Stephen Crane's Indirect Gender Claims In 'The Yellow Sky'

Sexism in “The Yellow Sky”-Crane's Indirect Gender Claims When taking a closer look into Stephen Crane's work, there are several different techniques that he uses in his writing that utilize exactly what it is he is trying to say or show the reader. Crane uses euphemism, defined as the mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to come of ass too harsh or blunt. Along side of euphemism, Crane uses indirection. He uses indirection by showing almost irrelevant traits or details about a character to make an overall bigger point. At first sight, these strategies that he uses may not seem apparent but when taken a closer look at, appear very evident. When taking a look at some of the characters in the story, it’s clear …show more content…
Crane uses the theme of masculinity to indirectly show the male superiority over the female. The man being viewed as a well-respected individual in his town earned himself the reputation of someone with high prestige. Although the town was of high importance to him, as was he to the town, he didn't feel obligated to inform the town of his decision to get married. The man obviously feels that he has some leeway with his actions and demonstrates his "masculinity", which in those times was associated with freedom, by choosing not to consult the town with his marriage. Although the man seems fairly confident about his choice to marry the woman, there are several instances that he appears worried that the marriage will challenge his masculinity in the eyes of his peers. Crane writes, "His friends could not forgive him. Frequently he had reflected on the advisability of telling them by telegraph, but a new cowardice had been upon him"(379). This contradicts the theme of masculinity in the sense that there is a word like cowardice associated with the man. The man doesn't tell his friend's about the marriage is because he is trying to protect the masculinity and respect that he has already acquired. It seems that the man feels that the marriage itself somehow makes him more vulnerable, taking away part of his masculinity and identity. Again, demonstrating indirection and the different …show more content…
The two different techniques used, are complementary to each other, which allows them to work effectively in Cranes writing. When carefully analyzed, euphemism and indirection give the reader a better sense as to what it is Crane actually meant to point out and give more insight to what his stance might be on certain topics such as gender roles. These themes that Crane talks about such as masculinity and gender roles are still evident in today's society, making his work just as relevant as it might have been back when it was written. Taking a closer look at his work and the underlying messages that he has hidden in his writing can allow the reader to gain more insight and learn about society today by seeing how society viewed certain things back in that