The Role Of Gender As A Symbol Of Femininity - 1240 Words

The role of gender was evidently defined before the twentieth century. However, the twentieth century brought a lot of changes to women and their condition, inside and outside the house. Women started getting appreciated in the previously male dominating society. However, this didn’t last for long and by the mid-century men continued their dominating role back in the society. Tennessee Williams wrote this play in the fifties when this change was happening in society. In this play, male dominance is clear. Women were confined to the household and away from the outside world. By analyzing the character of Stanley; a masculine and Stella; a symbol of femininity; and other characters of this play, readers can clearly see how male-dominated world it was. The play portrays Stanley’s masculine character in the very beginning. Williams writes, â€Å"Stanley carries his bowling jacket and a red-stained package from a butcher’s† (Williams 13). He tries to show his dominance by showing his bowling jacket and blood-stained meat packet he was carrying. When Stanley was asking Blanche about Belle Reve, he portrays another example of his dominance, â€Å"You see, under the Napoleonic code – a man has to take an interest in his wife’s affairs – especially now that she’s going to have a baby† (Williams 43). Williams gives another example of male dominance in these quotes when he describes the colors they are wearing, â€Å"Stanley, Steve, Mitch, and Pablo wear colored shirts, solid blues, a purple, aShow MoreRelatedShifting Away From A Traditional Feminine Image Essay927 Words   |  4 Pagesitself, â€Å"I’ve caught him several times looking at the paper!† (35) conveying th at as the narrator becomes more involved with the paper she is regaining her power over the household. Gilman may also be suggesting that this break away from performing roles can manifest shame or uneasiness, Jennie after being caught staring, reacts â€Å"as if she had been caught stealing† (35). She is described as looking â€Å"angry† (35) at the prospect of being caught observing the object of the ‘mad woman’ of the house’s obsessionRead MoreThe Influence Of Gender Identity On Graphic Design1255 Words   |  6 PagesThe influence of gender identity on graphic design The perception of gender and its role of establishing personal identities have dramatically changed in recent years. If design is to continue to play a dynamic and constructive role in society, it stands to reason that it has to reflect these changes to be more fluid and nuanced in its interpretation of gender and how design understands gender. The link between design and gender identity is profound because they are essentially bound to cultureRead More images of gender in the media Essay1234 Words   |  5 Pages Finding a simple or concrete definition of gender maybe near impossible. Gender roles are what men and woman learn and internalize as the way they are supposed to act. These roles are commonly thought of as natural rather than a construction of culture. Gender is thought to flow from sex, rather then being a matter of what the culture does with sex. This theory is widely and exhaustively debated, according to Wood â€Å"Sex is based on biology; Gender is socially and psychologically constructed† (WoodRead MoreImages of Gender in the Media1258 Words   |  6 PagesFinding a simple or concrete definition of gender maybe near impossible. Gender roles are what men and woman learn and internalize as the way they are supposed to act. These roles are commonly thought of as natural rather than a construction of culture. 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According to theorist Judith Butler, â€Å"†¦gender can be regarded as a private and public behavioural performance.† Butler also recognizes that gender is a performance of â€Å"acts, gestures, and desire [which] produce the effect of a internal core or substance†¦ that saddest, but never reveal, the organizing principle of identity as a cause.† Due to a shift in gender roles, gender characteristics were abandoned