Ms. Santiago AP English
QHSS Period 8
November 15, 2018 Kevin Chen
Expository Essay on Gender
Gender roles are imposed from early childhood through one’s surroundings, as
children are often entrapped by gender-specific activities throughout their life. My parents gifted
me playthings stereotyped for males, such as toy cars, toy swords, and army figures; girls
commonly receive toys with female stereotypes such as barbie dolls, pink-colored clothing, and
other “ladylike” objects. Growing up in school, I observed that boys engaged in sports and other
“manly” activities while girls chose less riskier and more timorous activities. As a result, I
innately became drawn to things that males conventionally participated in through parental and
social pressure, since doing so otherwise results in ostracization and parental backlash.
