Gender is defined as the activities, roles and behavior assigned in a social place with reference to women and men. Though it is normally confused with sex, it is not. Sex is the biological issue of whether a person is male or female. Gender on the other hand is the society’s code of behavior as to how a man or woman is supposed to behave and act. These distinct given roles are what give rise to inequalities. This difference is that which gives systematical favor to one group and disfavors another. This may occur in terms of health services, job opportunities, loan administration and many other areas.
Kate Chopin’s The Awakening questions the role of women in American society and critiques the limitations placed on women. First published in 1899 as ‘A Solitary Soul’, this book seeks to address the thorny issue of societal roles placed on women. It reconciles motherhood and feminity with the values held by the society about the role of women. This book is a great read and has generated reaction form both critics and supporters.
In her experience of the Creole culture, the writer uses this beautifully weaved narrative to show how the society viewed women. Using set rules and regulations, women were limited o two main roles (Chopin, 43). That is, a mother and a wife, this also influenced her to write her poem ‘local color’ which focused on this culture. Being a crafty writer that she was, she used French characters to tell the story. This was what made there to get away with publishing these stories since the characters were viewed as foreign. When one of her characters, Edna Pontellier, strays from the expected norms and behavior expected in a patriarchal society by taking charge of her own happiness the society is shocked. The woman withdraws her traditionally associated role of motherhood by isolating herself. Though she was considered a mental case, this event gives insight to how society viewed the role of women.
Though ‘The Awakening’ use lots of fictional characters, Chopin’s own life is a good example of what she talked about in the book. Starting with her upbringing to her state of having a husband and children, this book was inspired by her experiences. Her views were shaped as she experienced one event after another. Therefore this book is very reliable. In fact, some historians like David Lento uses Chopin’s life to show how the society not only viewed women, but also gave them limited roles. Women could not take part in leadership; women could not talk before men. They only took to take care of their families. They were also supposed to serve their families. However, they were not supposed to follow their dreams or run after their own happiness. To their respective societies, women had limited roles. They were mothers and wives. Chopin’s own lineage of women gave her the morale boost to write her book. Her great grandmother, grandmother and mother were women who deviated from the expected unwritten rules in the society by becoming independent and intellectual.
Chopin’s book was banned as soon as it was published because of a number of reasons. First, the author depicted immoral sexual desires by women. This also made the authorities to censor it. Another good reason is because it understated and ignored the set gender roles and social norms. Though Henrik Ibsen’s ‘ A Doll’s House’ shared the same theme as Chopin’s, his book contained a protagonist that eventually abandoned her children and husband for her own selfish reasons of self-fulfillment.
Kate Choppin’s writings were done in the past. Her views existed long ago when women were not even allowed to sit with their male counterparts in the same place. This reflected very many inequalities in the society. Gender roles and work is still thorny up to date. Inequalities still exist in the present world. And the society still holds critical views about the position of a woman; women are still in the society. For instance, in the present world, women are still the ones expected to take care of their husbands and children, thus play the two most critical roles; that is, that of a wife and mother. However, many strides have been made since the days of Chopin and Henrik Ibsen nowadays women are allowed to sit where their male counterparts sit.
They are also allowed to take leadership positions and follow their dreams. There are great examples of well known women who are leaders in their own right. For instance, Maya Angelou who is both a writer and a poet, Beyonce, who is a famous singer, Angela Merkel, who is the German Prime Minister, Oprah Winfrey, who is considered to be the riches woman alive and many others. The examples are limitless. Women have continued to assert themselves in a society that considers them the weaker sex and thus denied them opportunities to progress. Nevertheless, (Chopin, 57) they have been able to fight for freedom and equality which were the main issues in Chopin’s time.
Sanjaran, in his text on the role of women in the society says that religion plays big part in the establishment of gender roles. Kate Chopin in did not mention anything that has to do with religion. However, in the modern world, religion is a big part of everyone’s lives and establishes the role of men and women. Islam and Christianity are the major religions in the world today. Both religions establish their own ways of assigning gender roles. Kate Choppin did not mention any of this. Another related text is Adyar Gopal Parivar’s text on gender roles. The writer notes that both psychological and biological differences play a role in the assignment of gender roles.
Historically, women have been considered to be weak both psychologically and biologically. That is why they behave been left to do the lesser tasks such as home keeping and child care. Tasks that need a lot of physical strength such as building is left to men. Another difference between this text and Kate Choppin’s is the fact that this writer gives the upbringing of a person as one of the ways through which the society assigns gender roles. If a person is brought up knowing that a woman’s place is in the kitchen that person’s views are unlikely to change. However, if a person is brought up knowing that a woman is allowed to follow her dreams and take leadership positions and be whoever she wants to be, just like her male counterpart, then this person grows up with the mentality that there is gender equality. This is also a similarity to Kate Chopin’s own experiences. Her mother, grandmother and great grandmother were independent minded individuals who raised her up to question the set rules and regulations concerning gender roles.
Traditionally, men have dominated women in every aspect of the society. From leadership positions to being the head of the family, men have always taken the lead. This is what all the texts examined, including Choppin’s narrative, purpose. However, women have struggled to gain freedom and respect for their rights. From the time of Chopin to the present time, they have become more aggressive and fought for what they believed in. they have made headway. If Chopin was alive today, she would not be cast out from the society because of chasing her dreams and refusing to limit herself as a wife and mother. In fact, in today’s term, she would be called a super woman since she would be both a career woman and home maker. Therefore, these texts agree with each other in the context of gender roles and the role of women in the society.
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate, and Alexandra O'Karma. The Awakening. Prince Frederick, Md: Recorded Books, 1999. Print.
