The novel begins with the intense and graphic description of Celie being raped by her father. During this violation Celie states that, “When that hurt, I cry. He start to choke me, saying You better shut up and git used to it. But I don’t ever get used to it” (Walker 1). The very specific dialect that Walker uses in these three short sentences creates a very grim and severe tone that helps deepen the understanding and severity of Celie’s situation. A sense of inferiority is established through Celie’s father’s demand that she must “get used to it” because he is the superior male and she must listen to him. Walker uses this tone to immediately establish the traditional gender roles that are woven throughout the novel. In addition to the male’s …show more content…
sexual superiority seen through Celie’s rape (Walker 1), other events such as her father’s decision to kill her child (Walker 2), her need to dress for her father’s pleasure (Walker 7) , and her lack in say in her marriage to Mr. _____(Walker 11) are used to buttress the traditional gender roles that are at play. In spite of Celie’s marriage to Mr. _____ being a perfect representation of traditional gender roles in the house, this is what ultimately leads her to challenge these ideals that are so present in her life. Walker’s early presentation of traditional gender roles plants a seed for the opposition that is to come from Celie, through her realization that it is possible for life to be different. While Celie was forced by her father to marry this horrible man, this is what eventually allowed her to meet Shug Avery and Sophia, two women who begin to provide Celie with a sense of hope. This introduction allows Celie to form close relationships with these two women who disagree with the gender norms at the time and openly defy them. Albert later describes Shug and Sofia saying that, “Shug act more manly than most men. I mean she upright, honest. Speak her mind and the devil take the hindmost, he say. You know Shug will fight, he say. Just like Sofia. She bound to live her life and be herself no matter what” (Walker 269). These qualities that Albert describes are distinctly opposite of the qualities that Celie displays as a submissive woman, which positions Shug and Sofia as foils of Celie. Walker uses these foils as a means of introducing an unknown but desirable lifestyle to Celie. Shug and Avery exemplify the life that Celie wants to have.
She wants to escape her cruel and callous relationship with Albert, yet she feels that this is something that she cannot even try to do. However, through interaction with Shug and Sofia, Celie is exposed to new ideas. At the beginning of the novel, based on her experiences with her father and Mr. ______, Celie believes that men have to keep women in their submissive place by beating them. For example, when Celie’s stepson sought advice on his new marriage to Sophia, he asked, “what to do to make Sofia mind”(Walker 35). Celie replied for him to “beat her”(Walker 34). Her action of telling Harpo to beat Sofia demonstrates her acceptance of these gender roles that have been assigned and her willingness to conform to them. However, when the stepson tries to follow this advice, Sofia instead fights back and beats her husband, until his “two eyes close like fists” (Walker 62), when he tries to touch her her. This circumstance allows for a shift in the way that Celie thinks about gender roles, because before this instance it hasn’t occurred to her to fight back and speak up for herself. Moreover, Shug finds out that Albert is beating Celie for lots of mistakes, but most of all Celie tells Shug that Albert beats her “for being me and not you”(Walker 75). Shug is horrified by this instantly comforts her saying “I won’t leave...until I know Albert won’t even think about beating you” (Walker 75). This act of love from Shug …show more content…
is further enforced when she keeps her promise and says, “Albert, you’ve been mistreating somebody I love. So as far as I concern, I’m gone”(Walker 270). Shug’s actions defy the gender norms of the time through her eagerness to stand up for Celie and leave a man, whom she cares for, for a woman she cares for even more. As Celie is exposed to these defiant and powerful actions, she is able to form a friendship with Shug and Sofia and her mindset of gender roles slowly begins to shift. While Celie’s mindset slowly begins to change, though the interaction with her foils, it was her interaction with her sister that eventually leads her to pursue a new life. About midway through the novel, Walker introduces a shift in narration. Celie’s usual letters to God become interrupted with letters that Nettie had written to Celie. This is significant because Nettie’s letters serve as an example of a better life. Nettie speaks of her relationship with Corrine and Samuel, whom she lives with, with a tone of affection. She mentions how “they always try to include me in everything they do, so I don’t feel so alone” (Walker 127). Through Nettie’s letters she is able to convey this same sensation of “not feeling so alone” to Celie. This is woven throughout Nettie’s letters that are all signed with something like, “I love you with all my heart, Your sister, Nettie” (Walker 127). This concept of love is introduced to Celie through Shug and Sofia, but it is through Celie’s interaction with her sister that this concept of love becomes a reality. The introduction of Nettie’s point of view allows for a visible shift in Celie’s view on gender roles. This is seen through the shift in the recipient of her letters. Celie began to take her life into her own hands and instead began to write to her sister. This is a major step in Celie’s life because Mr. _____ has been hiding Nettie’s letters to Celie for years. Celie’s discovery of these letters is what causes her to begin to resist Mr. _____ and the gender roles that are so present in her life. Despite her husband’s best attempts to shield her from the love of her sister, this small action eventually led up to the ultimate change in Celie’s life, which is when she physically leaves Albert. When announcing her leave, she responds Mr. _____’s statement of “over my dead body” (Walker 199) by telling him, “You a lowdown dog is what’s wrong, I say. It’s time to leave you and enter into the Creation. And your dead body just the welcome mat I need”(Walker 199). Celie’s abrupt and stern outburst illustrates her change in mindset. Without this defining moment Celie would continually feel the weight and oppression brought about by this new found understanding of unjust gender roles. However, Celie’s choice to speak out against Albert, alongside her decision to leave him, marks the point that she begins to redefine the role that traditional gender roles play in her life. Her action towards making choices is what allows for the redefinition of traditional gender roles. In the extreme circumstances found in each novel there is a moment when a realization is made about the traditional gender roles that are at play.
Cándido and América recognize that a swap of gender roles is needed for survival, Van recognizes that the society of Herland is thriving, and Celie recognizes that she has the power to make her own choices. These moments of recognition allow for shifts in these character’s views on the role of a male and female in a society. This shift that is present was evoked by the extreme situations that took place. Without these extreme situations the various paths and choices each character has would not have been recognized. This is what ultimately allows for the redefinition to take place. While each redefinition is slightly different, the prevailing theme is that gender roles aren’t confined to one sex, and can even be part of a partnership as long as characters implement these choices that they are
given.
The opening line of the story starts with “You better not never tell nobody but God” which Celie’s stepfather tells her after he rapes and abuses her at the age of 14.She was a downtrodden,objectified young girl who was robbed of her freedom. Notwithstanding throughout the novel we witness her character growing and changing as a result of finding uplift and comfort from making pants. This activity with the help of Shug and her sister Sophia influences here life drastically. For Celie pants symbolises independence.
The twentieth century was filled with many advances which brought a variety of changes to the world. However, these rapid advances brought confusion to almost all realms of life; including gender roles, a topic which was previously untouched became a topic of discourse. Many authors of the time chose to weigh in on the colloquy. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, gender role confusion, characteristic of modernist literature, is seen in Nick Carraway and Edna Pontillier as they are the focal points in the exploration of what it means to be a man or a woman, their purpose, place, and behavior in society.
...cieties views on gender roles but nothing ends up changing. In reality, the only real difference, which occurred, was the death of April and her baby. If April had died, her attempts at change would not have been successful, though she was persistent in trying as in constantly giving Frank boosts of ego and even attempting to abort the baby so the plan to move to Paris would not fall through. April was alone in her attempt at change and nobody else was supporting her views, and through her death others saw her as somewhat crazy, comparable to John Givings. Her attempts at changing the gender roles in an unchangeable society in the 1950s failed to work and created a revolution in society, which simply just brought things right back where they started.
Alice Walker is woman of class, diversity, and feminism. More importantly, she is a civil rights activist, novelist, poet, and essayist. Growing up poor, I would like to think motivated her, and crafted her to the woman she is at this time in her life. Her works is a tasteful gratification of what it was like fighting for equality for all African Americans, affirming the possibility to love and forgive amongst black and white people, and just writing impeccable wisdom. While attending Spelman College, she turned down a scholarship to study abroad in Paris, and instead she went to Mississippi to pursue civil rights.
The novel is described as a feminist novel. Yet, this is not exactly acurate. The absence of men in the utopian society may seem extreme to some, and it is. This is how Gilman makes her point. She does not create a world without men because men are terrible creatures who have corrupted the world. The utopia which lacks men is a clean peaceful place, which surpasses in almost every way the competitive societies that we live in. But, it is neither the absence of men nor the presence of women that makes this to be the case. Gender, in this novel, is symbolic for the most part. Gilman does separate the two genders to destroy stereo types, but also to establish a concrete difference between the two worlds. The male world is not bad, and the female good is not good. The world in which people are defined by others and limited is bad, while the world in which people are free to grow without being defined or compared to others, and are able to see the unity of all people is good. Comparing Herland to the real world, Gilman begins destroying gender based stereotypes. Because there are no distinctions of gender in Herland, nor any superficial characteristics which accompany gender, Herland women take on the roles of all people without considering any limitations. These women are strong, agile, nurturing, intelligent, cooperative, and able to rely on themselves. They are not "typical" females. As Gilman explains through the male character Van, "Those 'feminine charms' we are so fond of are not feminine at all, but mere reflected masculinity developed to please us because they had to please us, and in no way essential to the real fulfillment of their great process" (p59). In the same way, stereotypes about men can be thrown up as well. Gilman shows the reader that if people stop basing their identities on what others want, they will no longer be slaves to limitations. They will be free to discover their true selves and will allow others to do the same. Gilman shows readers that men and women are distinct people, but reminds us that they are people first. This can be seen when one of women of Herland named Somel, questions the men by saying, "But surely there are characteristics enough which belong to People, aren't there?
...od “allows the reader to view the consequences of sexual inequality from a unique perspective” (Wilputte 1995, p. 54). The idea that ‘men’ and ‘women’ are defined as such by their stereotypical traits is one that links to critical theory written by Judith Butler. Butler argues that gender is “in no way a stable identity or locus of agency from which various acts proceed” (Butler 1988, p. 519) but rather an “identity instituted through a stylised repetition of acts” (Butler 1988, p. 519). Butler suggests that gender must be perceived solely as the “mundane way in which bodily gestures, movements, and enactments of various kinds constitute the illusion of an abiding gendered self” (Butler 1988, p. 519). Haywood defines her characters by their exaggerated gendered traits, demonstrating the futility of gender and the power- or lack thereof- that is associated with it.
Women play a key role in this novel in many ways. In the case of...
Celie is a victim of mistreatment and isolation in a world that considers women inferior to men. To instill fear and obedience in women, men conduct themselves in a hostile manner towards women. They manage women similar to slaves and sexually dominate them. When Celie is barely fourteen her stepfather, causing her to become pregnant twice, violates her multiple times. In a letter to God, Celie writes “I cry. He start to choke me, saying You better shut up and git used to it” (Walker 11). Intended merely to satisfy Pa, Celie...
The relationship between Celie and Albert went through many changes throughout this novel. Albert, or Mr._________, was a man who seem to be a person who was very angry, powerful and hateful. His father was a man who believed that love was not the point while trying to find a good wife, obedience was. The woman didn't have to be attractive, rich or one who was in love, all she had to do was cook, clean and tend to the children. Albert was taught that this was the way to an successful life. Albert feel in love with Shug, they did not marry. Mr.____ was controlled by his father even as an adult. His father wouldn't allow his son to marry Shug. His father didn't want him to actually love, because he never loved himself. Albert married a woman his father approved of, and he treated her how his father taught him to. Margret cooked, cleaned and tended to the children. After his father took shug away from him, he hated his father, but was so controlled by him that he could never stand up to his father. She later died and left behind a house to be cleaned, cooking to be done and children who needed to be tended to. He fell in love again with Nettie, but she was not allowed to marry him. Albert was forced to find a quick replacement for Margret. So instead he married Celie. He beat her not only because of the angry towards his father, but also because she was neither Shug nor Nettie. In the marriage of Celie and Albert there was no love or devotion. They were just stuck with the other. Celie married Albert because her step father told her too and Albert married because he wanted a full time maid. They just went one day to the next with Albert giving the orders and Celie carrying out these orders. It was like boss and employ, except Celie was anything but rewarded for carrying out the orders.
Both Esme and Kitty are forced to meet society’s expectations which controls their education, marriage and clothing options. The readers see a contrast in the character of Iris as she is able to experience more freedom compared to Esme and Kitty. The reader feels anger about these constrictions, while also sympathising with the characters. Through this, O’Farrell is able to portray how the traditional gender roles and expectations caused women’s freedom to be
Gender roles are a set of societal norms that determine how a specific sex should think, speak and act. Society often portrays women as the housewife who nurtures the family while portraying men as the breadwinner who provides the family. Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis and Suzanne Collins’ novel, The Hunger Games, both portray unconventional characters that defy the universally accepted gender roles. By allowing their characters to surpass the stereotypical expectations, Kafka and Collins challenge the ideas of traditional gender roles that have created certain requirements and restrictions on both men and women. Kafka and Collins illustrate the theme of role reversal to exemplify that there should not be any defined gender roles. They try to
Gender presents itself in various ways. It is a social construct that has a strong influence on almost everybody. Both gender roles and gender expression are actively engaged forces in our lives to the point where they are inescapable. Charlotte Perkins Gilman specifically explores gender roles and their effects in her story “If I Were a Man.” In a sense, Gilman’s “If I Were a Man” inexplicitly delves into the impact and limitations of society’s assigned gender roles. Through her character Mollie Mathewson, Gilman is able to display how complicated this broad spectrum that gender falls under really is. Gilman does this through her analysis of masculinity and femininity, using Mollie to bring awareness to the differences of the male and female purpose, and addressing the consequence of social rejection as a result of gender non-conformity.
If we analyse the story instead of the narrative perspective can we see that the main reason of Celie's insecurity is caused by the way she is treated by men. She is sexually abus...
For the majority of the novel, Celie was never told she was or could be beautiful by men, she was told how much of nothing she was to them. Beauty was something Celie learned was for women who enjoyed having sex, something for women who had confidence, which was something she could never feel for herself. She was constantly mis treated and told what to do by men like her father and Albert. The book opens with her being raped by her father. He tells her to tell nobody but God, and she begins to be scared of saying “no” to men, she feels she needs to take the abuse, Celie would “be wood” because wood does not feel pain. Her father dominates and makes Celie feel like she was bad, like she did something to deserve this. She felt she was worth little because she should allow her father to do thing like this to her. She felt controlled, dominated and therefore subordinate to men. Her self worth had gone from little down to nothing, and she was told by her father how ugly she was.
Indisputably, roles and characteristics of opposite genders have been ubiquitous, since historical evidence proves so – dating back to when the practice of oral tradition was favored over written language. This historical evidence is especially apparent in literature from previous time periods. In these works of literature, men and women often have very different social and economic positions within society. Particular duties, or tasks, are practiced depending on the gender of these individuals. However, in the advancing world we are currently living in, these duties are beginning to intertwine in an effort to allow equal rights amongst opposite genders. This effort to break the sexist barrier, which encompasses our world, has already begun rattling the chains of politicians and the like. However, with the progressions made thus far in retaliation to sexism and unequal gender privileges, the United States of America is heading in a positive direction towards gender equality. Nonetheless, the female gender is perceived as a lesser entity in society while the male gender is dominant and controlling. The masculine individuals in literary works usually govern, or direct the feminine individuals. These characteristics are often evident in various literary works – including “Hills Like White Elephants,” and “A&P” written by Ernest Hemingway and John Updike, respectively. The slow and steady transformation from a sexist society to one that allows inferior genders to perform similar tasks, if not the same as their superior counterparts, may disturb the ideological mindset of figures with authority; however, it provides inferior genders with the opportunity to branch out socially, economically, and politically.