Essay on Bright Gals

Submitted By rashmimodi
Words: 351
Pages: 2

In this article Susan Jacoby talks about why girls tend to dislike math and science even though they make good grades. Jacoby says that girls put up a mental block about math and science by saying it’s a masculine subject. Therefore, girls often tend to not want to participate in math and science for fear of being too smart and, as a consequence, having guys lose interest in them. It has also been proven that guys will excel and make better grades than girls in math by the time they hit twelfth grade. The other topic Jacoby discusses is: girls who stop taking math and science classes sabotage their careers and professions. This is why many girls seek professions in fine arts, social sciences, and education. Not taking the two courses also limits the understanding of how the physical world works. The main message Jacoby makes is that girls shouldn’t divide math, science, and English into masculine and feminine stereotypes and that they should take the courses even it they don’t want to. In my experience math and science have never been a girl’s favorite subject; they certainly aren’t mine. But I have come to notice that some girls like a particular type of science, such as anatomy. The whole masculine and feminine categorization of math, science, and English is just another way to get out of something, in this case taking the subject. Girls who think that upper level math and science make them look to smart and unpopular with the boys are unaware; being smart can actually