Gender Roles In Middlemarch

This gender role construct is what often makes women feel powerless/paralyzed to change their role in the domestic sphere due to overriding authority of the “masculine world.” In a literary point of view, the role of the mediocre woman in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility can describe how women, such as Lady Middleton and Lucy Steel conform to these submissive gender roles in the 19th century patriarchal institution of marriage.

Social hierarchy and the patriarchal society are explored in Jane Austen’s novels. She shows us how society and class order affected women in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Men were deemed superior over women. There were many differences that reflect the members of a particular social class and gender modes of conduct, upbringing, manner, education, and morality. Austen shows the injustice of inheritance laws and the psychological vulnerability of the women in her novels. Northanger Abbey portrays the volatility of patriarchal power.

The text ‘The Daughters of England’, is a book written to provide guidance for young women, pertaining to their character and behaviour; the book creates the framework for the role of women in the household. It instructs that women must offer a virtuous influence on men - as wives, mothers, and daughters - as part of their role within society. Estimated to have been written in 1842, in London, ‘Daughters of England’ was penned by Sarah Stickney Ellis; a popular author of Victorian conduct literature. Ellis’ popularity implies that the source was widely circulated at the time, thus represents an important view of contemporary society. This document reveals to us the ideals expected of middle class women of the time, and the principles that were envisioned for them, relating in particular to the ‘separate spheres’ ideology.

In modern society, men and women share more equality, however sexual discrimination played a larger part in the perceived role of women in the Victorian Era as seen in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë , and through Jane’s devout passion and defying the normalities and expectations for women of this era, the concept of feminism is portrayed through Jane caused by the manipulation of the patriarchy through the significant men seen in this book. The concept of gender roles isn’t a genuine truth, but is a product of the dominant patriarchy and social practice that is so alluded to throughout the novel. Now, as the active role of women is increasingly recognized by society, the actual controversy lies in the idea that an uncontrollable factor such as gender can determine the portrayal of a person in that society, and that women aren’t accepted as mutual equals, but victimized to be subservient to men. The bestowed role of women is apparent in all societies, but is especially evident concerning the direct placement of women and constant suppression of character and desires, such as Jane endured throughout her lifetime. As Jane’s restless spirit becomes agitated with her stagnant place, she often seeks solitude in the solemn attic to dwell in silence. There she paces, allowing her ever-expanding thoughts to wander, and now she considers the achievability of satisfaction, and the unattainability of tranquility and contentment. Jane demonstrates her frustration, and how the

In Middlemarch, George Eliot utilizes several literary devices to portray her two characters and their complex relationship that reveals their marriage is dominated by the husband who objectifies his wife into silence. Throughout the passage, Eliot makes it clear that Rosamond and Tertius Lydgate are in an uneven relationship, considering Tertius refuses to listen to his wife who seems to only have his best interest at heart, yet still, he continues to yell at her for thinking she knows what is best for him. With the help of details, Tertius’s critical tone, and imagery, Eliot is able to showcase how complex their relationship is when it comes to Rosamond giving her opinions and ideas, just to be casted to the side.

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice examines and critiques a society built upon gender roles. Austen does this by examining the obstacles women experienced in the Regency Period. Austen expresses how women were controlled, and objectified by men through their need to get married to a man. Additionally, the novel ridicules how women who could not afford to live without men were shadowed by their partner. This commentary is seen through the portrayal of the Bennet sisters. The females of the family are forced to marry because they do not inherit any wealth. The family is forced to comply with the same boundaries Austen was governed by. Therefore, Austen focuses on how the Bennet sisters overcome a society that suppresses them. This allows the reader to comprehend the strength, perseverance, determination, and assertiveness of the women in this time. Overall, Jane Austen addresses gender issues throughout the story. This is seen in the progressive image of Elizabeth, as she combats the inequality women experience. Although it was not common for women to criticize the patriarchy, the overall depiction of females is progressive. Elizabeth represents Austen’s feminist views, and the depiction of women in the novel is seen through her feminist image as she deals with Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy.

In many shops, there seems to be an obvious separation between boys and girls items, for example, the birthday cards, books, clothes, and toys. This is shown in a variety of ways the boy's items are mainly the color blue and the books have pictures of either action figures, superheroes or tools. Whereas the girl's items are mainly the color pink. The books show pictures of fairies, princess, and Bratz. The cards also have the theme of the color pink for girls and blue for boys. The girl's cards have a lot of sparkles and pretty pictures whereas the boy's cards are covered in camo kind of illustrations and also have action figures on the covers. The children's clothes are separated into sections where there are labels for the boy's clothes and labels for the girl's clothes. The girl's clothing is all pretty and pink, it is covered in sparkles. Whereas boys clothing has camo patterns, blue colors, and pictures of action figures.

In present day all around the world, society has certain expectations for the actions and behaviors of males and females. There are many factors in our everyday lives that contribute to the gender norms that society has set. This essay will discuss how situations in life can play a part in how people treat other people based on their gender. It is believed that males are the leaders of our world, but in present day woman can do as much as men can do. From The Journal of Marriage and Family, Hu states, “Differentiated gender roles in adulthood are rooted in one’s gender role socialization. In order to understand the persistence of gender inequalities in the domestic sphere, we need to examine the gendered patterns of children’s housework time.”(2015, P.1). Gender roles are society’s expectations of the proper behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females that they must be taught. These roles define how females and males are viewed in society, their household, and workplace. In The Journal of Sports behavior by Hardin, he states, “Although gender role differences from biological and “Natural” exists in popular consciousness, research has long demonstrated that instead, many are long time socially constructed… Individuals understand their gender because they are given names and treated in particular ways, such as dress in pink for girls and blue for boys, that reflect social construction of gender. Bandura's social cognitive theory is key in understanding the factors in socialization”(2009, P.3). Bandura's theory of of social cognition is that behavior, environmental events, and cognitive factors are the main keys that shape attitudes and actions of an individual. Although, gender roles play a very big part in our society, specific genders are treated differently while dealing with peer influence, media influence, as well as employment.

The Victorian era set for a “women's status in a newly industrializing society” throughout Braddons novel we can see this change by which Lady Audley took initiative into herself into getting what she wanted, though she used it by the help of men. We see a different outlook of women throughout the novel. Though this aspect of women being sensitive is still shown in the novel through. She uses whatever she has and turns into the best she can be. This motto is used though various successful men, in which the typical low-income man builds himself from nothing as Mr Tallboys shows when his wealth is taken from him and he builds himself up from absolutely nothing to this man with immense wealth. Lucy as Robert knows her does the same in which she comes from a troubled childhood and transforms herself into a woman into this “high class” society who is filled with wealth and jewels. Basically shows the same problem but we see the in justness of women that she went through far more obstacles than Mr. Talboy’s for her gender enabled her for doing her as mr talboys did and be as simple as getting a job she had to make ends meet through her body. These two instances show the feminist aspect in which both a man and woman face the struggle of no wealth and building themselves

In Austen’s times, social hierarchy was based primarily on one's name, wealth, and family connections. It was highly rigid, and the only way to improve one's situation was to marry up. This was reflected by the fact that while Harriet is deemed to be good company, she is never considered by anyone to be on the same social standing. So by manipulating her to refuse Mr. Martin’s proposal, Emma is doing her friend a huge disservice, for as “the natural daughter of somebody”, Harriet had no better option. Austen critiques the superficiality of the class system by contrasting the views of Mr. Knightley with those of Emma. Knightley deems Mr. Martin an “intelligent, respectable gentleman-farmer”, making an evaluation of his character. Emma, however, always sees a person’s status first and makes a judgment of character around that – and so she is immediately disapproving of Mr

The role of women in a patriarchal society is one of the most heavily enforced themes in ‘Emma’ and ‘Clueless’. Austen places great emphasis on how the dominance of men over women was of great importance within the patriarchal social structure of the regency period. Heckerling reimagines ‘Emma’, to show the ways that this perspective has been altered over the next century. Emma and Cher are both products of their own patriarchal, class-driven societies; they are affluent and repressed as women, which leads Emma Woodhouse- the heroine of Jane Austen’s “Emma”- to turn to charity and match-making to fill in her time along with domestic chores, painting and playing the piano, and Cher Horowitz - the

This study will define the empowerment of the feminist heroine in the Anglo-Saxon Literary tradition of Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. In Austen’s novel, the characterization of Elinor as a feminist heroine is defined through her intelligence, morality, and refutation of patriarchal traditions. This type of feminist heroine has its roots in the story of Beowulf, which defines the role of Wealhtheow as the empowered wife of King Hrothgar. Wealhtheow serves the great mead cup of Hrothgar to raise Beowulf’s standing in the royal court. More so, the role of Mother Mary as the patron of Sir Gawain in his fight against the powers of evil that tempt him into immoral acts by rejecting the seduction

Though at first glance, Emma appears to be a generic romantic novel about virtue and ladyhood, Austen actually challenges what the meaning of “ladyhood” is to the reader. We view Emma’s follies, trials, and triumphs through the eyes of the omnipotent narrator who first describes Emma as a stereotypical, wealthy young lady who is “handsome, clever…with…a happy disposition” (1). Through the use of irony, Austen employs a series of situations in which Emma, a “lady” of high standing within her community, challenges conventional thinking of what it means to be a young woman in the early nineteenth century, particularly her ideas concerning marriage and

Gender socialization often begins early once parents are shown the sex of their child; from then on, baby showers are planned according to gender “appropriate” colors, which are often pink for girls and blue for boys. Even differences in how children are spoke to can be picked up easily in Western cultures. Girls are called pretty and sweet, whereas boys are handsome and strong. Ultimately, the way children learn to identify with their gender culture is in part due to not only family and friends, media, schools, and religion, but also from the toys that may inexplicitly advertise gender expectations. Gender-typed toys may be bought for children as a way for parents to encourage and reinforce gender-appropriate behaviors. However, recent debates have engulfed toy manufacturers and major retailers, which has brought about changes in toy design and marketing in an effort to make reflect more realistic and gender neutral options.

Charles Dickens, “Great Expectations” follows a boy named Pip through a journey of meeting new people around the town and also is considered an Orphan. There are a lot of characters that are introduced like Miss Havisham who always wears a wedding who shows up a lot in the book. Pip changes a lot through the novel with wanting to be a gentlemen but has made a lot of mistakes and blames it on his sister Mrs. Joe who raised him by hand. The women seem to be different from the men in this novel with different roles they play so I’m going to show they are different.