The Equality of Opportunity

I think that the author of “Serving in Florida” would disagree with the statement “everyone in America has an equal opportunity to be successful” because of her personal experience in the minimum-wage marketplace. I believe that everyone in America has the opportunity to be successful, and I’m sure the author would too, however, this opportunity is not always equal. The author talks about how most of the employees that she works with are in financially desperate situations because of prior experiences they have had that negatively impacted their lives. Although I agree that people “make their own path” through life, sometimes there are outside elements that are out of their control and really can limit opportunity. The author also talks about how if she had not had a little over $1,000 in buffer money starting out her low-wage lifestyle she most likely would have been in really bad shape. There are always money-related problems that arise in everyday life that the minimum-wage salary does not take in to account. One’s potential opportunity can be limited to prior financial stability, educational experience, networking connections, etc. There are so many factors that can influence potential success in America, even one’s gender or race can have a profound effect on the limiting of opportunities. Although these limitations can be mildly annoying at times, they are not an excuse, the opportunity is still there it might just require more effort. The author also talks about the way the employees are treated, and I think that this sheds light in to how people are categorized by their social class. Minimum wage employees are often treated as “disposable” because of their lack of wealth and influence. Even though a large number of minimum-wage workers might be felons or drug addicts, it is unreasonable to cast this label on every poverty-stricken person. Respect is oftentimes directly related to one’s financial well being, and it is becoming increasingly easier to de-humanize people based on their economic standing. Overall, there is opportunity for everyone but it is not necessarily equal and might be more visible to some than to others. I think that the author would certainly agree that America offers more potential opportunities to the average person than a place like Afghanistan might, however, we cannot allow this to blind us from positive social change. 

Feb 27

I believe that Barbara Ehrenreich would agree that the American dream is still accessible to the majority of Americans. If one wants to be successful in life then they are going to have to work for it because nothing comes easy in this world and nothing is entirely free. Barbara is living on her own and she is looking for a new place to live in Florida but all of the real estate is well out of her budget. This means she must work for what she wants, otherwise she will most likely be living out on the streets. So she takes it upon herself with no help from anyone to get a job and work to earn the money she needs to pay for living. As she searches for a job she soon makes a list of all the jobs that she would not enjoy doing and all of the jobs that she would enjoy doing. Barbara chooses as her last resort to go back to waitressing. As a teen she waitressed through high school and all she can remember is that it tires her out and she did not enjoy herself like she would. Barbara needed money so she wasn’t passing up on any offers. Barbara is showing that here in America you can choose the occupation you want to fit your needs and desires in life. She will work for her “car, house, rent, food, and other needs” to satisfy her desires. Once she has all of these things that she wants she will soon realize how happy she will be because she has worked for these things and nothing was given to her. Instead of sitting on her but looking for a hand out she decides to take action into her own hands and goes to work. Not everyone can go to work so she is an example of how to live the American dream in order to be happy.

Gender Sterotypes

The comparison between the egg and the sperm scientifically differs from gender stereotypes because the "norm" is that the male is supposed to be the big and strong and powerful specimen while as the women are fragile and sacred and unable to fend for themselves. However, the egg is the larger, sturdier specimen while the sperm is much more gentle and soft in comparison. The sperm even tries to escape from the egg which creates a more passive characteristic for the sperm. 

The contrast between Katniss from the Hunger Games and Bella from Twilight is more along the lines of feminism and how some people think it should be. Some would say that Bella is the ideal feminist because of her submissive acts; depending on Edward or Jacob to come to her rescue, being the "clumsy", fragile little girl she is. On the other hand, some people, including the author of the article, would say that Katniss would be the stereotypical feminist because of her "tomboyish" attitude and "badass" persona. This could be related to the equality portion of feminism because, a certain percentage of feminists believe that to be a real woman, is to be able to take care of herself without needing the strength, the companionship, or the ideals of a man. 

What Came First: The Sperm or the Egg?

Femininity is a feature typically viewed as weak and vulnerable in a society that has all along been implemented with gender roles and norms. In both texts, 'Twilight' vs. 'Hunger Games':  Why Do So Many Grown-Ups Hate Bella? by Noah Berlatsky and The Egg and the Sperm by Emily Martin, the authors are seeking out the stronger attributes of the female as they are most often looked down on. Berlatsky's article focuses on feminine versus less feminine characteristics in two quite different movie characters. He upholds Katniss's features as he describes her as "an extremely competent, tomboyish young woman who is athletic, focused, responsible, and able to take care of herself," posing these as the characteristics that successful women should have and strive for. On the other hand, Berlatsky puts down Bella from Twilight as a troubled teen who's "a girly girl who rides her aimlessness and hormones straight to damnation," as if her femininity never got her anywhere in the movie. The author not only wants females to avoid these features, but encourages men to have them to compliment those of the butch. Emily Martin concentrated on the characteristics given to the sex cells and their connotations through scientific language. She refers to numerous passages from other authors that describe the femal reproductive organs as "biologically interdependent, while male organs are viewed as autonomous." The female reproductive system has much negative connotation as it is usually described wasteful and passive while the sperm's journey is often narrated as a superhero comic. Her solution and request for equality for the sex cells was to express them as homologous. Martin aims to raise the view of the female ovum and lower that of the sperm's to the realistic perspective or more dominant and important ovum. As Berlatsky pushes the fierceness tomboyish woman over feminine attributes, Martin strives for a more progressive outlook on the female sex cell.

The Divine Feminine

I believe that the authors both advocate for stronger and more respectable roles for women in every aspect of life. I began with the reading "‘Twilight’ vs. ‘Hunger Games’: Why do So Many Grown Ups Hate Bella?” By Noah Berlatsky, which describes Bella from 'Twilight" as a hopeless romantic who is weak, sex-driven, and dependent on men. Katniss from "Hunger Games", on the other hand, is described as a fearless born survivor who takes care of herself and is a preserved, respectable badass. This article took me back to sixth grade, when I read 'Twilight' myself. I finished the entire series, the whole time swooning over Edward Cullen, the sexy, sparkly vampire. I never really looked up to Bella though, her whining was annoying to me. When “The Hunger Games" came out, I immediately admired Katniss’ character because she was so independent, brave, and strong. I think strength is the most important quality a woman can have, but I don't think having feminine interests or a sexual drive  in any way lessens that strength. I think the point Berlatsky is trying to get across to readers is that as stereotyped as the two characters are, it does not matter who is more girly. In the end, Bella becomes a badass vampire and Katniss ends up with a husband and kids. I think what he is saying is that gender stereotypes are bullshit. We can attribute to both gender norms if we’d like. Everyone has a soft side and if they choose to show more of that, it does not make them less of a person. Emily Martin’s article “The Egg and The Sperm” switches things up a bit. She talks about scientific inequality when it comes to authors of scientific textbooks writing on reproductive systems of both the male and female, comparing the sperm to the egg. They gave these things sterotypes as if they're men and women, saying the sperm is strong, independent, fast, and efficient, but making the egg seem boring and dependent on the sperm for fertilization.  After this reading I realized just how socially persuaded these scientific “findings” are. Martin definitely advocates justice for the female body, which I am all for! Women are awesome.

Gender Roles

After reading the articles The Egg and the Sperm and 'Twilight' vs. 'Hunger Games': Why Do So Many Grown-Ups Hate Bella? you begin to understand how some stereotypes can be perceived when it comes to genders. In The Egg and the Sperm, Emily Martin talks about how biology even shows certain stereotypes that are perceived differently through males and females. For instance, when discussing a female's egg and a male's sperm, why is the sperm considered some kind of "unsung hero"? As Martin states, "It is surely no accident that the "remarkable"process of making sperm involves precisely what, in the medical view, menstruation does not: production of something deemed valuable." Martin basically goes on to acknowledge how people just naturally picture women as being "weak" and always needing the male's role to come and save the day. When I read Twilight' vs. 'Hunger Games': Why Do So Many Grown-Ups Hate Bella? by Noah Berlatsky, I got a different perception, due to the fact that in this article, the more "manlier" and "butchy" type of female is actually considered cool. Berlatsky gives a scenario of two different actresses that are asked to fight. Who would win? On one end you have a girly girl Bella from the Twilight Series and than you have Katniss from the Hunger Game Series. When asking people who would they choose to win the fight, of course he gets many Katniss fans, due to her warrior instincts from The Hunger Games. He states, "Katniss sees everyone she loves die one by one and still manages to fight on. Bella's boyfriend dumps her and she spends most of an entire book in a deep, infuriating depression." This ideology gives off the vibe that one female is being too dramatic and emotional, while the other one is more strong and extremely competent. Both articles describe how females can be perceived depending on the situation. In one instance the manlier woman is considered more valuable, while on the other hand, the female is considered wasteful. I believe these perceptions explain how differently gender roles can actually be, depending on what situation is being discussed.

Individuality and Equality

The Egg and Sperm, by Emily Martin, exposes hidden stereotypical concepts in biological research. The author goes into depth about how both female and male reproduction processes are not seen as equal. She compares the way these processes are depicted to a fairytale and refers to the egg as being the “damsel in distress” while the sperm is often viewed more as a hero. “…the imagery keeps alive some of the hoariest old stereotypes about weak damsels in distress and their strong male rescuers.” Martin analyzes and uses examples of biological research to argue how everything associated with females are automatically deemed dependent and less important than their male counterparts. Martin believes that the relationship between sperm and egg, although not depicted to be, is very equal and needs to be spoken about as if it is. She also mentions how these misogynistic cellular metaphors, if not stopped, could inevitably affect future human relations and progression. “Waking up such metaphors, by becoming aware of their implications, will rob them of their power to naturalize our social conventions about gender.” In Twilight vs. Hunger Games Noah Berlatsky contrasts the personalities of each stories’ leading female character. He begins with telling the readers why adults and second-wave feminists are so against stereotypically girly, Bella. “They saw frills and pink bows…as part of the patriarchy’s effort to infantilize and denigrate women.” Katniss, on the other hand, with her driven and independent personality, is more favored between the two. The author then brings a question to the reader’s attention “is masculinity really categorically better and more feminine than femininity?” The author shows that his purpose for writing isn’t to tell women how they should want to be perceived, but to show how a woman’s personality doesn’t influence her right for equality.  “Masculinity and femininity isn’t a duel to the death.” Although some feminists believe femininity is disadvantageous, and others believe the opposite, neither view is a deal breaker. Both authors are simply saying that we don’t have to choose between one or another, individuality trumps gender roles