Love in Red Azalea by Anchee Min and Stone Butch Bluesby Leslie Essay

Love in Red Azalea by Anchee Min and Stone Butch Bluesby Leslie Feinberg - Essay Example The authors patterned the two novels in this way, to intensify the difficult struggle that the two main characters had to go through, just to have a chance to freely define who they really are. The farm where the Red Azalea's lead character, Anchee Min worked left her feeling suffocated, which was why she wanted to try her luck in theater. Moreover, the stigma of the Communist Revolution drove Min to feel more repressed, as the ideals of communism to dampen the individual's desire for self-actualization for the benefit of the collectivist society. Stone Butch Blues is set in upstate New York, during a time of political turmoil in the 1960s. The lead character, Jess, was constantly asked whether she was a girl or a boy, and was thus being forced to fit into a society that only tolerated masculine behavior for men, and feminine behavior for women. The settings of the two novels both provided a backdrop by which tension could occur, since it was made clear on both novels that the two lead characters wanted to define themselves in settings where they were trapped - physically, politically, emotionally and sexually. The places, the times, the surrounding people, as well as the prevalent ideas and culture defined the repressive environment in which the two main characters lived in. The settings and surroundings definitely took their toll on the psyche of the lead characters, and the authors used strong language to show how the stifling effects of the ideological suppression were to the main characters. Compared to Jess, Min kept more to herself, but the author portrayed the latter as having humorous and insulting images of the surrounding people that oppressed her. Jess, on the other hand, was a more active social rebel, in the sense that she showed everyone that she wanted to be her own person, despite the dictates of society. Noticeably, Stone Butch Blues was written in the first person, such that the author did not have to use the pronouns "he" or "she" to refer to the novel's main character. This, in itself, is a bold statement implied by the author through her narrative style, in the sense that she did not want her main character to be defined by stifling sexual conventions and norms. Through the plot of both the novels, Min and Jess both had unique encounters that gave them glimpses of the life experiences that their respective surroundings had tried to hide from them. These experiences moved and invigorated them in very deep ways. These further roused their curiosities, as if to make them feel that the things that they had been longing for all their lives, actually do exist and are in fact in front of them. These encounters provided an opposition against the ennui and stigma that the respective settings provided. For Min, she met Yan, who was a charismatic woman who happened to be affiliated with the revolutionary movement. Min developed a strong and deep friendship with Yan, as latter's character provided warmth against the desolation that the former experienced. Jess, on the other hand, was introduced to the thrilling world of lesbian bars - where strong butch women would fight for the admiration of their feminine lovers. Here, Jess finally fulfills her long-time yearning for love and companionship, while getting the chance to be the masculine female that she had always wanted to be. These encounters both gave Min and Jess a window of escape from the stifling

Gender Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Gender Issues - Essay Example Gender Issues: Basically the story is about a little boy who is depicted as a "typical" little boy. Of course this is a stereotype, because his room is messy, his hair is tussled and many of his toys are on the floor. On the second page, there are three boys sitting at the table and they receive boy toys (a Corvette Sting Ray car kit and a Junior Undercover Agent code ring) in their cereal boxes. In the next pages a mother is driving the kids to school and there is only one girl seen in the entire book. There is a female teacher, an din Alexanders classroom, there are only two girls; there is one girl of color and all the rest of the children are Caucasian. On the next two pages, there are four girls and three boys; there is one boy of color. The next two pages have a girl and three boys, one of the boys is a boy of color. In the dentists office, the dentist is male, and it is the mother who brings the kids to the dentist. On the next two pages, there are only boys. The boys get into a small fight and it is mother who breaks them up. The next two pages show three male children. Towards the end of the book, we finally se a father. It is very apparent that the father is the "bread winner" and the mother is the homemaker. This is shown because dad is in a suit and tie and working in an office. The kids mess up his office and his reaction is "please dont pick him up anymore". This shows that the father does not take equal care of the boys. The story portrays a traditional family with mom taking care of the kids and the home. The father is at work in an office so he is the one who makes money for the family. The written depictions are about Alexander and his day so Alexander is spotlighted. Personal view: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a hilarious book. There is charm and with in it. I particularly liked that Alexander was always wanting to move to