I picked up a book yesterday, put it down, then started pondering on what it means for gender roles to exist in literature, modern or otherwise. Of course, this is an age-old question a lot of people have answers to. For instance, some people say that it’s necessary for us to have them, so that we can better utilize our resources. Others say that they aren’t needed, that they were simply meant to perpetuate stereotypes and insults. And even still, some may shrug, and look the other way, because they know it’s a complicated topic to discuss and they might as well just pick up a stick and poke a dead rat with it.

But like it or not, sexism has been a big part of literature. From the damsel-in-distress being rescued by her brave hero, to the young girl falling in love, to even the characteristics of the characters in LGBT literature, we often find ourselves gravitating towards certain characteristics that, in our eyes, are what certain people should have. Below are a few of those qualities.

Feminine
Whenever we think of feminine qualities, we think of gentleness, kindness, compassion, softness, and sometimes even submissiveness. We think of people who are being rescued, who are always the supporting characters, who fall in love with the hero and pray that they’ll make it back alive, as they stand in the background and do next to nothing to aid the hero. These feminine characters won’t get involved with anything rough, and when they’re the villains, they’ll always get others to do their dirty work for them. If they’re the main protagonist, expect them to, more often than not, be reliant on other characters for help.

Masculine
Masculine characters are the exact opposite of feminine characters. They are often stubborn, boorish, and will listen more to their instincts than think things through. Again, if we’re going off from stereotypes, they often encompass other heroes, and will act as the protector for all. They accomplish great feats, and are involved in the more physical aspects of the story. If they’re the villains, they’ll aggressively try to destroy the hero. If masculine characters show any emotion at all, we’re to think of them as sensitive, as human.

This classification is, for lack of a better word, stupid.

These qualities are age-old stereotypes that many novelists have scorned, simply because that’s just not how people work. A lot of women in history were strong, powerful, and cruel, just as a lot of men were kind, weak, and merciful. While genres like paranormal romance, horror, and even fantasy will sometimes garner these stereotypes, there’s so much more happening that we end up getting lost in who these characters are, and not just what gender they are. As such, it isn’t fair to simply classify the kind of literature we read based on what agents, editors, or even the demographics want.

Because in the end, that kind of story just isn’t worth reading.