For centuries men and women have been divided over which characteristics have belong to which sex. Men have been associated with power and knowledge, working in top positions. Men are expected to be responsible and take control in any situation. Women, on the other hand, were linked with staying at home, taking care of the children and being emotional, as well as asking for help. Victor Seidler, in "Language and Masculinity" explores how the suspension of emotions in the masculine world is observed. In the writings of David Gilmore, "Performative Excellence: Circum Mediterranean, and Nawal El-Saadawi, "Love and Sex in the Life of the Arab," the authors discuss how a man's masculinity is affected when emotions are involved. Each of the societies that the authors discuss believes that in order for a man to be masculine, he must remove all his emotions. However, I believe that when this occurs, a man is no longer a person, but more like a machine. He just works and gives orders, but cannot feel or express what he thinks.
             In a world where two sexes coincided and compete with one another, Seidler explores that "since we identify 'rationality' with knowledge, we systematically deny knowledge to women and children, who are closely identified with emotions and feelings" (Seidler 561). What Seidler is trying to say is that in order to be full of knowledge a person must be rational and since women are considered irrational, they are also believed to be dumb and stupid. They are denied this knowledge because for centuries it was customary that men were the ones that were capable of doing the important jobs such as holding positions, or fixing some technical problem in the house. This was so because it was assumed that women did not have the capabilities to learn basic and complex skills. Women are also "closely identified with emotions and feelings" because it is the only thing they...