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Stereotypes In Anne Of Green Gables

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Over the last century, there have been monumental shifts towards sexual equality. That is not to say, however, that society as a whole can boast complete and total fairness between men and women. Blatant sexism may be declining, but more subtle forms of gender discrimination are still alive and well. One of the substantial culprits of indirect sexism comes from the seemingly innocent children’s novel. This category is rich with examples of unevenness, and so for the purpose of this paper, only two stories will be analyzed. To fully show the divergence in these texts, the books chosen are historically considered either a “girl’s book” or a “boy’s book.” Written many years ago by critically acclaimed authors, the focus of this paper will …show more content…

Among these were “emotional” and “intuitive,” two characteristics that fit the women in Anne of Green Gables. Anne is indeed very dramatic and emotional; however, it is the content in which she is emotional that drives home the prejudice between sexes. Fashion is a very prominent theme in this novel; this in itself is a problem because it does not provide any opportunity for the characters to grow. On the contrary, the role fashion plays in Anne of Green Gables only furthers the idea that women are silly and easily placated by new dresses. Marilla, a woman who early on is set as a no-nonsense type of person, loses some of her authenticity when she too begins speaking about fashion with Anne. Two women who are well known for their strength get into a quarrel over the type of dress Anne wants to wear. Not only is this reaffirming that notion that females are emotional, but it also frames females as having nothing better to do than arguing over fashion. The existence of this stereotypical femininity falls under the category of benevolent sexism. What this term refers to can be defined by Amanda Diekman and Sarah Murnen; benevolent sexism “reflects this tendency to endorse the traditional feminine ideal or to view women in idealized, overly romantic terms or as delicate creatures who require protection”

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American society has often mischaracterized women, especially through their looks and their past roles. Some of the common female stereotypes are that they are compassionate, complaisant, not as successful, but rather to appear beautiful and vulnerable and submissive to gain male approval. Nelson in her article states, “but most female winners play the femininity game to some extent, using femininity as a defense, a shield against accusations such as bitch, man-hater, or lesbian” (Nelson 526). Nelson uses Plath’s anecdote to show the societal truth. Feminine behavior and attire mitigate the affront of female victory and soften the hard edges of winning.

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