Gender Roles In The Princess Bride

The role of the patriarchal society and its impact on the oppression of female characters

As the perception of women changes constantly, society is the only factor in creating their ideal image. These societal views are the basis of their treatment, with the expectation that it is beneficial for them. However, societal expectations of women in the Elizabethan and Victorian eras severely limit their freedoms and rights. William Shakespeare’s Othello and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein portray most women in their typical roles. Both authors depict the level of injustice in society’s treatment of women through the passivity of women causing their deaths, the silencing of vulnerable women and the portrayal of women as more humane than men.

The solidification of the gender hierarchy through stories cemented women into a position below men of which women were and still are unable to escape or to improve on. The gender hierarchy is commonly demonstrated through the objectification of women. This has been exemplified through these stories, which has kept women from advancing in society, due to both society’s disapproval and the views that these ideas give women of

Reading literature, at first, might seem like simple stories. However, in works like William Faulkner's “A Rose for Emily,” Katherine Mansfield's “Miss Brill,” and Kate Chopin's “The Storm,” the female protagonists are examples of how society has oppressive expectations of women simply because of their gender.

In the novel “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Juniot Diaz you start to notice a cultural gender role and how there is certain expectations of them. The novel is based on a young boy named Oscar Wao and the hardships that one event has caused to an entire family. Even though the novel is focused on Oscar the author always went back to his sister and his mother. The author described the women as “real, strong women, even though they were being filtered through a somewhat distorted male point of view” (Stevenson 1). These two women play an important roll in this novel, they ultimately don't show the cultural gender role and what is expected from them. All the important female rolls in Oscars life are independent and strong women but they all have one thing in common, being mistreated by men.

Throughout history, gender roles have been an important barrier in society. Women are forced to satisfy expectations established by men and society. “My Last Duchess,” by Robert Browning, focuses on the powerful Duke establishing certain expectations of the Duchess, and attempting to control her. Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, concentrates on Laertes establishing certain expectations of Ophelia, and seeking to control her. A Room of One’s Own, by Virginia Woolf, centers on societal expectations of Judith, and her father trying to control her. In all three texts, men have the ability to control women and have the freedom to do as they please. Women must conform to the expectations of faithfulness, attentiveness, and chastity.

Women are often misrepresented in society. Women are usually shown as the damsel in distress, incompetent, fragile, vulnerable etc. Sometimes they are used as an object, almost as if they’re being used. Just as they’re being represented in society poorly, even in works of literature they are being shown as just a “beautiful face.” Society can also make people believe that women need to be married and have a male in their life in order to live but in reality, women are able to work and live without a male in their life.

Societal ‘norms’ surrounding gender have continuously remained prominent internationally. Although these standards and expectations continue to shift, women still face oppression today. The novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, demonstrates the expectations of women and their relationships to men in 1920’s New York City through one of the main characters, Daisy Buchanan. A vast majority of Daisy’s actions are to entice and cater to the superior men of the novel. Through this, I was able to reflect upon the evolution of society’s stereotypes surrounding women from the 1920’s. Initially, from reading the novel, I learned about the period of the roaring twenties and how the aspect of class affects the

Throughout history, women such as Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and countless others have been known to play a significant role in helping to shape the world. Although Jig and Elisa were not the “Mary Edwards Walker” or the “Rosa Parks” of their time, both Elisa and Jig depict characteristics of regular females living through problematic social situations that could only be justified through the actions of their husbands. John Steinbeck's “The Chrysanthemums” and Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” both depict the pressure and falling into a loved one’s standards. And both felt oppressed to meet the standards set upon them while being dominated by the men in their life. While Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” and Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” differ plotwise, both short stories share a female character who feels oppressed to meet the standards they must face, whether it is agreeing to abortion or changing your appearance to make a loved one happy. Although Jig and Elisa were not the “Mary Edwards Walker” or the “Rosa Parks” of their time, both Elisa and Jig depict characteristics of regular females living through problematic social situations that could only be justified through the actions of their husbands.

A cross-cultural analysis contrasting female characters that refuse to shrink their femininity and those that obey the patriarchal order, and the backlash women encounter when rebelling against patriarchal structure.

Such arguments entangle within the larger disagreements, as well as within both feminist and anti-feminist ideas about societal morals and compassion. With literary classics, feminism and the idea of gender equality has been an underlying issue that many have not recognized. Over time, feminism will bring light through awareness and the implementation through the education system 's literature courses.

In the end, each character has played a role based on the expectations society creates. The men and women all have their own ways of manipulating one another. “The woman is judged by society under the man’s law (Rosefeldt).” Society’s expectations of woman back

When individuals think of feminism today, the first thing that comes to mind is men and women having equal rights and opportunities, however this concept was looked down upon at a time. In fact, according to Tavanna.org, women were granted the right to vote in the 1920’s, but men and women were far from equal and the idea of gender equality did not take full effect until the 1960’s. In the anti-feministic story “The Chrysanthemums” written by John Steinbeck, which was published in 1937, demonstrates a time where women were living in a culture dominated by men through the eyes of protagonist Elisa Allen. The story portrays the restrictions Elisa must face in this society as well as the intellectual and emotional drawbacks of the men and their lack of understanding and acknowledgement. During this time, women had the job to stay home and take care of the children while men worked outside the home, but since Elisa Allen had none of her own, she gardened. Elisa is unhappy and feels trapped in her life because of the traditional female role she is supposed to be portraying. Women in that time wanted to extend their abilities into masculine areas, but were unable to due to social norms and because of this circumstance, it affected how Elisa viewed herself physically as well as her life. This raises the question; how does society’s perspective of women’s roles affect women’s views of themselves?

Thesis: In recent years during the 21st century more and more people in the media have been calling out fairytales for their anti-feminist attitudes with sexism, body standards as well as societal comments about women being dependent on men.

The Suffragette film presents a truthful recount of how women were perceived within society. Throughout society, there was a belief that women do not need to represent their own self; rather they have husbands that will represent their wives (Suffragette 2015). Women are often left in a state of subordination because men are considered to be self-centered and are only fully noticed when a male is sexually attracted to her. As a result, women are perceived as sexual objects for the male gender (Solarnis 1968, p.464). As mentioned previously, it was expected that women follow their gender norms of caring for the children and husband and not to stray away from this norm. During the early 20th century, it has been stated that men have authoritative