Gender Stereotyping Across Literary Media

By Emily Mears

A topic that oftentimes arises in this class is gender stereotyping. Through different pieces of literature such as Charlotte Temple and The House on Mango Street, we are able to see how young women are expected to be subordinate, male-dependent sexual beings. In Charlotte Temple, the protagonist, Charlotte, is only displayed as being a needy and pathetic young woman who is nothing without her male counterpart. In The House on Mango Street, despite only being twelve years old, in a number of vignettes Esperanza is subjected to pressures for young girls to dress and behave in a way that satisfies men. Sadly, these stereotypes exist across a number of literary mediums through many generations. During our visit to Hillman’s Special Collections, I was able to observe female gender stereotypes in an August 1970 magazine titled “A Girl’s Guide to Liberation: Falling in Love.”

“A Girl’s Guide to Liberation: Falling in Love” located in the Magazine section of Hillman Library’s Special Collections.

Before I discuss the contents of the magazine, it is important to note a few things about the physical condition of the magazine. The 1970 magazine, while not in the worst shape, was definitely notably worn. This makes me believe that it had been sent through the mail, since it was not nearly as old as other works in Special Collections, but had just as much wear. The fact that it is a magazine also leads me to believe that it was sent through the mail, since this is how magazines are oftentimes distributed. The semi-poor condition of the item also suggests that “A Girl’s Guide to Liberation: Falling in Love” was a popular magazine that was read and distributed by a lot of people. The magazine is kept together through folding. There was no indication of where the magazine was physically made, but an emblem on the top left corner reading “National Romance Group” tells me that it was widely distributed across the United States, not limited to just one area.

The magazine was very clearly intended for young female audiences. This was immediately made clear not only by the title, “A Girl’s Guide to Liberation,” but also through the contents. The magazine included a number of ads for things like nails, dresses, and dieting that were obviously geared towards women alone. Additionally, the subjects of many of the comics and columns included in the magazine were about relationships and problems that apply to women alone, such as being a bride and separating from your parents.

A nail advertisement found in “A Girl’s Guide to Liberation: Falling in Love” located in the Magazine section of Hillman Library’s Special Collections.

“A Girl’s Guide to Liberation: Falling in Love” perfectly ties into this class due to the assumptions that it makes about gender, specifically in relation to young women. The magazine reinforces many of the female stereotypes that we have often discussed by repeatedly placing an emphasis on physical appearance as well as encouraging young women to make pleasing men their number on priority. In the comic pictured below, the authors depict a young woman trying to get a man’s attention. While the woman seen in the comic is clearly a nurse, her professional status is almost completely disregarded and she is only seen vying for the attention of a male counterpart. The young woman is depicted as being hopelessly devoted to the man, saying things like “Let me love you” and “Isn’t there any way I can make him (sigh) just notice me?” This reinforces stereotypes that we’ve encountered in novels such as Charlotte Temple by reducing young women to their relationships with men.

A comic found in “A Girl’s Guide to Liberation: Falling in Love” located in the Magazine section of Hillman Library’s Special Collections.

The magazine also depicts a number stereotypes about how a woman should look and act. When discussing a girl’s relationship to her mother, the author refers to the girl as being “tied to Mama’s apron strings.” This reinforces the age-old stereotype that a woman’s main purpose is to cook. Another example of stereotypes being displayed in “A Girl’s Guide to Liberation: Falling in Love” are through advertisements that urge women to prioritize their physical appearance. One advertisement titled “Don’t Be Fat!” promotes weight loss pills, but only pictures a minimally clothed woman. This advertisement stereotypes women by only placing weight loss expectations on women, implying that men shouldn’t worry much about what they look like, but women should make it a priority. The magazine repeatedly stresses unfair stereotypes that women should primarily be concerned with making themselves as appetizing as possible for men.

Another reason that this magazine fits the theme of our class is that it directly addresses adolescence. Much of the magazine is dedicated to trying to define adolescence, stating that it is “the process of growing away from nourishment.” Similarly, throughout the semester, much of our focus has been on attempting to define adolescence. The magazine also focuses on a number of defining moments of adolescence, but mainly the transition from living with your parents to independent life. The section of the magazine pictured below gives young women extensive advice about how to adapt to separation from your parents and how to learn to do things on your own. This column definitely applies to our class, because it specifically references adolescence and just one of the key moments that women experience as they transition from adolescence to adulthood.

An article about adolescence found in “A Girl’s Guide to Liberation: Falling in Love” located in the Magazine section of Hillman Library’s Special Collections.

Visiting Hillman’s Special Collections was a valuable experience because it showed me just how ingrained gender stereotypes are into a plethora of literary mediums. “A Girl’s Guide to Liberation: Falling in Love” is just one example of the many works I observed that depicted the theme of gender roles that we discuss repeatedly in this class.