Iteratum

Austen Miller

“Oh, my brave white knight

I’ve oft told thee in verse

Time is my sweet gift

Freedom thy foul curse.”

Again.

Once again, the brave knight looked at the beautiful corpse.

The lyrical verses of the Gleeful God echoed through the fetid chamber as the knight cried, “Shut up! Enough of your lies. Again. Now!”

Again.

The knight’s own words rang in his ears. In his mind, he could hear the lyrics of the Nameless Nuisance, musically interweaving with his own demands as they repeated, again and again. The Jingling Jester could be addressed by many names or none at all. The corrosive cackles of that Malicious Mummer never ceased.

Again.

Tears streamed down his face as he looked at the princess lying upon the altar. The acrid air of the smokey chamber made him cringe as torchlight glinted off the jewels encrusting the dagger in her breast. The metallic smell of warm blood rose from the dead cultists the knight had struck down moments before to no avail. It was all his fault. The princess was dead, yet again.

Again.

“Very well! Your wish is my command,” the Malignant Meddler’s voice cackled cruelly through the chamber. It seemed to come from every direction, but the knight looked away, for he already knew it came from the dead white lips of the princess.

“You two can have another chance. In my domain, you may always try again,” it said, a sanguine smile in the words.

Again.

A brilliant void of light blinded the brave knight. When again the knight could see, the dank temple chamber was gone. Black pines rose high all around him. The noon sun sat still, suspended in the sky. He had returned once again to the forest path leading to the town of Iteratum.

Again.

This was the path he had traveled that morning, thinking to investigate a bounty on a missing, little-known princess. There had been rumors of heresy and foulness pervading the area, and it had seemed as good a place as any to search out a prize many knights were seeking. Though the path was not particularly long or harrowing, it had been a very long time since the knight had set off. Far longer than he could remember.

Overall, it was a pleasant morning. When he had first set out on this path, he had been almost dizzy in his high spirits. His head had been full of thoughts of the rewards and honor young knights could receive for their valiant efforts in vanquishing the myriad evils of the world. It had been so long ago that the knight could no longer remember those happy thoughts. His mind contained only the maddening verses of the Loquacious Liar and his own demands to try again.

Again.

The knight had once relished the warmth of the sun, the smell of the woods, the simple feeling of walking down what had once been an unknown path. Now he despised everything around him with a contempt beyond anything regular familiarity could breed. He began the walk yet again to the town Iteratum, whose few spires could already be seen above the trees.

Again.

“Has the face of the world ever before been marred by such a morose place?” mused the knight as he entered what many would describe as a pleasant town nestled in a foreboding forest. It was a large enough place to merit a modest cathedral, but not quite a city. A few townspeople approached him as he walked between the hovels at the edge of the town, curious for news from abroad. As each came near, the knight did not look at them, nor slow his pace. He simply spat out terse phrases:

“Shut up, Henry. They know you stole it. You were the first one they all thought of.”

“He will never love you, Millicent. He probably never did.”

“She broke it while drunk last night, John. She didn’t tell you because she thinks you’ll hit her. She’s right.”

The stunned townsfolk backed away, dumbfounded. The knight had tried recruiting the denizens of Iteratum many times, and every time they had caused more trouble than they were worth. Better to avoid wasting time with such liabilities, again.

Again.

The square in front of the cathedral was lively. Today was a market day. It was always a market day. The square was full of merchants and farmers hawking their goods, gossips greasing the wheels of social life, and even a handful of children playing underfoot. One of the children bumped into the knight’s leg.

Wow! Are you a real knight? Do you fight evil?

With little hesitation, the knight sent the child reeling to the floor with a hard slap, his stolen coin purse spilling from the child’s hand.

If your little gang tries that again, I will start breaking fingers,” he said as he stepped over the stunned boy.

Again.

In previous iterations, the pickpockets had been a useful source of information. The knight had even used them as scouts in the hidden temple. They were an amiable lot of urchins, but the knight knew they were no longer of use. It had been a long time since he had learned all the poor children could teach him of the town. They were now simply distractions and liabilities, like the rest of the townsfolk. Those nearby were surprised by the slap, but not shocked. The thieves’ antics were well known.

The knight pointedly did not look at the cathedral as he crossed the square. He did not look at its sharp spires, its gothic arches, or the grimacing grotesques leering at passersby from its walls. He did not look at the great ornate doors and he especially did not look at the bishop cheerfully greeting people from those doors. He knew there would be time for that later.

The knight entered an inn on the far side of the square. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The hum of conversation between a handful of patrons was kindled by occasional comments from the amiable innkeeper behind the bar. She glanced up at the knight as he approached.

“Hello, stranger. Wh—” was all she got out before he began speaking.

“I need a room. Just one night. Do not disturb me and I will pay extra.”

“Okay, would yo—” The clatter of coins interrupted her this time.

“Right this way,” she said quickly.

The innkeeper was another well of information that had long since run dry. The knight had every rumor, bit of gossip, and insight she contained memorized. The kind soul had even fallen to the knives of the cultists on a few occasions trying to help him. It was always in vain, and the knight was uninterested in watching people die for nothing, again.

Again.

The knight failed to sleep the day away. Although he had previously tried and tried, he knew well that there was no point in trying to enter the temple below the cathedral yet. He knew that slaying the baleful bishop in broad daylight would land him in a cell, far away from the ritual. He knew there was no way to sneak in during the day. He knew the ancient stone doors would not unseal before the hour when the heavens aligned that night. He knew each individual cultist. He knew where they lived and what they would be doing at this time during the day, and he knew that it did not matter. However many he slew, he could never get to all of them before they were able to move the princess and commence the ritual. As far as the knight had deduced, the only thing that always changed was which ways the Baleful Bawler directed its servants. He could always try again, but it could too.

Again.

He had often tried to torture the worshippers of the Vile Villain for where their victim had been hidden before the ritual, but they would call their Sultry Sovereign to take their bodies. The Pestilent Puppeteer would simply laugh and laugh at the knight through borrowed lips until its puppet suffocated, once again leaving a corpse with motley robes and a cracked, bloody smile.

Again.

The knight had given up attempting to stop the Glad God’s ritual through cooperation, cunning, or careful planning. He had given up on all the people in and around the town. They were all too weak, too stupid, or too complicit to help him, and the knight had stopped caring about the distinction between the three. He had gotten closest with sheer brute force in other cycles. He had been in the chamber when the dagger fell. He had covered every inch of the walls with the blood of the deranged devotees of that Tyrannical Trickster so many times, but he could not save her. She had, yet again, lain as dead on that sulfurous stone slab as every other time he had entered that ruinous room.

Again.

Sleep eluded the knight, though he did not entirely resent its absence. As each cycle began in the morning just before noon, the knight began with the energy he had carried into Iteratum the first time.

Yet he felt an exhaustion without end. Every last inch of the world felt like it was degenerating with decay. That feeling was sometimes preferable to the sleep permitted by the Whimsical Warden. From the times he had achieved sleep, he knew that his dreams would be filled with the sound of that Sanguine Sonneteer’s salacious serenades salting his soul, again.

Again.

The knight woke with a start, his face wet with tears and sheets drenched with sweat. He did not feel even slightly less tired. His ears still rang with the Sordid Skald’s putrid poems, and rubbing the sleep from his eyes did nothing to remove the memory of his desolate dreams. There was still time to get to the hidden temple. The Hateful Harlequin would never let him slumber through its triumph.

He quickly crossed the empty starlit square, wordlessly beat the town guard at the cathedral door, and descended hidden stairs he knew all too well. The monolithic stone doors were open at the end of a crudely dug tunnel in the basement. There were a great variety of traps hidden about the chthonic temple, but the knight soundlessly skirted each. These had been among his first lessons in Iteratum, painstakingly discovering each to get closer to the ritual chamber, the Jovial Juggler spouting jests in his ears each time he fell victim to a pit of spikes.

“Would you like to try again? You can save her. Here, you can always try again.”

Again.

And he had tried. He had tried and tried to save that poor girl’s life from the doom of the bishop’s jeweled dagger, but the Cruel Cackler always created some confounding contrivance to stop the knight. It always won.

He reached the ritual chamber after the terrible tedium of the traps. Echoing from within was the familiar chant of the bishop, the whooshing of robes, and the glint of the jeweled dagger. He was just in time. The Ruinous Reveler liked it very much when he arrived just in time.

The knight’s sword was through the first set of colorful robes before the others had turned. The bishop, dagger held aloft, turned in surprise, the bells of his jester’s cap tinkling. His flamboyant motley costume was a sharp contrast to the priestly vestments he had worn during the day. As the knight cut his way through the clownish cultists, they could put up little in the way of resistance. Even those who knew how to use their daggers fell quickly before someone who had faced them again, and again, and again.

Again.

As he approached the altar, more of the dutiful degenerates entered the room. The knight was surprised to recognize the scream of a man he had not yet killed. At the altar, the bishop stood with the jeweled dagger sprouting from his chest. The princess withdrew the blade.

“You! Blackest knight! Tormentor!” She screeched as she pointed the dagger at the knight.

The knight stared at the princess. No, not again.

Mixed sobs and cackles shook the princess as she knelt on the altar, jeweled dagger pressed to her breast. “You don’t care about me. You don’t know me. You care for nothing but your honor, your crusade. You can stop this at any time. That god never had any power over you, you choose to return. Always you choose to return. And always I am dragged back with you, your bait. And you know. You know it won’t let me miss a thing!”

The knight sank. His endless suffering, the pain, the toil. Over and over… It had all been for her. It had always been to save her. They could beat it. He knew they could beat it, and then she would understand.

“Let me out. You have to let me out. You cannot save me. It will never let you save me. You cannot keep forcing me to live and die again and again.”

Again.

“Maybe someday you will hear this.”

The princess plunged the dagger into her chest and fell to the altar.

Her eyes locked with his. “Please let me out,” she whispered.

The knight couldn’t think. He stood before the altar, eyes wide as he looked at the young woman’s bloody body.

Again. How could it happen again?

Again.

How could she not understand? The knight had come here to help, just like he always had. He could not let her die. He could not let the Motley Monster win.

As the cultists came close, a hideous sound, like a great mad crowd laughing itself into howling hysterics, arose throughout the chamber.

“My good sir, it need not all be for naught!” emanated from the princess’s pale bloody lips. “You two can have another chance. In my domain, you may always try again.”

Again

Once again, the brave knight looked at the beautiful corpse.

“Oh, my brave white knight

I’ve oft told thee in verse

Time is my sweet gift

Freedom thy foul curse.”

Forced to Play the Princess: The Impact of Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Literature

Genevieve Owens

Gender roles have played a significant part in shaping how people view each other and their places in society. Gender stereotypes are often reinforced in young children through the media they consume, particularly in fairy tales and other forms of literature. Even childhood favorites hold a surprising amount of gender bias and toxic messages. In Winnie the Pooh, other than Kanga—the mother figure in the story—every character is male, despite ample opportunity to add diverse female representation. In a popular collection of fairy tales edited by Andrew Lang called The Blue Fairy Book, the amount of misogynistic stereotypes and glorified sexual violence these stories contain is shocking. Traditionally minded individuals argue that gender roles provide people with a roadmap for how they “should” lead a fulfilling life, based solely on anatomy. These individuals may feel that conforming to these roles will allow them to live within society’s comfort zone and feel secure with their life expectations. However, what was once considered conventional is now being questioned as researchers come to terms with the harms of gender stereotypes. The perpetuation of gender stereotypes in children’s literature affects childhood development by attacking youth’s self-esteem, altering their perceptions of the world, and ultimately limiting the freedom to explore their identities.

Exposure to gender stereotypes in books decreases children’s self-esteem and demands that they observe the unofficial rules society standardizes. Before continuing the conversation, it will be useful to have a general definition of gender stereotypes. Anjali Adukia (2022) and her colleagues explain, “Gender stereotypes are defined as ‘a generalized view or preconception about attributes, or characteristics that are or ought to be possessed by women and men or the roles that are or should be performed by men and women.’”¹ It appears that the notion of gender stereotypes came about from societal expectations of conformity that have reigned supreme through the years.

These stereotypes differ between women and men, but both sides remain problematic. Ya-Lun Tsao (2020) quotes M. A. Kramer when she writes, “Female characters are portrayed as more concerned with appearance. Females are depicted as dependent, emotional, silly, clumsy, and lacking intelligence. They are passive, gentle, domestic, motherly, and unassertive.”² Snow White is a prime example of these traits, with her personality being defined by her beautiful looks and her ability to care for a house of men through her “motherly instincts.” Additionally, Dr. Munejah Khan (2019) considers the damaging nature of gender stereotypes, particularly those relating to toxic masculinity. She quotes Lois Tyson when she states, “Traditional gender roles cast men as rational, strong, protective, and decisive.”³ While Disney’s Gaston was not in the original tale of Beauty and the Beast, few male characters better portray the image of an arrogant, womanizing man whose world revolves around his narcissism. While several of these traits are not necessarily negative, it can become an issue when female characters only possess passive traits while male characters are primarily bestowed with active ones.

When female characters are portrayed with sexist stereotypes, it affects women’s self-esteem by pressuring them to fit within certain expectations. Kennedy Casey (2021) and her colleagues write, “The underrepresentation of female characters in children’s books, and media more generally, has been referred to as ‘symbolic annihilation’ because it is believed to promote the marginalization of women and girls by suggesting that they play a less significant role in society.”⁴ As unfortunate as it seems, women today still suffer the consequences of sexism and being seen as inferior to men, whether in media or reality.

Fairy tales are especially notorious for pushing women to the side. Khan says that in “Snow White,” “The idea propagated through the tale is perhaps that Snow White is happy to stay at home and perform the chores and the lesson to be drawn from her tale is that women should be passive.”⁵ There has long been the implication that women are meant to be content as housekeepers while men work to provide for the family, and Snow White’s tale exemplifies this. In “Cinderella,” “The moral of Cinderella’s story can be defined as ‘patience and endurance is rewarded’ thereby women are instructed to suffer in silence with the hope that their patience too will be rewarded.”⁶ While Cinderella can be a source of comfort to girls who have no control over their current situation and wish only for happiness after enduring their trials, it is one of the many fairy tales that discourage women from taking charge of their lives and finding the strength to be themselves.

While female stereotypes tend to be a considerable issue in children’s literature, male stereotypes can be detrimental as well. Khan quotes Seda Peksen when she writes that boys “are always expected to be the breadwinners, the heroes who never cry, who are never frightened, and who should always take the first step.”⁷ This is an example of toxic masculinity and the pressure that is put on young boys to “man up” and “stop acting like a girl,” as emotional responses are seen as a negative trait. Conversely, Anna Knyazyan (2017) notes, “In Andersen’s fairy tales the males displayed more emotions than the females. This was too unexpected since females were typically stereotyped as more emotional.”⁸ Emotions are a double-edged sword for men—they are expected to be the epitome of aggression, courage, and pride, yet feelings such as genuine joy and sorrow are frowned upon.

Disney films also include several examples of themes often found in children’s literature. Knyazyan lists five of these themes: “1. males use physical strength to express their emotions; 2. males are unable to control their sexuality; 3. males are strong and heroic; 4. males always have non-domestic jobs; 5. fat males always have negative characteristics.”⁹ For example, The Hunchback of Notre Dame’s Claude Frollo embodies the second point by demonstrating alarming sexual harassment towards Esmeralda throughout the duration of the film. Additionally, the fourth point relates to the Sultan in Aladdin when he expects Jasmine’s future husband to be responsible for ruling Agrabah while his daughter takes on a more docile role. These examples may seem like normal occurrences in most stories, but they reflect real-world issues that imply that children who do not live up to these standards are worthless and need to “fix” themselves to be happy.

Without discussing the controversy surrounding them, gender stereotypes can lead children to develop unhealthy biases concerning world issues. In many literary works, gender roles have been used to reinforce stereotypes that place strict expectations on men and discourage women from achieving their true potential. Ria Chinchankar (2015) uses William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as an example of gender limitations when she says, “Romeo is instructed to stand up and be a man and to stop acting like a woman when he becomes overly emotional upon hearing news of his banishment. We still say stuff like this today.”¹⁰ Boys are taught from a young age that crying is a sign of weakness while women are seen as overly emotional. Defining emotional expression as a strictly feminine attribute further alienates the male and female genders from each other.

Women have often been perceived as being “less” than men throughout history. In her speech, Chinchankar references women's roles during the time Shakespeare lived. She says, “Women were barred from university, seen as a distraction to men. This meant the women were unable to get higher paying, more qualified jobs. Over time, they began to believe that they themselves weren’t as capable as men.”¹¹ It is only in recent decades that women have begun to attain basic human rights, such as the ability to receive higher education, become homeowners, and act as government representatives. These rights were only achieved after centuries of fighting back against harmful attitudes towards womanhood. Unfortunately, “gender stereotypes persist in society,”¹²and “implicit attitudes about females being submissive and less worthy than males remain pervasive.”¹³ Progress towards reducing these stereotypes has been slowed as children are taught to believe that women have less value than men, causing them to develop negative perspectives concerning gender and lose sight of the potential of others.

Another devastating but relevant truth about gender stereotypes is how they normalize sexual harassment and assault. With dangerous attitudes such as “boys will be boys” or “women are responsible for men’s actions,” ideas about sexual harassment can form at an age long before children are aware of their impact. Leah Shafer (2018) writes, “Stubborn beliefs cultivated from an early age such as ‘girls are bad at math,’ ‘girls are better at cooking,’ or ‘boys don’t cry,’” lead to “disturbing truths about the frequency of sexual harassment.”¹⁴ Not only do messages about what boys and girls can and cannot do limit their self-esteem and potential, but they also indirectly suggest that women must submit to men in every circumstance. The original “Sleeping Beauty” has long been known for its problematic origins where “The princess in the whole tale is portrayed as an object of male gaze and has absolutely no opinion to express.”¹⁵ A wandering prince taking advantage of a slumbering princess has left many readers horrified by its inclusion in a children’s story, despite this issue still occurring frequently in modern society. If youth were more educated on these stereotypes and their hidden implications, perhaps the tragedy of sexual assault would become less of a problem in the world.

Gender stereotypes also contribute to negative attitudes about mental health. While mental health is a widespread issue with many nuances, mental illness in men tends to be much less recognized than in women due to the expectation for them to be “always portraying a tough exterior.”¹⁶ Men’s mental health is put at risk when they are “unable to reach out for support or seek a therapist, and helps explain why the suicide rate for males is two times higher than the suicide rate for females. This idea that they're not meant to love can be fatal.”¹⁷ Men are mocked for both asking for help and expressing vulnerable emotions, so it is no wonder so many incredible men have been lost due to the stigmas placed on mental illness.

While men are pressured to approach life with stoicism, women are often faced with countless opinions arguing that they can never truly be happy without the opportunity to marry a Prince Charming and settle down to raise a family. It is unfortunate how “often the plot of fairy tales is how a girl is rescued from misery by prince charming, the implication being that marriage to the right man guarantees happiness and assures the ‘they lived happily ever after’ ending to a girl’s story.”¹⁸ While women who choose to marry and raise children should be highly respected, not everyone is content with this path. Some women might never want to get married, instead finding happiness in traveling or pursuing their careers. Some women may desire to get married but never find the right person. Multiple women would prefer to spend the rest of their lives with a “princess” or otherwise than a “prince.” Some women may be unable to bear children, prefer to adopt, or may not want children at all. All of these choices are equally valid, and a woman’s self-image and happiness should not rest on whether or not she falls in love with a man.

The expectations that gender stereotypes set in children’s literature limit the freedom of youth to explore their identities. Even from a young age, children are discouraged from exploring non-traditional gender roles. Parents will likely give their daughters dolls to explore motherhood while their sons receive “toys for boys,” like model cars and action figures. Society tends to “view gender identity as the process through which children acquire the characteristics, attitudes, values and behaviors that society defines as appropriate to their gender and which lead them to adopt roles and responsibilities that are prescribed to men and women.”¹⁹ Even in literature, these concepts of “correct” gender identity are suggested through the traits and behaviors of the characters.

Children’s books are biased due to the way genders are depicted in stories and illustrations. Readers of youth literature will notice that “in most children’s picture books, males characteristically dominate titles, pictures, and texts. Female characters, on the other hand, are not only under-represented in titles and central roles but also appear unimportant.”²⁰Not only are children taught ideas such as “girls cannot hold leadership positions” or “boys can never appear soft,” but their books also include messages of one gender holding superiority over another. Children may also develop a fear of judgment over whether their interests align with traditional gender norms. They are lost in the message that women must do the housework while men hold the main source of income. However, people may take comfort in the fact that “children who were read non-sexist stories…reduced their notions of gender-role stereotypes” and “developed fewer stereotypical attitudes…after being read stories about people who fought gender discrimination.”²¹Children are generally more accepting and open to various concepts at a young age, so the earlier they learn to take a stand against gender stereotypes, the more likely it is that they develop a celebration of positive ideas about gender.

Many children’s preferences are influenced by the media they consume. Often, children will prefer to read books with a main character whose gender is the same as their own. Kirsten Heuring (2021) writes, “Girls are more likely to have books read to them that include female protagonists than boys…Children are more likely to learn about the gender biases of their own gender than of other genders.”²² By reading books that focus solely on their own gender, children are being exposed to the stereotypes of how they “should” behave rather than exploring stories from other perspectives. This issue particularly resonates with women, especially when only one kind of female character is present. Whether they be a damsel in distress or a tomboy, these stereotypes “prevent female human potential from being realized by depriving girls of a range of strong, alternative role models.”²³ The harmful stereotype of women only being useful in domestic roles is prevalent in classic literature, but modern media has popularized the “strong, female character” trope. What authors and readers must understand is that women do not have to possess stereotypical male traits to be seen as “strong.” There is power to be found in diverse female personalities, whether the woman wields a sword in battle or heals wounded soldiers.

As this discussion of gender stereotypes ends, one might ask: is there anything that can be done to mend the scars these ancient traditions have left upon the world? The answer is yes, although it will take dedication to establish a change of heart. The most straightforward solution is to examine personal biases and any preconceived notions about gender roles. People can “change [their] own actions. Are you a man who’s always dreamt of dancing ballet? Go ahead and do it. Shed the restrictions our culture places on people.”²⁴ A person should never be too scared to pursue their dreams simply because society told them their desires are unorthodox. The world would be much less interesting if everyone pursued the same path in life.

Parents can play a significant part in teaching their children about gender bias. They can “talk to kids about the stereotypes they encounter at school, on television, or while shopping…Explain to kids how stereotypes can be so ingrained in our society that we don’t always notice them.”²⁵ The only reason children grow up accepting the normality of gender stereotypes is because they have never been taught that there is anything wrong with them in the first place. Parents can also “Encourage boys to talk about their feelings and worries, and praise them for expressing empathy and care,” as well as “Make it clear to girls that they can and should be leaders.”²⁶ These tips do not have to be exclusive to one gender over another, but some counsel may be more relevant to certain genders depending on their situations in life. There are countless other examples of how individuals can lessen gender bias in the world; what is important to note is that action can be taken and that society does not need to continue existing in a cycle of conformity.

Without attempting to reduce harmful gender stereotypes in children’s literature and provide education on their impact, youth will lose the opportunity to have a healthy relationship with gender. Children do not need to bid farewell to classic stories simply because gender stereotypes exist within their pages—on the contrary, there are many important life lessons to be gained from these tales. Instead, parents and teachers should attempt to educate children on approaching gender stereotypes with an open mind. If negative depictions of gender stereotypes persist in modern literature, youth may remain trapped in a pattern of destructive gender biases and mixed messages about their roles in life. Girls will never be able to see themselves as superheroes dashing through the air to save citizens from a falling building, and boys will never be able to hold a tea party in the garden with their friends for fear of being seen as “not manly enough.” Authors, parents, and any other adults who play a part in childhood development need to take the necessary steps to promote positive representations of gender inclusivity in books and help children who feel lost in the world of gender stereotypes to find themselves through stories.

1. Anjali Adukia et al., “Tales and Tropes: Gender Roles from Word Embeddings in a Century of Children’s Books,” Proceedings of the 29th International Conference on Computational Linguistics, October 12, 2022, 3086-97; Pp. 3088.
2. Ya-Lun Tsao, “Gender Issues in Young Children’s Literature,” Reading Improvement (Project Innovation (Alabama), March 22, 2020); Pp. 18.
3. Munejah Khan, “The Politics of Children’s Literature: Constructing Gender Identities through Fairytales,” Language In India, March 1, 2019; Pp. 146.
4. Kennedy Casey, Kylee Novick, and Stella F. Lourenco, “Sixty Years of Gender Representation in Children’s Books: Conditions Associated with Overrepresentation of Male versus Female Protagonists,” PLOS ONE 16, no. 12 (December 15, 2021): e0260566, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260566; Pp. 15.
5. Khan, “Politics of Children’s Literature,” Pp. 148.
6. Khan, “Politics of Children’s Literature,” Pp. 149.
7. Khan, “Politics of Children’s Literature,” Pp. 148.
8. Anna Knyazyan, “Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Literature (with Special Reference to H.Ch. Andersen’s and W. Disney’s Fairytales),” Armenian Folia Anglistika 13, no. 1-2 (17) (October 16, 2017): 165–74, https://doi.org/10.46991/AFA/2017.13.1-2.165; Pp. 167.
9. Knyazyan, “Gender Stereotypes,” Pp. 170
10. Ria Chinchankar, Gender Roles in Society, TEDx Talks, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz-hlV8o3y8; 00:06:30.
11. Chinchankar, Gender Roles in Society, 00:06:44..
12. Casey et al., “Sixty Years of Gender Representation,” Pp. 13.
13. Casey et al., “Sixty Years of Gender Representation,” Pp. 13.
14. Leah Shafer, “Preventing Gender Bias,” Harvard Graduate School of Education, November 29, 2018, https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/18/11/preventing-gender-bias.
15. Khan, “Politics of Children’s Literature,” Pp. 149.
16. Chinchankar, Gender Roles in Society, 00:07:55.
17. Chinchankar, Gender Roles in Society, 00:07:52.
18. Khan, “Politics of Children’s Literature,” Pp. 147.
19. Knyazyan, “Gender Stereotypes,” Pp. 165.
20. Tsao, “Gender Issues,” Pp. 17.
21. Tsao, “Gender Issues,” Pp. 18.
22. Kirsten Heuring, “Children's Books Solidify Gender Stereotypes in Young Minds,” Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences – Carnegie Mellon University, December 29, 2021, https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/news/news-stories/2021/december/lewis-gender.html.
23. Tsao, “Gender Issues,” Pp. 17.
24. Chinchankar, Gender Roles in Society, 00:10:10.
25. Shafer, “Preventing Gender Bias.”
26. Shafer, “Preventing Gender Bias.”