The word “tomboy” is not unique to nineteenth century literature yet the label began to be attached to the strong independent literary characters of the time. The first use of the word occurred during the sixteenth century and defines a tomboy as a rude, boisterous, or a forward boy. Well into the sixteenth century, Thomas is a popular name for boys. Tom was a long-established moniker for the common man hence tomfoolery. By the late sixteenth century, the word tomboy somehow switches genders and according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is defined as "a bold or immodest woman.…
In the chapter of Girls in Guyland: Eyes on the Guys, Kimmel implies that girls play a huge role in the world of boys (Kimmel 245). As a female, I fully understand that women influence guys behaviors and help continue the distasteful behavior. Kimmel states that “ Girls are necessary to Guyland. They enable us, legitimate guy’s behaviors, normalize it, and make it seem natural…” (Kimmel 245).…
However, Alike does everything in her power to fight it. Alike continues to act more butch and kill any assumption that she is going through a tomboy phase. In Female Masculinity, Judith Halberstam says the “tomboyish tends to be associated with a “natural” desire for the greater freedoms and mobilities enjoyed by boys” (6). Alike’s open tomboyism, especially in the clubs, allows her to explore a setting where she enjoys a positon of freedom and power. However, this freedom is what sets the wedges in her and her mother’s relationship.…
Bruhm and Hurley discuss the figure of the child as, “that which doesn’t quite conform to the wished-for way that children are supported to be in terms of gender and sexual roles” (5). Essentially, Patty is not compatible with the gender role of female; she is questionable, strange, peculiar and seen by the public as unusual. Through the analysis of Patty Peppermint, a modern symbol of childhood queerness in pop culture, it is clear that her image of a tomboy protests heteronormativity, by way of dress, strong character, and an adoration for sports. Most importantly, Patty obstructs the notion of queerness as temporary, by promoting a diverse and content lifestyle, which embraces the tomboy as a piece of herself and…
Our Language “For others, it is to share and spread also those words that are meaningful to us. But primarily for us all, it is necessary to teach by living and speaking those truths which we believe and know beyond understanding,” from “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action” by Audre Lorde. Within our society women are viewed with a lower status than men just because of their use of indirect speech. This is mainly due to how children are brought up within their cultures and ultimately society. However in other cultures, indirectness is used by both genders and it does not reflects one’s status.…
What does society see when encountering a woman? It is a strong, independent, wise person capable of standing up for herself or a delicate, weak, dumb person who needs a man in order to survive? Sadly, it is the latter. Since the beginning of dawn society has perceived women as delicate, frail and dumb, whether it is now or back then little has changed about the stereotype. Thus, making stereotyping one of the main issues affecting young women today.…
Society creates many stereotypes that are distinguishable by the general public such as, the saying boys will be boys and the correlation between girls and the color pink. Personally, I grew up as a tomboy, and still am today at age eighteen. Growing up as a girl does come with its own set of expectations that society sets. When I was in elementary school I always hung out with boys because we had common interests like playing soccer, going to the pool, and playing videogames. I never realized how much I defied the social norm.…
Gender roles and stereotypes have always been an issue in society, and they still are to this day. Although feminism and woman’s rights have come so far in the past years, there is still more progress to be made and the sexist labels do not only happen to women. Having gender stereotypes, that begin when we are young, creates the platform for many of these sexist issues that women, as well as men, are still facing. The article “Why Boys Don’t Play with Dolls” written by Katha Pollitt expresses the ideas of male and female stereotypes along with feminism.…
In many countries, people treat women as if they are lesser than the men around them because of the stereotypes that are associated with each gender. The stereotype that women are supposed to be fragile, emotional and graceful makes them seem as if they are unable to perform certain tasks. The misconception gives men the idea that females are to stick with jobs that require minimum physical strength. Compared to the real world, the movie She’s…
Have you ever noticed that women take a back seat to men? That men are very hypocritical in everything they do, they could make the same mistake in a relationship and it not be a big deal to them but have a partner make the same mistake and have it be a big deal? Have you ever noticed that women have stereotypical looks and attitudes? Well that is exactly what happens to the female characters Myrtle Wilson, Jordan Baker, and Daisy Buchanan live with every day. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel The Great Gatsby, the scenes of Gatsby’s parties, and the trips to New York portrays the works use of feminism.…
Girls wear pink. Boys wear blue. Girls stay in the house and do housework; boys like to go outdoors and work. Girls are told to wait their entire lives for the boy they will marry and their happily ever after. Stereotypes surround each and every person.…
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of feminism is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” While this definition should be the goal for humankind, feminism also encompasses many other problems with society that cannot be explained through one simple definition. One of these problems happens to be the stereotypes associated with women. For example, in the American 1950’s, an almost normal way of treating women was simply by brushing them off in intellectual conversation, believing women were only valued for their maternal instinct. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden reaffirms similar stereotypes to this, including weakness, stupidity, and the objectification of a woman’s body for sexual…
The moral philosophy of feminism is a big part of today's world socially. Women feel that they are not treated the same as men on a social level considering that men do not receive the same consequences that women do when they do not accept their traditional gender role. In “Feminist Criticism” an article by Lois Tyson from 2006, Tyson talks about what traditional gender roles are in today's society. She compares the ways in which men and women are seen in society and how women can be seen as “bad girls” meaning they don't accept their gender role. The traditional roles are seen as girls are emotional and weak while men are strong and rational.…
Even though I initially thought that my views on sexuality were formed from my own thoughts and conclusions, my environment actually had a major influence on me. Some of the factors that have shaped my opinions have been my religion, the gender roles in my culture, media, and my relationships with others. Personally, I identify myself as a heterosexual female and that has been how I have identified myself for quite some time. My views on sexuality have changed quite a bit over the years. My environment has affected a lot of these views and they have also influenced my changes in opinion.…
I too began to adopt some feminine behaviours during my teen years. In particular, I began to work harder at having a pleasing appearance, through learning how to apply makeup and having more feminine choices of clothing. The social pressures to fit in with the crowd were especially prevailing during this time. I did not completely discard of my tomboy identity though, and played for my high school basketball team for three years. This is a better example of what Butler called gender trouble.…