How would you identity yourself? Is it by your gender? Your age perhaps? Maybe it’s by your name? Or could it really just be by your appearance? Most of you guys would probably identify me as an Asian male attending Peak Tuition who eats rice on a daily basis, but for all you know, I’m actually a black woman who’s not even meant to be here doing a speech and my favourite food is chicken. What I’m trying to get at, is that someone’s identity may be more than meets the eyes. Tim Winton, the composer of the short story, My Father’s Axe, explores the universal themes of male identity in the modern age. He utilises many relatable scenarios which convey the stereotypical male identity. “Jamie says he doesn’t know where the axe is and I believe him;
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This portrays the male figure as generally being subconscious of their emotions. Crying is an action often stereotypically represented as a weakness found mainly in the female identity, and not the male counterpart, therefore men often try to hide these “feminine” feelings to retain their sense of masculinity. This notion suggests superiority for male identity in the modern age. Another text which readers can relate to would be the free verse poem, Like a Girl. Instead of the male gender, the composer of this text writes from the perspective of a female persona. Furthermore, the composer objects to the stereotypical standards of females by announcing that being a female is not a weakness, but is a trait on par with being a male and sometimes even better! “Who and what I want, comes from being strong”. The composer’s didactic tone makes the audience contemplate the composer’s message. That is, a person’s gender does not affect his or her potential. “You imagine I am weak, not strong enough, brave enough, you call me different! Still, you want my warmth, my love, and attention”. By commanding the reader to ‘imagine’, the composer is in fact, using imagery to list the typical traits of a
This portrays the male figure as generally being subconscious of their emotions. Crying is an action often stereotypically represented as a weakness found mainly in the female identity, and not the male counterpart, therefore men often try to hide these “feminine” feelings to retain their sense of masculinity. This notion suggests superiority for male identity in the modern age. Another text which readers can relate to would be the free verse poem, Like a Girl. Instead of the male gender, the composer of this text writes from the perspective of a female persona. Furthermore, the composer objects to the stereotypical standards of females by announcing that being a female is not a weakness, but is a trait on par with being a male and sometimes even better! “Who and what I want, comes from being strong”. The composer’s didactic tone makes the audience contemplate the composer’s message. That is, a person’s gender does not affect his or her potential. “You imagine I am weak, not strong enough, brave enough, you call me different! Still, you want my warmth, my love, and attention”. By commanding the reader to ‘imagine’, the composer is in fact, using imagery to list the typical traits of a