Stereotyping in Mona in the Promised Land Essay - 657 Words

Throughout the book, Mona in the Promised Land, the main characters are faced with stereotypes which they cannot control. Stereotypes in society shape the way people are perceived. Everyone deals with their stereotypes in a different way. The two characters who deal with the most stereotypes are Mona, and Barbara. According to their stereotypes, Barbara is a better all around person than Mona, due to her social class, but when it comes to dealing with stereotypes Mona is a much stronger individual. Like all people, Mona and Barbara choose to deal with their stereotypes in different ways. Mona chooses to deal with her stereotypes by trying to change them, while Barbara deals with them by changing herself. One of the first stereotypes†¦show more content†¦They also tell Barbara that she has a Jewish nose. Instead of fighting to overcome the stereotype that people had of Barbaras nose, Barbara had her nose fixed. Barbaras nose job showed that she is willing to assimilate to the norm. This is a huge sign of weakness that shows that Mona is stronger than Barbara. Mona too has to deal with religious stereotypes. You dont look Jewish, is one of the most often heard sayings from the people at the pancake house who find out that Mona is Jewish. Monas culture says that she should either be Buddhist or Christian. Monas appearance, that of a Chinese woman, makes people think that she is not Jewish, only whites can be Jewish, according to stereotypes. Monas cultural stereotype causes Rabbi Horwitz to lose his job at the temple. Even though her Rabbi is fired, Mona does not stop going to temple. Instead of taking it as a threat, Mona becomes more involved in temple life to show that Chinese people can be Jewish. By doing this Mona is showing her strength to overcome stereotypes. Barbara is Jewish and is assumed by her friends to be rich; a very old stereotype of Jews. This is shown when Seth meets Barbara at the community center and assumes she is rich. His assumption is shown later in the book when he say, I didnt think you were this rich! Barbaras family too is under the pressure to show their wealth. To do this Barbara and her family move to a huge house.Show MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesthe Disposable Worker?) Chapter 2: Diversity in Organizations †¢ Entirely new Opening Vignette (The Rise and Fall of Erin Callan) †¢ New feature: glOBalization! †¢ New Myth or Science? (â€Å"Dual-Career Couples Divorce Less†) †¢ Enhanced coverage of stereotyping and discrimination research †¢ Revised content regarding age discrimination and implications of an aging workforce †¢ Updates to discussion of disability in the workplace †¢ Expanded coverage of sexual orientation discrimination †¢ New material and