Why Don t Boys Play With Dolls Essay - 1291 Words

The feminist movement has been trying to change the idea of traditional sex roles and stereotypes in society for decades, but maybe the issue relies on society instead of biological differences. While these biological differences and research show that there are small differences in cognitive brain activity between the sexes, they also propose a theory that this â€Å"is the way it’s supposed to be† (Pollitt 2549). Although these differences exist it does not mean that sexes should have permanently assigned roles in society. Katha Pollitt, a feminist author and high profile activist wrote the essay â€Å"Why Don’t Boys Play With Dolls,† published in 1995 in The New York Times Magazine. In the essay, she argues that â€Å"biological determinism may reassure some adults about their present, but it is feminism, the ideology of flexible and converging sex roles, that fits our children’s future† (2549). Pollitt raises important ethical problems in her essay, gender roles and stereotyping. Throughout her essay she provides several claims to her argument and builds credibility with her audience by using rhetorical strategies. However, the argument also exhibits some minor flaws, which could in return limit its persuasiveness. This analysis will identify Pollitt’s three main claims and the evidence she uses to support them. I argue that overall Pollitt provides an effective argument by building her credibility and expanding her audience with the use of rhetorical strategies, such as ethos, pathos,Show MoreRelatedWhy Boys Don t Play With Dolls Essay956 Words   |  4 PagesI put quotes around the title â€Å"Why Boys Don’t Play with Dolls,† and I also made each first word of the essay title capitalize. In paragraph one I added this word ‘and she argues how’ and I also added that ‘Pollitt further demonstrates that women’s have the same power as any men have, but society doesn’t let women get higher than men.’ I also added the word ‘explains that’ after Pollitt. I also added the word ‘infer.’ I also added the word ‘author is comparing,’ and also ‘toys.’ I added this sentenceRead MoreWhy Boys Don t Play With Dolls By Katha Pollitt And Silko s Essays Essay1280 Words   |  6 PagesIn our society today, there are many ways identity plays a role in how people live their lives, as well as how people are viewed or treated by others. A big part of a person’s identity comes from their gender. Men and women are raised differently, whether it be their beliefs and ways of thinking, how they view their future, or the actions they choose to take throughout their lifetime. In both Katha Pollitt an d Silko’s essays, they discuss the differences in the lives of men and women and how theseRead MoreWhy Boys Don t Play With Dolls And The Gender Blur : Where Does Biology End And Society Take1330 Words   |  6 Pagesshould dress and act based on their sex. The majority of individuals accommodate to those roles early on, because of the influences their parents have on them. Such ideas of gender roles are exhibited at length in the two short essays, â€Å"Why boys don t play with dolls† by Katha Pollitt and â€Å"The Gender Blur: Where Does Biology End and Society take over?† by Deborah Blum, in which gender roles are shown to be sociological rather than biological. Pollitt is an award-winning poet also well known as a liberalRead MorePersonal, Social And Institutional Power1726 Words   |  7 Pagesexample of each type of power that is displayed in the movie. a. Personal power is the degree of control an individual has over their own decisions. In Remember the Titans, an example of personal power was when the white boy made a decision to start a fight with Petey Jones (a black boy) because Petey was talking to his girlfriend and threw the first punch. b. Social power is expressed in the way different people relate to each other, or in ‘social dynamics’. An example of social power in the film isRead MoreShort Story : The Doll 970 Words   |  4 PagesJason looked around the room, it looks like she isn t here â€Å"Hello† The doll said with a soothing voice, Jason looks around, but doesn’t see her at all it s dark â€Å"Over here, sorry i like the dark it makes my cooking smell better, well that s what the others say† She walks up to jason and stares at him, jason is disturbed how she s a living doll â€Å"Uh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he says staying quiet â€Å"So did Dr.lowkey sent you here?† she asked â€Å"No, i chose to come in here† he said â€Å"Are you kidding me? Do you think i m someRead MoreGender Roles 22190 Words   |  9 PagesThe Psychological Effects of Gender Roles #8220;Let the boys be boys.#8221; You#8217;ve heard this phrase before. Often repeated by parents regarding their little boys. So what makes a boy, a boy? Rambo like characteristics? Muscles? Short hair? Wearing blue? Wearing T-shirts and jeans or playing with sporting equipment? Well last I remember, the main characteristics boys shared were penises. The role gender association play in the lives of our children can sometimes affect them negativelyRead MoreMasculinity : The Real World1297 Words   |  6 PagesLaura Tarantella Ms. Wolfe English 101 24 November 2015 Masculinity in the Real World Since the day you’re born, society has told you what you can and cannot play with, wear, and even say.The United States has designed an unrealistic definition of American masculinity. For men, society has told them how they are to fit into society’s mold of masculinity. They are bombarded with rules and restrictions, and are told that if they do not conform to fit the picture of the ideal man, they are deemedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Games 900 Words   |  4 Pagesother classmates. He seems to always want to be the one to choose the game and organized it by who can play. DJ picks games where more than 2 people can play. The games are very organized to where everyone has to take turns. Representational mapping is the category we believe he fell under. DJ was very organized with his games, he would choose people to play in the games. While watching DJ play he s very active and likes to talk a lot. When talking to his friends he mentions all the fun cool thingsRead MoreIt s Just A Regular Day1474 Words   |  6 Pageshead. Where s Tamaki-senpai? He should be here by now. I mean he s the president of the club, he should be one of the first few people here. I asked and yawned. I don t know, but do you want to eat cake with me to pass some time? Honey suggested cheerfully. The twins glanced at me as I got a slice of cake. Come on, I can t turn down cake like this! I smiled and got a small piece of cake on a fork, then went in for the bite when suddenly, I heard fast footsteps that seemed to get louder andRead MoreGender Socialization1694 Words   |  7 Pageswords: Its a boy, or Its a girl The baby is brought home and dressed in clothes that help friends, family and even strangers identify the sex of the child. Baby boys are dressed in blue and baby girls are dressed in pink. The baby boy may be dressed in a blue jumpsuit with a football or a baseball glove on it. The baby girl may wear a bow in their hair and flowered pajamas. As the boy begins to grow, he is given a miniature basketball and a hoop to play with. The girl is given dolls and doll clothes to