essay

Essay 3

For your third essay (due December 3rd), you are going to focus on what we have discussed about gender roles within video games.  You are going to examine how misogyny, sexism and gender polarization is evident within classic or modern video games and to what extent.

Focus on gender within video games from the following two perspectives:

· Physical

· How the male and female characters are designed and presented.

· Behavioral

· How the male and female characters behave within their video games, as well as what roles they serve to perpetuate the plot.

 

· You are free to examine any video games you wish.  However, you must examine more than just one.

· Pick something obscure!!!  It’s easy to write about gender roles/misogyny in mainstream, contemporary video games.  If you can identify these themes in games where they are not conspicuously apparent, I’ll be more impressed.

Physical

· How are the males and females designed within their video games?  Have their physical attributes been at all exaggerated? 

· Is their manner of dress or accoutrements appropriate for the game’s environment and tasks required on the part of the player?

· If the characters within a certain video game are not human, then what “human” characteristics have they been given, and to what extent?

Behavioral

· Does one gender appear to be subordinate to another?  How does one gender behave in relation to the other?

· What tasks must the male and female characters in this game do?  Do these tasks noticeably differ depending on the sex of the character executing them?

· Are there any mutual actions (such as fighting, investigating, winning, losing, etc.) in the games that vary depending on the gender of the character?

· What do the male and female characters do in order to advance the game’s plot?  Do they differ?

Use 3rd person!  (Don't say "I" or "you").

Min. 3 full pages long, 12 pt. font, Times New Roman.

Double-spaced!

You must cite at least 2 (reputable) non-textbook sources in MLA format and include a Works Cited page!

· Please find some references that specifically discuss gender roles within the context of the video game industry.