turn the song is demeaning the feminists in the world who want to have equal rights or opportunities. Along with those who believe you can put yourself first or make their own rules even if it's not what society deems as an actual rule to fit in. We don’t have to be under men in society, but we can’t just assume that we know everything about boys. Especially for a song that follows the societal norms of what a boy should do in a relationship. We have to see that yes boys tend to do this, but it doesn’t mean you could be any better if you were suddenly that

Women have had to deal with oppression for centuries. Not being able to speak freely or having the same privileges as men can take a toll. Even in this day and age, women still face these issues, and for years, female poets and music artists have used their creativity to express the emotions they keep bottled up. The writer of the poem “Lady, Lady”, Anne Spencer, was alive during a time where women did not have the social status that they possess today. She was an African American poet, and important figure, during the Harlem Renaissance. Spencer’s poems focused mostly on equality, nature, and women. Both the poem, “Lady, Lady” and the song “Superwoman” by Alicia Keys, an African American song writer, imply resiliency and strength in women who have had to deal with pressures from the world around them.

Jamaica Kincaid’s Girl explores these controversies and writes a long form poem that includes a list of rules for young girls to follow as advice that will help them be more likeable and become a reputable “woman”. These rules are delivered in a direct emphasis with strict undertone. The guidelines given to the young girl can be inferred as a mother teaching her daughter who is at the age of adolescence. Jamaica Kincaid’s long form poem Girl highlights the stereotypical social responsibilities of young girls which is heavily defined by language, culture, and mothers. In the poem the mother figure covers everything from how to

1,” “Grown Woman,” and “Run the World (Girls)” exhibit the “girl power”-inspired feminism that inspires young girls to not only empower themselves, but to look up to a role model (Weidhase). In performance, she had also stood in front of the word feminist during her song ***Flawless (Weidhase). By doing so, she showed her confidence and strength as not only a woman, but as a believer of feminist theory.