Second blog -- answers to an ocean of prompts |
Prompt: What do you prefer? Women authors or men authors? ------------- Both! And such a trick question! I look for content in terms of if it interests me at the moment, and to tell the truth, my moments and interests do change at the drop of a hat. The same author may have written something I like and he may have written something I seriously dislike, Haruki Murakami, for example, which I won't go into which of his books I loved and which one stunned me with its disconnectedness. This is because I have a huge respect for all authors for playing a crucial role in shaping literature and storytelling. An author may be influenced by various factors, including their personal experiences, cultural background, and individual perspectives. I guess gender may have a role in it, too, for shaping an author's worldview, the themes they explore, and the characters they create. Historically, most literature was written by men, except for women who took a man's pen name, so their writing can be accepted. This doesn't say much for the male authors and the general understanding of the population of bygone days, does it! These days, it is mostly believed that male authors explore themes such as masculinity, power dynamics, and societal pressures from their own perspectives. Whereas female authors explore gender roles, identity, relationships, and the experiences of women in society, as they challenge societal norms and expectations. I am of the opinion that a good writer, male or female, can write from the viewpoint of each gender quite successfully. I also believe in avoiding such generalizations about how gender affects literary work, as every author is unique as a person and their works can be influenced by a multitude of factors way beyond gender. . |