Peggy Orenstein in her reflective essay “What makes a Woman a Woman” expresses how she believes her gender identifies her. She uses the example of 18 year old Caster Semenya to primarily show how society is questioning gender based on looks. She expresses how she was at risk of having her breast and ovaries removed after breast surgery, to avoid getting cancer. This was her sense of self as a female. Nevertheless, she questioned herself and wondered how something so …show more content…
Peggy Orenstein’s as well as Michael Chabon both brought their personal experiences and their opinions in the development of their writing. Orenstein does this when she says that she related to Semenya when she was at risk of losing the organs that play a part on what makes her a woman. Chabon also includes his personal experiences when he says that he learned to pretend that he had knowledge of everything from his dad. Furthermore, both authors have internal beliefs that not necessary comply with how society views gender. Orenstein’s says that “merely because she says so” she’s a woman. On the contrary, Chabon shows that men should come out of that “I know it all shell”, and realize that they