Sejal Choudhary Week 1

THE EGG AND THE SPERM

- Emily Martin

Emily Martin in her article namely – “The Egg and the Sperm” talks about the gender stereotypes that have not only been embedded in the society that we live in but also the way in which they have been concealed in the scientific words of biology. Martin has very well depicted that even basic biological diagrams of a female egg and male sperm have been associated with gender stereotypes around which our cultural beliefs revolve. The harsh and undeniable truth which she has also touched upon is the way in which the societal beliefs and stereotypes about gender have shaped the thinking of a biological scientist.

The writer has very brilliantly raised a sense of awareness towards such gender stereotypes that have creeped into science through the case of a female egg and a male sperm. Her illustrations spark a thought in the mind of every reader in regard to the manner in which the language of this scientific subject has linked a sense of superiority with the male reproductive process and inferiority with the female reproductive process.

Martin sends a very strong message through her thesis - that one clear feminist challenge for everyone is to knock out these gender stereotypes hidden in the jargons of science, particularly the ones in the egg and sperm and eradicate them from not only science but also from our society.