Book in Review: A Teaching Guide

Madolyn E. Duncan

Impact on Students:
The Presence of Gender Roles in Young Adult and Childrens Literature

A
gender role is roles in literature impacts teenagers in

the public both positive and negative ways.

image of being a
One positive effect that the study of
particular gender
gender roles in literature has on
that a person presents to others
students is that it gives them the
(Dictionary.com). This public image is
ability to identify the abuse of these
largely a construct of society, and has
roles. Studying the ways that gender
the ability to change based on the
roles are misused or stereotyped can
ideals and opinions of society. The
allow students to become aware of the
literature that students, especially
issues that surround societys views of
those in high school and middle
men and women. When I was in an AP
school, study for school and read for
Language class in high school, we
pleasure is full of gender roles, and
studied the short story Sweat by Zora
the way that they are displayed in
Neale Hurston. This tells the tragic tale
books impacts the way that these
of Delia, a woman with an unfaithful
students view gender roles for men
and abusive husband, Sykes. He
and women. The presence of gender
cheats repeatedly, frightens her with
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The ALAN Review Fall 2020
snakes, and she reacts in the typical woman who is suffering from a mental

female way--she screams and cries illness (most commonly believed to be

and cannot handle the slithery postpartum depression) and is under

creatures. Delia is represented as the care of her husband, who is a

weak, submissive, and innocent for physician. Her husband is a dominant

most of the story--which is the way force in her life, and tells her what to

that the stereotypical woman may do. He says she must stay inside,

react. She is unwilling to stand up to sleep, and not to come in contact with

her husband out of a sad sense of many other people. He assumes that

loyalty until the very end when she because she is a female, she is weak

watches him die from a snake bite and and cannot handle her illness as well

makes no efforts to save him. As a as her normal responsibilities and

class, we discussed the way that activities. The narrator is confined to

Hurston portrayed her character, and her room under the direction of her

that the actions and character of Delia husband and becomes more and more

did not mean all women react that mad, until the end, when she

way in the same circumstances. We completely snaps and tears all of the

also identified how she could have yellow wallpaper off of the walls in her

better acted in the situation she was room. In this story, we can see how

in. This discussion allowed us to see the narrators husband was oppressive

the flaws in stereotypical gender roles and dominant, and how that affected

and know how to properly respond to her life. It is also a good example of

them. Another story I read in high how detrimental it can be to a woman

school was The Yellow Wallpaper by to have a gender stereotype--such as

Charlotte Perkins Gilman. This story women being the weaker sex--to be

takes place in the late 1800s/early forced upon them. By identifying the

1900s, and follows the narrator, a dangers of stereotyping gender roles,

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The ALAN Review Fall 2020
it allows for students to have a greater Children's Picture Books, by May M.

awareness for the problems that it Narahara, talks about how gender

may cause. development is critical in the life of a

young child, and that the confining

On the other hand, if students
nature of stereotypes can be
do not identify when stereotypes are
detrimental to that development. The
being abused in books, then it could
presence of gender stereotypes and
lead them to have a skewed view of
sexism limit children's potential
the roles of men and women. In the
growth and development, and the
article Children's moral orientation:
books that are popular for young
Does the gender of dilemma character
children today definitely display
make a difference? by Carole R. Beal
stereotypes (Narahara,1). In the
and Andrew Garrod, they discuss the
childrens section of any given
effects of childrens literature in
bookstore, there are pink books with
creating stereotyped expectations
little girls in dresses that are clearly
about male and female story
girl books, while the boys books
characters. In an experiment the two
show dirt and mud and cars--things
conducted, they found that many
that are stereotypically male. Most of
third graders remembered story
the time, there are no crossovers in
characters as male even when female
girl books and boy books that
pronouns were explicitly used to refer
allow for gender neutral topics and
to them, unless illustrations were
depictions. This can have negative
included in which gender was clearly
effects on the developing world view
and stereotypically depicted. The
of children. If young girls and boys
confining nature of gender roles and
believe that they are confined to the
stereotypes are a big issue in the
roles that the childrens books display,
world of childrens literature. In an
it could greatly limit their chances of
article titled Gender Stereotypes in
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The ALAN Review Fall 2020
reaching their full potential. If most likely out of her league. If the

Elizabeth Blackwell thought that she main character is a boy, he is picked

was only meant to wear pretty dresses on, unpopular and unhappy. The adults

and be a stereotypical female like of these stories are portrayed as

some books suggest, would we even unaware, unhelpful, and unintelligent.

have female doctors today? Some of When students and children read any

the most popular young adult and books, they cannot help but to identify

childrens books are the comic book with the main character. When the

form novels, such as Diary of a Wimpy protagonist is a dorky girl with low

Kid, and Dork Diaries. In an article self-esteem, young girls begin to see

titled Dumb Dorky Girls and Wimpy that in themselves. If a boy reads a

Boys: Gendered Themes in Diary book about another boy who is

Cartoon Novels the authors discuss portrayed as a wimp with no

how these books are aimed for identifiable talents, then he begins to

different audiences, but they think of himself in the same light. It is

popularize heteronormative gender inevitable, and that is the danger in

roles for boys and girls by endorsing having such stereotypical gender

traditional femininities and hegemonic norms in the books that teens read.

masculinities through the following

However, a positive effect that
themes: popularity, mean
may occur by having archetypal male
girls/bullying, self-concept and self-
and female characters in books is that
esteem, friendship, and adult
students can learn from good role
navet. In diary cartoon novels, if the
models. Many children do not have
protagonist is a female, she is
strong male and female role models in
portrayed as a girl with low self-
their personal lives, and reading about
esteem, who is unpopular but wishes
positive men and women might help
to be, and has a crush on a guy who is
them to see what they good men and
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The ALAN Review Fall 2020
women should be like. This may even woman who is strong and also

influence their character to become feminine. Katniss Everdeen is a fighter

better people in their own lives, who is fiercely loyal to those she loves.

especially concerning men (Bronzo She makes hard choices and

and Schmezler, Wildmen). For boys, consistently stands up for what it

examples for good and strong men right. Girls can learn a lot from these

can be seen in characters like the two fictional women. I do have to

Giver from Lois Lowrys novel and acknowledge some flaws that may

Brom, from the popular fantasy novel occur when looking up to a strong

Eragon by Christopher Paolini. The female protagonist. There is a danger

Giver is a nurturing and gentle man, that the typical strong female

who teaches the main character about character, like Katniss, may become

life and truth. Brom is a mentor who the new stereotype. It is important to

instructs Eragon and is a father to him. remember that all types of women and

Both of these male characters can men must be acknowledged and

represent good men who teach and honored in their own ways.

care about the main characters, which

Another risk of over-
can haves a positive impact on young
emphasizing the typical strong female
men. Some positive female characters
character is that the roles of men in
that can become role models for
literature--and in life in general--may
young women are Katniss, from The
be underplayed and disregarded. In an
Hunger Games, and Molly Weasley,
article called, "The Moderating Effects
from the Harry Potter series. Molly
of Age and Education on Gender
Weasley is a strong mother. She is
Differences on Gender Role
nurturing and loving while being a
Perceptions the authors discuss
fiery protector of her family. Mrs.
educations effects on the traditional
Weasley is an excellent example of a
gender roles of men and women. They
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The ALAN Review Fall 2020
found that education and literature and other young people we come in

have a positive effect on the contact with.

minimization of traditional roles of An avid reader, Madolyn E. Duncan coordinates

women, but has little to no effect on
the traditional roles of men. This is an
issue that all must be aware of,
the Master in Teaching program at Washington
State University in Pullman. Currently a clinical
associate professor in literacy, she teaches
courses in childrens and young adult literature.
She spent 25 years teaching English Language.

because equality is important for both References

males and females.
Akotia, Charity Sylvia, and Adote
As we can see, the presence of Anum. "The Moderating Effects of Age
gender roles in literature impacts and Education on Gender
teenagers in both positive and Differences on Gender Role
negative ways. We as a society have Perceptions." Gender & Behaviour
come a long way in improving the 10.2 (2012): 5022-043. Web.
traditional roles of men and women,
Beal, Carole R., and Andrew Garrod.
and as long as we focus on the
"Children's moral orientation: Does
positive aspects of gender roles, and
the gender of dilemma character
make students aware of the possible
make a difference?" Journal of
dangers that they might create, we
Moral Education 26.1 (1997): 45-60.
can continue to make vast
Web.
improvements in the area of gender
Bronzo, William G., and Ronald V.
roles and stereotypes. As scholars of
Schmelzer. "Wildmen, warriors, and
literature, as educators, and as
lovers: Reaching boys through
members of this diverse and
archetypal literature." Journal of
wonderful human family, it is our
Adolescent & Adult Literacy 41.1
responsibility to use books and
(1997): n. pag. Web.
reading to inspire more positive, equal

and true world views in the students

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The ALAN Review Fall 2020
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Hurston, Zora Neale, and Cheryl A.

Gosford: Scholastic Australia., Wall. Sweat. New Brunswick (N.J.):

2015. Print. Rutgers U Press, 1997. Print.

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Lowry, Lois. The Giver. Boston:

Wallpaper. Minneapolis: First Graphia, 2000. Print.

Avenue Editions, a Division Of

Paolini, Christopher. Eragon. New York:
Lerner Publishing Group, 2017.
Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Print.
Print.
Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter. London:
Gender roles. Random House
Bloomsbury, 2010. Print.
Dictionary, Random House,
Taber , Nancy, and Vera Woloshyn.
2017. Dictonary.com,
"Dumb Dorky Girls and Wimpy

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/ge Boys: Gendered Themes in Diary

nder-role. Accessed 9 Mar. 2017. Cartoon Novels." Children's

Literature in Education 42.3

(2011):226-42. Web.

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