Ventura1

YzaVentura
ProfessorJonBeadle
English113A
November3rd,2015
Ms.Marvel
Weaspeopletoday,areapartofasocietythatlivesbytherulesandlimitationsgivento
usbysometypeofhierarchythatwearesomehowautomaticallyaccustomedto.Hierarchy
technicallyistheideaofarrangement,anarrangementwhereitemsarerepresentedwitha
ranking.Rankingsuchasbeing"above,""below,"or"atthesamelevelas"oneanothersays
Wikipedia.Wedonothaveourparentssittingusdowntellingusthatthisiswhatisrightandthis
iswhatiswrong,orthesepeoplearethesuperiority,andthesepeoplearetheinferiority.
Althoughsomeoneisnotinourfacetellingusthesecertainthings,wesomehowalreadyknow,
asifweareautomaticallyaccustomedtoit.Thisisbecauseoursocietylivesbythelimitationsof
ahierarchyofranking,whereitisbelievedthatsomearebetterthanothers.Asocietywhereitis
believedyoushouldtreatcertainpeoplebetterthanothers.
Withinoursocietytoday,wealllivebysometypeofhierarchyofranking.Beingranked
"above,"or"below"oneanotherbasedoffthingssuchaswhoweareandexactlyhowimportant
weare.Notonlydowelivewitharankontopofourheads,butwealsolivewithinthegender
expectationsandlimitationsgiventousbysociety.Genderexpectationsandlimitationssuchas
howoursocietytodayalwaysexpectsallwomentosticktofemininetraits,andmentostickto
masculinetraits.Boysaresupposedtobedominant,whilegirlsaresupposedtobesubordinate.

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Soifonegenderweretoevenleantowardstheoppositetraits,somethingiscompletelywrong.
KamalaKhaninthebook,
Ms.MarvelVol.1
,isapartofasmallPakistanifamily.
Consistingifherdad,Abu,hermom,Ammi,andherolderbrother,Aamir.Alotmoreis
expectedoutofKamalaastheyoungestgirl,unlikeherolderbrotherAamirclearlysupporting
myideaofthishierarchyofranking.Kamala'sdad,Abu,showsaclearrepresentationofthisidea
ofhierarchywhenKamalaasksforpermissiontoattendaparty.Whilerefusingtolethislittle
girlgoouttoaparty,wheretherewillbeboys,anddrinking.AbuusesKamala'sgoodfriend
BrunotohelpsupporthisargumentwhenKamalastatesthatsheisgoingtodiebecauseshe
cannotgototheparty.Abustatesthat,Brunoisworkinghardforhisfamilyandgettinggood
grades,alsostatingthatyoudonotseeBrunocomplaining.(WillowWilsonAdrianAlphona8).
KamalathenarguesthatBrunoisaboy,andifshewereaboy,hewouldlethergo.
(WilsonAlphona8).ThisclearlypresentingthatbecauseKamalaisagirl,itismoreimportant
forhertobeinasafeenvironmentandonlyathome,unlikeBrunobecauseheisaboy.
Weaspeopletodaytrulydofollowahierarchyofrankingwherepeoplebelievethatmen
arestillbetterthanwomen,thisconnectingtohowwomenarestilltreatedasiftheywereless
thanmen.WithinRuthHubbardsarticle,RethinkingWomensBiology,Hubbardstateshow
womenarenaturallygivenrolesbyuniversityeducatedmenwithstrongpersonalandpolitical
interests.Specificroleswherewomenaresupposetodothingsthatfulfillrolesthatmakemen
lookbetter(RuthHubbard46).Whichrelatestotheideathatwomenareautomaticallyassumed
toberankedlowerthanwhatmenarerankedwhenitcomestooursocietytoday.Kamalahas2
veryclosefriends,BrunoandNakia,whoplayratherbigpartsinhereverydaylife.Withinthis

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book,therearealotofmomentswhenKamalaistreatedisdifferentcomparedtohowBruno
wouldbetreatedifhewasinthesameexactposition,thusonlybecauseKamalaisagirland
Brunoisaboy.MomentssuchaswhenAbustates,Brunoisworkinghardforhisfamilyand
gettinggoodgrades,(WilsonAlphona8).HowitwasokayforBrunotoattendthepartyonthe
waterfront,butwhenitcametoKamalatryingtoattendtheparty?Assoonasshewasgoingto
requestforpermission,shewascompletelyshutdownbecauseitsadifferentstorybetweena
boytryingtoattendapartybetweenagirltryingtoattendtheparty(WilsonAlphona8/9).
Withinthebook,
Ms.Marvel
,somethingcompletelycrazytakesplaceduringKamala
Khan'slife.Thestoryinthisbookisaboutanaveragegirl,someonewhoactuallymeets
societysideaofthishierarchyofranking.KamalawasjustanaverageminorityPakistanigirl,
whowasnotreallynoticed,andjusthadtworeallyclosefriends.Untiloneday,something
completelycrazygaveKamalaswholelifeabrandnewturn.Kamalamadeawish!When
Kamalaattendedthepartyatthewaterfront,somethingreallyweirdtookplace!Weirdsmoke
tookoverthewholeparty,makingitimpossibleforanyonetoseeanything.Thenallofasudden
herosappearedinfrontofKamala,heroesincludingCaptainAmericaIronMan,andCaptain
Marvel.Atthismoment,KamalaexplainedtoCaptainMarvelhowshewantstobejustlikeher!
Shewantstobebeautiful,andawesome,andbuttkicking,andlesscomplicated(WilsonAlphona
18).SoCaptainMarvelexplainedtoherthatit'snotreallyhowsheexpectsittobebutthatshe'll
grantherwish,thenthenextthingyouknow.Kamala'slifetookachangeofdirection!Kamala
sooncametorealizethatshewasgrantedwithpowers,powersalmostidenticaltoCaptain
Marvels.AlthoughKamalawasveryconfusedbyhernewfoundabilities,shecametothe

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decisionthatshewantedtousehernewabilitiesforthebetter.Kamalawantedtohelpthepeople
aroundherwithhernewpowers!
Oursocietytodaytruthfullydoeslivebythishierarchyofranking.Whereitisbelieved
thatsomearebetterthanothersjustbecauserace,gender,orcareeroccupation!Despiteallthese
limitationsandexpectationssocietyhassetuponallofus,IbelievethatKamalaKhan
successfullytransgressedthisideaofahierarchyofrankingwithheractionsasjustaregulargirl
andasuperherothroughoutthisbook.Oursocietytodayhassetmanylimitationsonwhatguys
shouldbedoing,andwhatgirlsshouldnotbedoing.Throughoutthisbook,Kamalasetabunch
ofexampleswheresheistransgressingthisideaofthehierarchybydoingthingsthatareonly
expectedoutofmen.Thingssuchastheideathatonlyguyshavetheabilitytosavesomeonethat
isdrowning,stopanarmedrobbery,orsavetheirkidnappedfriend,butKamaladidjustthat!
WhenKamalasawafriendofhers,Zoe,drowning?Kamaladecidedtouseherabilitiesforthe
betterandsaveZoefromdrowningbymakingherhandenormousandgrabbingZoeoutofthe
lakesavingherlife(WilsonAlphona31).ThereisalsothetimewhenKamalasawherclose
friendBrunobeingrobbedbyamanwithagunandamask.Kamaladecidedtotakeaction,even
thoughsocietywouldconsiderthatadecisiononlymenwouldmake(WilsonAlphona60).And
lastbutnotleastthereisthetimewhereBruno'sbrother,Vick,gotkidnappedformentioning
TheInventor'sname!WhenBrunowantedtotakeaction,Kamalaabsolutelyrefusedandtook
theresponsibilityofsavinghimallforherself!(WilsonAlphona76)Whichcompletelydefeats
theideathatonlymencandothingslikethat!

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AlthoughIbelievethatoursocietyunfortunatelydoeslivebyahierarchyofranking,I
believethatthereareplentyofwaysawomancantransgresstheselimitationsthataresetupon
usfromtheverybeginning,andIbelievethisbecauseinmyeyesawomaniscapableofalmost
anythingamanisacapabletodo!Oursocietyisnotusedtoseeingnotonlyminorityculturesat
thetop,butmostdefinitelynotusetoseeingaminoritywomenatthetop!InRuthHubbards
article,
RethinkingWomensBiology,
shementionsthemeaningofdifferenceandexplains,
Suchbiologicaldifferencesexistbecausebiologyandsociety(orenvironment)are
interdependentandcannot

besortedout.(Hubbard50).WhichtiesintomyargumentwhenI
saythatwomenaremorethancapabletoanythingthatamaniscapableofdoing.KamalaKhan
ispureevidenceinmyeyesofwomanwhodefeatstheideathatonlymencandocertainthings,
becauseshedoesthesethingswhilesheisintheformofMs.Marvelallthroughoutthebook.
Toconcludethisessay,althoughoursocietytodaylivesbysometypeofhierarchyof
rankingtowardssex,race,andcareerchoice.Thereareplentyofwaysthatsomeonecan
overpassthesegenerallimitationsthatpeoplearegiven.Menarenobetterthanwomen,thesame
waythatnoraceisbetterthantheotheralthoughsocietymaybetellingusotherwise.Kamala
Khanandherstoryinthecomicbook
Ms.Marvel
isagreatexampleofawomenwho
transgressedthisideathatthereisahierarchythattellspeoplethatsomearebetterandormore
importantthanothers.