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The Cultural Context Of Alice Gerstenberg's 'Fourteen'

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Shades of Society: Unveiling Alice Gerstenberg’s “Fourteen”

Alice Gerstenberg's one-act play “Fourteen” provides an insightful look into the cultural context of early 20th-century America. It depicts the hopes and dreams of two teenage girls, Mabel and Alice, and how societal expectations limited young women's roles at the time. The play's cultural context shapes the characters' words, actions, and mindsets positively and negatively.

At the beginning of the play, the characters prioritize wealthy and influential individuals over others when selecting guests for the party. This reveals the extent to which social status is seen as a determinant of one's worth in society. The fact that some guests are deemed more valuable than others highlights the presence of unequal opportunities and social hierarchies within the cultural context of the play. The prioritization of certain individuals over others thus emphasizes the importance of social status in shaping one's position and opportunities in society.

Furthermore, Alice objects to Mabel's proposal of seating Jim, a grocery boy, beside her at the party due to his lower social status. This incident underlines the impact of …show more content…

These gendered expectations limit Alice's aspirations, making it difficult for her to find confidence in herself as a young woman. However, the play also depicts moments of rebellion against these societal norms, such as when Alice challenges Mabel's assumption that she would never become a writer because of her gender, stating that she would not let being a girl stop her. Alice's belief in herself and her rebellion against gendered expectations highlights the changing attitudes towards gender roles in the cultural

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