Sexism: Defined by Harry Potter

Reading through any one of the hundreds of ‘chapters’ that Fern has written, it’s easy to see that if English was her first language, sarcasm was her second. She wrote bravely and unashamedly, mocking her society’s unjust view on women. In her column, “Children’s Rights,” she boldly proclaims, “Men’s rights! Women’s rights! I

She validates her own story by pointing to similar experiences in others. Her point that she is considered delusional and “in a nutshell female” when she contradicts a man is authenticated when she retells a story her then boyfriend’s uncle had told her. He says one of his neighbor’s wife had run out into the street in the middle of the night exclaiming that her husband was trying to kill her. When Solnit ask why the uncle thinks this is impossible he explains that they were a respectable middle-class family. To him, it was far more likely that the women was crazy then that her husband was trying to kill her. This argument is farther disproven by Solnit when she explains that three women a day are murdered by spouses or ex-spouses in America. So, it is far more likely that her husband was trying to kill her than that she was crazy. The use of this story and other artistic proof, like the FBI agent Coleen Rowley’s story and Marine Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach’s death, throughout the essay proves that this is not only a personal problem, but a larger issue effecting women every day. She shows us that a women’s word, therefore her very existence, is often taken to be less credible than a man’s. That “they are not reliable witnesses to their own lives.” Solnit also proves the cogency of her essay

Does deviating from one’s gender norms inevitably doom one down a spiral of moral corruption? Tim O'Brien, author of “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” and Ernest Hemingway, author of “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”, certainly seem to hold this view, as evident by the fates of the major female characters in their respective works. The deviance of the major female characters in both works appears to corrupt not only themselves, but also pollute their partners, causing them to suffer injury or harm as a result. The degree of injury ranges from negligible, like Fossie’s demotion and broken heart, to fatal, like the bullet that rips through Macomber’s skull. It begs the question, are these stories meant to serve as cautionary tales for their female readers, or possibly for their husbands, so they may recognize gender deviance and stop it in its tracks before their wives transform into Margot Macomber or Mary Anne Bell? This essay will analyze what such characters say about pervading views of women, both in society and in literature.

Picture a child sitting in front of a television watching the Wizard of Oz. To them, it is an assortment of magical beings, a land filled with wonderful places, with varieties of different colors. They do not picture it as something with far more meaning than just a plain fairytale. On the other hand, gender/feminist critics have been able to analyze the Wizard of Oz as well as Wicked, in order to find a more elaborate meaning behind the story itself. They have discussed what lies behind the story when it comes to the issue of sexism and masculinity towards the book itself as well as the characters. There are many concepts as well that help to further explain feminism and gender criticism. The four concepts that will be discussed

about the reasoning she is providing the audience with. In her beginning paragraph, there does

Early modern Europe was plagued by a number of woman accused of witchcraft, resulting in thousands being hanged. This is a large piece of history that is usually kept in the dark. Most know of the witch trials that happened in Salem, but even then, it is met with an almost humorous attitude. Is the fact there were hardly any male victims and that the event isn’t taken seriously due to sexism? Or is just a coincidence?

Sorrow is a part of being human. Losing a loved one, giving up a child, having to confront reality — all are factors a person may encounter in their life. However, when a girl has to experience the three in the span of five years, things can take a turn for the worst. In Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Butterfly is an ex-geisha engaged to a lieutenant in the United States Navy. Despite clear signs that he is only using her, Butterfly adamantly believes that he is a good man who truly wants to start a family with her. This wishful thinking comes back to hurt Butterfly, in which her husband turns his back to marry another woman and adopt the child he had with his first wife. In the end, after five years of lies, the ex-geisha decides to

“Oh, fairytales, where desperate, naïve girls sacrifice everything for their so-called prince charming”. The realities of these childhood classics are controversial, sexist, and dark, yet, it’s also adored by millions of young girls around the world. Cinderella, an often sugar-coated story, is a great example on how sexism and gender stereotypes prevail in literature. The Grimm Brothers touch on a variety of devices, from characterization to symbolism, all revealing the inequality in not only fictional literature but our real-life society as well. A feminist literary critic will interpret these controversial themes and apply their beliefs of equal rights into the study of the Grimm Brother’s Cinderella.

Three plays, five movies, and two television shows. The story of Peter Pan has lived on for over one hundred years, dating back to the original play in 1906. Filled with mythical fairies, mermaids, and pirates, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is a beloved story centering around the adventures of Peter Pan, and the Darling Children. Wendy Darling, along with her two brothers fly to the island of Neverland, a place that had lived in their imagination for years, but the true story is unbenounced to most everyone who has read the text or seen the movie. How could such an innocent story have such a dark background?

She first begins by reliving her first encounter of a general stereotyped by expressing how after a young man saw her, he immediately went into reenacting the Maria from West Side Story. Cofer states, “a young man, obviously fresh from a pub, spotted me and as if struck by inspiration went down on his knees in the aisle. With both hands over his heart he broke into an Irish tenor's rendition of "Maria" from West Side Story.” Firstly, this addresses the main fact that she is Latin making her an immediate credible source as she fits the “mold” of who is being stereotyped. Then secondly, it gives a peek into what is yet to come for the rest of the essay since it’s from real experience.

Gender roles in children’s literature are linked to gender stereotypes. Gender stereotypes have always been a part of society and are seen in almost every aspect

I have always felt that a good piece of writing causes the reader to think about and analyze a given set of circumstances so that he expands his worldly understandings. Such writing is stimulating and often includes an element of controversy. The short story “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell is one example of this provocation in which the writer conveys her views on sexual injustice. In a way that is conceptually intriguing, Glaspell expresses her ideas about the misunderstandings between men and women during the early twentieth century. While personally disagreeing with the interpretive outcome of the story as well as the message that it is intended to present, I must admit that it did provide me with insight into the mind

“You bitches need to learn your places. You do not order a brute around and get away with it!”

Stories like Cinderella and Snow White radiate sexism with every individual scene of the stories and films.

After watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part Two, I was able to see how gender roles both differ and remain the same in this movie. Although some gender stereotypes apply to the film, I think many characters defy the stigmas typically assigned to males and females. Strong female roles, such as Hermione Granger, Molly Weasley, Professor McGonagall, and Luna Lovegood, help portray sturdy independent women who take charge. Reflecting on this movie, even as a dedicated Harry Potter fan, I have always admired how female actors in the series have had “the brains” in tricky situations. After watching the movie, I saw themes of power feminism, stereotyping, and negative connotations of males who express emotion.