It seems as if from the beginning of time, human beings have been expected to act certain ways in accordance to their gender. This idea has come to be defined as "gender roles". Gender roles are very broad and encompass the way a girl is supposed to act, dress, eat, and live versus the way a boy is supposed to do these things.
As a disclaimer, because I myself am female, and in part due to the female point of view of the books we have read this semester, I will be focusing on female gender roles.
The Awakening by Kate Chopin is a very intense and heavy novel that expresses the idea that, due to gender roles expected to be played by women, specifically in that time period, several women who did not fit into these gender roles felt alienated. In the case of Edna, she felt she had absolutely no place in society, leaving her with no other choice but death.
Edna was expected to be a wife and mother before anything else-- even before discovering herself, before learning her true passions.
This book does a truly amazing job at expressing the most harmful impact that gender roles have. This harmful impact is that they inhibit women from being who they truly want to be. In the case of Edna, the extremity of gender roles in her society inhibited her from even knowing who she wants to be.
I find it very easy to relate to Edna. Gender roles have developed. And while, in America, they no longer very strongly control what you can do with your life, what career or education you can have, they still impact women in this society.
I believe gender roles have developed to focus on how women dress and act. As a female who does not dress or act in a feminine manner, I have personally experienced the harm of gender roles. From comments about how "butch" an outfit is, to "why don't you grow out your hair? It'd be so pretty."
Edna faced a society with outright gender roles, and now I believe females are facing a society with hidden, sneaky gender roles. The low-key nature of gender roles in modern society gives them a unique power, making them more dangerous. People have begun to believe that gender roles no longer exist whatsoever. It is my personal opinion that the fight against gender roles must continue, as it is a definite, and unfortunate fact, that gender roles still exist.
