Gender and Conformity: An Analysis of Richard Yate’s Revolutionary Road
Richard Yate’s novel, Revolutionary Road, is an exploration of those people living in American suburbia during the 1950’s. It provides commentary about their struggles, their achievements, and the overall absurdity of the era. He describes a society that is still very much affected by a post-war mindset, and a return to more traditional gender roles that had been discarded during World War II. It created an era that emphasised conformity and sameness, holding onto its sense of security at any expense. While this new conventionality affected all members of American society, it touched women especially. He stresses this through the character of April Wheeler, through her
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interactions with her husband, and the events that occur during to her during throughout the plot. This return to traditional gender roles in the late 1940s and -50s created an environment that was both suppressive and detrimental to women’s mental and physical health. Although women had experienced more freedom during the war, being allowed to work certain jobs while men were away fighting, there was an immediate backlash against it when soldiers began to return. Those who had managed to move into the public sphere, working and participating in greater society, were quickly pushed back into the private sphere of the home and family. It created a culture of containment, forcing women into small and restricting roles, narrowing their opportunities once again. There was an overwhelmingly monolithic image of what a women should be and what she should want; “seek fulfilment as wives and mothers… [and] desire no greater destiny than the glory of their own femininity,” (Friedan, 15). Betty Friedan was one of the first to discuss this idea of containment in The Feminine Mystique, calling it “the problem that has no name” (Friedan, 15). She speaks about the struggle of the suburban housewife, trapped by the social expectations that have been constructed for her, and the sense of dissatisfaction that many like her experience. Simone de Beauvoir, in her novel The Second Sex, tackles a similar issue, as well. Taking a more philosophical approach, she discussed the problems of marriage and housework, both of which were expected of housewives. She observed that a woman’s role in the home is marked by the inessential and a forced, uncompromising sense of altruism, causing her to lose autonomy. She stated that the homemaker often falls into a tedious routine, where “every day looks like the previous one; the present is eternal, useless, and hopeless”, and that in turn, through internalisation of their dependence and helplessness, causes them to fall into the role of the submissive wife (de Beauvoir, 475). She creates her life around the existence of her husband and her children, leaving behind her former aspirations in favour of a life of mindless repetition and stability. Early in the novel, it is revealed that April had ambitions to become an actress before she married Frank. Yates makes it obvious that that pursuit is hopeless in her current situation. The first chapter opens with the phrase, “The dying sounds of their dress rehearsal,” foreshadowing the end of April’s acting career and the conclusion of the novel itself (Yates, 1). Although she begins the play positively, as a way to leave her suburban lifestyle, Frank observes her “change into the graceless, suffering creature” as all begins to go wrong and she realizes once more that she is trapped in her mediocrity (13). When she settled down with Frank, she became the docile homemaker that de Beauvoir describes, reliant economically on her husband and stripped of opportunities to seriously develop herself. Her life revolves around keeping the house and taking care of her children, despite the fact that she had not wanted to live in this fashion. However, April Wheeler does attempt to act against this docile image that was forced on women at the time frequently.
It shows her desire to assert what little independence and control she has in the face of the strict gender roles she experiences within her society. She explains to Frank that she believes that the “idea that people have to resign from real life and ‘settle down’ when they have families… [is] the great sentimental lie of the suburbs” (117). She finds it difficult, like many women of her time, to find a medium between who she is and who she is expected to be, but tries to create a balance. Nevertheless, her efforts to do so are consistently ruined by the variables around her, causing her to become more and more frustrated with her …show more content…
situation. The family’s move to Paris was meant to be her final escape from the constrictive narrative that is allowed to her. In Paris, she could work and go out, rather than stay at home with the children. She could develop her sense of self. It is foiled by her unexpected pregnancy, however. While the baby is a source of comfort to Frank, allowing him to continue with his career and remain secure with his family, to April it is a sentence to a life half-lived. In her eyes, the child is taking away her opportunity to break from the traditional roles that society presents her and to become her individual self. April’s pregnancies are not an experience of joy, but rather a representation her continued oppression under a system that removes her individualism. Her children are a barrier to her own fulfilment and happiness, and Frank’s resistance to her first effort to get an abortion her first entrance into the restrictive role she must play. April makes one more attempt to remove that barrier when she plans to abort the foetus once more.
They live in an “era that neither recognised [a woman’s] sexual autonomy nor condoned abortion, and one that viewed the rejection of motherhood as a psychological disorder or a moral failure,” and that is illustrated in the novel when Frank finds out about her plan (Mui, 76). He does everything he can to dissuade her, suggesting that she go see a psychoanalyst. Furthermore, “in demanding that April accept the pregnancy as he has, Frank chooses to remain in denial of April’s oppression and autonomy” (76). Having stopped her from acting on her desires without considering her reasons for them, he acts again as an agent of the containment against which she is trying to rebel against. Despite all his urging, April takes the decisive step forward, choosing once more to form her own destiny and act against the restrictions her gender places on her. She continues with the abortion, not willing to give up the autonomy of her own body once again or to resign herself to a miserable life spent in the suburbs. The choking restrictions that her society places on her, the constant message to conform, leaves her with no other choice, except to perform the risky procedure by herself in an attempt to shed her culture’s tight hold, even if it costs her her
life. Only through her death, April is finally able to escape the expectations forced on her as a woman living within the suburbs in the 1950s. As Friedan demonstrates, this type of behaviour had not been uncommon at the type, although this was a more extreme example. After so many generations in which the problem was swept aside, she stated that “it is no longer possible to ignore that voice, to dismiss the desperation of so many American women” (Friedan, 26). Yates uses his novel to highlight the struggles of those American women that lived during this era, showing both moments of failure and triumph. Through the Wheeler family, he gives a solemn view of the consequences of the pressures of the post-war culture, not only women, but on their husbands and children.
Abortion is the “hot” topic of this book that seems to surround the girls that were unfortunately lost with such procedures. Annie starts hiding the truth when she discovers she was pregnant. Mary was a witness to Annie’s experience and spoke to Deanne about what their school nurse said. “She said nobody had to know and we could get me an abortion right away and nobody would have to find out about it” (140). Annie hiding the truth from her parents did not do good when it came to the Women’s Medical Center, which was where Annie had her abortion, making mistakes and her parents not being able to do anything because of the truth that was being hidden. When the truth was discovered it was already too late, and Annie had died from a septic
Society continually places restrictive standards on the female gender not only fifty years ago, but in today’s society as well. While many women have overcome many unfair prejudices and oppressions in the last fifty or so years, late nineteenth and early twentieth century women were forced to deal with a less understanding culture. In its various formulations, patriarchy posits men's traits and/or intentions as the cause of women's oppression. This way of thinking diverts attention from theorizing the social relations that place women in a disadvantageous position in every sphere of life and channels it towards men as the cause of women's oppression (Gimenez). Different people had many ways of voicing their opinions concerning gender inequalities amound women, including expressing their voices and opinions through their literature. By writing stories such as Daisy Miller and The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Henry James let readers understand and develop their own ideas on such a serious topic that took a major toll in American History. In this essay, I am going to compare Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” to James’ “Daisy Miller” as portraits of American women in peril and also the men that had a great influence.
Nella Larsen’s novel presents us with a good view of women’s issues of the early 20th century. We see in the two characters seemingly different interpretations of what race, sexuality, and class can and should be used for. For Clare, passing takes her into a whole new world of advantages that she would not have had if she had remained a part of the African-American community. She gains social status and can be seen as an object of sexual desire for many people, not only the black community. Irene leads herself to think that passing is unnecessary, and that she can live a totally happy life remaining who she is. What she fails to realize is that she is jealous of Clare’s status and sometimes passes herself subconsciously. Larsen presents to us the main point of the book – that the root of the love, hate, desire, and rejection that Irene holds for Clare is a result of social standing, not only passing and sexuality.
Many parts of history show that the 1950’s was a time of great turbulence and unrest in both politics and social life. All this unrest was caused by major historical events, including the Red Scare/McCarthyism and the Cold War. However, although many aspects of life in the 50’s were in such disarray, gender roles were not one of those aspects. In fact, there was a very narrow, strict idea of what it meant to be a male and a female during this time. The following discusses what was considered proper gender roles in the 1950’s and how these roles vary compared to the gender roles portrayed in the 1955 movie, Rebel Without a Cause.
Moran, Mickey. “1930s, America- Feminist Void?” Loyno. Department of History, 1988. Web. 11 May. 2014.
This book demonstrates a set of gender roles for women are the opposite of those seen in Hamlet. Nurse Ratched is described as, “big as a tractor, so big you can smell the machinery inside the way you smell a motor pulling too big a load,” (Kesey 5). In this novel, Nurse Ratched is the main antagonist and she is portrayed as much stronger, both mentally and physically, than the men in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; she is far stronger than the women in Hamlet. Around 20 years before One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was published, the famous symbol for strong American women, Rosie the Riveter, became popular. Nurse Ratched’s characteristics resemble those of Rosie the Riveter much more than she resembles the women in Hamlet. During the 1940’s, Rosie the Riveter was fighting against gender role prejudice. In her time, “women also had to determine their role in those industries that had a strong union presence,” (“Women’s Roles” 1). Just like Nurse Ratched, Rosie the Riveter had a solid presence that helped establish an aura of
Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X. Day, and Robert Funk. 4th Ed. -. Upper Saddle River: Prentice, 1996. 293-307. Hewitt, Nancy. A. "Beyond the Search for Sisterhood: American Women's History in the 1980's.
Suburban life in the 1950s was ideal, but not ideal for the women. Women were continuously looked at as the typical suburban housewife. In Richard Yates’ novel, Revolutionary Road, we are given the chance to see the dynamics of the Wheeler family and of those around them. Through the use of theme, tone and major symbolism in the novel, we are shown the perspective of gender roles in the 1950s. The author shows the reader the struggles of strict gender roles and how the protagonist of the story will do just about anything to escape from it.
She feels guilty about leaving her father behind and not helping him, but she also feels guilt about not sharing her success with the others she left behind. The beauty she saw in being alone is now tainted with remorse, and the absence of the bustle of Hester Street gnaws at her. She is hurt and confused as to why she doesn’t feel the bliss she dreamed of form the gutter, and she joy at being a teacher is tainted by questions when she realizes “The goal was here,” with here being the position as a respected school teacher. She asks herself why she was “so silent, so empty” in the face of presumed achievement of her lifelong goal, her American dream (269). She is confused by the fact that the silence bothers her now, and that she is yearning for company. It is with a note of panic that she asks herself these questions regarding her emotional state, and it is because Sara is such a self-driven person that she doesn’t know how to respond to a nebulous feeling of dissatisfaction after her apparent victory. Sara is haunted by the suffering of the community she left behind, and she confesses that she didn’t want the rewards of achieving the American Dream “if they were only for [her]” (282). She misses her community from Hester Street, and wants to share the wealth with them in an attempt to feel the connections and family she had back then. She wants the reassurance and strength that comes with being a small part of a whole, and so she lets her father come back to fill a hole in her life. This completes the circle of Sara’s life story, in that she escapes her home on Hester Street and her father to make her fortune, she achieves this goal, but then
The traditional role of women in the American society has transformed as society has trended towards sexual equality. In the past women were expected to be submissive to the man and were looked upon as homemakers rather then providers. Modern day women enjoy the freedom of individuality and are considered as capable as men in many regards. John Steinbeck’s short story, “The Chrysanthemums,” portrays a woman’s struggle with accepting her life and role as a female (459). Through the protagonist-female character, Elisa Allen, and the symbolism of chrysanthemums, Steinbeck displays the gender roles that define past generations of women’s lives in the United States.
When looking at two nineteenth century works of change for two females in an American society, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Stephen Crane come to mind. A feminist socialist and a realist novelist capture moments that make their readers rethink life and the world surrounding. Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” was first published in 1892, about a white middle-class woman who was confined to an upstairs room by her husband and doctor, the room’s wallpaper imprisons her and as well as liberates herself when she tears the wallpaper off at the end of the story. On the other hand, Crane’s 1893 Maggie: A Girl of the Streets is the realist account of a New York girl and her trials of growing up with an alcoholic mother and slum life world. The imagery in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Stephen Crane’s Maggie: A Girl of the Streets uses color in unconventional ways by embedding color in their narratives to symbolize the opposite of their common meanings, allowing these colors to represent unique associations; to support their thematic concerns of emotional, mental and societal challenges throughout their stories; offering their reader's the opportunity to question the conventionality of both gender and social systems.
In the novel, the women look at their individual housing situations as a giant disappointment. To explain, even though Kyra and Delaney housing situation brings both families closer together and they each have their own separate house, there is still that need to have an even bigger and a much better living condition for their families. Although, Kyra and Delaney both agree with their significant others dissatisfaction with the current situation that they find themselves in. I also believe that yet again the significant of this goes back to the American Dream and how we as Americans strive to make better in our life.
In every society, there is conformity and nonconformity, although we may not notice it. Conformity is when someone is doing the same thing as others because they do not want to be the only one doing differently. Example, if there was a whole class raising their hands would you want to be the only one with your hand down, no so you would raise it with the rest of the class to not look like you don't know anything. This is called social pressures it when a large group is doing something and you're the only one not then you want to be doing whatever that large group is doing.
“The mysterious death of Mary Rogers’ by Amy Gilman Srebnick is a narrative that signifies the changing urban class of women by using Mary Rogers as an exemplar young lady amid the nineteenth century. The author focuses on illustrating the dangers of the newly experienced women freedom in the city through the portrayal of Mary Rogers’ demise to stress on the transformation of women roles as well as gender at large. Apparently, the story involves modernization and the use of societal changes as an allegorical approach to emphasize on both political and social reforms along with the change of women roles. The book encompasses various thematic expressions that support the motion of women acquiring greater freedom in expanding cities than in rural
A notable image that readers of the twentieth-century literature easily recognize is a bell jar. A bell jar is an unbreakable, stiff glass container that confines objects within its inescapable walls. It metaphorically represents the suffocating and an airless enclosure of conformism prevalent during the 1950’s American society. More specifically, American societal standards approve men to have the dominant role as they are encouraged to attend college in order to pursue professional careers. They are given the responsibility of financially supporting their families. In contrast, a women’s life in the 1950’s is centralized around family life and domestic duties only. They are encouraged to remain at home, raise children and care for their husbands. Women are perceived as highly dependent on their husbands and their ability to receive education is regarded as a low priority. Thus, the social conventions and expectations of women during the 1950’s displayed in The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath correlate to Esther Greenwood’s downward spiral of her mental state. Throughout the course of her journey, Esther becomes increasingly depressed because of her inability to conform to the gender roles of the women, which mainly revolved around marriage, maternity and domesticity.