Alvarez1

HelenAlvarez
ProfessorBeadle
English115
08December2015

EmbraceYourself

In
Ms.Marvel
,KamalaKhanhascertaingenderexpectationsshefollowsnotonlybased
onhersex,butalso,fromherethnicity,PakistaniAmerican.Kamalaisabletotransgress
prescribedgenderexpectationsnotnecessarilyasaresultofgainingsuperpowers,butasher
naturalcharacteristics.
FromWomen,Men,andSociety,isanarticlebyClaireRenzettiandDanielCurran
wheretheystatethatinsomepartsoftheworldtoday,boysarestillstronglyfavoredover
girls.Towardsthebeginningofthestory,Kamalawantstogotoapartyafterdinnerwithher
friends.Herfathersaysthat,itsnotsafeforayounggirltobeoutlateatnightwithstrange
boys..(
Marvel
7).Hedoesnotgiveherpermissiontogooutandinsteadsuggestsforhertodo
somethingelse.ThisiswhenKamalagetsfuriouswithherfatherandsays,...ifIwasaboy,
youdletmegototheparty.(
Marvel
7).Iftreatingfemalesthesamewaytheytreatmales,
Kamalasfatherwouldhavegivenherpermissiontogotoherpartydespitethefactofherbeing
afemale.
Meaningthatinmostcases,inthistypeofsituationwhereitinvolvesgoingoutatnight
itismucheasierforamaletogetpermissionthenitisforafemale.

Kamalas
father

Alvarez2
demonstratesexactlywhatissaidinRenzettisandCurransarticle:favoringamaleismore
commonthanfavoringafemale
AccordingtoRenzettiandCurranitisalsosaidthatresearchshowsthatparentsdo
havedifferentexpectationsoftheirbabiesandtreatthemdifferently,simplyonthebasisofsex.
Kamalaslifeisntasanyordinarypersons.Sheisateenwhohasparentsthatarewaytoostrict
withherandallshewantsismorefreedom.Kamalahasalwaysfeltlikeshedoesnotfitinwithin
herenvironmentbecauseshedoesnotmeetthecertaincategoriesshehastofallunder.With
herstrictparentsandnerdyinterests,itisnotsurprisingfor
Kamalatobeinfluencedbythe
friendsthatsurroundherandtrytochangetobemorelikethemandtrytofitinwiththem.
Asthefirstscenariowithherfatherhappened,shewasfrustratedforalwaysfollowing
herfathersrules.IvealwaysdonewhattheyaskmetodoArentIallowedtodoanything
myway?Justonce?(
Marvel
8),iswhatKamala
alwaysquestioned
.
Thestrictregulationsof
Kamalasfathermadeherbecomerebelliousandinfluencedherintomakingherowndecisions
.
Inthemiddleofthenightshesnuckoutofherhousetogotothepartyand
encounteredherself
facingothersituations.Look,youneedtogetoutofhere(
Marvel
11),iswhatoneofher
closestfriends,Bruno,said.Hedidnotagreewiththedecisionshehadmadeofsneakingoutand
triedtotalkherintogoingbackhome.
BrunodemonstrateshowhecaresaboutKamala.
However,ifKamalawasaboy,wouldBrunohavetalkedherintogoinghomeor
wouldhehave
justletherstayatthepartyandenjoythenightasitwouldhavebeenlikeaboysnight?

Bruno
would
probably
nothaveworriedsomuchforher,butthatisexactlywhatsocietydoeswith
everyone.Forthesimplefactofbeingafemale,maleshavetolookafteryou.Asthestory
continues,Kamalathengainshersuperpowersand
herlifestylestartstochange.

Alvarez3
HegemonicMasculinityandBlackGenderIdeologyisanarticlebyPatriciaHill
CollinswhereshetalksabouthowtheU.Shasvariousstandardstowardstherolesofmalesand
females.Realmenareexpectedtobeforceful,analytical,responsible,andwillingtoexert
authority,allqualitiesthatwomenseeminglylack,
(Collins226)
.Accordingtothisquote,
womenlackallofthequalitiesmentionedaboveandtherefore,
applyingthistoMs.Marvel,
womencannotbesuperheroes.
Formenareusuallysuperheroesandtheyfitunderalltheterms
givenabovewhereaswomendonot.

Menalwaysseemtohavecontrolovereverythingandbe
authoritativewhereaswomenlackauthority.
ReferringtoKamala,theexpectationsofafemale
were
causingKamala
todoublethinkalotofwhatshewascapableof.Canshereallybea
superheroornot?
AsaMuslim,KamalaattendedSheikhAbdullahswhichwereSaturdayyouthlectures.
Whentheselectureswouldhappen,femalesandmalescouldnotsittogether.Their
rulesduring
theseyouthlectures
were
verystrict
thatfemalesandmalescouldnot
sittogetheroreven
see
eachothersoiftheladieswantedtowalkout,theywoulddoitwithoutanyworriesofgetting
caught.Kamaladidasshewasexpected,foritwasawayforhertopreservehermodestyandher
dignity.However,tobemodestistodressmodest.WhenKamalaturnedintoMs.Marvel,
modestwasnottherighttermforherattire.Shewasshownwithasexyoutfit,andherhair
turnedblonde.Shefitunderwhatsocietyhasconsideredasbeautyforafemale.Thestoryhad
madeherlook,Tall,blonde,withthebigpowers(
Marvel
70).Astheordinary16yearold
Muslimgirl,Kamalaisntthemostbeautiful,orpopulargirl.Sheisjustthedaughteroftwovery
strictparents.

Alvarez4
Superherosarestrong,responsible,caring,andidols.Kamalafitsallofthe
descriptions
givenabovedespitehergenderbeingafemale
.
Kamalademonstratesthesecharacteristicsina
specific
scenewhereshefindsherselfinatoughsituationwhereherfriendBrunowasbeing
pointedatwithagun.Kamalahadtodosomethinginordertoprotecthimwithoutheractually
knowingthattheguywhohadthegun,wasBrunosbrother.Thebandit
wasinneedof
money
andBrunowasnotgoingtogivehimany.
Ascaring,Kamalawasdeterminedtodosomethingto
helpherfriendout
despitenotknowingtherealsituation,sheturnedintoMs.Marveland
took
chargeoverthesituation.
ShewantedtoprotectBrunoandstartedtofightthethief.Illputyou
downifyoupromisetoleaveandnevercomebackagain(
Marvel
60),iswhatshetoldhim.She
wasverydemandingandtookauthorityoverthewholeconflictasanysuperherowoulddo.
Anyonecanbeasuperhero,but,
therestofthecharactersthought
otherwise.Kamalawas
notthebestgirlthatexisted.Shedidnotfitundercertainlabels,butherlifeseemedgreatwhen
shewouldbecomeMs.Marvel.
Whenshewasthischaracter,itseemedlike
shewasfinallyfree
andinchargeofherlife.
Genderexpectationscanbeanythingdependingontheinfluencesthatsurround
eachand
everyone
ofus.Expectations
andgenderroles
arecreatedbythepracticesthataremadewithin
ourown
environment.Asadaughter,Kamalahadtostayinherhouseanddoasherparents
wouldsay.Inotherwords,shewasobedient.However,
thisisnotthecasefor
herbrother.Even
thoughherbrother
wasnot
therebellioustype
butactuallytheobedientperson,
hisparentsnever
hadanytroublewithhimastheyseemedtohavewithKamala.
Thoughitisknownformalesto
worksothattheyareabletoprovideeverythingfortheirfamilies,
Aimarwastheonewho

Alvarez5
alwaysfollowedhisdoctrineaboveanythingevenifitmeantforhimnottohaveajob.His
fatherevenstatedthatnojobisgoodenoughforhisholiness(
Marvel
6).
Whatistodaysexcuse?Thisisthesecondtimeyouvebeentardythisweek(
Marvel
260).Youregroundedremember?Noparties(
Marvel
74)...Tall,blonde,withthebig
powers(
Marvel
70).Kamalamaynothavealwaysfollowedherexpectationsasadaughter,
sister,superheroorstudent.
ThingsdidnotseemtogothewayKamalasfatherexpected.Kamla
wasnothisperfectdaughter
buttobeasuperherotakesalot.Forsomepeoplefearedherwhile
othersunderestimatedher.AsCollinshadmentionedthattheU.Sbelievedthatallwomenlack
somequalities,inrealitytheydontandKamlamakesproofofthatthroughoutthestory.
Eveninthestylethiscomicbookisartisticallydrawn,itdemonstrates
how
womencan
besuperheros.Theinteractionamongthecharactersaregoodbecausetheyallplayavery
importantroleinKamalaslife.Everysmalldetailofeachofthescenesaresodescriptiveitisall
veryclear.Forexample,withtheartist
beingverydetailed
ineveryimageofMs.Marvel,
the
artistdemonstratedhow
beautifulMs.Marvelappearedtobe
whichautomaticallyletherfall
underthecategoryofthedefinitionofbeauty.
However,societyhasacertainexpectationof
whatbeautifulis.Yes,Ms.Marvelhadcharacteristicsthatmadeherbeautiful,butthefactthat
hersuperpowersinvolvedherhandsgettinghuge,itmadeherlookawkward.
Ms.Marvel
was
perfect,butnotcompletely.
ThoughtheartistdidnotdrawMs.Marvelaccordingtocertain
genderexpectationstheartistwasstillable
todemonstrateKamalaasasuperhero.
ThepeoplewhosurroundedKamalamaynothavealwaysagreedwithherbehavior.She
wasnotfollowinghergenderperformanceassheshouldhave.YouandBabawantmetobea
perfectlittlemuslimgirlstraightAs,medschool,noboys,nobooze,thensomehandpicked

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richhusbandfromKarachiandabillionbabies(
Marvel
338)Kamaladidnotwantthislifestyle
forherselfandwithhergainingsuperpowers,shewasatotaldifferentpersonwhichwasgreat.
Shewasnotjustanordinarygirlwhohadtobeperfect,butshewasnowsomeonewhostoodup
forwhatshewantedevenifitmeantnotfollowingcertaingenderexpectations.
BecomingrebellioushelpedKamalaknowwhoshereallywas.Genderexpectationsdo
playahugeroleineveryoneslife.
Oneispressuredto
dotherightthings
inordertobeablefit
inwiththepeoplethatsurroundsus.
In
Ms.Marvel
,KamalaKhanisabletotransgress
prescribedgenderexpectationsnotasaresultofgainingsuperpowers,butashernatural
characteristics.Forsheneveragreedtocertainbehaviorsasawomanwhenshewasjustan
ordinarygirl,butasasuperheroaswell.

Alvarez7

WorksCited
Renzetti,ClaireandDanielCurran,FromWomen,Men,andSocietyComposing
Gender.RachaelGronerandJohnF.OHara.Eds.Boston:Bedford,2014.Print.76

Hill,PatriciaCollins,HegemonicMasculinityandBlackGenderIdeologyComposing
Gender.RachaelGronerandJohnF.OHara.Eds.Boston:Bedford,2014.Print.226

Wilson,G.Willow.
Ms.Marvel
.N.p.:n.p.,2014.N.pag.Print