Respect and Stereotypes & Things Fall Apart

In America, women have been fighting to earn their rights for over 200 years.  The main cause of why American women have yet to be equal to men is mainly because of the stereotypes given to them and the respect not given to them by a percentage of males.  Members from both genders are still involved in the superiority and inferiority of the two genders.  Because of how our country sees women, we respond to women as the inferiority and we respond to men as the superiority.  This shows the feelings of disrespect many men still have toward women.  In today's society, women are allowed to do many tasks including run for president, vote, and represent her country in the Armed Forces.  But in today's society there are still some tasks women are forbidden by law to do including fighting combat on the front lines in the Armed Forces.  In an online article, DOD spokeswoman Eillen Lainez states the reason for limited roles for women in the Armed forces is that "there are practical barriers which if not approached in a deliberate manner, could adversely impact the health of our service members and degrade mission accomplishment." (1)  What are these "practical barriers"?  That women are not strong enough?  That women are weaker than men?  The real reason for the exclusion of women in combat is that stereotypes have formed a vision of women in America's mind and it is one that shows women as inferior, that women are not able to do what men do.  Such feelings are displayed in the book Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo was known to rule his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper. In the Igbo culture, men are considered the dominant sex as they control their wives and families.  Men had the right to be aggressive towards anyone in their home, and because of fear of abuse, women lived in fear of their husbands.  These feelings toward women from Things Fall Apart are still represented in America's society today.  These beliefs of superiority and inferiority are destructive and invalid, not one person is more or less important than another.  In order to demolish these feelings of superiority and inferiority, we must learn to respect all. 






Achebe, Chinua. Things fall apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994. Print.

"Why Can't Women Serve at the Front? : Discovery News." Discovery News. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2013. <http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/women-military-front-120213.htm>.