In all cultures, women have faced discrimination from their own societies due to customs and values ​​in place for thousands of years by men. Gender construction refers to the socially accepted behaviors and roles within cultures that men and women should adhere to. Many women are forced to observe specific manners and do not have access to the natural rights enjoyed by men. Men have historically been considered superior and have exercised control over women since the dawn of time. Authors such as Ishigaki Rin, Luisa Valenzuela, and Ama Ata Aidoo have brought to life in their literary works the struggles that women have faced and are currently facing in their individual cultures. These authors were able to convey their strong ideologies of equality for women and the constant oppression they face in society. Because they spoke out against these injustices, many faced dire consequences from others and were even shunned by their own countries. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get an original essayIn the short story, I Am Your Horse in the Night written by author Luisa Valenzuela, the story begins in the media, where Chiquita the protagonist, finds herself in a difficult situation with a runaway lover who may have come to visit her. This story focuses on the concepts of strong gender construction in Latin America, making it one of the main themes. The title served as a metaphor for gender construction, meaning that Chiquita will always be there for Beto to ride or use as an escape, both metaphorically and physically. The story guards also use their man power to physically torture Chiquta in an attempt to get him to confess to Beto's whereabouts. In L'Autre Femme by Sidonie Colette, the protagonist Alice is exposed to a new light upon seeing her husband's independent ex-wife at the restaurant. Alice is a traditional woman, married to a traditional dominant man, who obeys her husband and behaves elegantly as is expected of a woman of her time. Her husband has all the power in the relationship, dictating what Alice eats and where she goes, making constant remarks, she is just his object while Alice just sits there, unable to defend herself. Alice essentially has no free will, thus hammering home the theme of gender construction in the story. The other woman is shown in the story slumped in the chair, wearing a white dress, casually smoking a cigarette, free from the shackles of a dictating husband. Imagery is used to depict the setting and the two women with very noticeable differences. Colette uses this character to show that women also have power and should have the same rights as men. At the end of the story, Alice has a revelation and her point of view changes. She realizes how much power the other wife has, that a woman can have power instead of a man. In Ama Ata Aidoo's In the Cutting of a Drink, a traditional Ghanaian man tells the story of a griot searching the city for his sister. He finds her a prostitute and wants to take her home but she asks him why she would ever want to return to their village to become a servant. In the city, she is a free and powerful woman who can dress and do whatever she wants, but her brother doesn't understand that. He is unable to successfully assimilate culturally into this alien world, leaving him to return without his sister. TheseStories show women fighting against traditional norms in their male-dominated society for their right to freedom and expressing themselves as they wish. These authors write foreign literature, originating from many places around the world. It is important to research these authors to better understand their work. The first thing to research these authors is where they are from, it is likely that they base their literature on where they grew up. It is then important to learn a brief history of their origin. The culture of their country could have a great influence on the work, making it easier to understand the context. Once one knows the author's country of origin, it would also be beneficial to take a closer look at the author himself. Learn what time period the author was born in as well as other useful information such as whether they had any formal education and also what genre of literature the author typically works in as well as the style used. Understanding the author's background allows readers to understand why they wrote what they wrote as well as the context and framework they were trying to evoke. Although it may be beneficial to do the same for American literature, it is not necessary if readers already have knowledge of American history and culture. When analyzing literary works, it is necessary to look for specific elements in the texts, both blatant and obvious ones and symbolisms. It is important to first identify the type of literature, whether it is a poem, short story, novel, or other genres of works. Identifying who the speaker or narrator is is also helpful in identifying the protagonist and antagonist characters in the story. Researching the diction or style used allows the reader to identify the message and tone the author is trying to convey through their work. Certain themes and/or concepts also predominate in the texts. A concept that was examined in several course assignments was cultural assimilation. It is a process by which a minority group accepts the traditions and customs of another group. When it came to the literary texts analyzed during the semester, most of the authors discussed how the characters failed to properly assimilate into the other cultures presented to them. In Chitra Divakaruni's short story Mrs. Dutta Writes a Letter, the protagonist Mrs. Dutta is an Indian woman who moved to America to live with her son and be closer to her family, who can be described as the antagonists of the story. She does not understand American culture and while trying to preserve traditional Indian customs as a household provider, she becomes a shade to her son's family. Unable to assimilate properly, she decides the best option is to return to India. In contrast, in the poem Ballad of the Two Grandfathers by Nicholas Guillen, the speaker discusses both their black and white heritages. The speaker uses a tone that conveys confusion and bounces between their grandfathers. At the end of the poem, the speaker unifies the two heritages and emphasizes the acceptance of cultural assimilation between him and his grandfathers. Another concept discussed was exocitism, which is when an entire culture or country is stereotyped. Ouologuem Yambo examined this concept in his narrative poem When the Teeth of Black Men Speak. The speaker uses a humorous and ironic tone towards Western tourists who stereotype him as a cannibal due to his large belly and red gums, which actually turns out to be a sign of malnutrition. The title of the poem makes.