Gender Role Stereotypes- Feminist View
Gender Role Stereotypes in
“A Streetcar Named Desire” and
“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”
The purpose of this work is to analyse how gender role stereotypes are portrayed in the plays: “Streetcar Named Desire” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, both written by Tennessee Williams in 1947 and 1955 correspondently. First of all, I will define gender role stereotyping and identify some traditional gender role stereotypes. Then, I will share the author’s biography in connection to the topic. Last but not least, I will include some references in order to support research. Finally, a conclusion with my own thought will be provided.
Introduction
No one is born knowing that crying is unmanly or that playing soccer is unladylike. Once a child is born, he or she becomes identified with cultural concepts of what a boy or girl should be like. Children are born male or female, but they have to learn to be masculine or feminine. However, every society assigns different roles to its members according to sex. These sex roles are sets of cultural expectations that define how men and women are supposed to act according to the norms of their society in any given time:
“We all know her. She smiles at us from billboards or stares seductively out from magazines covers. She is beautiful and sexually available, but she never seems to be doing anything. Once married and settled down, however, she loses her allure. When faced with dirty floors and clogged drains, she is completely helpless until a male voice tells her what to do. She worries that she can’t make up a decent cup of coffee or get her husband’s shirts clean. She is lovable but just plain dumb”.
“We all know him, too. He is fearless, adventurous, and competent in every field. Whether facing down a gunslinger in a saloon ordering champagne in a nightclub, he is always in control of the situation. He also plays cool with women. He might let a woman lean on him for a while, but he refuses to be domesticated. When he
“A Streetcar Named Desire” and
“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”
The purpose of this work is to analyse how gender role stereotypes are portrayed in the plays: “Streetcar Named Desire” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, both written by Tennessee Williams in 1947 and 1955 correspondently. First of all, I will define gender role stereotyping and identify some traditional gender role stereotypes. Then, I will share the author’s biography in connection to the topic. Last but not least, I will include some references in order to support research. Finally, a conclusion with my own thought will be provided.
Introduction
No one is born knowing that crying is unmanly or that playing soccer is unladylike. Once a child is born, he or she becomes identified with cultural concepts of what a boy or girl should be like. Children are born male or female, but they have to learn to be masculine or feminine. However, every society assigns different roles to its members according to sex. These sex roles are sets of cultural expectations that define how men and women are supposed to act according to the norms of their society in any given time:
“We all know her. She smiles at us from billboards or stares seductively out from magazines covers. She is beautiful and sexually available, but she never seems to be doing anything. Once married and settled down, however, she loses her allure. When faced with dirty floors and clogged drains, she is completely helpless until a male voice tells her what to do. She worries that she can’t make up a decent cup of coffee or get her husband’s shirts clean. She is lovable but just plain dumb”.
“We all know him, too. He is fearless, adventurous, and competent in every field. Whether facing down a gunslinger in a saloon ordering champagne in a nightclub, he is always in control of the situation. He also plays cool with women. He might let a woman lean on him for a while, but he refuses to be domesticated. When he
Bibliography: * Gassner, John, 1958. Best American Plays. Four Series (1951-1957) * Williams, Tennessee * Coser, Lewis A. (1991), Introduction to sociology, San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich * Retrieved from http://college.cengage.com/english/kalaidjian/understanding_lit/1e/students/drama/williams. [ 1 ]. Coser, Lewis A. (1991), Introduction to sociology, San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. [ 4 ]. Coser, Lewis A. (1991), Introduction to sociology, San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.