Gender Roles In Margery Kempe's 'The Book'

While Margery was a principal figure in breaking down gender roles in the 1400’s, she was not completely unique. When analyzing Kempe’s story to other holey women of the time, there are numerous similarities between stories. Some similarities include the idea of being a bride in a mystical marriage to the deity or weeping immensely in the name of God. In “The Book,” there are multiple allusions to other significant female spiritual leaders of her day, such as Marie of Oignies. She looks at Marie of Oignies as role model and inspiration, but also considers her equal to her as well. Margery goes over similarities between them both, saying how “she had visions, ecstasies and the gift of prophecy; she was especially devoted to the Passion of the Christ and to the sacrament. …show more content…
Ultimately, her knowing about the stories of these other women was what caused her to be persistent with her faith. “The immediate audience’s reaction to Margery-the-character is most often perplexity and exasperation, depending on her behavior.” Margery often attracts the wrong kind of attention in her travels, society’s reactions to Margery show how she is able to …show more content…
Not only did Margery feel pressure to conform into a normal gender role, but the social ideologies also pressured men to resist her rather than just be indifferent or accept her into a religious position. Another example of this is how the main reason Margery cannot be a religious figure is because she is married. If she were single, she could simply be a nun. However, due to her marriage to John, the church and society declare her unable to have any clerical