SEXIST LANGUAGE IN SELECTED YOUNG ADULT NOVELS

SUBMITTED IN FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE

ENGLISH 145 (LANGUAGE RESEARCH)

LANCE T. FABRE

BUKIDNON STATE UNIVERSITY

MALAYBALAY CITY
MAY 2017
Introduction

Language that is created by the society is a form of communication considered to

be essential in understanding another person. It is a social tool that shapes personal

knowledge, acquired through thorough observations and firsthand interactions,

organized through various experiences in a community of social beings and integrated

with social patterns and norms. The essence of language is deeply rooted in people’s

innate need to build a world of relationships and kinship through a myriad of

communicative ways because after all, humans are social animals.

However, as a social and cultural instrument, language does not only depict of

constructive ends, decent practices or wholesome expressions of society. There are

instances wherein language curtails and coerces; it presents adverse ways and is

reflective of conventions and powers of dominant social groups. These are integrated

into the laws, habits, norms, and even in consensus as noted by Gramsci (1971).

Hence, this paved way to linguistic constructs, reflecting these conventions and

discriminations, such as sexist language.

Sexist language, as described by Okeke (2012) is any language that is supposed

to include all people, but, intentionally or unintentionally disregards one gender for the

other—this may happen for either male or female genders, respectively. So, the bias is

against women lest mostly favors men. Cameron’s (2005) research supported such

notion and attested that language usually uses masculine viewing platform to represent

or ‘name’ the world and duly following typecast beliefs about the sexes.

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 In many cases, women are viewed as secondary to man because of historically

established privation of power which does not limit only to the social aspect, but others

such economic and political functions as well. In linguistic attribute, for instance, the

general masculine term is “man,” while “woman” is the generic feminine word. However,

the equal components of these two sexes of human race have an uneven function in the

English lexicon. Man aside from being denoted as male being can also be an allusion to

the whole human race. Statements such as “all men must die” and “man is a social

animal” use generic noun “man” to represent the human race as one. The convention

on the usage of “man” makes women imperceptible. Undeniably, language has its

significant role in the portrayal of sexes.

Lakoff (1987) asserts that women experience linguistic discrimination. Not only in

the way they are taught to use language, but also entrenched from the way of how

language, in general, treats them. Traditional female words, with daunting frailty and a

sense of subordination as well as immaturity, are often negative. The feminine terms

undertake a method of semantic derogation. Accordingly, the suppression of women

becomes habitual in everyday discourse when people acknowledge sexist language as

a part in human interaction. Additionally, Sheldon (1990) describes the English

language as a language that reflects sexist, male-centered attitudes that perpetuate

trivialization, marginalization, and invisibility of female experience.

This sexist language potent matter of eminence has also channeled its way

through various mediums in which language is used. Some linguistic features such as

sexist language may be embedded and highly activated in any form of written texts. As

Lehr (1995) suggested that perhaps it would be wise to acknowledge that literature

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reflects the way things are. But this reflection reinforces the status quo. This means that

a myriad of literary works takes part in the presentation, if not, the dissemination of

linguistic sexism.

A novel in particular, as genre of literature carries out the sexist language.

Eagleton (2004) describes novel as a piece of prose fiction that has a reasonable

length. It has been a melting pot in literature, a mongrel among literary thoroughbreds

because of the possibilities it can do. It can create a book of an investigative story about

human consciousness or change historical events. Nonetheless, it can also undermine

the essential use of language for understanding to carry out prejudices or biases. As a

result, language presents social phenomena such as linguistic sexism.

One emerging form of a novel is the Young Adult (YA) novels. YA novels or YA

fiction genre is a category for teenagers, although these books go beyond the intended

readers due to the depth of its themes presented. In a published article in The

Guardian, YA books have been “blurring the boundaries” of novels and have been

remarkably declining to adhere to conventional rules of strictly defined literary fiction. It

tackles and more likely deals with challenging issues of youth, some coming-of-age

stories, contemporary romances and other forms such as dystopian and fantasy-themed

telling.

Jacobs (2004) indicated that these YA novels are continuously dealing with

issues of becoming an instrument in delivering, mirroring and conveying the sexist

language in various contexts. Linguistic sexism has thrived and is constantly presented

in literary materials. Its cause, as to reiterate, is the need of these YA novels to depict

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the reality even at the cost of including its negative and defective aspects specifically

etched in the fundamental elements or components of language.

Various studies have been initiated to support claims of the presence of sexist

language, particularly in YA fiction (Lei, 2006; He, 2010; Al-Ramahi, 2013; Sabater,

2015).

First, Lei (2006) produced a research journal on the existence of sexism through

language. It focused on the aspects sexist words and sexist language in proverbs. Her

research affirmed that there is sexist language because there is a prevalent presence of

sexism in the society. Thus, it addressed that as a social phenomenon, societal

attitudes carefully correlate language. The study consequently listed and examined the

common forms of sexism in English grammar, also presented words which are the non-

discriminatory portrayal of sexes. Same as true with the conduct of this study, a form of

literature is used to look at the existence of linguistic sexism.

Second, He (2010) conducted a study on an analysis of sexism in the English

language. It presented a comprehensive research on language sexism. The study

sought to show some of the features of English language that suggest cultural biases

and socially bigoted attitudes towards women. Through comparison, induction, and

exemplification, the researcher found out that linguistic sexism is closely related to the

phenomenon of gender discrimination in society. It is related to the conduct of this study

due to its emphasis on determining sexism through English language elements of

semantics, morphology, and syntax.

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 Third, Al-Ramahi (2013) focused on the sexist bias manifested in the language of

nursery rhymes. She conducted an analysis of sexist linguistic features in this genre of

literature mainly based on certain feminist views and some principles of critical

discourse analysis. These criteria helped check the language entities of the texts, which

led to uncovering the ideologies lying behind literary texts. The study revealed that

social inequality between men and women established linguistic sexism. It may be

social in origin than linguistic. Although it used a different literary genre from the present

study, its conduct had used a form of methods quite related to this research paper.

Fourth, Sabater (2015) geared for research on sexist language in EFL literature.

The discourse analysis centered on examining the presence of linguistic sexism in the

textbooks for elementary students. The study had shown that there were cases of sub-

representation of women in these resource materials published in the past decades of

the 20th century. However, the quantitative research analysis had comparatively proved

that there have also been efforts to cut this gender discrimination through language.

The study ascertains to have significant bearing on the conduct of this paper due to its

use of literature as a subject of a critic.

In line with the pursuant of the research, there are some studies about linguistic

sexism in other forms of literature or even in spoken discourse were acknowledged.

However, studies on its presence in Young Adult fictional genre are still at scarce.

Nevertheless, the related studies above-mentioned have helped in the conduct of the

present study on sexist language, mainly on the knowledge about linguistic sexism.

Furthermore, the undertaking of this study is to find out the presence of sexist

languages on young adult novels. More importantly, it aims at exposing the sexist

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language present in the selected YA books. To YA fiction authors or novelists, this study

seeks to shed light on their role in developing gender-sensitive content and to take part

in steering written works toward the use of language inclusively and indiscriminately. To

YA readers and enthusiasts, this study carries out the reinforcement to always be

discerning and careful in digesting contents from any form of literature. To literature

teachers, this study helps in increasing the understanding to the adversative sexist

aspect of literature.

Finally, to every social being in this world, this study enlightens everyone to stay

linguistically educated and sensible in the usage of language in everyday discourse –

that through language, no gender or sex should be superior or inferior to the other. This

study should then, at large, urge people to gauge in their use of expressions or terms

and remind anyone that language should always be sensitive and perceiving to all

genders that constitute the human society.

Statement of the problem

This study is focused on the presence of sexism in selected young adult novels.

Specifically, it sought to answer the question:

1. What sexist language is used in the selected young adult novels?

Framework of the Study

This study is anchored on Okeke’s (2012) concepts on linguistic sexism. The

concept initially emphasizes on the role of language in the reflection of culture and its

effect on the articulation of human consciousness. The process involves not only the

mirroring of the positive side of the society; it also takes in the negative practices such

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as discrimination towards a particular gender through language. It had pointed out that

language is not merely a tool but language is sexist itself.

She mentioned four (4) linguistic elements. These elements determine whether a

word, phrase, expression or sentence is a sexist language. It includes the aspects of

linguistics: (1) sexist language found in semantics, (2) sexist language inherent in

morphology (3) sexist language in syntax and (4) sexist language using non-parallel

terms.

First, semantics determines a sexist language. Semantics, in linguistics, refers to

the meaning of the words or phrases. In language, there are words specific only to

describe either a man or a woman. There are also sex-paired words that are supposed

to create a corresponding term from one sex to the other but often differ in meaning. In

language, one can find some paired terms such as “master” for man and “mistress” for

woman. Same as true with the word “widower” who is a man whose wife has deceased

and a “widow” who is a woman whose husband has died; “bachelor” who is an

unmarried man while “spinster” is an unmarried woman.

Even if the purpose of providing an equal term for both sex and the effort to

neutralized language is noticeable, there are denotative and connotative factors that put

a breach on each meaning or give an uneven degree of description. Derogatory

connotations accompany words describing women. For instance, the word “mistress”

may also suggest a concubine or the word “spinster” connotes a miserable old woman.

There are words that refer both sexes but mean differently. The word “tramp”

describes a man and a woman, but its usage in either sex is, at large, dissimilar

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especially in American English. If a man is described as a tramp, he is ‘a person without

a job or home and wanders around,’ but if a woman, by connotation, is labeled with the

same word, ‘she is sexually immoral.’ The given examples are asymmetrical. It points

out that the implication of these asymmetrical semantic developments of paired terms

among male and female is that – irrespective of their origin – the feminine gender are

associated with negative connotations, always narrow back to the semantic ‘rule’

constructed in a patriarchal society.

Semantics also includes the use of slang. Slang is the informal expression or

terms usually adapted by a group of people. Although slang words are not regarded as

part of the standard vocabulary, these words and its corresponding semantic values are

reflective of society and its culture. It includes sex-specific expressions that demean a

person. Examples of these are “bitch” “whore” “fucker” “douchebag” “dickhead” for

either of sexes. Bucholtz (2014) explained this as “sexist asymmetries in slang terms

referring to each gender”. Although it also added that “the social meaning of slang

cannot be read off directly from its semantics or the demographic distribution of its use”.

Second, sexist language is also inherent in morphology. In the English language,

there has been gender marking practice in human agent nouns, which has different

treatment for women and men. That is, naming practices for women and men are often

lopsided. In linguistics, markedness refers to the way words are changed or added to

give a special meaning. The unmarked choice is just the original form. Most instances,

men are unmarked while women are marked. This practice of word-formation uses

prefixes and suffixes as derivational morphemes.

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 Nouns described to men are mostly the base structure and the female forms are

derived from it. For example, most female titles derived from male titles added with

bound morphemes like –ess and –ette. Words like “prince” for male have en equivalent

form of “princess” for female, host-hostess, actor-actress, and the list goes on. Franklin,

et. al (2005) suggests that “when using sex-specific words, one should attempt to

support gender symmetry.” Subsequently, the morphological process, granting to have

been considered askew, is due to the nonexistence of parallel occupational or title terms

for women in the society.

Third, sexist language is also bound in syntax. Syntax, as classically defined in

the language, is part of linguistics in which words are put together to form phrases,

clauses or sentences. Pronouns are part of speech used to replace a noun. Pronouns

such as ‘he,’ ‘him,’ or ‘his’ may refer to human race in general. Thus, these are the

generic pronouns. Generic pronouns are traditional indicators of sexist language. These

pronouns are supposed to be particular only to masculine gender.

Generic word “man” is also a sexist language. It is noted that the word is a

generic term that refers to (a) a human; (b) humans as a group or race; or (c) a male

human being. The use of the word in a generic sense puts women invisible. With this in

mind, syntax can be a factor in the widespread of sexist language.

Lastly, the use of non-parallel terms is another linguistic element. There is

asymmetric relationship existing in certain words when used to refer to men and

women. There is a locution that establishes subservience of women to men and not just

male ascendancy. It occurs in the outdated but still used expressions such as “I

pronounce you man and wife.” It is both a bizarre expression (since it is strange to go

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uttering someone to be a man) and a substantiation that establishes the woman in the

submissive role only of wife.

These four elements are indicators of sexist language existence. These are

primarily useful in assessing whether sexist language is present in young adult novels.

Methodology

This section covers the discussion of design and methods followed by the

researcher in the conduct of this study, including the research corpus, sampling and the

data gathering collection.

Research Design

The study used textual analysis. Textual analysis research design is the method

communication researchers use to describe and interpret the characteristics of a

recorded or visual message. Its purpose is to designate the content, structure, and

functions of language contained in texts as explained by Frey, Botan & Kreps (1999).

This method is appropriate since the problem of this study primarily asks the existence

of sexist language and its examples found in selected young adult novels, and to fulfil its

aim, this study must address the use of textual analysis for the process of analyzing the

presence of sexist language in each novel.

Data Source

The data sources of the study are three young adult novels. It includes Eleanor

and Park, Strange the Dreamer and Saving Francesca. The researcher chose these

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materials based on the information and reviews found in goodreads.com, a reliable and

handy website for books. These selected novels were categorized to have gender-role

and stereotyping contents needed for this study.

Eleanor & Park written by Rainbow Rowell is a novel published in the year 2013.

It is a story of two sixteen-year-olds coming from different racial backgrounds and family

upbringing. According to John Green in his published New York Times book review, it

offers to readers “what it is like to be young and in love with a book.” This coming-of-age

novel had not only present a giddy relationship but also undertone the social issues like

racism and sexism.

Strange the Dreamer is a high-fantasy novel written by Laini Taylor. It was

recently published early on 2017. It is a story of a young librarian named Lazlo Strange

on a journey to a magical place forgotten over time. It presents few other issues on

gender roles and designated powers which are relevant for the study.

Saving Francesca is a young adult novel by Melina Marchetta. Published in the

year 2003 under Knoff Book Publishing, it is a story of an eleventh-grader, Francesca,

transferring to an all-boys school that has just opened its doors to girls. The novel

presents challenges on a male-dominated institution and further developed a sense of

acceptance and respect.

Data Gathering Procedure

The data gathered follows a careful process. Initially, the researcher searched for

reliable sources of book websites that suggest novels with sexist language. The

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researcher then looked for and was able to procure a paperback or electronic copy of

the young adult novels as suitable corpus of the study.

After that, the researcher read each book three times. During the first reading,

the researcher processed the overall plot of the story. While on the second reading, the

researcher examined it thoroughly and identified the sexist language with the use of

code book from the concepts of Okeke (2012). Lastly, the researcher re-examined the

content to make sure if he identified every sexist language in the literary texts read.

Intercoder

The intercoder of this study is the researcher’s consultant. She is a skilled

professional in the field of English Language. She had undertaken an undergraduate

course in English Language and pursued a Master’s degree in the same field of

expertise. She is currently a member of the Language and Letters Department faculty in

Bukidnon State University.

Validation

The data that are gathered in the conduct of this study was submitted for

validation. The validation is done to verify the correctness of the coded sexist language.

Codebook

The codebook includes the indicators of sexist language, its definition, and

examples, especially those that are frequently in the novels. This codebook has

undergone its validation, too. This code book guided the researcher in the analysis of

the data gathered.

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Results and Discussions

This section presents and discusses the sexist language found in the selected

young adult novels. Based on the data gathered, the question as to what are the sexist

languages found in young adult novels was answered.

Linguistic elements of Semantics, Morphology, Syntax and Use of Non-Parallel

terms identified the sexist language in the YA novels. Based on the coded data, Table 1

shows the linguistic elements and the corresponding number of sexist language were

identified under each component.

Table 1
Sexist Language in Selected Young Adult Novels
Elements of Sexist Language Frequency Percentage
Semantics 16 38
Morphology 8 19
Syntax 11 26.1
Non-Parallel Terms 7 16.6
Total 42 100 %

Table 1 shows that the Semantic element is the prevailing linguistic element in

identifying sexist language among three selected YA novels. It means that authors

frequently used terms that convey derogatory meanings. It could either be through sex-

paired words, semantic collocation or slang.

One way for a novelist to depict society is to use language that is recurrent.

Sexist language, under this category, is sadly used in everyday discourse especially in

the community of its native speakers. The novels selected highly illustrates these terms.

Expressions such as “bitch” and “slut” that usually are intended to demoralize women

are common in the two contemporary YA novels since it depicts real-life events.

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 The least found element is the use of non-parallel terms. The lesser presence of

this element suggests the effort of authors in presenting women through words that are

less subservient to men such as becoming only a “wife of”. It is because this element

occurs in the old fashioned statements.

Frame 1

She was tired of missing Park. She just wanted to see him. Even if he did think she was
a perverted psychopath who wrote herself badly punctuated threats.

Frame 1 shows sexist language identified through semantic element. According

to the result, this linguistic element is the most used. Under such element, slang terms

are commonly used, with few other uncommon semantic collocation and sex-paired

words.

The statement “she was a perverted psychopath” is an example of unusual

collocation and at the same time, sexually derogate. Found in the novel, Eleanor and

Park, the term “pervert” is usually collocated to male while the term “psychopath” refers

to a person with mental illness. The meaning foregrounded in the context is

uncomplimentary to the mentioned female character of the story.

As an additional interpretation, the use of the author of these terms depicts a

woman who is morally and mentally hostile. If same way, used as masculine

descriptions the term may sound acceptable or tolerable. The word “pervert” is also

present in the same story describing the main male character as “some perverted

cartoon-sexual.” Thus, it portrays the character to be extremely inclined to cartoon

materials.

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 The presence of linguistic sexism creates a different meaning of a term for both

sexes. The female described in the example is wary for a boy’s perspective of her and

is absurd due to her presumed thoughts and skewed acts. The image of a girl drawn in

the text is critical because it gives a sample of how women may view themselves or act

according to what may seem ideal or appealing to a man. The author may have

resorted to such way to convey the usual emotive qualities of women in times of feeling

infatuation or having crushes. The statement, although sexist, helped in developing the

characters of the novel.

It supports the findings of Al-Ramahi (2013) stating that that the subjective

reality which reflects particular views about women is mainly tailored by a male

dominated world. It explains the reductive features by which the women are mostly

characterized and identified.”

Frame 2

‘Right’, Eleanor thought, ‘I’ll be sure to call you if Dad’s fiancée calls me a bitch and
then makes me use a bathroom without a door.’

Frame 2 shows another example of sexist language under semantic element.

The linguistic sexism recognized is particularly a form of slang. Slang terms such as

above abound in the materials selected. In the given context, the slang expression

“bitch” is sexist. It is not only discriminatory but it also exacerbates the presumed role of

the girl in the text. There are two meanings derived from the sexist term: (1) a woman

called “bitch” is expected to willingly offer her dignity and (2) a woman as a “bitch”

receives poor treatment.

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 This perception is because of the social ideology that women’s reputation is a

few notches lower than men. Thus, the slang as a sexist term is used to attest to the

unfair and low societal views toward undermining feminine gender. This presentation of

reality utilizing sexist language such as slang, granting its inevitability, should be

constrained based on its appropriateness and essence in a situation. In the sampled

context, the author used the term to show the lack of want or likeness of the character,

Eleanor, towards her father’s fiancée through a sarcastic statement.

The result above supports the findings of Okeke (2012) which noted that the use

of sexist terms or statement are tools to damage someone carried through the linguistic

element of semantics. It was further explained that rather than a blind but innocent

repetition of sexist behavior and terms many of us grow up with, some people carry that

further and try to emotionally harm an individual by targeting them with sexist

comments.

Frame 3
‘There’s only one way to celebrate the end of such a journey,” his hostess had told
him when she greeted him at the Merchants’ Guildhall and whisked him away with
her.
Frame 3 shows an example of sexist language under the morphological element.

The identified term “hostess” derives from the masculine base form “host” which both

construe social titles or occupations. There are two issues of linguistic sexism

suggested in the sample term. First, the use of affixes promotes that woman is a

derivation from man. It renders the impression that women's linguistic status is reliant

on or stems from that of men, which epitomize self-ruling. Consequently, it supports the

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findings of He (2010) that men as the main base is the heart of the formed word and is

the one that carries the compliments of its meaning.

The underlying idea suggested in identified sexist term does not only mean a

secondary place of women, but it also connotes the unbalanced relationship of the

paired-word reference between female and male. In the context, the “hostess” may not

only be a woman who entertains socially but someone who also amuses sexually. This

textual evidence proves social view about women. Although may have similarity

structurally, the feminine marked with the suffix -ess associates with low social status

and condescending connotations.

This result supports Lei’s findings that occupational nouns and job titles,

asymmetrical naming practices, and stereotyped images of women and men as well as

descriptions of (mainly) women abound in language. It implies that with this sexist

language element, women are trivialized or denigrated in young adult novels.

Frame 4
Mater Hyrrokkin found him there and laid a consoling hand on his arm. “I know it’s
hard, Strange, but it will pass. Some men are born for great things, and others help
great men do great thing.”

Frame 4 shows sexist language under the syntactic element. As seen, the use of

generic term “men” is sexist. The example is a philosophical statement. The author

used such linguistic sexism to ascribe a consoling advice to the main character,

Strange, by way of another character which is an old sage. There are two implications

of “men”: (1) representing masculine gender and (2) signifying the human race. This

identified term from the novel Strange the Dreamer, however, foregrounds the latter of

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the suggested meaning. It proves that the English lexicon barely portrays man and

woman as the same although these are the two main components of the human race.

The result supports He (2010) in his survey in the dictionary on the illustrative

idioms of man and woman, derogation of the female gender is detectable. The results

suggest that any form of literature treat a man as the center of the society, disregard the

existence of woman thus provides an absolute embodiment of an unjust criterion

through the usage of mostly generic pronouns or terms in syntax.

Frame 5
Her brothers used to say they’d pity the guy she’s end up with because he’d need to
be a saint, but that’s because my cousins think they know everything and have their
wives convinced of that as well. It’s incredible to witness how clueless they actually
are.

Frame 5 shows the presence of sexist language identified with non-parallel

terms. The non-parallel term specified is the word “wives”. The given context circles on

the “cousins” description as a know-it-all and thoughtless. However, this account barely

hits the qualifications for linguistic sexism. The phrase “their wives” solely renders a

sure form of sexism in the language in the example shown. The context, along with the

identified sexist term solicits three critical interpretations.

First, technically speaking, the “wives” are also cousins of the supposed

character in point-of-view. The legal process of marriage allows the “wives” and the

main character to be relatives under the law. However, the author only emphasizes their

social function as spouses not as cousin-in-law. Second, the sexist term then subjects a

woman to a subservient role of being only a wife. These are conventional ideas, mainly

tailored by a patriarchal society, which women stay at home to serve and rear children.

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 Such instance above is reductive to the abilities of a woman to independently

carry the responsibility of working for the economic needs of their family. It supports the

findings of Al-Ramahi (2013) wherein sexist lines identified in the examined riddle, the

same way as the present study confers, “helps to perpetuate the limited abilities of

women. In effect, such limitation leads into narrowing her role in various aspects of life.”

Third, the context accentuated by the sexist term “their wives” perceives a

woman as easily deceived by men and someone who lacks discerning qualities. The

following statement “my cousins’ think they know everything and have their wives

convinced of that as well” proves the underpinning discrimination towards women. The

image depicts the feminine gender to be trivial. It importantly mirrors the mentality of

male’s superiority and female’s subordination, or that males are considered masters

and the women are the slaves.

To sum up, young adult novels present sexist language due to the need of

writers to depict reality. As expected beforehand, the study has ascertained that these

young adult novelists employ offensively stereotyped images against one sex through

linguistic elements and inappropriate sexist language use. Most linguistic sexisms are

inherent in the semantics of the language.

In the study, words used to debase women are mostly reflective of society. Same

as true with the morphological, syntactic and non-parallel elements. However, there has

been a clear effort to avoid gender bias in language step by step due to a noticeable

use of non-discriminatory terms in the portrayal of either sex.

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Conclusion and Recommendation

Based on the findings, most novels, as a tool of knowledge, mirror forms of social

problems. Whether a language tends to derogate women or men, it exists because it

portrays the realistic expressions of society – because it is happening and it remains

alive within human ideology as a social being. Thus, linguistic sexism found in the

novels are sexism manifested in the language of society.

Sexist language, therefore, appeals to everyone. It is not simply limited to some

books for teenagers, but there is no gender exempted of not speaking or using sexist

language. Thus, this study proved that such matter is at hand, it would take perceptive

individuals to understand and minimize the practice of this kind of language.

Moreover, with the study’s results, a suggestion was made by the researcher.

First, as an emerging form of literary work, young adult novelists and authors should

use gender-neutral or gender-equal terms. However, since sexist language is inevitable

in the depiction of social language which includes discriminatory, slang and more, these

novels should at least use sexist language to a justifiable extent and there should be

sufficient understanding as to its inclusion in the text. Second, as a medium of

instruction in the literature-anchored curricula, literature teachers and instructors should

see to it that the materials used are gender-friendly.

Finally, as readers or enthusiasts of these particular books, one must develop a

keen sense of awareness and discernment as to the relevance of sexist language in the

said medium. This would only be attained through sufficient education. Henceforth,

research in sexist language under other forms of literature such as poems, limericks,

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songs or short stories must be pursued to, same way, promote and establish idea that

literature is also to be understood based on its presentation of society and differently

attest to how extreme or radical is the matter on linguistic sexism is at hand.

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