Gender Biases and Sexism in Writers

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Recommended: Gender discrimination in literature

Gender biases are what our society has been trying to avoid for decades. However in many instances it plays a huge role on the outcome of creative outlets. Writing is generally a very personal reflection on some ones values, views and opinions. What role does gender play on someone’s writing style? Could an entire book of poetry revolve around the author being a male or female?
Sexism is an issue that has plagued our world for hundreds of years. Ideas that women belong in the kitchen and men should be under the hood of a car are prevalent in every society. If people believe in such drastic stereotypes, would it make sense to say that someone’s sex does not play a role in how they write? Poet Lisa Robertson is a good example of the influence gender has in poetry. Writers often have a beautiful way of saying the things that they are most passionate about and Robertson is a strong, independent woman who is not afraid to let her opinions be known. In almost every interview with Robertson she is asked more about her work in feminism than her writing. Most of the people that talk to her automatically assume that her personal opinions have a direct impact on her work, and she proves that they are correct while talking to fellow poet Brecken Hancock. Robertson states, ““[Philosophical] discourse… contains some of our most intensely gendered, authority-ridden constraints. As a woman with no authority in the field, it actually frightened me to admit I wanted to write these essays, in heavy and worthy houses, I feel a violent dismay. It gets harder and harder to be a female in one’s life in such a house.” A man would not write about a females issues the same way that she would, they have been trained to see things differently. ...

... middle of paper ...

...“I just knew. Men and woman have a certain way with their words.”
Gender effects our every day lives even if society does not want to admit it. Creatively, it is detrimental to the outcome of individual works. Whether it is a painting, journal, musical piece, or most importantly poetry, Gender matters. Lisa Robertson is an activist for woman’s rights, she has worked for years with issues of female empowermant and equality, each one of her writings shows this. This stands true for other poets as well such as Anne Waldman, Carol Ann Duffy, and Maya Angelou who once said “How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” Gender based writing at it’s finest.

Works Cited

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15753
http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2013/12/08/study-the-brains-of-men-and-women-are-different-very-different/

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