Final Project- Male Gender Represetations in Children's Literature: Reflection

Ea Each of my selections for this set of children’s literature portrays a unique but equally important viewpoint on the issue of breaking long-standing male gender stereotypes. Whether it be what toys boys can play with or what colors they can like, the books each represent a different stereotype to be broken and all employ different literary and artistic elements to do so. While some rely on subtlety and illustrations and others’ characters scream out loud that they can’t because they are boys, the main theme that runs throughout is being able to do or be something that society has told men they can’t just because they are men. It is from this collection of books that we learn men and young boys alike are constantly judged and have historically been told they aren’t allowed to do something just as often as women. The difference is that, because of our cultural biases, we have all been taught and become well aware of those injustices towards women. Men have stereotypically been considered non-emotional or expressive, and I think that this collection as a whole teaches us that this is not true.