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MarianaGarcia
ProfessorJonBeadle
English113A
8December2015

ChoosingWhattoFollow
Genderexpectationscanbeeitherbrokenorfollowed.In
Ms.MarvelVolume1:No

Normal
byG.WillowWilson,themaincharacterisayoungPakistaniAmericanMuslimgirl
namedKamalaKhanwhobecomesasuperheroandisknownasMs.Marvel.Likemostparents,
Kamalasparentshavetheirownrulessetforhertofollow.Herparentswanthertobehave
feminine,accepttheirculture,andnotgoanywhereshesnotsupposeto.Transformingfroma
girltoasuperheroisawayforKamalatodiscoverherselfsincesheshowsthatsheisnotagainst
orfortraditionalgenderroles.EventhoughMs.Marvelisafemalesuperhero,genderrolesare
appliedtohernormallife,howevershedoesnotfollowallexpectationsthatherfriendsand
familyrequireandtakessomerisks.

HavingsuperpowersdoesnotnecessarilyaffectMs.Marvelseverydaylifesinceher
parentsstillrequirehertoobeytheirhouseregulations.Forinstance,whenshewantedtogotoa
party,herparentsdidnotallowherandasaresultforbreakingtheirordershecouldnotgo
anywherebesidesschoolandhome.Oneofthereasonsshewasnotallowedtogototheparty
wasbecausetherewouldbeboysthere.Kamalafeltlikeitwasunfairbecauseifshewasaboy
thenshewouldbeallowedtogo(Wilson41).Asaresultfordisobeying,Kamalasparents
requiredhertoattendthemosque,whichshewasunhappytodosobutstillwentbecauseofher

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religion(Wilson46).ThisshowsthatKamalaislivingatypicalteenagelifewhererulesare
appliedtoher.

However,whenthereisanopportunitytobreakrules,Ms.Marveltakesit.Herstrength
andpowersshowthatshecanbeasstrongasamantobeabletoaccomplishanything.For
example,shewascapableofrescuingZoewhenshefellintothe
water,and
Vickwhenhewas
capturedbyanevilgroupofpeople
(Wilson31,89).
Kamalachoosestofollowcertain
expectationsyetdaresto
break
someaswell.Whensomeoneisfacingaserioussituation,Ms.
Marveldoesnotfollowrulesinordertohelptheperson.

ThisprovesthatevenifMs.Marvelisfemale,shecandoanythingsheputshermindto.
Ms.Marvelseemstobelearningmoreaboutherself,sheshowshowsheisnotagainstallgender
expectations,howeveritalsoseemslikeshedoesnotagreewiththemall.YouandBabawant
metobeaperfectlittleMuslimgirl,(Wilson114).Itseemslikesheunderstandswhereher
familycomesfrom,butshewantstogettoknowwhosheis.

BehavingfeminineandshowingemotionsisexpectedfromKamala.
Kamalasparents
seemtotreatherbrotherandherdifferently.Herparentsdonottalktoherbrotherthewaythey
speaktoKamala.WithKamala,herfathertriestotalkaboutwhatisexpectedfromher.
Accordingto
anarticlecalledFrom,Women,Men,andSocietybyClaireRenzettiandDaniel
Curran,theauthorsdiscusshowparentstalktotheirdaughtersaboutemotions.Parentsusea
greaternumberandvarietyofemotionwordswhentalkingwithdaughtersthansons...(Renzetti
andCurran79).ThisarticlerelatestothewayKamalasfathertreatsher.Since,Kamalas
motherisstricterthanthefather,Kamalasfatherismorewillingtohaveaconversationand
discussissuesratherthanyellingstraightather.

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Havingabrotherasasiblinghelpsdistinguishthedifferenttreatmentgivenbyparents.
ThearticleFrom,Women,Men,andSocietyalsoexplainshowparentscantreattheirchild
differentlydependingonthechildsgender.Girlsarebetterbehavedandmoreeasygoing.Soif
weobserveparentstreatingtheirsonsanddaughtersdifferently,isitjustbecausetheyare
respondingtobiologicallybasedsexdifferencesintemperament,(RenzettiandCurran78).
This
relatestohowKamalasparentswanthertobehaveinapropermanner.Kamalasparentsget
upsetwhenshebreaksrules.
ConsideringthefactKamalahasanolderbrother,herparentsgivea
differentapproachtowardsherandherbrother.WithKamalasbrotherthereisless
communicationaboutseriousissuesorconcerns.YetwithKamala,herparentsexpectherto
followordersandbeabletocommunicatethereasonstoheractions.

Kamalakeepsmostofherpersonallifetoherself.Forexample,thesamedayKamala
sneakedouttogoapartywasthesamedayshebecamea
superhero,instead
ofgivingher
parentsanexplanationofwhatsheexperienced,sheletherparentspunishherforleavingthe
house,
(Wilson20).
ThisdemonstratesthatKamalassuperpowersareusefultodosomething
femalesarenotexpectedtodo,howeverinherhouseholdtherearestillregulationsthatare
expectedtobefollowed.

Womenareviewedasnotbeingabletodoasmuchasmen.Accordingtoanarticlecalled
RethinkingWomensBiologybyRuthHubbard,theauthortalksabouthowsocietywere
misinformedaboutwomeninthepastandhowthatconnectstothepresence.Thiscanrelateto
thewayKamalafeelswhenherfatherdoesnotletherattendtheparty.Shebelievesitisbecause
ofhergenderthatherparentsareagainsthergoing.Hubbardalsodiscusseshowmenarethe

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onesthatareviewedasstrong,whichcanrelatetohowMs.Marvelwasviewedbyoneofthe
villains.ButImtakingcareofit.Shesagirl.Easytoscare,(Wilson104).
Thisquote
mentionedbyavillainbasicallymeansthatwomenarenotthesameasamen.Thefactthathe
sayswhatKamalasgenderisandassumessheseasytoscareshowshowexpectsacertain
reactionbasedonthepersonsgender.
Although,Hubbardmentionsthattherearewomenthat
havethesamestrengthasmenaswell.Peopleaskwhethertherearenaturallimitsto
womensstrengthandthereforenaturaldifferencesinstrengthbetweenwomenandmen,
(Hubbard49).AsforMs.Marvel,shemightnotbethetallestidealisticsuperhero,butshecando
anythingamaleisconsideredcapableofdoing.
Societytendstoputsomeoneeitherontop,middle,orbottomdependingontheir
background.InanarticlecalledHegemonicMasculinityandBlackGenderIdeologyby
PatriciaHillCollins,theauthortalksabouthowgenderandracefallsintohowpeopleare
viewed.Sincegenderincludessexuality,race,wealth,andage,thisarticlerelatestoKamala
becauseshesasixteenyearoldMuslimgirlwithatraditionalfamily.Kamalafacespeer
pressurewithfamily,friends,andhersurroundings.Becausefemininityissofocusedon
womensbodies,thevalueplacedonvariousattributesoffemalebodiesmeansthatevaluations
offemininityareclearlyclearedoff,(Collins232).
ThisrelatestohowKamalaatfirstwanted
tohaveacertainimageofasuperhero,butlaterinthenovelhadherownimageoftheindividual
thatsheis.

Collinalsomentionshowwhitewomenareconsideredtobemorebeautiful.Thisrelates
toasituationKamalawentthroughinthebeginningofthecomicbook.ZoeviewsKamalalowly
becauseofherrace.Inthebeginning,KamalamentionedshewantedtolooklikeCaptain

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Marvel,asaresultherappearancewhensheturnedintoasuperherowasexactlylikeCaptain
Marvel,(Wilson19).BeingasuperherohelpsKamalalearnmoreaboutherselfbecauseshegoes
backtohavingauniquelookratherthanlookinglikeCaptainMarvel.
SomepeoplewillarguethatKamalassuperpowershelpedherovercomegender
expectations.Otherdisagreeandbelievehersuperpowersdidnotchangeheratall.Kamala
demonstrates,despiteherbeingfemale,shecanhelpthepersonthatneedstoberescued.Kamala
mightnotfittheimageofanidealisticsuperhero,butsheiscapableofdoinganythinga
superherocan.Intheotherhand,Kamalaisalsoaregularteenagegirlwhounderstandssheis
notperfect.Shewantstofitinwithpeopleatschoolthatiswhyshewantedtoattendtheparty.
Kamalaslifeisnotcompletelydifferentthanotherteenagers.
Whileshemightbreaksomerules,shestillfollowssome.Kamalatakesrisks,butdoes
notfullyconfrontherparents.Forexample,towardstheendofthegraphicnovel,Kamalais
showinghersuperpowers,sheisshowingherstrengthwhileshegetsaphonecallfromher
motherthatmakesherpausewhatsheisdoing,(Wilson110).Hermotherisinformingherthat
Kamalaissupposetogotoabridalprocession,insteadofKamalaignoringhermotherandkeep
doingwhatshewasdoing,sheheadstotheevent,(Wilson111).Whenshearriveshermother
showsthatsheisnotquitehappywithherarrivinglate.HowamIsupposedtoconfideinyouif
youfreakoutwheneverIcoloroutsidethelinesevenatinybit,(Wilson114).Thisshowsthat
Kamladoescareforfollowingwhatisexpectedfromhersincesheshoweduptotheevent,
howeveritalsoshowsthatshewasnotinterestedofattendingifwereuptoher.
Therefore,Kamaladoesanddoesnotfitgenderroleseventhoughsheisasuperhero.
Whenitcomestoobeyingrules,shefollowssome.Whenitcomestoconfrontingherparents,

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shedoesnotdoitmostofthetime.Herpowersdemonstrateshecandoanythingsheputsher
mindto,althoughshestillwantstofitit.Kamalaseemstobelearningmoreandmoreabout
herselfthatiswhyherpowersdoandatthesametime
do
nothelptransgressgender
expectations.

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WorksCited
Wilson,G.Willow,andAdrianAlphona.
Ms.Marvel:NoNormal

.NewYork,NY:Marvel
Worldwide,2014.
Renzetti,Claire.,andCurran,Daniel.

FromWomen,Men,andSociety

ComposingGender
.
Boston,MA:LeaseaBurton,2014.pg.76
84.
Print.
Hubbard,Ruth.
RethinkingWomensBiology
ComposingGender

.Boston,MA:Leasea
Burton,2014.pg.46
51.
Print.
Collins,H.Patricia.HegemonicMasculinityandBlackGenderIdeology
ComposingGender
.
Boston,MA:LeaseaBurton,2014.pg.222
238.
Print.