What Are Gender Roles In Mason's Work?

Mason’s writing is a more modern illustration of breaking away from stereotypical concepts of women in the home and gender roles. The story is situated in Kentucky, appropriately close to Shiloh Tennessee. “Shiloh” is staged in a rural setting, a common ground to the average reader yet still sophisticated on its own right without losing relevance. In the 19th century there was a common perception of home as a “haven in a heartless world” (Adams 91) and “separate from the world of commerce and public production except insofar as it was a center of family consumption” (91). As men and professions began to occur more away from the home, work of or at the home began to be devalued. However, (or maybe consequently) any women who worked away from home were also socially devalued (91). Norma Jean is just such a woman. She was never content to remain in her “privatized sphere” which is evidenced in her …show more content…
These authors ranged from telling of the liberation of women from marriage or forced dependence to the encouragement of women to follow their desires, pursue self determination, and cultivate individuality. It was these short stories, by these women and many just like them, that were the first to chip away at the societal chains, birthing reforms that demanded the rights that have been passed today. Though the news may tell a different message, showing a longer road yet to walk, a reflection on these authors and the very existence of these short stories is proof of the progress made and indication that times may never regress. For every in the bleak and and all society, a band of writers stood immovable in their determination and appeals, and thus could not lost. Much the same women of today will not recede but stand in both 6 in heels and combat boots and march on,