Gender Stereotypes In Zathura

The story of Zathura, by Chris Van Allsburg, is about two brothers who do not get along very well. While the brothers, Walter and Danny, are fighting they find a game that transports them into outer space and causes a lot of problems for the two boys. In order to beat the game they must figure out how to fight all the obstacles the game sends their way. This book teaches boys many gender stereotypes. It does not break from the traditional norms that boys have had to follow for generations. Zathura has everything that one would expect out of a book directed towards young boys. It contains almost everything that boy are “supposed” to like. It shows that boys are supposed to be mean, tough, and manly enough to handle any situation life throws at them with no help from anyone else. The illustrator of …show more content…
It promotes unhealthy masculinity by the way it depicts the main characters. They acts as boys are told that they are supposed to act, they do not back down in the face of danger and they need no help from others to accomplish their goals. They speak rudely to others and pick on weaker people because they are boys. These are lessons that boys do not need to be taught anymore. Everything about the book sticks straight to typical gender norms, and that it not a good thing. There is very little compassion shown in this book, compassion is something that little girls are taught a lot of, but boys do not seem to get taught those same qualities. It is time that society starts teaching boys similar lessons to the ones taught to girls. This book shows space, robots, fighting, creatures from outer space, and black holes. Little kids are always being told what they are supposed to like and the content in Zathura is all based on what young boys are supposed to like. Nothing about this story breaks any sort of cultural norms or does anything to teach people about progressive gender norms for