Thinking about Minding the Gap
There was this idea mentioned in Minding the Gap that I thought was very interesting. Midway through the documentary Nina talked about how she had never been allowed to become her own person and develop her individuality because she was always having to be a sister, daughter, girlfriend, or a mother. I think that this sentiment expressed by Nina really shows how toxic masculinity and the patriarchy restrict women from truly becoming people, forcing them to always define their identity in relation to how they serve and are valued by the men in their life. This sexist belief that women are nothing more than a tool or object made to serve men in their lives is extremely dehumanizing and creates a mindset that makes women more prone to stay in toxic and abusive relationships. By preventing women from defining their own identities beyond the scope of their relationship with the men in their life, we teach them that they are nothing on their own and that their only value comes from wha...