Comparative Analysis Essay Some people believe that gender roles are necessary in order to maintain function within a society. On the other hand however, there are also people who do not agree with those gender roles, and therefore try to challenge them, sometimes utilizing their literary talents to convey their ideas to readers. Three of these such forward-thinking authors are Andrea Potos, Henrik Ibsen, and Thomas Hardy. These three writers used three different literary medium to reveal their own opinions on the traditional gender roles that were considered right and acceptable in the places they lived. In her poem “Depending on the Light,” Andrea Potos uses literary devices such as irony, imagery, and metaphor to convince readers …show more content…
Nora finally realizes that she deserves more than to be treated like a child all her life. This parallels how Ibsen feels about the roles of women in his society. He feels they are worth more than society gives them credit for. Ibsen uses the Christmas tree to symbolize how Nora must always look beautiful and presentable for her husband and society. Nora says, “Hide the tree well, Helene. The children mustn’t get a glimpse of it till this evening, after it’s trimmed” (1586), which is exactly the same as Nora. She can’t be seen any less than perfect. She, just like the mother in Andrea Potos’s poem, must look beautiful for everyone to admire. Just like a sculpture, a Christmas tree is solely a decorative item, designed only to looked at, but not to be purposeful. This means that women are meant to serve the same purpose: to look beautiful, but serve no other purpose or do anything impactful.
Thomas Hardy also has strong opinions about the roles of women in the nineteenth century. His novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles challenges the thought that women are incapable of making their own decisions and being independent. Hardy utilizes indirect characterization and symbolism to convince the reader that society’s restrictions on women are oppressive and