The Things They Carry: Stereotypes Between Men And Women

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We live in a man’s world. A girl is expected to be the ones at home with the children cooking and cleaning; doing the “a women’s work”. While the men got find a job and bring home the bread. This is the stereotype that has been in America for so long. Set in a mindset that a female cannot do what a male can do, America promotes masculinity. My primary source “The Things They Carry” by O’Brian, My secondary source “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, and lastly “The Selling of Masculinity” by Dr. Nerdlove supposes my cause; in the society we live in the men and women are not equally seen.
Society today holds men to the standard of being dominant, brave, and the head. These traits can be associated with the military. At one point in time women were not allowed in the military except as nurses. The women stayed and took care of home while the men dominated the military.
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Unlike the men, women are stereotyped to be submissive “housewife.” For example Kincaid says,” wash the color clothes on Tuesday and put them on the clothesline to dry; don’t walk barehead in the hot sun; cook pumpkin fritters in very hot sweet oil; soak your little clothes right after you take them off.” All these are common things that men refer to as a women’s job. Most mothers will train their daughter up to cook, clean, and watch after the house. Kincaid uses conversations with her mother to write girl. For example Kincaid writes, “This is how you behave in the present of men who don’t know you very well, and this way they won’t recognize immediately the slut I warned you against becoming.” That alone shows that a mother will tell her daughter you have to behave a certain way around men unless they will take it as another sign. Another example is, “don’t squad down to play marbles- you are not a boy you know.” Meaning a girl cannot do the same things as a boy because of