The Revealing of Gender and Economic Inequality in Contemporary Books

When people read books, they are trying to escape into a better world. But, all books, even if they are fictional, reflect the world we live in, to some extent. This is because the writers are a part of the society, and the social functioning is deeply embedded in their minds. So no matter how unique a world a writer wants to create, there will be hints of reality. 

Now, it is up to the readers to decipher the truth underneath all the fantastical elements present in the book. There is a reason that books play an important role in constructing the social and economic conditions of the bygone eras, as you can clearly observe in Charles Dickens’ novels, which give us a glimpse into Victorian England.

Gender Inequality

One of the most common themes which books deal with, is gender inequality. Gender inequality is a social condition in which people are discriminated against, based on their gender. At the receiving end of this discrimination, are usually people of female gender and non-binary gendered people. Unfortunately, even in the 21st century, there is the existence of such a bias. Society has set gender roles, and people are expected to follow such nonsensical divisions. If anyone tries to tell you these are not true, feel free to use gender inequality essay samples to state your point. You can also come up with your own summary after reading multiple essays. This would add authenticity to your argument as well. 

Why Do People Not Know About This?

Sadly, most people know about this phenomenon, but do nothing about it. Most people choose to ignore this inequality, as knowing about it, and challenging it would just upset the status quo. Gender inequality in books like The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf and others, are enough to paint a picture of how serious the situation really is. You can easily get these books, and other similar books in the institution’s library. A thorough reading of such books, and you will have a new understanding of the ways that women are discriminated against.

Gender Inequality In Society

A little research into the matter reveals that gender inequality is often witnessed in institutions of education as well, although the degree of discrimination may not be much. Irrespective of whether you are a student in a school, college or a University, you can be discriminated against. Since school students are younger, they don’t even realize that they are facing gender inequality, but it gets deeply imprinted in their psyche. For example, boys being offered more options for sports. Many schools don’t have girls teams, which just points to the fact that resources are not devoted to training the girls. It is also possible that girls are not offered proper motivation. Maybe teachers and faculty instill shame within the girls who want to play, by passing comments. 

Girls are often taught that they must study well. They are pressured into doing well in the class, and in the exam, because girls are supposed to be good at them. Teachers create this unspoken belief that girls HAVE to be good at academics, because they are more “disciplined”, thus forcing girls into a certain structure. Girls who question things, and talk back, are rude, but if boys do that, it’s ‘boys are like that’. It is a never-ending cycle of discrimination, each generation forcing the next into the same moulds, over and over again. There are careers stereotyped for women. Any woman who chooses a career other than those, has to struggle twice as men have to do in the same field. The biggest example is how women are discouraged from pursuing a line in STEM.

Conclusion

If we want to get rid of gender inequality, we have to take steps today. We have to unlearn a lot of lessons that we have been taught since childhood, and read books like ‘Women and Power’ by Mary Beard, ‘Becoming’ by Michelle Obama. There is a lesson to be learnt from reading such books, and we have to further apply it in our daily lives as well.