Gender Roles Of Women s Literature - 1661 Words

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 typical role that each gender plays in it, namely women. As feministic movements have gained more and more traction in recent years, there’s been a shift in the roles and expectations placed on women. Today, more and more women are going to college,†¦show more content†¦This holds true for young men as well, whereas if a boy is constantly reading about being strong, adventurous, independent, and tough, he will assume that is what is expected of him as well. Tradit ional roles in young adult or children’s literature would be roles that often times could be perceived as gender stereotypes, and these stereotypes frequently reflect what is thought of as â€Å"the norm†. A stereotype is defined by Merriam-Webster as â€Å"something conforming to a fixed or general pattern; especially: a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment† (Stereotype- Definition of Stereotype by Merriam-Webster). However, stereotypes aren’t always a bad thing. In some sense, stereotypes are able to provide a sense of order and predictability, and in the purest sense of the word, they simply are just reflections of societal patterns that have been observed for decades. In literature, traditional gender roles tend to conform to what is the prototypical perception of each gender, reflecting and following the guidelines set by so ciety. However, as time goes on, these perceptions can become inaccurate, whether it’s from social progression or a change in traditional ideals. This is why consistently exposing children and young adults to stereotypical roles in literature can result in theShow MoreRelatedGender As A Man And The Role Of A Woman932 Words   |  4 Pages Many people define gender as the range of characteristics pertaining to, and differentiating between, masculinity and femininity. In modern and traditional society, gender is used to teach the â€Å"role of a man and the role of a woman†. The role of gender in adolescent literature dates back to the first kind of literature for children, oral folk tales. On the beaches of Greece, Homer told the tale of Odysseus. A Greek king, who was strong, fearless and wise; whom traveled great lands and fought manyRead MoreThe Portrayal Of Children s Books918 Words   |  4 Pagesmedia – including books. 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