Although many issues form an umbrella under identity; gender has prevailed as a strong issue that enhances and encompasses other themes while at the same time maintaining its on firm distinctiveness. Across all cultural and social borders gender plays an important role in defining cultural and racial identity, modernization, war effects, and sexual orientation. Collectively these issues divulge into how one views gender in these contextual clues. Through the following discussions of Global Cultures selections, Kiss of a Spider Woman, Europa, Europa, and Being John Malkovich the significant role of gender in ones identity will be revealed.

Race and Cultural Identity are heavily influenced by gender. Examples of this are found in "An American in New York" and "Exiles" both found in the Global Cultures. In "An American in New York" the central character, she is of both Native American and Caucasian decent, lives in Oklahoma and travels to New York City on business trip. "I saw this assignment as a kind of reversal of historic roles. This time an Indian was going to buy immigrants. And I though it a perfect opportunity to trot out my Tonto-with-tits garb," she declares with a hint o

same time, most of his struggle came identity struggles that came about because of his gender. In contrast to this is the selection "Girls at War" in Global Cultures. Gladys is able to become more involved in the war as it progresses. She eventually becomes more passionate for the cause then the male high ranking official she knows, Reginald Nwankwo. He states then even though things had gotten bad the commoners were doing surprisingly well with it, "For such people a strand of normalcy had returned to the world. Girls became girls once more and boys boys,"(158). Gender stereotypes break down during war because of the need for progressive liberties needed to enable a society to mobilize. Later he exhalts that, "Too many girls were simply too easy those days. War sickness, some called it"(162). This quote was interesting. Women are more liberal sexually during war in general because most of the men are away and because of their new found freedoms due to the lifting of gender s!

"The Girl and the River" in Global Cultures exemplifies how forced modernization can unknowingly hinder the advancement of women in growing countries. A harsh backlash that often causes life altering changes, such as in this story. The government sends a man and his team to build a bridge over a river near a small town. The town does not want a bridge; they have always had a ferry and are happy with that. Now the ferryman is out of work, and the people despise the builder for building this bridge that they never wanted or believed that they needed. Mr. Danclar is in charge of building the bridge. He is out on his boat when he sees a young woman washing clothes in the river. "I was interested to know whether she, too, thought the bridge the work of the Devil," he pondered to himself as he approached her (259). In response to his probing, she responds, "Don't think I'm against you. I realize your only doing your job"(260). As they talk further he is shocked to discover that she !

War is both a sad and brutal time but it can also be a time for identities to transform. Roles change with opportunities given. After being involved in a war effort no one is ever the same person they were before. A prime example of this is exhibited in the movie Europa Europa.

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Solomon Perel, a German Jew, must renounce his core principles in order to survive World War II. In a strange twist of events he is separated from his family, rescued by Soviets, placed in a Soviet orphanage where he learns their atheism creeds, captured by Nazi soldiers, becomes a translator (he now speaks German and Russian), is sent to an elite Hitler Youth school, fights as a

d and rounded ideal because of Molina.

tereotyped roles in society. This also could an observation he makes to support

Some common words found in the essay are:
Reginald Nwankwo, Don't I'm, Valentin Molina, Woman Molina, Global Cultures, York City, South Africa, Context Clues, Hitler Youth, Solomon German, global cultures, john malkovich, europa europa, john malkovich's body, hitler youth school, plays role, gender identity, political revolutionary, gender plays, example male, cultural racial, example male bonding, kiss spider woman, pays life, gender plays role,
Approximate Word count = 1903
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)