Scott Russell Sanders's The Men We Carry In Our Minds

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In nearly all historical societies, sexism was prevalent. Power struggles between genders mostly ended in men being the dominant force in society, leaving women on a lower rung of the social ladder. However, this does not always mean that women have a harder existence in society. Scott Russell Sanders faces a moral dilemma in “The Men We Carry in Our Minds.” In the beginning, Sanders feels that women have a harder time in society today than men do. As the story progresses, he begins to understand why he thinks in the manner that he does. Sanders does an excellent job of showing how his thinking changes as the text progresses. He does this through his brilliant use of interior monologue and personal anecdotes. In his essay, Sanders opens with a debate that he had with his friend Anneke. He thinks that women have a harder time in today’s world than men. Anneke disagrees. Sanders thinks back to his younger years to try to figure out why his view on gender differs from Anneke’s. After exploring his past experiences with each gender, Sanders understands that people have different views based on how and where they were raised. Sanders displays his change in viewpoints through masterful uses of interior dialogue. This literary technique allows the reader to understand what the narrator is thinkinging as events unfold in front of him. When Anneke challenges Sanders’ view that women have a tougher existence in society, Sanders becomes confused and tries to blindly agree with her.

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