Just a Girl
My cousin Andrea is studying to be an orthopaedic surgeon. (If you watch Grey's Anatomy like me, you know that orthopaedic surgeons diagnose and treat cases having to do with bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles). Since I want to be a pediatrician, I asked her about what it's like to be in med school. Some words that obviously came to mind immediately were "agonizing" and "unbearable" and "excruciatingly painful" but overall "a cool experience I guess." When she was giving me some details about how it felt to be a med student, what really struck me was when she pointed out that most of her classes had a majority of boys. She explained that since it requires a bit more strength to be able to snap bones back into place, orthopaedics are seen as more of a manly part of the medical field. This really got to me. I mean, it's 2018 and we're still stereotyping genders? It reminded me of when we read a chapter from Maxine Hong Kingston's novel, The Woman Warrior. Sure, what my cousin experienced wasn't nearly as bad as what extreme sexism Kingston went through as a child, and what she likely still goes through now. But it got me thinking. All Kingston wanted was to be held to the same standards as her brothers. Growing up, girls were seen as sub-human, and relatives even said that it was "'better to raise geese than girls.'" She wanted to know why her parents didn't have a month-long party for her when she was born (Kingston 46). I think that to some extent my cousin felt the same way, walking in to a class full of boys scoffing at her, thinking she could never be an orthopaedic surgeon because she's just a fragile little girl. She had to prove herself, day in and day out, to show that she could do everything the boys could do. I really want our society to improve by eliminating gender stereotypes and sexism, but some days it just seems impossible.
I like your connection of text to reality. It's exhausting how women, even in this day and age, have to prove themselves to be able to handle activities seen as "manly." (I strongly disagree with the notion that there are "manly" activities.) Don't give up! Your cousin is really cool, by the way.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you related the passage with a real experience. I think it is surprising and agitating that, despite it being watered down from the past, sexism continues to pop up in everyday life. Anyone is capable of doing what they aspire to do, regardless of gender. I'm sure your cousin will do great and prove their assumptions wrong.
ReplyDeleteI love this piece because it is enjoyable to read and incorporates what we discussed in class. You did a very good job of analyzing "The Woman Warrior" while telling your own story about a similar topic. What you wrote about was extremely interesting and I did not know that men are mostly orthopedic surgeons. I also appreciate how you mentioned Grey's Anatomy in the beginning because it definitely caught my attention!
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