Playing and Gender Roles

I've been glued to my computer this afternoon, trying to find the right combination of furniture from which to construct a home office that can close up and make my mess go out of sight! (Josh's brilliant idea for me). As I am sitting here I heard Casey say to Jacob, as they worked out the rules of some elaborate play, "Maybe I can die and then come back as a bad guy?"

Meanwhile, last night I wanted to watch Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. It's really not suitable for young children, but we watched it anyway. It's monstrously feminist, and, in the final scene (spoiler alert) Alice slays a giant dragon creature (the Jabberwocky) with a sword. She is in a full suit of armor, and looks like Joan of Arc. The film was scripted by a fierce woman writer, Linda Woolverton.

I decided to test Jacob's gender sensitivity after the film.

Me: Do you think it was kind of weird that a girl killed the Jabberwocky? Isn't that normally done by boys, that sort of thing?

Jacob: No, not really. I don't think it was weird. Maybe it was a girl who made up the story?

Me: Oh, well, it was made up by a girl. That's very perceptive of you! So what if you made up the story, who would you have kill the Jabberwocky? Would it be a girl or a boy.

Jacob: It would be a girl AND a boy.

Me: Oh really?

Jacob: Yah, first they would get married, and then they would kill the Jabberwocky. together.

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I came away from this conversation with admiration for my son! I'm glad he is open minded about gender and dragon slaying, and I like his idea that men and women can work together to slay the obstacles that challenge us!