Traditional Gender Roles In Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome

Today, if you stopped a random woman on the street, it would be more than likely that she has a job that isn 't just staying at home and raising children, but in 1911, the year that Edith Wharton 's Ethan Frome was published, it would be the exact opposite. The traditional gender roles and expectations that were a strong influence on American society at the time can be seen throughout Ethan Frome, mainly as limitations on what the characters can do with their lives, such as where they live or what their goals are. During the beginning of the 20th century, when Ethan Frome takes place, the traditional role for men was one of a provider and protector. Men were expected to be the "bread winners", meaning that they were usually the only source …show more content…
When he is thinking about moving to the West with Mattie and creating a new life for the two of them there, he stops when he starts to think of the logistics of it. He would be leaving Zeena all alone on the farm who, as a sick woman, wouldn 't be able to run it. Even if she managed to sell it, Ethan thinks, she wouldn 't get enough and she 'd have a hard time moving on because she can 't and shouldn 't work. Ultimately he is held back by his sense of obligation to his wife and providing for her, but when he is still considering going west, he thinks about how he needs more money to even make the trip. For this he would need a loan, and who else would he go to but the guy who pays him? Mr. Ned Hale is a friendly man, but Ethan changes his mind and decides to ask his wife instead. During their conversation, she talks while "beaming maternally on Ethan" (page 68), and it 's clear that he chose her over her husband because he figured she 'd be more sympathetic because she 's a woman. The gender roles don 't stop at what a woman should do with her life, but also include how she should act and feel. Ethan turned to her figuring that she 'd be much nicer and pity him, where as her husband wouldn 't, and last minute decides not to take advantage of her kindness and doesn 't ask for a loan. The expectations for each gender can be clearly seen in the characters ' lives in Ethan Frome, from following them to being seen as failure for not. The men were supposed to support their family and wife by working a proper job, and the women managed the household as their job and rarely had aspirations higher than finding a husband. Regardless of which little perfect box the characters were expected to fit in, the gender roles both shaped their lives and limited