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Essay / How society influences gender, as shown in The Color Purple and To Kill a Mockingbird
Gender roles are learned primarily through social interaction rather than biologically. When people are born, they have very little knowledge about gender. Some behaviors are taught through social interactions and relationships with others. Additionally, the way children are raised in society reflects the way they behave as they grow up. The idea that society transforms beliefs and outlooks on life based on communication experienced by parents, peers and work, much more than biological factors, can be seen in the film The Color Purple and the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original EssayNaturally, women are overlooked because they are less athletic than men due to their gender. As a result, parents often don't treat girls and boys the same when it comes to sports. Boys learn to be more aggressive because they are expected to be more athletic than girls. In The Color Purple, Albert's expectations of stereotypical male dominance convince Harpo that he must beat Sofia (Spielberg). Additionally, girls are encouraged to express their feelings and cry freely. Boys typically experience feelings such as excitement and anger; they are socialized to replace feminine behaviors, including depression and fear. Males cannot cry or express their emotions (Jackson). Instead, they are expected to be brave and act as if nothing bothers them. From a young age, children are also influenced to act in specific ways by their peers. Throughout the film, Harpo is the only man in his group who does not find pleasure in beating his wife. He is often shamed and driven to the point where he feels the need to hit Sofia to please his friends and family (Spielberg). In fact, a child can be made fun of when they do things considered non-typical of their gender. For example, a boy may be teased by his peers if he likes to cook in the kitchen or play with dolls (Skorek). Advertisements within advertisements feature specific toys for each gender and show only one playing with them; society encourages children to play only with certain toys intended for their gender. Men are still very dominant in high jobs because our culture indicates that men can handle difficult jobs better than women. Since society values competition and individual achievement, women's orientation toward caring for others or cooperative action to build community may be considered (in a male-dominated society) to be of lesser importance (Russ ). For example, it is not considered socially acceptable for a woman to coach a men's sports team. This is a disadvantage because some women can be excellent coaches, so players lack great experience and female coaches do not have the opportunity to coach. It is unfair for society to judge a person's abilities based on their gender. At the beginning of The Color Purple, women were forced to stay at home and become housewives (Spielberg). Albert wanted to get married just so he would have someone to clean and cook for him. Eventually, Célie shows her independence by leaving Albert and opening her own shop; she sold jeans for men and women. Scout is a tomboy with.