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Gender Roles In Mrs. Dalloway And Boyhood

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Over the course of time, traditional Western gender roles have evolved. At the turn of the twentieth century, men and women inhabited separate spheres: women were expected to meet a certain standard of beauty while prioritizing their families and home lives above all else, whereas men were seen as the providers for their families and were less present in the everyday work around the house. Over the course of the twentieth century, however, women’s lifestyles changed. They demanded equal rights. They broke into the workforce. They had fewer children. Nevertheless, gender inequality persists, and its evolution can be traced throughout literature and film. By portraying the extraordinary in the everyday life, for example, Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway and Boyhood depicted the impact of traditional Western gender roles upon their characters while also showcasing how such gender roles evolved during the time …show more content…

Whereas Mason Sr. was an absent father, choosing to spend his time fishing in Alaska and partying with his grungy roommate rather than parenting his two children, Olivia was depicted as a devoted mother. Although she had career aspirations and did not originally plan on allowing her family life to take precedence, Olivia ended up prioritizing her children. She picked Mason up from school and lectured him about misbehaving for his teacher. When her babysitter bailed at the last minute, she cancelled a date with her boyfriend to stay home with Mason and Samantha. Upon marrying a professor and discovering his true abusive nature, Olivia left him in order to protect her children and herself. Throughout the entire film, the audience saw how traditional gender roles influenced how Mason Sr. and Olivia reacted to the challenges they faced and thus how their children developed as

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Oscar Wilde’s satirical play The Importance of Being Earnest, set in the late Victorian era, London, is a portrayal of British upper class society and its conventions surrounded by a strict code of conduct. In 1890’s class society, earnestness was desired; to follow the moral code and social obligations in order to keep up one’s appearance. Besides, there was a huge gender disparity between men and women. In the play, Wilde criticizes the social inequality and Victorian upper class standards. He characterizes Victorian personae making fun of their qualities; hypocrisy, arrogance and absurdism, ultimately the very vital state and lifeline of not being earnest at all in Victorian society.

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