Traditional Gender Roles In The House Of Mirth

A general biology curriculum most often covers a brief introduction into genetics. During these lectures, instructors present evidence that at conception there is a 50 percent chance the developing embryo will mature into a boy or a girl. Before birth, gender is seen as equal. However, to be born a man or a woman in any society is more than a simple biological fact. It is a biological fact with social implications. The term gender binary describes the idea in which a society splits its members of male and female sexes into gender roles, gender characteristics, and traits. Gender roles shape and hold back individuals’ life experiences. This has an impact on aspects of self-expression, such as clothing choices and occupation. Traditional gender roles are reinforced by the media, religion and educational, political and social systems. Many societies have used gender roles to divide and control people (Johnson, Repta 23-26). When divides between men and women become a cultural norm, it is more likely …show more content…
Women are seen as the ones who are in charge of raising the family, while men are responsible for maintaining financial security. Though progress is being made in this area, there are still barriers holding equality back. In the book House of Mirth, the main character, Lily Bart, struggles with all of these areas. As a women of the early 1900s Lily is very dependent on the idea that she needs a man to help her not only achieve financial security, but to also secure a place at the top of the social ladder. The text states, “Society is a revolving body which is apt to be judged according to its place in each man’s heaven” (39). This quotation explains that Lily and other women are being judge based on who they marry and how much money they have. These generations of women are forced to submit to a life of dependence to maintain social