While Abbott’s, “Flatland” and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s, “The Yellow Wallpaper” both illustrate critiques towards gender roles, such as women being treated unfairly, and man’s role being superior to women, these authors reveal numerous approaches and techniques toward the narratives’ critiques. Due to the methods and techniques to critique gender roles throughout these two texts, it supports the authors main theme of a typical gender role during the Victorian period. Additionally, Rosemary Jann’s, “Flatland Introduction” assists readers to uncover why the authors use the methods they do in order to offer a critique to gender.
Exploring Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” this text criticizes traditional notions of gender …show more content…
Men are treated way above women in the novel. Being tremendously judgmental, the law states in Flatland that if one is a woman, one is automatically in the lowest class. Right off the bat, this novel hits us with an extreme case of criticism towards traditional notions to gender roles. This sexism is demonstrated in the novel when the narrator states, “they are consequently wholly devoid of brain-power, and have neither reflection, judgment nor forethought, and hardly any memory.” (Chap. 4) There is even a set list of rules made specifically for woman. These rules include, “Every house shall have one entrance in the Eastern side, for the use of Females only.” (Chap. 4) and females must always be moving side to side so that others can see that they are in the area. These set of rules are created because women in Flatland are considered dangerous because of their pointy ends. Women can be executed if any of these rules are to be disobeyed, but men do not have to worry about execution at all. Another point directed at this unfair society is that when shapes are young, they are taught, “double training,” (Chap. 12) which is two types of languages for both, the male and female. With this method, shapes can speak differently to both sexes, since females have less education than males. Flatland is not directly aiming towards sexism in woman, because men can be in the lower classes too depending on how many sides one has. Although all women are considered in the lowest class and are treated the worst, other polygons can be put into the lower class too; the less amount of sides, the lower class one will be in. This system is not made fairly because women do not even get a chance to move up in the social ladder. Also, shapes are pretty much placed in a social section when they are born and remain there for the rest of their lives. All in all, men are treated superior to women in the
Exploring Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” this text criticizes traditional notions of gender …show more content…
Men are treated way above women in the novel. Being tremendously judgmental, the law states in Flatland that if one is a woman, one is automatically in the lowest class. Right off the bat, this novel hits us with an extreme case of criticism towards traditional notions to gender roles. This sexism is demonstrated in the novel when the narrator states, “they are consequently wholly devoid of brain-power, and have neither reflection, judgment nor forethought, and hardly any memory.” (Chap. 4) There is even a set list of rules made specifically for woman. These rules include, “Every house shall have one entrance in the Eastern side, for the use of Females only.” (Chap. 4) and females must always be moving side to side so that others can see that they are in the area. These set of rules are created because women in Flatland are considered dangerous because of their pointy ends. Women can be executed if any of these rules are to be disobeyed, but men do not have to worry about execution at all. Another point directed at this unfair society is that when shapes are young, they are taught, “double training,” (Chap. 12) which is two types of languages for both, the male and female. With this method, shapes can speak differently to both sexes, since females have less education than males. Flatland is not directly aiming towards sexism in woman, because men can be in the lower classes too depending on how many sides one has. Although all women are considered in the lowest class and are treated the worst, other polygons can be put into the lower class too; the less amount of sides, the lower class one will be in. This system is not made fairly because women do not even get a chance to move up in the social ladder. Also, shapes are pretty much placed in a social section when they are born and remain there for the rest of their lives. All in all, men are treated superior to women in the