Gender Roles and Marriage Essay - 1997 Words

The representation of gender roles and marriage has always been a controversial issue. However, much can be learned about unhappy marriages when examining the roles of both females and males within the marriage. The examination of gender roles and marriage are seen through the following short stories The Story of an Hour, The Necklace, and Country Lovers, along with scholarly articles based on gender role and marriage. Evaluation of these literary works shows quite clearly that social and economic class affects choice in marriage. Gardiner’s County Lovers presents its fairly clear theme right from the beginning of the story. Yes, there is a theme of race, but if you look even deeper you can see the underlying idea of marriage and†¦show more content†¦When the Loisel’s had to earn more money to pay off their debts, Mr. Loisel takes on a second job working outside of them home while Mrs. Loisel works in the home cooking, cleaning, and taking on the care giver role. In the begging of the story it seemed as though Mathilde held most of the power in their marriage, but once conflict arose the power shifted back to Mr. Loisel, as Mathilde continued to do exactly what he said without questioning. This story is also told from a third-person point of view. The narrator is not part of the story and presents the action to the reader from on outside view. The reader is able to see everything through the eyes or the narrator, but the reliability is questionable in that the information coming from a third party. The style of writing is very fluent and easy to follow, which makes for a very enjoyable read. deMauppassant uses situation irony in a creative way to give the story an humorous twist; when Mathilde finds out the diamond she and her husband have been working so hard to pay off, was actually imitation. This discrepancy allows the author to add humor, giving the story a light and playful tone. The use of satire exists towards the end of the story in the form of a farce. Subtle humor and hilarity is developed through improbable situations and exaggeration. In this situation the probability of Mr. And Mrs. Loisel going through ten years of misery and poverty just to find out theShow MoreRelatedEffects Of Gender Roles On Marriage1306 Words   |  6 PagesChina analyzed the effects of gender roles on marriage. The study investigated the marriage rates of men versus women based on their educational attainment. By using data from the CGSS (Chinese General Social Surveys), the hypotheses were tested that college women have lower marriage rates than men, and husbands have higher education and women are younger with lower education. The study asked adults 18 years and older their age, level of education, age of first marriage, and spouse’s level of educationRead MoreMarriage and Gender Roles Within Married Life815 Words   |  3 PagesMarriage and Gender Roles Within Ma rried Life Marriage is one of the most sacred and intimate rituals or celebrations that exist in all religions. It is often seen as an important and a defining step in your life. Traditionally, marriage is a ritual and ceremony that celebrates the official joining of two people by law. This definition of marriage varies from culture to culture since marriage can be viewed differently for them. The two religions of Hinduism and Buddhism both allow marriages, butRead MoreThe Problem With Marriage Is Gender Roles. . 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As gender equalityRead MoreJudy Bradys I Want a Wife1416 Words   |  6 Pages There have been many studies about gender roles in a marriage. The wife seems to do a lot. Women feel sometimes they do too much. Married couples should be able to work together. Sometime when the wife does everything it puts a constraint on the marriage. A marriage not only needs to survive, but thrive. In a marriage a husband and wife should be able share the same roles as needed. Society has a perceived notion of this. Everything today in a marriage should be able to be shifted back and forthRead MoreComparing The Way That Trifles And The Story Of An Hour924 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Story of an Hour† portray gender roles. Both of these stories portray two women very unhappy in their marriages and portray men as the dominant force. Trifles and â€Å"The Story of an Hour† both deal with very specific gender roles throughout the stories that relate to the time period they were written in. Trifles deals with gender roles by using a woman that feels trapped in her marriage. â€Å"The Story of an Hour† also uses a woman that feels trapped in her marriage to express woman’s position atRead MoreThe Existential Paralysis Of Women1402 Words   |  6 Pagessubmissive female gender roles in the domestic sphere in Simone de Beauvoir’s â€Å"The Existential Paralysis of Women† and in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. Beauvoir’s article defines the suffering that women endure as servants in the home due to the overarching construction of submissive gender roles in the â€Å"masculine world.† This construction of gender role relies on male-based institutions that have educated women to believe that are inferior as an innate biological fact, yet these gender values have