When we read literature, we see many different aspects and characteristics of human life. Some of these are more present than others. For as long as they have existed on the planet, people have always had defined roles. From Neanderthals to Homo Sapiens, humans have always had separate roles, which have defined the society in question. When we read writings from a broad span of time and cultures, we betray the undercurrent of implicit gender biases and stereotypes that negatively impact the lives of people around the world. This is an ongoing struggle to this day. When people ignore traditional gender roles, they can grow and live their fullest and freest lives. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Gender stereotypes in Asia are often reflected in the literature of the period. Female and male roles are clear in this historical period, and we see that quiet undercurrent in many of the best writings of that Asian era. One of the most definitive examples is found in the Man'yōsho poetry collection of 759 AD: “Maiden, gathering herbs on this hill, I would ask you: Where is your home?...It is I who rule so wide and far. myself, as your lord, I will tell you of my house and my name.' We find this in Man'yōsho's passage the background of a male-dominated society. Even though this poem has undergone many translations, the singular voice of oppression is still present. From the poem we see the unexpressed voice of male dominance “I myself, like you, sir, will tell you”. He may not say these things out loud, but they are his unconscious motivations, his mindset. However, we don't just see the undertone in the poems. Other writings by women and men allow us to see the way their society conformed to traditional gender roles, both silently and aloud. “When I try to imagine what it means to be one of those women living at home, faithfully serving their husbands, women still don't have a single exciting prospect in life and believe they are perfectly happy.” (Morris 43) As we look at these different types of writings, from different cultures and perspectives, patriarchy is still present in these depictions of life from that time and how women evolved from it. However, when we look at something prevalent in a culture, of any era, there is always this revulsion, a counterculture. We have seen this reaction in many different times, from the ancient Greeks to the present day. However, let us now examine the time between these two periods. In Sei Shonagon's “The Pillow Book” (1002), his personal diary, we see his private views on who he is and his role in society. We can compare “The Pillow Book” to another entry, The Kitchen, by Banana Yoshimoto (1988). The two comparisons of writings from different times, but from the same culture, reveal the evolution of gender roles and social change. From this comparison we can see the growth and broadening of the mentality of a society, even one relatively closed to Western influences. "Indeed, attachment to a man largely depends on the elegance of his farewell." From Sei Shonagon, we see that in her society she can choose who she loves. He can choose a partner, a spouse. These free choices and changes made by women are seen and expanded in the kitchen. "'Mikage,' he said, 'were a little intimidated by my mother?'... 'Guess what? She's a man.' There is a lot to explain in this excerpt. The fact that someone was brave, brave enough to make the transition in an extremely conservative society, tells us a lot, 2006.