Gender Roles In Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet On The Western Front

739 Words2 Pages

For a long time society has prescribed gender roles. Some people choose to stay in these roles, but other choose to break these stereotypes. All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, “1917,” by James Olney, and Macbeth, by Shakespeare all have examples of these gender roles. Some of these characters stay in their prescribed roles, while others choose to break out of them. Society prescribes gender roles for both sexes; however, both men and women can cross those stereotypical roles.
Many people decide to stay in the roles prescribed for them. In the song
“1917” both men and women stay in their typical gender roles. The song starts:
The strange young man who comes to me. A soldier on a three day spree. He needs one nights cheap …show more content…

Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood. Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between Th’ effect and it. Come to my woman’s breasts And take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers. (Shakespeare, 1. 5. 47-55)
Lady Macbeth decides to cross the typical gender role of being lady-like. She's asks the spirits to unsex her, meaning she wants to be more manly and tough. Because a woman would not be able to be vicious and cold blooded in their own gender role, Lady Macbeth has to change over to a man’s gender role to do what she needs to do to become queen. Women can move into a male gender role if they want or need.
Society has gender roles which some people follow and others do not. Both men and women can sometimes stay in their gender roles, as in the song “1917.” But, men can cross over to be nurturing, such as in All Quiet on the Western a Front, and women can cross their role to be tough and vicious, such as in Macbeth. Is is evident that while sometime people stay in their gender roles, other people will break out of the stereotypical roles society has for

Open Document