ipl-logo

Gender Stereotypes Book Report

1610 Words7 Pages

Throughout the development of this book, many themes and ideas about the book develop to help explain the characters and why they made the decisions they made. One of the aspects I want to focus on is in the difference in gender treatment thought the book. In many instances, men and women are treated differently, on one hand, some woman are portrayed only as sexual objects with no future just like Ybon. On the other hand, men are portrayed as macho for sleeping with women, and It is clear that one’s identity back in those days was connected to one’s gender and so I argue that even though the relationships between opposite genders seem more positive in the book, the same gender relationships and serotype are more prevalent throughout the book …show more content…

With that being said there are basically standards that are set stereotypes in the culture on how men were supposed to look and act towards women. Looking at Oscar, he is overweight and nerdy, and this was frowned upon in that day and age and as a result, he could not talk to women- some would even say to him that he is not a Dominican. This questioned both his gender and culture since he is clearly not living up to the stereotype of how Dominican men looked like. We see how Oscar is also nervous about how he was going to die a virgin, and this is emphasized by Lola who says to him “you’re going to die a virgin unless you start changing” (Diaz, 150). With this added pressure from his own sister it can be said that whilst Lola did not get along with her mother, she was also very worried about her brother who seems not to be acting or looking the way a usual Dominican man would look. Through the words “had no knack for music or business or dance, no hustle, no rap, no G. And most damning of all: no looks” (Diaz, 39) we see Oscar possesses none of these qualities and so there doesn’t seem to be a lot of respect going his way in general. So, because of the culture, he is growing up in, there are certain expectations for his ability to be involved in relationships and sometimes not even relationships, but just sexual interactions. Early in the book, he dates two girls when he is still in elementary school and after they found out about each other his love life comes all downhill from that, thus ending his brief foray into being a ladies’

Show More
Related
1106 Words | 5 Pages

However, the reader can embrace and show a feeling of anguish and disappointment from the writer’s piece. Just by reading the story, the reader can see the Diaz is speaking from past experiences based off of being hurt, “But usually it won’t work this way. Be prepared,” (Diaz 237) “Stroke her hair but she will pull away. I don’t like anybody touching my hair, she will say” (Diaz 237). From the author’s point of view, the reader can feel the rejection and pain to try and understand the thoughts and problems of being Dominican.

Read More
1976 Words | 8 Pages

Diaz was not only passing through these struggles in the Dominican Republic, he also got to experience the affairs his father had with another women and how it affected his mother. In his book,

Read More
428 Words | 2 Pages

This is a serious problem. b. Pretty much all of Oscar's friends and family give him a hard time about his lack of a muscular-man body, lack of success with women, lack of interest in sports, and all of the other things that prototypically define masculinity. This is relatable because I have been told I am not Latino enough and have also been told that I sound like a white girl when I speak therefor I am not Latino enough. a.

Read More
1074 Words | 5 Pages

Not only does Diaz write novels and short stories, but he also takes action towards exposing the problems that Dominican people especially women face everyday. There might be some people who consider Diaz to be an Antifeminist and also a disgrace to his country, the Dominican Republic, but the only thing that Diaz is doing with his writing is exposing the reality of what its meant to be an immigrate from another country and how machismo affects Feminism in Latin cultures. Diaz shows his feminism by exposing machismo and what women in Latin cultures deal with everyday. Machismo is a term used to describe the dominant male behavior in Latin cultures. Machismo can also be describe as a man objectifying a women as a

Read More
796 Words | 4 Pages

He just pushed past her, held up his hand when she tried to talk to him and headed right into the shower. Rafa gave me the look and I gave it back to him; we both knew Papi had been with that Puerto Rican woman he was seeing and wanted to wash off the evidence quick” (Diaz 23). This quote conveys the complications women face in the Dominican Republic but more ineptly, Drown. Extramarital affairs are not frowned upon because machismo lets men feel it is their right, in some cases their duty as men to receive pleasure from other women.

Read More
2418 Words | 10 Pages

In Latino culture, machismo behavior is defined by men that see inferiority in people and expect obedience from them (mostly non-male-bodied individuals). This is illustrated when Blanca invites the pastor and Claudia, a woman from church, to dinner despite Julio’s distaste for it. As a result, Julio snaps at Blanca after her persistent preaching of a church where she is indirectly disrespected and “‘the women are treated as if they were just there to glorify their husbands, their children, and their pastor’” (Quiñonez, 130). Throughout the novel, Blanca is presented as a pious girl, as if she has not changed from the young schoolgirl that Julio fell in love with when he was young.

Read More
1044 Words | 5 Pages

They try to tell Oscar that they except him for being gay and then some deviance is involved into that. It is considered to be a deviance because during that meeting and them telling him they accept him, Michael tried to kiss Oscar to show how acceptable he is if him. Going back to the sex and gender topic the masculinity is shown with the guys throughout the series. The females at some parts in the show also show their feminine side.

Read More
846 Words | 4 Pages

The short story tells the reader how to “date” based on the girl’s social class or ethnicity. The point of dating is said to be able to get to know the person and care and appreciate them making the story opposite of what the reader is trying to achieve. There’s also irony at the end of the story, “She'll say, I like Spanish guys, and even though you've never been to Spain, say, I like you. You'll sound smooth” (Diaz 121). Yunior is probably the opposite of smooth but yet gives advice on how to make a girl engage in a sexual act.

Read More
1431 Words | 6 Pages

In the passage where Oscar wakes up in the middle of the night, he wakes up Yunior and asks him if there has ever been a Dominican male that has died a virgin and Yunior tells him that it is against the law of nature for that to occur. In this passage it says, “That, he sighed, is what worries me.” This reveals that Oscar is constantly thinking about not being able to have sex, even to the point to where he cannot sleep because of it. He is constantly being told how a “normal” guy his age should be and what he needs to change in order to be successful as a man. Moreover, Oscar mentions to Yunior that he was told that, it is unnatural for a Dominican man to die a virgin and this worries Oscar even more.

Read More
1033 Words | 5 Pages

his mother scoffed. Jamas!” (Diaz, 15), Oscar finally chooses Maritza as his only girlfriend. This family also has own values of love. “His abuela placed her hand on his head in blessing…… Know that in this world there’s somebody who will always love you”

Read More
1026 Words | 5 Pages

Within the essay, “But What Do You Mean?”, author Deborah Tannen explains several main areas of miscommunication between men and women. She explores each topic contrasting men and women to conclude that while men and women may communicate differently, both are valid forms of communication, merely using language both parties understand will enhance understanding between the two groups. On the other hand, in William Lutz article, “The World of Doublespeak,” he takes a different approach to language discrepancies. Describing double speak as a detriment to communication, thus, should be eliminated to enhance communication. While both authors explore the concept of language use, the authors use different tones, classifications, and come to separate

Read More
1536 Words | 7 Pages

Although a love affair easily gets the reader’s attention, Diaz through his imperfect characters and symbols splendidly illustrates the relationships around Yunior that shows the process of his growth of a human being from child into adolescent. Diaz depicts a relationship between Yunior and his father by using

Read More
1029 Words | 5 Pages

The men she ignores are the men from Washington Heights: “…when potbellied, sockless men and pubescent homeboys call me mami, as if I’ll give them the time of day if they stare at me long enough, I know I must keep moving forward” (Cruz 3). The men described don’t accurately portray Dominican male culture, but these are the men that Soledad describes when she first arrives home, and they are the men that she does not want to interact or end up with. The men in Soledad’s family get taken care of by women (Victor and her grandfather), beat their wives (Manolo), or leave their wives (Raful). Soledad’s description of the men from page 3 can then be interpreted as her internalizing and subjecting the behavior of the men from her life onto the neighborhood men from Washington Heights.

Read More
741 Words | 3 Pages

Society has created a concept on how men and women should act and dress. These are called gender stereotypes and roles. Gender stereotypes can have a negative impact on children. Stereotyping children at a very young age could impact the way they think and their behavior. Society labels pink as a feminine color and blue as a masculine color.

Read More
726 Words | 3 Pages

Women are often portrayed as having the most important job of staying home and cleaning, however this is not true. Women are seen as the ones to stay home and to clean and take care of the children. This is a very common stereotype that is portrayed and supported by some companies. This is very far from the truth, however due to the fact that women don’t just have to stay home and clean and take care of children. The fact that some companies support this just spreads the stereotype to ads and to the media.

Read More

More about Gender Stereotypes Book Report

Related Topics

Open Document