One of the questions this raises in my mind is who the 'pressure group' is that you mean when you say girls are "supposed" to read or write. Because I'd say, in Western society generally, nobody is supposed to read or write too much, as there is a suspicion of people who are introverted. The Eastern cultures have much more room for people to be inwardly turned and reflective, whereas in Western culture the extroverts are king and queen. And reading/writing require a certain amount of introversion, or at least withdrawal from extroversion, so I don't think one could assert that society as a whole urges girls toward reading and writing.....? but I would agree that it seems, at a glance, that girls DO do more amateur writing (not so sure about reading), and I think books (which do have an autobiog quality) reflect this.
I do DEFINITELY agree that girls' amateur writing is more expected to be marysueish. But then women's efforts in anything are generally assumed to be more flawed and 'emotional' perhaps?
An ancillary thought: I read some of the Bronte juvenalia and felt quite dismayed.... I couldn't write anything that good at my age now!!! :)
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2006-04-10 09:16 am (UTC)One of the questions this raises in my mind is who the 'pressure group' is that you mean when you say girls are "supposed" to read or write. Because I'd say, in Western society generally, nobody is supposed to read or write too much, as there is a suspicion of people who are introverted. The Eastern cultures have much more room for people to be inwardly turned and reflective, whereas in Western culture the extroverts are king and queen. And reading/writing require a certain amount of introversion, or at least withdrawal from extroversion, so I don't think one could assert that society as a whole urges girls toward reading and writing.....? but I would agree that it seems, at a glance, that girls DO do more amateur writing (not so sure about reading), and I think books (which do have an autobiog quality) reflect this.
I do DEFINITELY agree that girls' amateur writing is more expected to be marysueish. But then women's efforts in anything are generally assumed to be more flawed and 'emotional' perhaps?
An ancillary thought: I read some of the Bronte juvenalia and felt quite dismayed.... I couldn't write anything that good at my age now!!! :)