To this day, gender conflict in society is a constant concern. Over generations men and women have been limited in their abilities based on the societal labels attached to each gender where the narrator experiences these restrictions through his family. For moments, the narrator values his father's work far more than his mother's. However, when her father introduced her to the salesman as a “new wage earner,” the salesman told her, “I thought she was just a girl.” Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The comment made by the seller was one of the many ways the narrator was impressed by his belief that she was nothing more than a girl. Due to society's guidelines, men are portrayed as bigger than a girl where women feel the need to let men handle men's work. The narrator is constantly told by her mother "wait until Laird gets a little older, then you'll have real help." Once again, the narrator is told that she does not belong in the position she wants and that it is temporary, as the helping hand should be her brother while she will be forced to complete household tasks as an ideal girl would. In general, when women engage in manly conduct or service, many individuals emphasize and disapprove of their originality in a negative way and take it upon themselves to remind them of their side of the line. With gender role pressure, those who go against society's rights guidelines have difficulty finding their own identity since they have rejected the one that was established for them when they were born. When you think of a girl, you think of someone who is generally interested in feminine activities such as housekeeping, cooking, etc. However, the narrator chooses to break these chains of her gender and attempts to create her own identity. The fact that the narrator's perception of her mother's job was “endless, sad, and especially depressing” shows that she has no interest in what a typical girl does. His mother's job is much more boring than his father's which was “ritualistically important”. “These stories were about myself, when I had gotten a little older; they were set in a world that was recognizably mine.” Also, through these dreams you can see that she is inspired to be someone and not what her reality wants her to be. Although these were based on a fantasy, the courage that resides in her character allowed her to want more for herself. When individuals are forced to accept certain norms, they tend to do the opposite. The narrator experiences multiple episodes in which the female role in society is constantly imposed on her. Something as simple as, when her grandmother told her “girls keep their knees together when they sit,” is a direct tip on how to be a girl. In our society being a girl involves many aspects and something like our posture can change people's assumptions about you. “I can use it more at home” although, this may not seem like a big deal, for most of the narrator's upbringing she received religious comments from her mother. Whether it was teaching her the role of a woman in the home or putting her brother on a pedal stool. “Now he was plotting to make me stay home more, even though he knew I hated it.” Keep in mind: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay When We Were Children, Believe Like It or Not, We Have More:10.1177/0891243287001002002
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