Stereotypes and Prejudices Essay Example for Free

Stereotypes and Prejudices Essay Everyone uses stereotypes in one way or another. (CX) People tend to judge from their first impressions, but prejudices do not get very dangerous until they lead to stereotyping and discrimination. The victims of prejudices and stereotypes may lose their own individual personalities, and they retreat into their own groups. Both Chopin, in â€Å"Desiree’s Baby,† and Piercy, who writes â€Å"Barbie Doll,† bring up this problem in their writings. Chopin and Piercy write about stereotypes and prejudices because they want people to think about the devastating effects of stereotypes and prejudices. To develop their theme, they write about the victims of prejudice, how they are treated differently, and how they end up in life. (S) Appearances influence many people. One day, when Desiree stands â€Å"against the stone pillar,† Armand â€Å"ride[s] by and see[s] her there,† and he soon falls in love with her (Chopin 346). (CC) Not knowing much about her characteristics, Armand falls in love with Desiree, and he marries her not long after that, which can be seen by the fast transition in Chopin’s story. Similarly, the â€Å"girl child† in â€Å"Barbie Doll† is described by her classmate as having â€Å"a great big nose and fat legs† (Piercy 352). Piercy writes that although she â€Å"[is] healthy and tests intelligent,† she keeps â€Å"[going] to and fro apologizing† for her body (352). People care about how she looks more than what she has in her heart. Being victims of prejudices, the characters in Chopin’s and Piercy’s works are treated differently. The way that Desiree, her baby, and the girl child have to face prejudice is not identical. While talking to her daughter, Madame Valmonde does not stop looking at the child; in addition, she â€Å"[lifts] it and [walks] with it over the window that [is] lightest,† and she â€Å"[replaces] it beside its mother† (Chopin 346). No one uses â€Å"it† to call a baby, and Desiree’s son is regarded as an animal because he is not white. From being the â€Å"proudest father in the parish†, Armand turns cruel as he discovers that his child â€Å"is not white; it means that [his wife is] not white† (Chopin 347). (CC) Chopin brings readers back to the age of slavery, which is a shame in humans’ history; the slaves cannot live as humans because they are distinct from the majority of the Whites. (S) Obviously, being different is the end of their life. (CX) On the other hand, the girl child in â€Å"Barbie Doll† has a chance to live if she gives up her personality. The author writes that she â€Å"[is] advised to play coy, exhorted to come on hearty, exercise, diet, smile and wheedle† (Piercy 352). She is given a chance to live the life of a machine, not a human, which is programmed according to the social standards. â€Å"Her good nature [wears] out like a fan. So she [cuts] off her nose and her legs, and [offers] them up,† writes Piercy (352). The fact that she has a choice is ironic. Chopin and Piercy also come to the same ending for their characters. Desiree and the girl child finish their lives in the same way. Desiree does not take the â€Å"broad beaten road which [leads] to the far-off plantation of Valmonde,† but she walks â€Å"across a deserted field† (Chopin 348). Readers may ask themselves whether Desiree does not take or is not allowed to take the broad road. She disappears among the â€Å"reeds and willows†, and she never comes back (Chopin 348). Likewise, the girl child ends up her life â€Å"in the casket displayed on the satin she [lies] with the undertaker’s cosmetics painted on, a turned-up putty nose† (Piercy 352). â€Å"Is everyone satisfied? † asks Piercy. (CP) The victims of prejudice are not happy, so they choose the death to cease their misery. It is the time that people have to be aware of stereotypes and prejudices. Both Chopin and Piercy signify that stereotypes and prejudices are destructive. â€Å"Consummation at last† is a sarcastic way of Piercy to tell the truth (352). It is the consummation of people who judge others through appearances. (CP) Prejudice is no longer accepted in modern societies; however, it still exists in the nature of humans. Stereotyping prevents people from learning the real facts about themselves, and it allows them to discriminate and commit various crimes against all kinds of people. In pursuit of a better society, everyone should patiently fight against the unfairness of stereotypes and prejudices.