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Summary Of Maggie A Girl Of The Street Sexism

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He Can but She Cannot: The Harmful Effects of Sexism on Women
The idea of a sexual double standard emphasizes that men have more sexual freedom than their female counterparts. According to Professor Derek Kreager, a sexual double standard is “the belief that women and men are held to different standards of sexual conducts in contemporary society” (Kreager 1). This concept is evident not only in modern society, but in the past as well. Stephen Crane, an American author of the late 1800s helps prove this. He was extremely thorough in making sure he wrote truthfully to the times he lived. With that in mind, in his novella “Maggie: A Girl of the Streets” there is a clear sexual double standard. There is a strong presence of a sexual double standard …show more content…

Many would claim that men and women are treated exactly the same. This statement is disproven in “Maggie: a Girl of the Streets”. This is obvious when Crane writes that, “Pete did not consider that he had ruined Maggie. If he had thought that her soul could never smile again, he would have believed the mother and brother, who were pyrotechnic over the affair, to be responsible for it” (Crane 61). Pete never even considered the repercussions his actions would have on Maggie. At first in the novella, Maggie was nervous about kissing Pete. When Pete slept with Maggie he “ruined” her but he never would have considered her downfall to be his fault. Since Pete had a higher status as a man and in general, he did not concern himself with what would happen to Maggie. This reveals the sexual double standard because Pete did not even have to think about his actions, while Maggie was forced to take responsibility for both of their actions. Oakland University sociologist and anthropologist Heidi Lyons explains the overwhelming proof that there is a sexual double standard. She reports that, “Teenage boys who gain considerable sexual experience do not run the same risk of being labeled deviant as do their female counterparts. More specifically, young women who had a high number of sex partners were socially reprimanded for their behaviors, and young men were rewarded.” (Lyons 3). The young women in this study are seen as socially inferior to the men and Lyons works to expose this fact. Since the men are held on a pedestal they are not scolded or held responsible for their actions. The more confirmed sexual experiences a woman has the lower she falls socially. The more experiences a man has the higher he is held in esteem in today’s society. This sexual double standard makes no sense at all. The women are expected to stay

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