Class and Gender Roles

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There are many expectations from society about how people should act based on their gender and class. These expectations can have negative effects on a person and how they grow up. An individual can feel torn between their family members and society because he or she is supposedly not fulfilling the expectations. This was the case for Dorothy Allison in her article, "A Question of Class," and Paul in Willa Cather's short story, "Paul's Case: A Study in Temperament." Allison believes her family does not understand her sexuality as a lesbian, and her colleagues cannot relate to her because of their class differences. Paul's homosexuality and his desire to belong in the upper-class separate him from his own father and neighborhood. The teachers also dislike him because he tries being different from other students and they are uncomfortable with the way he dresses. He also thrives to fit in with those around him but ultimately fails because of his differences. Society's expectations of gender and class roles cause Dorothy Allison and Paul to feel conflicted with who they are, which results in their alienation from family members and peers.

As a result of gender expectations, people feel the need to choose an identity instead of being themselves. Males are seen as masculine, aggressive, and not too sensitive or emotional. Females are feminine, polite, soft-spoken, and perform domestic roles. The article, "Intersections of Gender and Class" by Jean Anyon states these expectations. Anyon discusses a research done in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries about conflicts people endure due to both gender and class expectations. According to Anyon, feminist researchers argue that girls believe their behaviors, attitudes, and roles are ...

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...nflict is the result of his denial about who he is—he refuses to accept his lower status and truly does not belong in New York City. Similar to Allison, Paul's background and society's expectations will always be the factors that prevent him from being himself.

Society assumes certain behaviors and roles for people belonging to different genders and class statuses. Allison's sexuality affects the relationship between her and her family. As a lesbian, she hides herself, but she also does the same because of her class difference. Paul is similar to her with his own struggle of belonging to a place he feels fits him the best. Society's expectations made Allison and Paul pull away from others and themselves. The way Allison and Paul feel are not what society supposedly allows, and people who follow these expectations do not understand or cannot identify with them.

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