Gender roles are defined as a set of societal norms dictating what types of behaviors are considered acceptable for a person based on their actual or perceived sex. In both short stories, “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “Sweat”, traditional gender roles are used to characterize the main female characters as second rate citizens. To start with, in both stories the husbands believe that women should not be working outside of household chores. Another example is the women themselves in these stories do not have their own identities. In addition, we are also told that wives should not question their husband’s authority. These three examples will display the effect gender roles played on the main female characters.
The only job a wife needs is housekeeping, anything outside of that is just nonsense. This idea is presented in both “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “Sweat” to reinforce gender roles. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” the narrator would like to take up the hobby of writing, however her husband (a physician) decides against it. The narrator says “I did write for a while in spite of them but it does …show more content…
Wives should never question their husband’s authority is another example of gender roles in our two stories. In “Sweat” Delia husband decides to bring a rattlesnake into their home, knowing how scared of snakes Delia is. When asked if he could remove the snake her husband says “Ah ain’t gut tuh do nuthin’ uh de kin’--fact is Ah aint got tuh do nothin’ but die” (7). Sykes is telling Delia that he does not have to remove the snake because it’s his house. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” the narrator’s husband constantly advises her on what she she do and she never questions him because in society he is considered to be smarter than her. The narrator says “My brother is also a physician, and also of high standing, and he says the same thing” (648). In this quote the narrator is explaining why her husband 's opinions are allowed to dictate her
The only job a wife needs is housekeeping, anything outside of that is just nonsense. This idea is presented in both “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “Sweat” to reinforce gender roles. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” the narrator would like to take up the hobby of writing, however her husband (a physician) decides against it. The narrator says “I did write for a while in spite of them but it does …show more content…
Wives should never question their husband’s authority is another example of gender roles in our two stories. In “Sweat” Delia husband decides to bring a rattlesnake into their home, knowing how scared of snakes Delia is. When asked if he could remove the snake her husband says “Ah ain’t gut tuh do nuthin’ uh de kin’--fact is Ah aint got tuh do nothin’ but die” (7). Sykes is telling Delia that he does not have to remove the snake because it’s his house. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” the narrator’s husband constantly advises her on what she she do and she never questions him because in society he is considered to be smarter than her. The narrator says “My brother is also a physician, and also of high standing, and he says the same thing” (648). In this quote the narrator is explaining why her husband 's opinions are allowed to dictate her