Men often feel strength in themselves when they evaluate their economic standing compared to other men. Where a man stands in the economic hierarchy of society reveals a lot about what kind of man they are. Men strive to be as high as they can in economical standing. This was especially true during the Victorian era because one’s wealth told people how “manly” they were. The stereotypical male, showcased in literature, was one who could work and make enough money to support an entire family. If a man failed to do this he was considered feminine. There are many examples in literature that discuss what happens when a male could not successfully fulfill his role or uphold his economic standing. This was seen in both The Luck of Roaring Camp and
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Through the literature of the Victorian era, it was often demonstrated that the male was not to be involved with the upkeep of the household nor the care of the family because that was the women’s job. The male’s role was to supply the family with the economic support to put food on the table while the wife was to take the role of the managing the children. However, there are examples of when a male did break from this stereotype. This type of situation was shown in both the movie A Doll’s House along with the book Ethan Frome. In A Doll’s House, towards the end of the movie, Torvald tells Nora that he will rid her of all responsibility for the children because she betrayed him and forged signature on a check. In this scene Torvald says to Nora “I shall not allow you to bring up the children; I dare not trust them to you” (Ibsen). By doing this Torvald was essentially putting him in the role of taking care of the children and he completely stripped his wife from her womanhood. By Torvald doing this sudden act, he eventually destroyed the foundation of the family which led Nora to realize she could be treated better elsewhere. She didn’t need Torvald anymore. Even though Torvald does not realize it, he ignored the expected male role by destroying the identity of the family and changing what his role in the family would be in the
Through the literature of the Victorian era, it was often demonstrated that the male was not to be involved with the upkeep of the household nor the care of the family because that was the women’s job. The male’s role was to supply the family with the economic support to put food on the table while the wife was to take the role of the managing the children. However, there are examples of when a male did break from this stereotype. This type of situation was shown in both the movie A Doll’s House along with the book Ethan Frome. In A Doll’s House, towards the end of the movie, Torvald tells Nora that he will rid her of all responsibility for the children because she betrayed him and forged signature on a check. In this scene Torvald says to Nora “I shall not allow you to bring up the children; I dare not trust them to you” (Ibsen). By doing this Torvald was essentially putting him in the role of taking care of the children and he completely stripped his wife from her womanhood. By Torvald doing this sudden act, he eventually destroyed the foundation of the family which led Nora to realize she could be treated better elsewhere. She didn’t need Torvald anymore. Even though Torvald does not realize it, he ignored the expected male role by destroying the identity of the family and changing what his role in the family would be in the