“Language is power, life and the instrument of culture, the instrument of domination and liberation” - Angela CarterLanguage affects all aspects of our lives, but we rarely question it; if we look at the words we use and how we use them, we discover a sexist patriarchal myth passed down from the ancient Greeks. Their leaders used the art of language to create a dichotomy between men and women in order to maintain power (Class Notes Dec. 2, 2011). For example, the two words we use to describe gender, masculine and feminine, limit us with their strict definitions. Sociologist Allan G. Johnson, in his book The Gender Knot, defines “[the masculine as] aggressive, bold, rational, emotionally inexpressive, strong, calm, self-possessed, independent, active, objective, dominant, decisive, sure of himself. , and unnurturing [and feminine like] unaggressive, shy, intuitive, emotionally expressive, nurturing, weak, hysterical, erratic and lacking self-control, dependent, passive, subjective, submissive, indecisive and lacking self-confidence. (86) The words that describe the masculine, "dominant", "strong", "active", give us all a feeling of power and authority, while the feminine adjectives "submissive", "weak" and "passive" not. Johnson, by defining the two words used to describe any human being, shows us how we establish a hierarchy between men and women with our words. The way we speak, actively or passively, conveys masculine or feminine, strong or weak connotations. We view men as naturally masculine and therefore, by Johnson's definition, active; they are always clear subjects who perform distinct actions (an active phrase for the active male). Conversely, we see women as feminine, therefore passive; they never... middle of paper...... a judgment. Philadelphia: Running Press Book Publisher's, 2006. 13-34. Print.Johnson, Allen G. The Gender Knot: Untangling Our Patriarchal Legacy. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1997. 53-74. Print.Locke, Liz. Course notes. Expository writing: myth and heroes 1213-001. University of Oklahoma. December 2, 2011.-----. Personal interview. December 7, 2011. Lünenborg, Margreth. “From “That’s it!” » Chancellors and queens of power: media representation of gender in politics. Trans. Eric Rosencrantz. Goethe-Institut Gender. Goethe-Institut. March 2009. Web. December 2, 2011.Tannen, Deborah. Interviewed by Susan Stamberg. “The power of language”. Power. National Public Radio. October 21, 2003. The web. December 10, 2011. “The 100 Most Influential Women in the World, The”. Forbes.com. Forbes SARL. and Web. December 2, 2011. “The Most Powerful People in the World,” Forbes.com. Forbes SARL. and Web. December 2. 2011.