Today’s students aren’t growing up reading “man” for “mankind” — and they notice when they read historical texts that do use “man” that way
I’m about 1/4 through teaching an online American Lit course. Some students are commenting on the use of “men” to mean “people,” as if it’s brand new to them. Others helpfully explained to their peers that in an era when only men could vote or hold office, it would have been in some cases historically…