Equality in Gender Roles, Races, Etc.

(Now is the first blog post of four blog posts I am going to make about various topics explored in FMA Brotherhood and how they compare to what we have been learning and discussing in class)

In FMA Brotherhood, equality and hostility are explored between races and groups. Gender roles aren't necessarily explored, but they do compare and contrast with some of the biblical readings from class. I also wanted to blog about it since we've been recently going over this kind of topic in class.

Gender Roles

In FMA, there was no distinct difference between gender roles, with men and women working many of the same jobs side by side. Despite the pre-modern era feel of this world (in which things like rotary phone booths, steam locomotives, and early model cars are just gaining headway), husbands and wives both work and raise their families, and both serve in the military, research, and medical fields.

The fact that women and men are treated as equal in the world of FMA is never confronted or brought up as a controversy. The only time differences between men and women are really brought up at all is when the Homunculus Greed (the first one) refuses to fight Izumi because he doesn't fight women. Izumi, of course, doesn't care about his reasons and proceeds to pummel his ass. Other than that, any role differences between men and women are never bothered with. The differences between men and women aren't seen as an issue in the FMA world. Everybody, for the most part, simply lives and works together, their concerns focused on other more important issues.

Such as, you know, the world ending, and all that.

Are there a majority of men in the military and in positions of power? Yes. But there are many women who are either stay at home moms or they have a job alongside their husbands. There are also many examples of women working with men in labs and in the medical fields. Winry Rockbell's parents were both doctors who helped heal soldiers indiscriminately during the Ishvalan war.

Riza Hawkeye is one of the women in the military and serves as Roy Mustang's second-in-command and his voice of reason when he lets himself get swept up in the moment. She is smart, kind-hearted, driven by guilt from the Ishvalan war like the others, very capable with a gun, and is never viewed as anything other than a great and loyal friend and soldier. She is able to keep Mustang from diverging onto a path of utter vengeance.

Winry Rockbell, despite not being much of a fighter, serves the important role of being Ed's skilled automail engineer, a source of encouragement for both of the brothers, and a great help to those in need (like her parents before her).

Izumi Curtis owns a store with her husband and is seen as a tough mentor but motherly figure for Ed and Al. She suffers from the same insecurities and guilt that many of the other characters are plagued with in FMA but still does everything she can to help those she cares about.

Olivier Armstrong is the strong and aggressive leader of Fort Briggs. Her infallible leadership has gained her the unwavering loyalty and strength of her soldiers. Her place as a woman amongst the top-ranking men in the military is never brought up or questioned, merely accepted as normal.

From Xing, Lan Fan, Ling's personal guard, travels and fights alongside Ling and her grandfather. Young May Chang, despite her childish naïveté and desire for a fairytale romance, joins forces with Scar and the others in their pursuit of immortality and protecting their newfound friends. Both girls prove their resolve and skill in battle, as do all the other women and men they fight alongside.

Ed and Al's mother never fought or proved her bravery in battle, but she showed a compassion and bravery all her own in loving and picking up the broken pieces of Hohenheim and in single-handedly caring for Ed and Al until her death after Hohenheim left. She was a great mother until the very end.

Lust, despite the claims of sexism that some make over the fact that Lust is depicted as a voluptuous woman, was a skilled fighter and merciless murderer and manipulator, just like several of the other Homunculi, who were just as - if not more - manipulative and cruel.

There are more examples, but all of these women have important roles in the story, and almost nobody in the story blinks an eye at the fact that they're women. They're more concerned with how they are as people, what they've said and done as people. The same goes for how men in FMA are treated. More focus is put on the person inside than anything they might have been born with on the outside.

It's one of the many reasons I love FMA. Equality between genders isn't debated or talked about or brought up as come kind of controversy in FMA. It's just simply shown as normal, no questions asked, no need for either gender to prove themselves or be bitter.

There are countless examples of men and women who are strong, fallible, kind, and cruel. The men make just as many mistakes as the women. There are men and women from both genders who work to save the people they care about, and just as many who have killed both the guilty and the innocent. Everyone fights, shares, and works together as humans, without much concern for things such as gender roles or differences.

Sexism is not a subject brought up in FMA, because it's really not much of a problem in FMA.

In FMA, the lines aren't nearly as distinct. Morals blur into gray as everyone works together as humanity trying to survive and figure out right from wrong.

Whether you are a man or woman doesn't matter nearly as much as what you are like as a human individual, one of the many in the world.

In class, we cover the question of gender roles and differences, the Bible's take on women, and the various interpretations from other people.

There are many interpretations of the Bible that make women out as submissive to men. Women and men are meant to be separate genders with distinct gender roles. Some churches have certain expectations of men and women and their roles in the church and in marriage.

This, of course, has led to complaints about inequality between men and women.

Even in today's society, despite the pushes for equality, there are still tensions between genders over this issue.

Some interpretations of the Bible and men and women's roles in life, such as the interpretation of Piper and Grudem in their work, claim that men and women are equal as human beings under God but require different roles when working together as one under God.

While in FMA both genders work at the same level, Piper and Grudem support male leadership and female support and submission. Men in marriage and family-raising are meant to protect and provide and set the religious and moral agenda for the family, and the women are meant to uphold and support that agenda as long as it does not go against God's intention. There is meant to be love and mutual understanding and acceptance of the differing roles, without either gender abusing their designated roles.

The reasoning for this is their interpretation of 1 Tim 2:13's interpretation of Genesis 1-2. It revolves around God's creating of separate genders, man being created first, and Eve being held responsible for the Fall because she was the one who was deceived and who had attempted to take leadership in the relationship by convincing Adam to take the fruit.

It is seen as unfavorable for a woman to take lead because of the "meaningful" result of Eve's attempt.

In negation to this, people draw numerous examples from the Bible where women have important roles that only end up helping those involved. One example is the story of Deborah, Barak, and Jael in Judges 4. Deborah served as a leader and guide to Barak with the authority of God behind her, and in the end Jael, another woman, was the one to end the life of their enemy.

Another example people use is Sarai (Sarah) in Genesis 16:1-4, who takes initiative in the matter of Abram (Abraham) needing an heir, along with her new necessary role in the Covenant alongside Abram in Genesis 17:1-17, 21:1-6.

A third example that people use is Huldah, wife of Shallum and prophetess, who Josiah's officials consulted about the fate of Jerusalem rather than going to her husband or some other man.

There are other exceptions to the argument that people such as Piper and Grudem make. People also refer to the numerous women that Paul refers to in his letter in Romans 16, asking them to be respected and relied on since they have worked with him under God, such as Phoebe (who he trusted with delivering the letter in the first place) Prisca, Aquila, Mary, and Junia (who people are now supposing might actually be a woman apostle).

Both sides have their own examples and reasoning for why they are "right", and this argument has gone on for quite some time now. Women have come a long way in being as complete or mostly equals.

This is why I appreciate FMA's take on gender roles - aka, they don't really have a "take" on gender roles. Women and men are just equal as human beings, neither needing to prove themselves to the other on anything other than their integrity as people, and that is all that matters.

Races and Groups

There is hostility between the Amestrian race and Ishvalan race, though the reason is more about religion vs science and about territory. Either way, both sides possess some lingering hostility and/or fear towards each other because of the devastation of the Ishvalan war. There are many who still see Ishvalans as dangerous, and there are Ishvalans who either hide away from normal Amestrian society or who display anger for the horrible massacre that the Amestrian military wrought on their country.

There are those such as Scar who desire revenge, while there are other who either simply wish to be left alone or who wish for peace.

We see the confrontation of these two races as the story progresses.

They have to learn to put their differences aside for the good of all of them.

During this time, we see great examples of people who couldn't care less about where you came from or what race you are as long as you're a good person or are helpful to the cause.

For a while, Ed has an evident hostility towards Scar and temporarily Miles. However, his reasons are only because Scar has killed and hurt people he knew. He surprises Miles by ignoring feelings of pity, guilt, or unfair suspicion and only acknowledging that people of Amestria have caused death and pain for the Ishvalans that didn't deserve it, and that Ishvalans such as Scar have done the same to Amestrians. While having his own biases, Ed is surprisingly perceptive and attempts to see things from both sides, claiming that he hates being ignorant.

Miles himself wants to bring about peace and equality for both countries in any way he can.

Olivier Armstrong was the one who first surprised Miles with this idea when she told him that she didn't care what he looked like or where he was from as long as he worked together with her and her men to protect Fort Briggs.
Scar later wishes to do the same as Miles in bringing Ishvalans out of exile and bringing about equality and understanding.

A less prominent example is Ling and May, two people from Xing, working to help save Amestris despite not having much of a reason to help a country that isn't theirs. Right from the beginning, they do not present any hostilities towards people from another country. During the journey, they grow close to all the people they meet in Amestris.
May is touched by the care that strangers of Amestris show her despite not having any reason to and not asking for anything in return, and this spurs her determination to help save them from Father.
While also driven by Greed and his search for the philosopher's stone, he makes friends with the others and does whatever he can to help them in their fights.

Even Greed, despite all Homunculi seeming to have a particular hatred or prejudice towards humans, eventually throws away his prejudices and his life as a Homunculus in order to protect the humans that he has come to understand and care for.

Unlike gender differences, differences and prejudices between races and groups are explored a bit in FMA. Spurred on by the Homunculi as a part of their grand plan, hostilities grew between territories until war erupted, and then the hostilities lingered long after.
We get to see the beginnings of an attempt at moving beyond those past dark times and present anger, one person at a time.
There are no hostilities or prejudices between genders. However, the differences and tension between countries and groups is made evident from the start, since it's because of those differences that war broke out and that now people are suffering for it.
Hostility and prejudice are given a very negative light in FMA as our characters fight or work to resolve the problems between them until either peace is found or someone dies because they are unable to move past it.
It is obvious that FMA's message, alongside the exploration of morality and humanity, is that we as humans need equality, peace, and understanding between each other, otherwise we will drown in our animosity and discrimination. However, as shown by the fighting between humans and Homunculi, sometimes agreements can't be found, one side is driven by cruelty, and lives are on the line, and peace simple cannot be found. You must then do what you can to protect those you care about and those who are on your side.
Every side has their reasons for what they do and why they believe they are right.

"One is all, and all is one." We're all human individuals, little beings in a great and ongoing cycle that renders us all equal in the end.
Sometimes, as in the case of Amestris, Ishval, and Xing, peace, understanding, and equality can be found amongst the differences and tension.
And sometimes, as in the case of men and women in FMA, the equality is there from the beginning without question, like it should be.