Robert M. Drake once wrote, “Society pushes us to pour out our beauty and uniqueness; so they can burn us alive for being too different.” Chapter 7 of The Language of Composition is like a gallery displaying works of art that depict the impact of the gender roles that society creates and enforces. The biggest gender-related issue facing females in today’s day and age is the expectations that society has established towards the people of this gender. As the world continues to grow, so do the people -- growing to become better individuals includes learning to accept reality. There is a fine line between reality and expectations that society has yet to draw and a line dividing people and their aspirations that society has yet to demolish. The division between one another and the stereotypes that puts groups together is enough to create and ruin society. Society has been shaped to be this way but there is a way to reshape it as nothing lasts forever.

From the very beginning of our lives, gender roles affect us in our day-to-day lifestyles; from the toys we play with, to the clothes we wear, to the occupations we can and can’t have. In the cartoon drawn by Cathy Guisewite, she depicts this image of a toy store that specifically sells their children's toys by gender. It is a story of a woman that is trying to obtain a toy for a unisex child. As the store worker tries to sell her different products, she fails to understand the concept of an object that can be used by anyone, regardless of their gender. Her work paints the idea that society has made it normal to stereotype all females to want “feminine” products and all males to seek for “action” with no exception of crossing over or being in the middle. When the worker suggests a “boy” toy and a “girl” toy the character shows a disturbed face and clearly states that she wants a non-sex-sterotyped, non-gender-specific toy for a unisex child. The cashier then comes back with dinosaurs and she says “they may have had to go back to prehistoric times to find it, but the toy industry finally has something for children that won’t limit their expectations for themselves.” (Source #11) The character states that she is surprised by society's ability to believe that individuals can do or like what they want like they used to back in the day when cavemen and dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

Since the asteroid hit the planet, people have evolved and so have their ideas of one another. Deborah Tannen of There is no Unmarked Woman exposes the reality that society sets expectations that are impossible for women to live up to. Tannen describes this instance with the terms “marked” and “unmarked”. A “marked” subject or idea alters the base of its original meaning while an “unmarked” concept carries a meaning that goes without saying. In her essay, she stresses the fact that females have no choice but to be “marked” while men have the liberty to achieve a “marked” or “unmarked” status. As she observes the people in the office, she notes that the women are “dressed to impress” in their own, unique ways. The men on the other hand, have little to no diversity in their appearance, wearing comfortable yet professional clothing. Not much is expected of males but women are expected to be different. Looking exotic, dressing to impress, and wearing makeup causes a woman to “take forever” getting ready as giving off a hint of simplicity is not acceptable. Although, getting pampered doesn’t bring them to the top of the bar either, rather, it gives the impression that they are asking for attention. (Source #8) At this point, it is safe to say that females cannot win in society. 

This play between genders is a losing game, one that women continuously try to win, but at what cost? Is it worth it? Marge Piercy, the poet behind “Barbie Doll'', paints a picture of a girlchild that experienced the wrath of gender stereotypes at a young age. She lists certain stereotypes that are aimed towards females; little girls should play with dolls and makeup, it is important to live up to a man's standards in terms of intelligence, strength, and looks, and that no matter what they do, people will always see what they want to pay attention to. In the poem, the girlchild was advised to play coy and exhorted to come on hearty, exercise, diet, smile, and wheedle. This advice made her believe that she is not enough, that she must do all of this for the liking of society rather than herself. She was doing fine on her own; being healthy, intelligent, and strong until people started to focus on the things she didn’t notice. As she grew conscious of these “imperfections'' she followed their advice with a dead soul and was then accepted by society. In the end of the poem she reads, “Consummation at last. To every woman a happy ending.” (Source #10) This line communicates the idea that women go through so much to live up to the demands of society thinking that it is worth it but it is not worth the price of one’s spirit.

What can be done? Can humanity change the basis of gender roles that has been around since the Stone Age? Women will always be stereotyped or be held up to a certain expectation but pleasing everyone but yourself is not worth it. This is not only true for women but men as well, and both genders need to realize that this takes a toll on people’s souls and that the whole act itself should be dealt with from the start. As a female or male, accepting the fact that this is a losing game is the first step. This is a game that humanity should no longer engage in. For centuries, women's efforts have been taken towards breaking stereotypes and gender roles but this energy should be put into expressing the purity of one’s character, to paint the sky with the colors humans are capable of making. If one person leads, others will follow and this unity can put an end to the toxicity of society. 

Works Cited

Drake, Robert M. Spaceship: A Collection of Quotes for the Misunderstood. Lulu.com, 2014.

The Language of Composition. Source #8. There is no Unmarked Woman. Tannen, Deborah, New York Times

The Language of Composition. Source #10. Barbie Doll (poetry). Piercy, Marge.

The Language of Composition. Source #11. Cathy (cartoon). Guisewite, Cathy.