by Sage Marmet Peggy Orenstein’s article “The Miseducation of the American Boy” unpacks narrowing male archetypes, revealing the ways in which the youngest generation of men feel those affects. When growing up, boys learn that it is socially acceptable to objectify women, casually use offensive language in everyday lexicon, and joke about sensitive–and sometimes triggering–topics.Continue reading “Male Toxicity: The Broken System Fails Our Men”
Category Archives: Culture
Leda and the Swan: A Twisted Blueprint
by: Hank Bernhardt The idea of gender is not a concept humans must follow. When thinking biologically men and women are different in ways far more numerous than just genitalia. Whether it is muscle mass or sensory abilities, biological boys are different then biological girls. In the case of The Round House the male charactersContinue reading “Leda and the Swan: A Twisted Blueprint”
Lessons From Parvez and Ali
by Lily Liu While reading “My Son the Fanatic”, I found myself beginning to search for parts of the text that felt relatable to my own experiences. There are plenty of differences between the story of Ali and Parvez and mine: setting, family dynamics, and the origins of such conflicts, but the larger themes resonatedContinue reading “Lessons From Parvez and Ali”
Listening to the Other Side: Are Western Authors Finally Listening to Female Voices?
by: Jay Gulati Carol Ann Duffy’s poem “Mrs Sisyphus,” portrays a man pushing a large stone up a hill while a female onlooker mocks the redundancy and stupidity of the task. The stone eventually rolls all the way back down the hill, and the man goes right down the hill and starts pushing the rockContinue reading “Listening to the Other Side: Are Western Authors Finally Listening to Female Voices?”
Dear Others, Stop Telling Me What to Wear: “My Little Black Dress Doesn’t Mean Yes.”
by: Catherine Zhang Dear Mom, When you pulled me aside yesterday as I left for school and told me that my V-neck sweater was too low, you spoke to me that my identity only existed in the sphere of how much I displayed my body. You, who told me everyday of my life how perfectContinue reading “Dear Others, Stop Telling Me What to Wear: “My Little Black Dress Doesn’t Mean Yes.””
Wealthy Women and Beautiful Men: Does Social Status Override Appearance?
by: Kelly Dayton Robert Bly’s “Iron John” discusses the relationship between status and appearance, and emphasizes the importance of presentation of the self. When the King’s son appears in the presence of royalty as the cook’s assistant, he is scolded for his sloppy appearance. Immediately, it is clear that the importance of looks is veryContinue reading “Wealthy Women and Beautiful Men: Does Social Status Override Appearance?”
Damsels in Distress or Damsels that Impress?
by Alana Foster-Smith Women have long been deemed academically inferior to men. The first woman in the United States to receive a degree was not was not until 1831, almost 200 years after Harvard was founded. Women had to fight not only to go to school, but also to be taken seriously in the classroom.Continue reading “Damsels in Distress or Damsels that Impress?”
The Angel’s Dead, but We’re Still in the House: How rejecting a gender archetype is just as limiting as conforming to it
by Kathryn Kaiser Before I comment on the nature of archetypes in our society, two things have to be made clear. First, an archetype is defined as a “perfect example” according to Merriam Webster. An archetype is unique from a stereotype since it is the pinnacle of what a good woman, man, student, child, etc.Continue reading “The Angel’s Dead, but We’re Still in the House: How rejecting a gender archetype is just as limiting as conforming to it “
The Art of Growing Up a Girl: A Culture of Female Submission
The male gaze pictured above. By Catherine Zhang Roxane Gay’s anthology, Not That Bad, details short essays recounting stories of how she was violated in her youth in the experience of growing up a girl. Hauntingly enough, a theme of appreciation is specifically woven throughout her essay, “The Ways We Are Taught to Be aContinue reading “The Art of Growing Up a Girl: A Culture of Female Submission”
DIY Social Change: Deconstructing Gender is an Individual Responsibility
by Frederick Loew Coventry Patmore’s 1854 poem Angel in the House proposed an idea of what women should be like and shaped the gender norms of Victorian society. Patmore used his wife as an example, showing the people of Great Britain that a woman should be devoted to the family and submit to her husband’sContinue reading “DIY Social Change: Deconstructing Gender is an Individual Responsibility”
Constructions of Gender in Literature 