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This 3 page paper discusses the origins and perpetuation of male/female stereotypes in fiction. Examples given from classic literature. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
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3 pages (~225 words per page)
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todays fiction appear to be stronger, faster, more ruthless, they are also, nonetheless, balanced by also inferring their soft, nurturing, sensitive sides. In only the rarest of instances is this
true of the male character. Why? Upon reading Joseph Campbells book, Transformation of Myth Through Time, one is struck with the realization that this prevailing myth of the weaker female
was not always so. Before the advent of Christianity, women were revered as Goddesses, were viewed in many instances as the true leaders within a village or community, and were
looked up to as the physical embodiment of the divine(Campbell 49). Women were seen as being strong and dominant in the best of lights. However, Campbell points out, with
the dawn of a new era which included a new religion for the land, women were severely reduced in status. Perhaps this was in an attempt to squelch the old
pagan influences which held women in such high esteem, or perhaps it was merely a form of control over the masses. Whatever the reasoning, the former belief that woman was
the physical representation of the divine was replaced with the imperfect vessel notion, or the weaker sex. One needs only compare the character of The Odysseys Penelope to Shakespeares
Ophelia to see how women characters have changed over the years. Penelope was able to fight off suitors for decades while maintaining the kingdom. She was shown to be clever,
intelligent, and strong. Ophelia, on the other hand, was drawn as weak, self-sacrificing, and ineffectual against her husbands accusations. In addition, there is the fact that when publishing came
into its own, only men knew how to read. Therefore, the stereotypes were skewed to entice male readers to buy the book. William Warner states that men were shown to
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