Women should be able to freely express themselves sexually without “hiding in [their] voice” due to the fear of being judged based on the societal views that hold the standards of sexual desires as masculine (66). Women seldom act upon their sexual desires due to the gender roles established by societal views. Gender roles portray women and men “as members of a different species”; women are expected to act feminine while men must act masculine (Tiegs). The stereotypes of femininity and masculinity perpetuate the roles of gender (Tiegs). Among the stereotypes that surround both genders, stereotypes of sexual desire dictate the behaviors of both male and females. “Gender roles restrict the sexual behavior of women” and permit the sexual behaviors of males (Tiegs). In Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, Strayed breaks the stereotype assuming “men are more preoccupied with sex than…show more content… Strayed’s Wild, allows her to share her experience and encourage women to discover themselves. Though this book is not assigned a gender, it is clear the intended audience is female. Wild promotes gender and equality. It paints a picture of womanhood and of the capability of women. Though Wild is one woman’s radical take on adventure, it is a start in the right direction of depicting women differently than the domestic roles assigned to them. Women are not just mothers, daughters, and wives, they are “brave” adventurers, who can hike alone and express themselves sexually and make choice and be their own person—this is what womanhood encompasses (51). Cheryl Strayed’s, Wild, takes the masculine conquest of hiking up the Pacific Crest Trail by foot and turns it into a feminist adventure of self-discovery, independence, sexual awareness, and the freedom to make a choice as a woman with no regrets. Wild is an important book because it reaches a female audience and provides a different perspective on female sexuality and gender