We are accustomed to examples of men and boys being protagonists in books and film.

It is interesting to realize how we maintain assumptions when we do not think we do.

Catherine Lee cleverly modifies "The Meditations" so we can see what adding feminine pronouns does for us.

The first time I was ever a student in a classroom where a female pronoun was used in a generic example, I literally startled and turned around to see who had walked into the lecture hall. I had assumed the professor was referencing an actual woman he was seeing.

But it turned out he was just experimenting with putting a woman in his example. "Imagine she then realizes the trolley is not going to stop."

Growing up, loving illustrated children's books, so many of the protagonists to identify with were boys. Researchers have counted, of course (imagine the work we would have to do without........

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