Influences of Society on Gender in The Color Purple and To Kill a Mockingbird Zaneb Mansha 11th Grade

Gender roles are learned mainly through social interaction rather than biologically. When people are born, they are supplied with very little knowledge of gender. Certain behavior is taught by means of social interactions and through relationships with others. Additionally, the way that children are raised in society reflects on how they act as they mature. The idea that society transforms the beliefs and views on life from communication experienced through parents, peers, and work, much more than biological factors can be seen in the movie The Color Purple and the novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

Naturally, females are overlooked as being less athletic than males because of gender. As a result of this, parents often do not treat girls and boys in the same way when it comes to sports. Boys are taught to be more aggressive since it is expected that boys should be more athletic than girls. In The Color Purple, Albert’s expectations of stereotypical male dominance convince Harpo that he needs to beat Sofia (Spielberg). Furthermore, girls are encouraged to express their feelings and to cry freely. Boys generally have feelings such as excitement and anger; they are socialized to replace feminine ones including depression and fear. Males...