How are boys and girls different socially in the House on Mango Street and in our society? In what way do they live in separate worlds?

In the time era of The House on Mango Street, gender roles were very specific for boys and girls. Boys generally did the tougher work, owned businesses or worked at jobs which required more labor, they would gain higher education easier and make more money. Generally, girls became housewives, with a stereotypical slogan “barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen” where they did not have as much of a need for higher education. Compared to today, gender roles have changed dramatically in the past 100 years, and there is a more leveled playing field. Overall, more women are enrolling to higher education facilities and joining similar work forces as men as well as joining the military. However, girls and boys do still tend to live in separate worlds, where it is still normal for boys to play in the dirt and girls to play with dolls. But nowadays even this is changing.

How do apps portray race and culture?

Everyone with a smart phone understands the significance of apps, and are aware of the several free or paid gaming apps such as Words With Friends, Temple Run, and thousands more. What you may not often realize are the racial stereotypes portrayed in some of these apps. Take Temple Run for example—the default character “Guy Dangerous” is a white male described as “just your average explorer.” As you gain more coins, you can unlock “better” characters, such as “Barry Bones” a black “city cop with an attitude” and Asian “Karma Lee” dressed up in traditional Chinese clothing and described as the fastest character. Notice anything weird about this? They are not the most negative stereotypes, however still evident. This is not even the worst one; there are several generator apps that transform a picture of you, showing what you would look like if you were old, fat, a zombie, and even different races. There has been much controversy about these apps, especially those that portray ancient culture stereotypes of Asians, Native Americans, etc. Petitions have pulled a few of these apps from the market, and the developers will never hear the end of it.

This is one of my favorite quotes from my favorite book "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"