Stereotypes In American War By Omar El Akkad

In the novel American War, author Omar El Akkad imagines a bleak American future: a nation divided both North and South and man and woman. Fossil fuel regulations divide the North and South, resulting in a brutal future civil war set from 2075-2095 to which many future American citizens fall victim. However, yet another division exists. Deeply rooted gender roles, much like those found in today's society, create a silent social violence harming the future citizens. The novel follows Sarat -- a girl made bitter through cruel circumstances of an American Civil War -- who destroys social expectations through her vengeful rampage against her enemies. Sarat frees herself from the future feminine stereotypes that mirror many of the same gender roles

Despite however many ads come about advocating for young girls to join the STEM program, the majority of young girls today still would rather play with Barbie dolls then microscopes. The role for little girls to act delicate and soft seems to be similar to the culture of American War. One of the most vibrant examples is the contrast between Dana's and Sarat's sides of the tent at a refugee camp. Dana's side had "trappings of a teenage girlhood - a straightening iron; a makeup kit composed of various brands and shades of concealer and blush and lipstick, eye shadow...yellowing copies of Belle Magazine." (el Akkad, pg. 79). Dana's side of the tent paints a perfect landscape of the societal expectations of a female. Sarat defies these expectations through "no posters and few possessions" and a "potpourri of war seeds." The sides provide a contrast - those confined to the typical and those liberated by their atypical. In the case of American War, Dana conforms to typical "teenage girlhood." Many today conform, much like like Dana, to achieve societal acceptance, thus obeying gender roles. Few rebel, like Sarat, breaking societal expectations. Not all gender expectations are so vibrantly contrasted to be easily seen. Just like culture today, some of our gender roles are so deeply rooted, they mostly go unrecognized. These silent gender roles manifest today through small comments like: "You through like a girl." These comments seem inconsequential, but they add to the culture of roles. When one states "You through like a girl.", one says "Girls throw badly." The unspoken gender roles reveal through a small interaction between Sarat and Dana as children. Catching Sarat playing with a mosquito, Dana remarks, "That's gross." (el Akkad, pg. 24). After Dana's judgmental remark, Sarat ponders why Dana does not find the surrounding biology fascinating as