The Ashoka and the Oak - An Exploration of Masculinity and Femininity: An Argumentative Essay
Are masculinity and femininity just ideas? Are they natural behaviours that divide the human race into a simple duality ("Men from Mars" and "Women from Venus" binary, oppositional, always-at-war, thinking)? Are they behaviours that emerge from often-vague biological tendencies? Introduction to the Analogy Picture the Ashoka tree and the Oak tree. How do trees generally behave when it's windy? The leaves sway, fruits (if any) shake a little, the trunk mostly remains steady but in some cases, like the species, or if not properly rooted, or if severed, it may also groove a little. The frequency of the movement, its speed, and other variables, depend on the wind, and other agents of movement too. For instance, if a slender tree is held in place by a human when it's windy, it's likely that it remains fairly stable relative to other trees in its vicinity. This is where detailed examination introduces the often overlooked layer of complexity, which isn't t...