Tomboy, Misogyny, And Gender Norms In The Twentieth Century

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Liz Prince’s Tomboy, Misogyny, and Gender Norms in the Twentieth Century
In the twenty-first century, being a feminist is extremely common among men and women alike. Movements have been started and women have come together from all over the world to redefine what it means to be a woman. However, just a few decades ago, the line between women and men was strictly drawn and standards were set for both. Girls were to be feminine and soft while boys were masculine and tough. Many who grew up in the twentieth century faced issues with not conforming enough to one side. Masculine women and feminine men were accused of being homosexuals to explain their non-conformity to the gender binary in place. Liz Prince faced exactly that issue. Prince’s graphic memoir Tomboy details her struggle with the gender norms set by society and how it led to an internalized misogyny.
Throughout the 1900s, women struggled with their place in the world. While many adapted to the home-maker ideals deeply set in society, some fought for a place next to the boys. The Women’s Suffrage movement won women the right to vote, which was a right reserved for men, yet the movement did not stop there. Many women had already begun to reject household chores in …show more content…

She spent her entire childhood and most of her teenage years looking down on girls for being feminine because it made them seem weak and stupid. Yet, it was Prince’s desire to live more masculinity and the resulting bullying that helped her create the internalized misogyny that she must deal with at the end of the novel. Prince has a discussion with a woman named Harley who asks her, “Do you hate girls? Or do you hate the expectations put on girls by society?” (211). It is not until the last chapter of the book that Prince finally understands Harley’s message: It is okay to be a masculine and still be a

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